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.
Specification
ABSTRACT - Applicant is reminded of the proper language and format for an abstract of the disclosure.
The abstract should be in narrative form and generally limited to a single paragraph on a separate sheet within the range of 50 to 150 words in length. The abstract should describe the disclosure sufficiently to assist readers in deciding whether there is a need for consulting the full patent text for details.
The language should be clear and concise and should not repeat information given in the title. It should avoid using phrases which can be implied, such as, “The disclosure concerns,” “The disclosure defined by this invention,” “The disclosure describes,” etc. In addition, the form and legal phraseology often used in patent claims, such as “means” and “said,” should be avoided.
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because it merely consists of a single run-on sentence without regard for proper grammatical form. Correction is required. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
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.
Claims 2-3, 4-5, 8-9, 11-12, 14-15, and 17-20 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.
Claims 2, 4, 8, 11, and 14 recite inter alia, “the transfer voltage applied to the transfer member reaches a(/the) reference voltage after a rear end of the inclined surface arrives at the transfer position” (emphasis added). The Office finds no description of such features. As shown if Fig. 10 and Figs.12-14 the transfer voltage applied to the transfer member reaches a reference voltage TV at a time T3 when a rear end 263B of the inclined surface arrives at the transfer position, designated as S3. Claims 3, 5, 9, 12, 15, and 17-20 are rejected based of their claim dependence.
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 3, 5, 9, 12, 15, 18, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 3 recites inter alia, “the transfer voltage applied to the transfer member reaches the reference voltage when the rear end of the inclined surface arrives at the transfer position” (emphasis added). But claim 2, from which claim 3 depends, states “the transfer voltage applied to the transfer member reaches the reference voltage before the rear end of the inclined surface arrives at the transfer position. It is unclear how to construe claim 3 as to incorporate all limitations of claim 2.
The same issue is present with respect to combination of claim 4-5, 8-9, 11-12, 14-15.
The issues exposed above are so severe that they preclude a reasonable search over prior art as one skilled in the art cannot determine the metes and bounds of the claim.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(d):
(d) REFERENCE IN DEPENDENT FORMS.—Subject to subsection (e), a claim in dependent form shall contain a reference to a claim previously set forth and then specify a further limitation of the subject matter claimed. A claim in dependent form shall be construed to incorporate by reference all the limitations of the claim to which it refers.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, fourth paragraph:
Subject to the following paragraph [i.e., the fifth paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112], a claim in dependent form shall contain a reference to a claim previously set forth and then specify a further limitation of the subject matter claimed. A claim in dependent form shall be construed to incorporate by reference all the limitations of the claim to which it refers.
Claims 3, 5, 9, 12, 15, 18, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(d) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, 4th paragraph, as being of improper dependent form for failing to further limit the subject matter of the claim upon which it depends, or for failing to include all the limitations of the claim upon which it depends.
Claim 3 recites inter alia, “the transfer voltage applied to the transfer member reaches the reference voltage when the rear end of the inclined surface arrives at the transfer position” (emphasis added). But claim 2, from which claim 3 depends, states “the transfer voltage applied to the transfer member reaches the reference voltage before the rear end of the inclined surface arrives at the transfer position. The limitation “before” is not included in “when”.
The same issue is present with respect to combination of claim 4-5, 8-9, 11-12, 14-15.
Applicant may cancel the claim(s), amend the claim(s) to place the claim(s) in proper dependent form, rewrite the claim(s) in independent form, or present a sufficient showing that the dependent claim(s) complies with the statutory requirements.
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) 1, 6, 7, 10, 13, and 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 2022/ 0113656 to Miyamoto et al.
Miyamoto teaches:
(claim 1) A transfer device 30 comprising:
a transfer cylinder 36 that is rotated, and that includes a cylinder main body having an outer circumferential surface provided with a recess 178 for housing a holding member 76 holding a leading end of a recording medium P to convey the recording medium, and a sheet member 260 that is wound around the outer circumferential surface, both ends of which are attached to circumferential ends of the recess, respectively, and that has an inclined surface 263A on a downstream end in a conveying direction of the recording medium; and
a transfer member 34 to which a transfer voltage TV is applied and that transfers a developer image to the recording medium held and conveyed by the holding member, at a transfer position NT,
wherein application of the transfer voltage to the transfer member is started after a tip end (leftmost end of surface 236A in Fig.8B) of the inclined surface arrives at the transfer position (see line S4 in Fig. 8A, Fig.12, [0115-0118]) .
(claim 6) The transfer device according to claim 1, wherein a timing at which application of the transfer voltage to the transfer member is started is set with reference to a detection signal detected when a detection mark provided on the transfer cylinder or a member rotating integrally with the transfer cylinder arrives at a detection position (when trailing end of sheet is at second transfer position NT, [0147]).
(claim 7) The transfer device according to claim 1, wherein a reverse voltage GV having a polarity opposite to a polarity of the transfer voltage is applied to the transfer member before the tip of the inclined surface arrives at the transfer position, and the transfer voltage is applied from the reverse voltage (Fig.12, [0147]).
(claim 10) The transfer device according to claim 1, wherein before the tip of the inclined surface arrives at the transfer position (see line S3 in Fig.8A), a standby voltage CV having an absolute value smaller than an absolute value of a reference voltage of the transfer voltage is applied to the transfer member, and the transfer voltage is applied from the standby voltage (Fig.10, [0115]).
(claim 13) A transfer device comprising:
a transfer cylinder 36 that is rotated, and that includes a cylinder main body having an outer circumferential surface provided with a recess 178 for housing a holding member 76 holding a leading end of a recording medium P to convey the recording medium, and a sheet member 260 that is wound around the outer circumferential surface, both ends of which are attached to circumferential ends of the recess, respectively, and that has an inclined surface 263A on an upstream end in a conveying direction of the recording medium; and
a transfer member 34 to which a transfer voltage is applied and that transfers a developer image to the recording medium held and conveyed by the holding member, at a transfer position,
wherein the transfer voltage applied to the transfer member reaches a reference voltage TV after a tip of the inclined surface arrives at the transfer position (see line S4 in Fig. 8A, Fig.12, [0115-0118]).
(claim 16) An image forming apparatus 10 comprising (Fig.14): an image forming unit 20 that forms a developer image; and the transfer device 30 according to claim 1 that transfers the developer image formed by the image forming unit onto a recording medium.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim(s) 2-5, 8-9, 11-12, 14-15, and 17-20 are not currently subject to a prior art rejection, but allowable subject matter cannot be determined due to the impact that possible amendments relating to rejections under 35 U.S.C. 112 may have on the claim meaning and scope.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 2012/0063820 is relevant to the teachings of a transfer roller for an image forming apparatus having a holding member and a recess.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ARLENE HEREDIA whose telephone number is (571)272-8393. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 9:30-5:30.
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.
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/Arlene Heredia Ocasio/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852
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