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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the “a preprinting metal material charging operation of charging the surface of the metal material before a preprinting transfer operation so that the surface of the metal material has a charge opposite to a charge of the white toner; the preprinting transfer operation of moving and settling the white toner after the preprinting development operation onto the charged surface of the metal material;” of claim 16 must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
In figs.8&9, a dedicated and separate charging device before transfer is depicted, but these are merely shown in the main printing portions and aren’t shown in a preprinting device.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Interpretation
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(f):
(f) Element in Claim for a Combination. – An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The claims in this application are given their broadest reasonable interpretation using the plain meaning of the claim language in light of the specification as it would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. The broadest reasonable interpretation of a claim element (also commonly referred to as a claim limitation) is limited by the description in the specification when 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is invoked.
As explained in MPEP § 2181, subsection I, claim limitations that meet the following three-prong test will be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
(A) the claim limitation uses the term “means” or “step” or a term used as a substitute for “means” that is a generic placeholder (also called a nonce term or a non-structural term having no specific structural meaning) for performing the claimed function;
(B) the term “means” or “step” or the generic placeholder is modified by functional language, typically, but not always linked by the transition word “for” (e.g., “means for”) or another linking word or phrase, such as “configured to” or “so that”; and
(C) the term “means” or “step” or the generic placeholder is not modified by sufficient structure, material, or acts for performing the claimed function.
Use of the word “means” (or “step”) in a claim with functional language creates a rebuttable presumption that the claim limitation is to be treated in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph. The presumption that the claim limitation is interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is rebutted when the claim limitation recites sufficient structure, material, or acts to entirely perform the recited function.
Absence of the word “means” (or “step”) in a claim creates a rebuttable presumption that the claim limitation is not to be treated in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph. The presumption that the claim limitation is not interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is rebutted when the claim limitation recites function without reciting sufficient structure, material or acts to entirely perform the recited function.
Claim limitations in this application that use the word “means” (or “step”) are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, except as otherwise indicated in an Office action. Conversely, claim limitations in this application that do not use the word “means” (or “step”) are not being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, except as otherwise indicated in an Office action.
This application includes one or more claim limitations that do not use the word “means,” but are nonetheless being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, because the claim limitation(s) uses a generic placeholder that is coupled with functional language without reciting sufficient structure to perform the recited function and the generic placeholder is not preceded by a structural modifier. Such claim limitation(s) is/are:
“a preprinting remover” in claim 1;
“a preprinting photosensitive drum discharging unit” of claim 1;
“a main printing remover” in claim 4;
“a main printing photosensitive drum discharging unit” of claim 4;
“a main printing remover” in claim 4;
“a main printing photosensitive drum discharging unit” of claim 4;
“a transfer belt transfer remover” of claim 8;
“a transfer belt discharging unit” of claim 8;
“a respective main printing remover” in claim 13;
“a respective main printing photosensitive drum discharging unit” of claim 13;
“a respective main printing remover” in claim 14; and
“a respective main printing photosensitive drum discharging unit” of claim 14.
Because this/these claim limitation(s) is/are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, it/they is/are being interpreted to cover the corresponding structure described in the specification as performing the claimed function, and equivalents thereof.
If applicant does not intend to have this/these limitation(s) interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, applicant may: (1) amend the claim limitation(s) to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph (e.g., by reciting sufficient structure to perform the claimed function); or (2) present a sufficient showing that the claim limitation(s) recite(s) sufficient structure to perform the claimed function so as to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 16-23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention. Claim 16 recites “a preprinting metal material charging operation of charging the surface of the metal material before a preprinting transfer operation so that the surface of the metal material has a charge opposite to a charge of the white toner” and “the preprinting transfer operation of moving and settling the white toner after the preprinting development operation onto the charged surface of the metal material”. None of the drawings show a separate device capable of metal material charging and device capable of a transfer operation for a device capable of a preprinting operation. Additionally, the sections of the specification disclosing the methods (see Publication 2025/0028261; para.0098&0106) reference fig.2 and fig.3, respectively. The method of para.0098 does not disclose a metal material charging operation before the transfer operation and the method of para.0106 merely alludes to the metal material being charged, but does not positively recite a charging operation of the metal material (“settling the toner attached to the surface of the … belt … to the charged surface of the metal material”). Thus, this combination of operations appears to be new matter.
Claims 16-23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention. The claims recite “a preprinting metal material charging operation of charging the surface of the metal material before a preprinting transfer operation so that the surface of the metal material has a charge opposite to a charge of the white toner; the preprinting transfer operation”; however, both the drawings and the specification only demonstrate one device that transfers the preprinting toner image to the metal material by applying a charge. Nothing appears to be depicted in the preprinting device that is capable of applying a charge to the metal material before a separate transfer operation.
Claims 16-23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the enablement requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to enable one skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and/or use the invention. The claims recite “a preprinting metal material charging operation of charging the surface of the metal material before a preprinting transfer operation so that the surface of the metal material has a charge opposite to a charge of the white toner; the preprinting transfer operation”; however, both the drawings and the specification only demonstrate one device that transfers the preprinting toner image to the metal material by applying a charge. Nothing appears to be depicted in the preprinting device that is capable of applying a charge to the metal material before a separate transfer operation.
Claims 16-23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being incomplete for omitting essential elements, such omission amounting to a gap between the elements. See MPEP § 2172.01. The omitted elements are: a means, structure or method for performing the “a preprinting metal material charging operation of charging the surface of the metal material before a preprinting transfer operation …” and “the preprinting transfer operation”.
Because of the issues revealed in the objections and rejections related to claim language in claims 16-23, since the Office cannot determine what manner of means to support the method were encompassed and due the lack of support in the specification, the Office is unable to reasonably provide a prior art rejection. This does not constitute an indication of patentability.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 1, 3, 5, 9, 11, 12 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kiuchi et al. (JP Pub.2015-022053) in view of Maess et al. (US 6,201,595) and in view of Yamaguchi et al. (US Pub.2009/0060602).
Regarding claim 1, Kiuchi et al. (JP Pub.2015-022053) teach a printing equipment (fig.1), comprising: preprinting equipment (fig.1, #10A) printing a white image (fig.1, with #20W) on a surface of a material (fig.4, #Ta on #9; p.7, final paragraph), which is continuously moving (p.20, final paragraph); and main printing equipment (fig.1, #10B) printing an image on a surface of the material on which the white image is printed (fig.4, #Tb on #Ta on #9), wherein the preprinting equipment comprises: a preprinting photosensitive drum (fig.1, #21 in #20W); a preprinting developer provided on one side of the preprinting photosensitive drum and providing a white toner to the surface of the preprinting photosensitive drum (fig.1, #24W); a preprinting photosensitive drum charging unit charging the surface of the preprinting photosensitive drum before the white toner is provided (fig.1, #22 in #20W); a preprinting exposure unit applying light to the surface of the preprinting photosensitive drum according to a required image, between the preprinting developer and the preprinting photosensitive drum charging unit (fig.1, #23 of #20W); a preprinting metal material charging unit configured to charge the surface of the material such that the white toner is moved and settled onto the surface of the material (fig.1, #35); a preprinting remover removing the white toner remaining on the surface of the preprinting photosensitive drum after the white toner is settled on the surface of the material (p.4, 3rd full paragraph); and a preprinting fixer configured to fix the white toner settled on the surface of the metal material (fig.1, #5A/#50A).
Regarding claim 3, Kiuchi et al. (JP Pub.2015-022053) teach a printing equipment wherein the preprinting equipment further comprises: a preprinting transfer belt transferring and settling the white toner attached to a surface of the preprinting transfer belt onto the surface of the material while closely contacting the metal material and rotating in one direction (fig.1, #31rotating in direction of arrow, counterclockwise), wherein the preprinting photosensitive drum transfers the white toner attached to a surface of the preprinting photosensitive drum to the surface of the preprinting transfer belt while closely contacting the preprinting transfer belt and rotating in an opposite direction (fig.1, #21 contacting #31 at #33 and rotating clockwise, see arrow), and wherein the preprinting fixer is located downstream of the preprinting transfer belt with respect to a traveling direction of the material (fig.1, see #5A/#50A relative to #31).
Regarding claim 5, Kiuchi et al. (JP Pub.2015-022053) teach a printing equipment wherein the main printing equipment (fig.1, #10B) comprises: a main printing transfer belt transferring and settling a toner attached to a surface of the main printing transfer belt onto the surface of the material on which the white image is printed while rotating in one direction in close contact with the material on which the white image is printed (fig.1, #31 rotating in direction of arrow, counterclockwise); a main printing photosensitive drum (fig.1, any #21 in #20K-#20Y) transferring the toner attached to a surface of the main printing photosensitive drum to the surface of the main printing transfer belt while closely contacting the main printing transfer belt and rotating together with the main printing transfer belt in an opposite direction (fig.1, #21 rotating in clockwise direction); a main printing developer provided on one side of the main printing photosensitive drum and providing the toner to the surface of the main printing photosensitive drum (fig.1, any of #24K-Y); a main printing photosensitive drum charging unit charging the surface of the main printing photosensitive drum, before the toner is provided (fig.1, #22 in any of #20K-Y); a main printing exposure unit applying light energy to the surface of the main printing photosensitive drum according to a required image, between the main printing developer and the main printing photosensitive drum charging unit (fig.1, #23 associated with any of #20K-Y); a main printing material charging unit charging the surface of the metal material to transfer the toner attached to the surface of the main printing transfer belt, to the surface of the material (fig.1, #35 in #10B); a main printing remover removing the toner remaining on the surface of the main printing photosensitive drum, after the toner is settled on the surface of the material (fig.1, not shown; p.6, 4th full paragraph); and a main printing fixer located downstream of the main printing transfer belt with respect to a traveling direction of the metal material, to fix the toner settled on the surface of the metal material (fig.1, #5B/#50B).
Regarding claim 11, Kiuchi et al. (JP Pub.2015-022053) teach a printing equipment wherein the preprinting developer comprises a toner container and a developing roller providing toner in the toner container to the preprinting photosensitive drum (fig.1, see roll in container #24W).
Regarding claim 12, Kiuchi et al. (JP Pub.2015-022053) teach a printing equipment wherein the preprinting fixer comprises a fuser roll (fig.1, #52) and a pressure roll (fig.1, #53).
Regarding claim 14, Kiuchi et al. (JP Pub.2015-022053) teach a printing equipment wherein the main printing equipment comprises two or more sets arranged in a traveling direction of the main printing transfer belt (fig.1, #20K-#20Y), wherein each of the two or more sets comprises a respective main printing photosensitive drum (fig.1, #21 in #10B), a respective main printing photosensitive drum charging unit (fig.1, #22 in #10B), a respective main printing exposure unit (fig.1, #23 in #10B), a respective main printing developer (fig.1, #24K-#24Y), and a respective main printing remover (p.6, 4th paragraph), and wherein each of the main printing developer is configured to provide toner of a different color (p.6, 2nd paragraph).
However, Kiuchi et al. (JP Pub.2015-022053) fail to teach the use of a metal material which is continuously moving.
Regarding claim 1, Maess et al. (US 6,201,595) teach an image forming apparatus wherein an image is formed on a continuous sheet (fig.1), but also teach that a continuous sheet metal may also be used (col.5, ln.20-25).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to modify the printing media of Kiuchi et al. (JP Pub.2015-022053) by using a continuous sheet media as in Maess et al. (US 6,201,595) because it is a known modification in the art and can be used to print beverage cans (col.5, ln.20-25).
However, Kiuchi et al. (JP Pub.2015-022053) in view of Maess et al. (US 6,201,595) fail to teach a photosensitive drum discharging unit removing a charge from the photosensitive drum after the toner is removed.
Regarding claims 1, 5 and 14, Yamaguchi et al. (US Pub.2009/0060602) teach a printing device with a photosensitive drum (fig.12, #101), a printing remover after the transfer point (fig.12, #120 after #115), and a photosensitive drum discharging unit removing a charge from the photosensitive drum after the toner is removed (fig.12, #102 after #120 and before #103).
Regarding claim 9, Yamaguchi et al. (US Pub.2009/0060602) teach a printing device wherein the remover (1600, 1600', 2600, and 2600') comprises a blade (1610, 1610', 2610, and 2610') (fig.12, #122) and a collection bin (1842, 1842', 2842, and 2842') located on a lower end of the blade (fig.12, #120 housing).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to modify the apparatus of Kiuchi et al. (JP Pub.2015-022053) in view of Maess et al. (US 6,201,595) by using cleaning unit and a discharge unit as in Yamaguchi et al. (US Pub.2009/0060602) because the cleaning unit configuration is a type known in the art (see fig.12) and in order to discharge the clean surface of the drum to create a uniformly charged surface to prepare for subsequent image forming (para.0100).
Claims 2, 4, 9, 11-13, 17 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kiuchi et al. (JP Pub.2015-022053) in view of Maess et al. (US 6,201,595) and in view of Yamaguchi et al. (US Pub.2009/0060602) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Yamamoto et al. (OKI Technical Review, Aug.1998) and Yamaguchi et al. (US Pub.2009/0060602).
Regarding claim 2, Kiuchi et al. (JP Pub.2015-022053) teach the printing equipment wherein the preprinting photosensitive drum transfers and settles the white toner attached to a surface of the preprinting photosensitive drum onto the surface of the material while closely contacting the material and rotating in one direction (see direction of drum rotation in fig.1,#10B, clockwise), and wherein the preprinting fixer is located downstream of the preprinting photosensitive drum with respect to a traveling direction of the metal material (fig.1, #5A/#50A downstream of #21).
Regarding claim 4, Kiuchi et al. (JP Pub.2015-022053) teach the printing equipment wherein the main printing equipment comprises: a main printing photosensitive drum (fig.1, #21 in #10B); a main printing developer provided on one side of the main printing photosensitive drum and providing the toner to the surface of the main printing photosensitive drum (fig.1, #24K-#24Y); a main printing photosensitive drum charging unit charging the surface of the main printing photosensitive drum before the toner is provided (fig.1, #22 in #10B); a main printing exposure unit applying light energy to the surface of the main printing photosensitive drum according to a required image, between the main printing developer and the main printing photosensitive drum charging unit (fig.1, #23 in #10B); a main printing material charging unit charging the surface of the material such that the toner attached to the surface of the main printing photosensitive drum is transferred to the surface of the material (fig.1, #33); a main printing remover removing the toner remaining on the surface of the main printing photosensitive drum, after the toner is settled on the surface of the material (p.6, 4th paragraph); and a main printing fixer located downstream of the main printing photosensitive drum with respect to a traveling direction of the material, to fix the toner settled on the surface of the material (fig.1, #5B/#50B).
Regarding claim 11, Kiuchi et al. (JP Pub.2015-022053) teach a printing equipment wherein the preprinting developer comprises a toner container and a developing roller providing toner in the toner container to the preprinting photosensitive drum (fig.1, see roll in container #24W).
Regarding claim 12, Kiuchi et al. (JP Pub.2015-022053) teach a printing equipment wherein the preprinting fixer comprises a fuser roll (fig.1, #52) and a pressure roll (fig.1, #53).
Regarding claim 13, Kiuchi et al. (JP Pub.2015-022053) teach a printing equipment wherein the main printing equipment comprises two or more sets arranged in a traveling direction of the material (fig.1, sets #20K-#20Y in #10B), wherein each of the two or more sets comprises a respective main printing photosensitive drum (fig.1, #21 in #10B), a respective main printing photosensitive drum charging unit (fig.1, #22 in #10B), a respective main printing exposure unit (fig.1, #23 in #10B), a respective main printing developer (fig.1, #24K-#24Y), and a respective main printing remover (p.6, 4th paragraph), and wherein each main printing developer is configured to provide toner of a different color (p.6, 2nd paragraph).
However, Kiuchi et al. (JP Pub.2015-022053) in view of Maess et al. (US 6,201,595) and in view of Yamaguchi et al. (US Pub.2009/0060602) fail to teach the toner attached to the surface of the photosensitive drum being transferred to the surface of the metal material while closely contacting the metal material.
Regarding claims 2 and 4, Yamamoto et al. (OKI Technical Review, Aug.1998) teach a printing device with either multiple different colored photosensitive drums that transfer toner directly onto a recording material (Table1, Row 1) or a multi-colored system that first transfers from the plurality of drums, sequentially onto an intermediate transfer member (Table 1, Row 2).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to modify the printing device of Kiuchi et al. (JP Pub.2015-022053) in view of Maess et al. (US 6,201,595) and in view of Yamaguchi et al. (US Pub.2009/0060602) to use a direct transfer method as taught by Yamamoto et al. (OKI Technical Review, Aug.1998) because it is a known alternative configuration in the art (see Table 1) which can allow for increased throughput when printing colored images (see Table 1, column 2, rows 1&2).
However, Kiuchi et al. (JP Pub.2015-022053) in view of Maess et al. (US 6,201,595) and in view of Yamaguchi et al. (US Pub.2009/0060602) also fail to teach a photosensitive drum discharging unit removing a charge from the photosensitive drum after the toner is removed.
Regarding claims 2, 4 and 13, Yamaguchi et al. (US Pub.2009/0060602) teach a printing device with a photosensitive drum (fig.12, #101), a printing remover after the transfer point (fig.12, #120 after #115), and a photosensitive drum discharging unit removing a charge from the photosensitive drum after the toner is removed (fig.12, #102 after #120 and before #103).
Regarding claim 9, Yamaguchi et al. (US Pub.2009/0060602) teach a printing device wherein the remover (1600, 1600', 2600, and 2600') comprises a blade (1610, 1610', 2610, and 2610') (fig.12, #122) and a collection bin (1842, 1842', 2842, and 2842') located on a lower end of the blade (fig.12, #120 housing).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to modify the apparatus of Kiuchi et al. (JP Pub.2015-022053) in view of Maess et al. (US 6,201,595) and in view of Yamaguchi et al. (US Pub.2009/0060602) by using cleaning unit and a discharge unit as in Yamaguchi et al. (US Pub.2009/0060602) because the cleaning unit configuration is a type known in the art (see fig.12) and in order to discharge the clean surface of the drum to create a uniformly charged surface to prepare for subsequent image forming (para.0100).
Claims 8 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kiuchi et al. (JP Pub.2015-022053) in view of Maess et al. (US 6,201,595) and in view of Yamaguchi et al. (US Pub.2009/0060602) as applied to claims 3 above, and further in view of Aiba et al. (US Pub.2013/0223872).
Regarding claim 8, Kiuchi et al. (JP Pub.2015-022053) teach printing equipment comprising: a transfer belt drive roll driving the preprinting transfer belt in a traveling direction (fig.1, #32a-d; p.4, 3rd paragraph); a transfer belt charging unit charging the preprinting transfer belt before the preprinting transfer belt receives the white toner (fig.1, #33 at #20W); a transfer belt toner remover removing the white toner remaining on the preprinting transfer belt after the white toner is transferred to the metal material (fig.1, #36).
However, Kiuchi et al. (JP Pub.2015-022053) fail to teach a transfer belt discharging unit discharging the transfer belt, after the toner is removed and fail to be explicit about the type of belt toner remover.
Regarding claim 8, Aiba et al. (US Pub.2013/0223872) teach printing equipment comprising: comprising several photosensitive drums (fig.1, #1Y-K) transferring toner to a sheet via an intermediate transfer belt (fig.1, #5); a transfer belt drive roll driving the transfer belt in a traveling direction (fig.1, #21); a transfer belt toner remover removing the toner remaining on the transfer belt after the toner is transferred to the material (fig.1, #20D); and a transfer belt discharging unit discharging the preprinting transfer belt after the toner is removed (fig.1&7, #28).
Regarding claim 10, Aiba et al. (US Pub.2013/0223872) teach printing equipment wherein the transfer belt toner remover comprises a blade (fig.7, #10) and a collection bin located at a lower end of the blade (fig.7, #33).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to modify the belt conditioning configuration of Kiuchi et al. (JP Pub.2015-022053) in view of Maess et al. (US 6,201,595) and in view of Yamaguchi et al. (US Pub.2009/0060602) by utilizing a discharging unit as in Aiba et al. (US Pub.2013/0223872) in order to electrically discharge any particulate matter that passes through the cleaning blade in order to lessen contamination (para.0016).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 6 August 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. On p.22, the applicant argues that neither Kiuchi nor Maess teach a unit that intentionally charges the surface of the metal material before transfer. The applicant then discusses the transfer devices of Kiuchi and Maess states that they do not intentionally charge the surface before toner transfer and does not establish the claimed timing or opposite polarity relationship. On these points, the Office respectfully disagrees. While claim 16 may make mention of “charging the surface of the metal material before a …transfer operation” and creating a “charge opposite to a charge of the white toner material”, this language is not present in claim 1 and thus these arguments do not apply to the art related to claim 1. Additionally, transfer devices #35 of Kiuchi and #70 of Maess do operate by creating a polarity opposite the toner charge in order to be able to transfer as that is how conventional transferring systems work, thus this argument would not be persuasive regardless. Regarding the timing, claims 1-5 and 8-14 do not recite a specific timing, nor is an additional structure for transferring the toner introduced. As such, under the broadest reasonable interpretation of “a … metal material charging unit configured to charge the surface of the metal material such that the … toner is moved and settled onto the surface of the metal material”, can read on a transfer device.
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.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LAURA K ROTH whose telephone number is (571)272-2154. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 7:30AM-3:30 PM.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Stephanie Bloss can be reached at 571-272-3555. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/LKR/
10/6/2026
/STEPHANIE E BLOSS/ Supervisory Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852
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