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 Objections
Claim 12 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 12 recites “the the intermediate”. It should be “the intermediate”.
Appropriate correction is required.
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) 1-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takenaga et al. (JP 2019-012124) in view of Naito et al (JP 2008-163271).
Regarding claims 1-3, 6-7 and 13, Takenaga discloses an electrophotographic member (0001), wherein the electrophotographic member comprises a resin layer (0008), the resin layer is electrically conductive (0008), the resin layer comprises PET or PEN resin, i.e. an aromatic ring containing polyester, (0026), a fluorosulfonylimide anion (0034) and imidazolium based ions having chemical formula 4, i.e. double bond containing cation having an aromatic heterocyclic structure and cations represented by formula 2-1, (0040).
Takenaga fails to disclose the fluorosulfonylimide anion has the structure as represented by the present claim.
Naito discloses electrophotographic member (0056) comprising a resin (0001) and conductivity imparting agent bis(fluorosulfonyl)imde anion salt, has the same structure represented by present claim, to obtain very high conductivity (0006-0010).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to use the bis(fluorosulfonyl)imde anion salt of Naito in the electrically conductive resin of Takenaga to obtain very high conductivity.
Regarding claim 4, Takenaga in view of Naito discloses the member of claim 3, wherein R5, i.e. R1, can be hydrocarbon group having 1 to 15 carbon atoms (0037-0041) and R6, i.e. R2, can be hydrocarbon group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms (0037-0041).
Regarding claim 5, Takenaga in view of Naito discloses the member of claim 3, wherein R1 and R2 is hydrocarbon group having 1 to 15 carbon atoms (0037-0041).
Regarding claim 8, Takenaga in view of Naito discloses the member of claim 1, wherein the content of the double bond containing cation and the content of the fluorosulfonylimide anion in the resin layer is 0.1 to 15% by mass (0056).
Regarding claim 9, Takenaga in view of Naito discloses the member of claim 1, wherein the surface resistivity of the resin layer is 1x106 to 1x1014 Ω/□ (0023).
Regarding claim 10, Takenaga in view of Naito discloses the member of claim 1, wherein the electrophotographic member is an intermediate transfer member (0022-0023).
Regarding claim 11, Takenaga in view of Naito discloses the member of claim 1, wherein the electrophotographic member is an electrophotography belt having a form of an endless belt (0022).
Regarding claim 12, Takenaga in view of Naito discloses an electrophotographic image forming apparatus (title) comprises intermediate transfer member comprises the electrographic member of claim 1 (0022-0023).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments with respect to present claims have been considered but are moot in view of the new ground(s) of rejection.
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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SAMIR SHAH whose telephone number is (571)270-1143. The examiner can normally be reached 8:00am - 5:00pm.
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/SAMIR SHAH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1787
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