DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 3 and 22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kojima (US 2016/0209786).
Regarding claim 3, Kojima discloses an image forming apparatus 100 (Fig. 1) comprising:
an image bearer 7 ([0017]);
a transfer member 13/14 (Fig. 1) configured to, contact the image bearer 7 to form a transfer nip N2 (Fig. 1 [0035]), and
transfer a toner image (i.e., toner image to be transferred onto the recording material during a first mode) on a surface of the image bearer 7 to a recording medium S at the transfer nip, the toner image corresponding to an image to be transferred to the recording medium S ([0048]);
a cleaning member 17 configured to clean the surface of the image bearer 7 (Fig. 1 [0040]); and
processing circuitry 110 configured to, execute a cleaning operation (application of voltages Vp & Vmc) to clean the transfer member 14, the cleaning operation consisting of moving extraneous matter adhering to the transfer member to the image bearer 7 ([0075-0076]), and
complete the cleaning operation before at least one scraping toner pattern (i.e., adjusting toner image Gk formed during a second mode; Fig. 4e [0048, 0051-0052]) reaches the transfer nip, the at least one scraping toner pattern formed on the surface of the image bearer and input to the cleaning member ([0075-0076]) (The cleaning operation is disclosed as occurring during pre-rotation of a print job, or during an interval between toner images during a print job; [0048]. The scraping toner pattern Gk is formed every time a cumulative print number in image formation reaches 100 sheets; [0052, 0064]. As such, a cleaning operation performed after a first scraping toner pattern Gk formed after 100 sheets have been printed will be completed before a second scraping toner pattern Gk reaches the transfer nip after 200 sheets have been printed.), and
wherein the recording medium enters the transfer nip after the at least one scraping toner pattern Gk passes through the transfer nip (because the scraping toner pattern Gk is formed after every 100 sheets, the recording medium will enter the transfer nip after the at least one scraping toner pattern Gk passes through the transfer nip; [0064]), and
wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to cause performance of at least one of,
transfer of the at least one scraping toner pattern to a position on the surface of the image bearer in front of the toner image in a sheet conveyance direction (because the scraping toner pattern Gk is formed after every 100 sheets, the scraping toner pattern will be transferred to a position on the surface of the image bearer in front of a subsequent toner image in a sheet conveyance direction; Fig. 4e [0064]),
transfer of the at least one scraping toner pattern to a position on the surface of the image bearer behind the toner image in the sheet conveyance direction (because the scraping toner pattern Gk is formed after every 100 sheets, the scraping toner pattern will be transferred to a position on the surface of the image bearer behind a preceding toner image in a sheet conveyance direction; Fig. 4e [0064]),
transfer of the at least one scraping toner pattern to a position on the surface of the image bearer above the toner image in a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveyance direction,
transfer of the at least one scraping toner pattern to a position on the surface of the image bearer below the toner image in the direction perpendicular to the sheet conveyance direction, and
transfer of the at least one scraping toner pattern to a position on the surface of the image bearer behind a final toner image of a plurality of toner images corresponding to a plurality of continuously conveyed recording media (because the scraping toner pattern Gk is formed after every 100 sheets, the scraping toner pattern will be transferred to a position on the surface of the image bearer behind a final toner image, i.e., the 100th image, of a plurality of toner images corresponding to a plurality of continuously conveyed recording media; Fig. 4e [0064]).
Regarding claim 22, Kojima discloses the image forming apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising: an image forming device Pa/Pb/Pc/Pd (Fig. 1 [0016-0017]) configured to form, based on an image mode, the at least one scraping toner pattern Gk, wherein the image mode includes: a color image mode (utilizing all image forming portions Pa/Pb/Pc/Pd; [0017]) during which the transfer member is configured to transfer a color toner image to the recording medium; and a monochrome image mode (utilizing only image forming portion Pd) during which the transfer member is configured to transfer a black toner image alone to the recording medium (such as when printing scraping toner pattern Gk; [0064]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2 and 4-20 are allowed for reasons set forth in the previous Office action.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 1/22/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues that independent claim 3 has been amended to recite the subject matter of claim 21. Applicant alleges that claim 21 was not previously rejected under 35 U.S.C. §102 or §103, and claim 3 is thus in condition for allowance. Applicant further contends that a new art rejection must be a Non-Final Office Action. (See “Claim Rejection under 35 U.S.C. § 102” on page 12 of the Remarks.)
The Office respectfully disagrees.
In the previous Office action, claim 21 was rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 112b because the claim was unclear. Claim 21, as previously presented, did not make sense. There were no art rejections because it was not clear what Applicant intended to claim.
It is noted that Applicant amended the subject matter of claim 21 for clarity before including it in amended claim 3. As such, Applicant’s amendment necessitated the new grounds of rejection presented in this Office action.
Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Tsuda et al. (US 2017/0185022) is cited for teaching placing a toner scraping pattern on the surface of an image bearer either above or below a toner image in a direction perpendicular to a sheet conveyance direction.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CARLA J THERRIEN whose telephone number is (571)272-2677. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8 am - 4 pm EST.
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/CARLA J THERRIEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852