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.
Claim Objections
Claim 5 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Regarding claim 5, the recited “the heater is wider in a neighborhood of both ends of the heating layer in the width direction than at a location other than the neighborhood of the both ends” should be corrected to “the heater is wider at both ends of the heating layer in the width direction than at a location other than the both ends of the heating layer”.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 1-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Imada et al. US 20220155712.
Regarding claim 1, Imada et al. discloses:
A fixing device comprising:
a rotatable endless fixing belt (20) (FIG. 2);
a heater (22) (FIG. 2) configured to heat the fixing belt;
a holding member (23) (FIG. 2) configured to hold the heater such that a front surface of the heater is in contact with an inner peripheral surface of the fixing belt; and
a pressure member (21) (FIG. 2) configured to be pressed by the heater with the fixing belt interposed therebetween to form, between the pressure member and the fixing belt, a pressure area for heating and pressing a sheet on which a toner image has been transferred, wherein
the holding member includes a concave portion for accommodating the heater, and a seating surface that is in contact with a back surface of the heater is formed in the concave portion (FIG. 2), and
the seating surface is formed such that an area of a contact surface with the heater in a circumferential direction of the fixing belt is narrower or wider at a location than at another location in a width direction that intersects the circumferential direction [0063-65] (FIGs. 11 and 12).
Regarding claim 2, Imada et al. discloses:
a contact member (25/27) (FIG. 4) that is in contact with the back surface of the heater,
wherein the holding member is formed such that an area of a contact surface between the seating surface and the heater is smaller at a contact location between the contact member and the heater than at a location other than the contact location (FIGs. 11 and 12) [0056 and 0063].
Regarding claim 3, Imada et al. discloses:
wherein the contact member is a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the heater [0056].
Regarding claim 4, Imada et al. discloses:
wherein in the heater, a plurality of heating layers (31) (FIGs. 5 and 12) divided along the width direction are formed, and a predetermined gap (B) (FIGs. 8 and 12) is formed at a boundary between adjacent heating layers of the heating layers, and
the holding member is formed such that an area of a contact surface between the seating surface and the heater is smaller at the gap than at a location other than the gap [0066] (FIG. 12).
Regarding claim 5, Imada et al. discloses:
wherein a heating layer (all of heat generators 31) (FIG. 12) extending in the width direction is formed in the heater, and
the holding member is formed such that an area of a contact surface between the seating surface and the heater is wider in a neighborhood of both ends of the heating layer in the width direction than at a location other than the neighborhood of the both ends [0064] (FIGs. 11 and 12).
Regarding claim 6, Imada et al. discloses:
An image forming apparatus comprising:
an image forming portion configured to form a toner image on a sheet (FIG. 1); and
the fixing device according to claim 1 configured to fix the toner image onto the sheet.
Claims 1-3, 5, and 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Nakamoto et al. US 20220350282.
Regarding claim 1, Nakamoto et al. discloses:
A fixing device comprising:
a rotatable endless fixing belt (70) (FIG. 4);
a heater (HT) (FIG. 4) configured to heat the fixing belt;
a holding member (503) (FIG. 4) configured to hold the heater such that a front surface of the heater is in contact with an inner peripheral surface of the fixing belt; and
a pressure member (80) (FIG. 4) configured to be pressed by the heater with the fixing belt interposed therebetween to form, between the pressure member and the fixing belt, a pressure area for heating and pressing a sheet on which a toner image has been transferred, wherein
the holding member includes a concave portion for accommodating the heater, and a seating surface that is in contact with a back surface of the heater is formed in the concave portion (FIG. 4), and
the seating surface is formed such that an area of a contact surface with the heater in a circumferential direction of the fixing belt is narrower or wider at a location than at another location in a width direction that intersects the circumferential direction [0044] (FIGs. 4, 5, and 8) (contact surface is narrower due to openings).
Regarding claim 2, Nakamoto et al. discloses:
a contact member (SM1/SM2) (FIGs. 5 and 8) that is in contact with the back surface of the heater,
wherein the holding member is formed such that an area of a contact surface between the seating surface and the heater is smaller at a contact location between the contact member and the heater than at a location other than the contact location [0044] (FIGs. 4, 5, and 8) (contact surface is smaller due to openings).
Regarding claim 3, Nakamoto et al. discloses:
wherein the contact member is a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the heater [0070-72].
Regarding claim 5, Nakamoto et al. discloses:
wherein a heating layer (HE1/HE2/HE3) (FIG. 9) extending in the width direction is formed in the heater, and
the holding member is formed such that an area of a contact surface between the seating surface and the heater is wider in a neighborhood of both ends of the heating layer in the width direction than at a location other than the neighborhood of the both ends (FIG. 5).
Regarding claim 6, Nakamoto et al. discloses:
An image forming apparatus comprising:
an image forming portion configured to form a toner image on a sheet (FIG. 1); and
the fixing device according to claim 1 configured to fix the toner image onto the sheet.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THOMAS S GIAMPAOLO II whose telephone number is (571)272-6619. The examiner can normally be reached T-Th 9-5.
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/THOMAS S GIAMPAOLO II/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852