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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1 - 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamamoto (US PGP 2013/0252151) in view of Miyagawa et al (US PGP 2014/0295336), further in view of Yamada et al (US PGP 2010/0248101).
Yamamoto teaches an electrophotographic photoreceptor having a substrate, a photosensitive layer, and a surface layer (Abstract). The photoreceptor may be of a functional separation type, wherein a charge generation layer and a charge transport layer are disposed, in that order, on either an undercoat layer or directly on the substrate ([0060], [0063]). Yamamoto lists several conductive substrates which may be used as the substrate of the photoreceptor ([0151]). The surface layer may be a protective layer ([0066]), and may have a thickness of 3 – 15 µm ([0067]). Yamamoto teaches that the protective layer may be a cured layer of a mixture including a cross-linked component containing at least one of a guanamine structure and a melamine structure, and a charge transport material which may be at least one of an alkoxy compound and a hydroxy compound ([0072]). Examples of charge transport materials are given, which include a compound of formula (I-8) (identical to instant formula (I-8)) (page 13); a compound of formula (I-25) (identical to instant formula (I-25)) (page 15); and a compound of formula (I-26) (identical to instant formula (I-26)) (page 16). A description is given of the charge generation layer ([0191]), and of the charge transport layer ([0205]), which preferably has a thickness of 5 – 50 µm ([0216]).
Yamamoto does not appear to teach structural units in the resin of the surface layer according to either instant Formula (X1) or instant Formula (X2).
Miyagawa teaches an electrophotographic photosensitive member including a photosensitive layer disposed on a support, and a surface layer disposed on the photosensitive layer (Abstract). The surface layer of the photosensitive member contains a resin (1), a resin (2), and a compound (3), and may function as a protective layer ([0048]). The resin (2) may be an acrylic resin having a siloxane structure at a terminal ([0049]). Miyagawa teaches that the siloxane moiety of resin (2) imparts high lubricity and reduced initial friction coefficient to the surface layer ([0066]). The acrylic resin having a siloxane structure at a terminal may comprise a structural unit according to formula (F-1) ([0083] – [0085]), which reads on instant Formula (X1). Miyagawa does not appear to teach structural units reading on instant Formula (X2).
Yamada teaches an electrophotographic photoreceptor comprising a conductive substrate, a photosensitive layer, and an outermost surface layer made of a cured composition including charge transporting structural unit (Abstract). The surface layer preferably functions as a protective layer ([0028], [0029]). Yamada teaches that, in addition to other components of the composition for forming the surface layer, additional radical polymerizable monomers may be added, for the purpose of controlling the viscosity of the composition, and controlling the mechanical strength, flexibility, smoothness, and cleanability of the film ([0211]). Among those listed is lauryl acrylate ([0212]), which gives rise to a structural unit identical to instant Formula (X2-1-6), and reading on instant Formula (X2).
In the course of preparing the photoreceptor of Yamamoto, one of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to increase the lubricity and reduce the initial friction coefficient of the surface layer by incorporating the monomer units according to formula (F-1) as taught by Miyagawa. One of ordinary skill in the art would also be motivated to adjust the mechanical strength, flexibility, smoothness, and cleanability of the surface layer by incorporating a radical polymerizable monomer as taught by Yamada. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to prepare the photoreceptor of Yamamoto, incorporating the structural units taught by Miyagawa and Yamamoto in the resin of the surface layer, resulting in a photoreceptor described by Claim 1.
Where Yamamoto teaches that the thickness of the charge transport layer is preferably 5 – 50 µm ([0216]), and that the thickness of the surface protective layer is preferably 3 – 15 µm ([0067]), the ratio (TCT/TOVC) may lie in the range 0.33 – 16.66, overlapping the range stated in Claim 2.
5
µ
m
T
C
T
15
µ
m
T
O
V
C
=
0.33
50
µ
m
T
C
T
3
µ
m
T
O
V
C
=
16.66
As discussed above, Yamamoto teaches that the thickness of the charge transport layer is preferably 5 – 50 µm ([0216]), reading on the ranges stated in Claim 3 and Claim 4.
As discussed above, Yamamoto teaches that the thickness of the surface protective layer is preferably 3 – 15 µm ([0067]), reading on the ranges stated in Claim 5 and Claim 6.
Yamamoto describes a process cartridge comprising the electrophotographic photoreceptor, and which is detachable from an image forming apparatus, reading on Claim 7, Claim 8, Claim 9, Claim 10, Claim 11, and Claim 12.
Yamamoto describes an image forming apparatus comprising the electrophotographic receptor; a charging unit; a latent image forming unit; a developing unit; and a transfer device, reading on Claim 13, Claim 14, Claim 15, Claim 16, Claim 17, and Claim 18.
Claims 19 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamamoto (US PGP 2013/0252151) in view of Miyagawa et al (US PGP 2014/0295336), further in view of Yamada et al (US PGP 2010/0248101), further in view of Komoto et al (US PGP 2002/0115011), further in view of Kinuta et al (US PGP 2023/0068161). The above discussions of Yamamoto, Miyagawa et al, and Yamada et al are incorporated herein.
Yamamoto discloses an intermediate transfer member ([0224]), which may take the shape of an intermediate transfer belt ([0232], [0233]). The intermediate transfer member is disposed in between a transfer device (analogous to a primary transfer device) and an electrophotographic receptor ([0225]). Yamamoto also discloses a transfer device (analogous to a secondary transfer device) which would transfer a toner image onto a recording medium ([0224]). Notably, Yamamoto’s Fig. 4 diagramming an image forming apparatus is identical instant Fig. 2. Yamamoto further discloses a cleaning blade ([0226]), which cleans the electrophotographic receptor.
None of Yamamoto, Miyagawa, or Yamada appears to teach a preferred transfer pressure between the primary transfer member and the intermediate transfer belt, or a cleaning blade in contact with the intermediate transfer belt.
Komoto discloses an image forming apparatus ([0001]) having an intermediate transfer member which receives a toner image from an image bearing member, and later transfers the toner image to a recording medium ([0446]). The transfer member may be a transfer belt ([0448]). Komoto teaches that a transfer-promoting member (analogous to a primary transfer device) preferably presses the intermediate transfer member against the image bearing member with a pressure of at least 3 g/cm ([0447]), reading on the inequality stated in Claim 19 and Claim 20, which prevents deviation in conveyance of the transfer material and transfer failure.
Kinuta discloses an image forming apparatus ([0004]), which may employ an intermediate transfer device that receives a toner image from a photoreceptor (analogous to primary transfer) and later transfers the toner image to a recording medium (analogous to secondary transfer) ([0159]). Kinuta further discloses a cleaning blade which removes toner remaining on an intermediate transfer belt after transfer ([0183]).
In preparing the photoreceptor described above according to Yamamoto, Miyagawa, and Yamada, for use in the image forming apparatus described by Yamamoto, and where Yamamoto is silent regarding the transfer pressure between the image bearing member and the intermediate transfer belt, one of ordinary skill in the art would have looked to the prior art for guidance. One of ordinary skill in the art also would have been motivated to remove toner remaining on the intermediate transfer belt following secondary transfer by including the cleaning blade taught by Kinuta. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to prepare the photoreceptor described above according to Yamamoto, Miyagawa, and Yamada, for use in the image forming apparatus described by Yamamoto, wherein the transfer pressure between the image bearing member and the intermediate transfer belt is set as taught by Komoto, and wherein the image forming apparatus includes a cleaning blade which cleans the intermediate transfer belt as taught by Kinuta, resulting in an apparatus described by Claim 19 and Claim 20.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Grant S Seiler whose telephone number is (571)272-3015. The examiner can normally be reached 9:30 - 5:30 Pacific.
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/GRANT STEVEN SEILER/Examiner, Art Unit 1734
/PETER L VAJDA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1737 07/13/2026
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