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 - 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Omori (JP 2010-078825) in view of Tanaka et al (JP 2019-200318), further in view of Fukunaga (US Patent 5,803,887) (machine translations of foreign documents are referred to henceforth).
Omori teaches a fixing device and an image forming apparatus ([0001]), wherein the fixing device comprises a first rotating member; a second rotating member disposed in contact with the first rotating member; a pressing member which presses on the inner surface of the second rotating member, pressing the second rotating member into the first; a sliding member interposed between the pressing member and the second rotating member; and a lubricant interposed between the sliding member and the second rotating member ([0005]), analogous to the components recited in instant Claim 1.
The second rotating body is also referred to as a pressure belt ([0022]). The pressure belt may be constructed by forming a release layer on a resin substrate, wherein the resin substrate may be a polyimide resin ([0027]). The sliding member is preferably made of a heat-resistant resin and including a conductive powder ([0031]). Polyether ketone resin is given as an example of a heat-resistant resin ([0032]). Carbon black is given as an example of a conductive powder ([0036]). The lubricant may be a silicone oil, such as dimethyl silicone oil ([0043]), which possesses a siloxane group in the main chain.
Omori does not appear to teach a resin having a siloxane group (in either the pressing belt or the sliding member), or a conducting material treated with a siloxane (in either the pressing belt or the sliding member).
Tanaka discloses an electrophotographic belt having an imide resin, a siloxane-modified imide resin, and a conductive agent ([0007]). A conductive agent imparts the proper electrical resistance to the belt ([0019]). The siloxane-modified imide resin is an imide resin which has siloxane bonds ([0036]), which, when incorporated, improves the bending durability of the belt ([0037]). The conductive agent is a siloxane-treated conductive agent, wherein the surface of the conductive agent has been treated with a silicone resin ([0043]). Carbon black is given as an example of a conductive agent ([0044]). Dimethylsiloxane-treated carbon black is preferred for its improved dispersibility in polyimide resins ([0043] – [0046]). In addition, surface-treated (that is, siloxane-treated) carbon black exhibits improved electrical resistance stability over time ([0045]).
Tanaka teaches that additional components may be incorporated in the imide resin layer of the belt, including silicone powder, which improves the strength of the belt ([0052]).
Tanaka does not appear to give further guidance regarding the silicone powder incorporated into the belt.
Fukunaga teaches a heat-fixing roller comprising a rubber layer incorporating silicone resin powder (Abstract). Silicone resin powder is included in the rubber layer for the purpose of improving abrasion resistance (col. 4, lines 52 – 54). Commercially available silicone resin powder KMP590 is given as an example (col. 4, lines 57 – 59).
In preparing the fixing device of Omori, one of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to improve the bending durability of the pressure belt comprising a polyimide resin by incorporating a siloxane-modified imide resin as taught by Tanaka. One of ordinary skill in the art would have also been motivated to modulate the electrical resistance of the pressure belt by incorporating the siloxane-treated carbon black as a conductive agent, and to improve the electrical resistance stability of the sliding sheet by incorporating the siloxane-treated carbon black, as taught by Tanaka. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been further motivated to improve the strength of the pressing belt and of the sliding member by incorporating the silicone powder as taught by Tanaka. Lacking guidance from Tanaka surrounding a specific silicone powder, one of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to improve the abrasion resistance of the pressing belt and of the sliding member by incorporating the commercially available KMP590 as taught by Fukunaga. 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 fixing device of Omori, wherein the pressure belt incorporates the siloxane-modified imide resin of Tanaka; the pressure belt and the sliding member incorporate the siloxane-treated carbon black as taught by Tanaka; and the pressing belt and the sliding member incorporate the silicone powder KMP590 as taught by Fukunaga; resulting in a fixing device described by Claim 1.
As mentioned above, carbon black is taught as a conductive agent by both Omori and Tanaka, satisfying Claim 2.
Tanaka teaches that the content of the siloxane-treated conductive agent (that is, carbon black) is preferably 10 – 40% by mass relative to the imide resin layer of the belt, reading on the ranges of Claim 3 and Claim 4.
As mentioned above, Tanaka teaches a siloxane-modified imide resin, satisfying Claim 5.
Where the pressing belt (second rotating member) of Omori incorporates the siloxane-modified imide resin, and the siloxane-treated carbon black in the amount taught by Tanaka, it would be substantially similar to the pressing belt of instant Example 1 (Specification, page 26, Table 1). Where that pressing belt possesses a value for the surface resistivity of the inner surface of 3.2 x 105 Ω/square, the pressing belt of Omori as modified by Tanaka would necessarily possess a roughly similar value, lying in the range stated in Claim 6.
Omori teaches a preferred value for the surface resistivity of the sliding sheet of 1.0 x 108 Ω/square or less ([0030]), encompassing the range stated in Claim 7.
As discussed above, Tanaka teaches inclusion of silicone powder in the imide resin layer of the belt, reading on the resin particles having a siloxane group recited in Claim 8.
As discussed above, the sliding member of Omori modified as taught by Tanaka may comprise polyether ketone resin, siloxane-treated carbon black, and silicone powder. Polyether ketone resin is listed as a heat-resistant thermoplastic resin in the instant Specification ([0061]). Therefore, the sliding member just described reads on Claim 9.
KMP590 is listed as a thermosetting silicone resin particle in the instant Specification ([0099]). Therefore, where the sliding member of Omori modified as taught by Tanaka and by Fukunaga may comprise KMP590 as silicone resin particles, the sliding member would read on Claim 10.
As discussed above, the pressing member of Omori modified as taught by Tanaka may comprise polyimide resin, siloxane-treated carbon black, and silicone powder. Therefore, the pressing member would read on that described by Claim 11.
As mentioned above, KMP590 is listed as a thermosetting silicone resin particle. Where the pressing member of Omori modified as taught by Tanaka and by Fukunaga may comprise KMP590 as silicone resin particles, the pressing member would read on Claim 12.
Omori describes an image forming apparatus comprising an image holder, an image forming means, a developing means, a transfer means, and the fixing means described above, reading on Claims 13 – 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 08/25/2026
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