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.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of the species of the First Embodiment in the reply filed on 11/17/2025 is acknowledged.
Claim 4 is withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 11/17/2025.
Specification
TITLE - The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
JUMBO CASE - The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
The specification is objected to as failing to provide proper antecedent basis for the claimed subject matter. See 37 CFR 1.75(d)(1) and MPEP § 608.01(o). Correction of the following is required: Claim 1 recites a “setting mode” for transferring a plurality of test images whereas, in the specification, setting mode refers to ATVC mode in which images are not transferred (par. [0076]). The specification also describes the mode in which a chart formed with a plurality of test images onto a recording material as an adjustment mode (par. [0086]).
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 1-9 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.
Independent Claims 1 and 8 recite inter alia, “a setting mode for transferring a plurality of test images to a recording material with different test voltages applied to the transfer member during non-image formation”. The specification does not enable a person skilled in the art to make an image forming apparatus including a mode in which (test) images are formed during non-image formation, since these conditions contradict each other.
Claim 5 recites inter alia, wherein the control unit acquires the voltage-current characteristic based on (…) a third detection result obtained by the image reading unit when a third region of the recording material on which the plurality of test images is to be formed (…) is passing through the transfer member. The specification does not enable a person skilled in the art to make an image forming apparatus wherein a voltage-current characteristic (analogous to Fig.4) based on detection by the image reading unit, i.e., line sensors 91/92. Detection results obtained by line sensors 91/92 when the third region is passing through the transfer member is also not enabled.
Claim 5 is 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 originally filed specification offers no description of “a third region of the recording material (…) passing through the transfer member” (emphasis added).
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 1-9 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.
Independent Claims 1 and 8 recite the limitation " the adjustment mode" in the first wherein clause. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. For the purpose of examination over prior art, this limitation is interpreted as “an adjustment mode”.
Independent Claims 1 and 8 recite inter alia, “a setting mode for transferring a plurality of test images to a recording material with different test voltages applied to the transfer member during non-image formation” (emphasis added). It is unclear if there is or is not images formed in the claimed “setting mode”.
Independent Claims 1 and 8 recite inter alia, “a first region of a recording material on which the plurality of test images is to be formed is passing through the transfer portion”. It is unclear if this recitation should be interpreted as (1) a first region, of a recording material, on which the plurality of test images is to be formed is passing through the transfer portion, or (2) a first region, of a recording material on which the plurality of test images is to be formed, is passing through the transfer portion. It is unclear if the first region is to include the test images or not. It is also unclear which of the first region or the recording material overall is “passing through the transfer portion”. For the purpose of examination over prior art, this limitation is interpreted as the later.
Claim 5 recites inter alia, “a third region of the recording material on which the plurality of test images is to be formed and which is different from the second region is passing through the transfer member”. It is unclear if this recitation should be interpreted as (1) a third region, of a recording material, on which the plurality of test images is to be formed is passing through the transfer portion, or (2) a third region, of a recording material on which the plurality of test images is to be formed, is passing through the transfer portion. It is unclear if the third region is to include the test images or not. It is also unclear which of the third region or the recording material overall is “passing through the transfer portion”. For the purpose of examination over prior art, this limitation is interpreted as the later.
NOTE: The issues exposed above regarding claim 5, 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.
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.
Claim(s) 1-3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 11,126,115 to Sueoka in view of US 7,657,199 of Nishikawa.
Regarding claim 1, Sueoka teaches an image forming apparatus (1, Fig.1) comprising:
an image bearing member (44b) configured to bear a toner image thereon;
a transfer member (45b) configured to transfer a toner image from the image bearing member to a recording material (S) at a transfer portion (N);
an application unit (76) configured to apply a voltage to the transfer member;
a sensor (76a/76b) configured to detect a current value of a current flowing to the transfer member when a voltage has been applied from the application unit to the transfer member or a voltage value of a voltage which is applied from the application unit to the transfer member;
an image reading unit (80) configured to detect an image on a recording material;
a container (not shown) configured to contain recording materials therein;
a feeding unit (11) configured to feed a recording material contained in the container toward the transfer portion; and
a control unit (30) configured to execute a setting mode for transferring a plurality of test images to a recording material with different test voltages applied to the transfer member during non-image formation and setting a transfer voltage to be applied to the transfer member during image formation based on a detection result obtained by the image reading unit detecting the plurality of test images transferred to the recording material (col.13, lines 45-55),
wherein in the adjustment mode the control unit is configured to set the transfer voltage to be applied during image formation based on a voltage-current characteristic (S6, Fig.8), which is acquired based on a second detection result (S5, Fig.8), which is obtained by the sensor when a voltage is applied to the transfer member while a second region of the recording material on which the plurality of test images is to be formed and which is different from the first region in a conveyance direction of the recording material is passing through the transfer portion (col. 19 lines 18-53).
Sueoka does not teach a blowing unit configured to blow air to recording materials contained in the container.
Nishikawa teaches an image forming apparatus comprising (Fig.1) an image bearing member (181) configured to bear a toner image thereon; a transfer member (140) configured to transfer a toner image from the image bearing member to a recording material (S) at a transfer portion (T2); an application unit (141) configured to apply a voltage to the transfer member; a sensor (204, Fig.6) configured to detect a current value of a current flowing to the transfer member when a voltage has been applied from the application unit to the transfer member or a voltage value of a voltage which is applied from the application unit to the transfer member; a container (401, Fig.1) configured to contain recording materials therein; a blowing unit (Fig.9A) including a blowing port (419) configured to blow air to recording materials contained in the container; a feeding unit (409, Fig.9A) configured to feed a recording material contained in the container toward the transfer portion; and a control unit (203, Fig.6) configured to correct a transfer voltage to be applied during image formation based on a correction value to be added to the divided voltage Vp of the recording material determined based on information about air received on the recording material. Nishikawa discloses at the front end of the recording material being a boundary region of the recording material at the front end side, moisture content is significantly lowered and transferability most likely impacted (Figs. 7 & 10, col. 9 lines 30-65). In a disclosed example, the boundary region is the position of 50 mm from the front end of the recording material, and it is selected according to air pressure (col.10 line 55).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Sueoka to further comprise a blowing unit including a blowing port configured to blow air to recording materials contained in the container, for at least the purpose of facilitating separating the recording material to be fed into the feeding unit
wherein in the adjustment mode the control unit is configured to set the transfer voltage to be applied during image formation based on a first detection result obtained by the sensor when a voltage is applied to the transfer member while a first region of a recording material on which the plurality of test images is to be formed is passing through the transfer portion,
wherein, when the recording material on which the plurality of test images is to be formed is contained in the container portion, the second region is a region more away from the blowing port than the first region, for at least the purpose of adjusting the transfer voltage according to moisture content of the recording material for even transfer property
The modification also renders obvious:
(claim 2) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the recording material on which the plurality of test images is to be formed is contained in the container portion, in a case where a region within 50 millimeters (mm) from an edge of a recording material closest to the blowing port in an air blowing direction of the blowing unit is set as a predetermined region, the first region is a region which overlaps the predetermined region, and the second region is a region which does not overlap the predetermined region.
(claim 3) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second region is a region on which the plurality of test images is to be formed, and the first region is a region on which the plurality of test images is not to be formed. Since transferability in the first region is most affected by the influence of air, It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to avoid forming images on that region.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim(s) 5 is 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.
Claims 6-8 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Sueoka US 2023-0244161 discloses during execution of an operation in an output mode, the controller is capable of selectively executing: an operation in which test images formed on a first side of a first recording material are fixed and then the first recording material is outputted without forming the test images on a second side of the first recording material and then in which a second recording material is passed through the fixing device without forming the test images on a first side of the second recording material and then the test images are transferred onto a second side of the second recording material.
Minato US 2023-0280681 discloses the controller for an image forming apparatus executes an operation in a setting mode in which during non-image formation, test images are transferred onto the recording material at different test voltages to the transfer device and then a transfer voltage applied to the transfer device during image formation is set on the basis of a detection result of the detecting portion. In a case that the operation in the setting mode is executed to set the transfer voltage for one-side mode, the receiving portion is capable of receiving instruction information selectively instructing a setting condition of the transfer voltage set by the operation in the setting mode from setting conditions including a first setting condition and a second setting condition.
Contact Information
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.
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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