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
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. While the office recognizes the amended title as a bona fide attempt to address the previous objection to the title, having a screw as a rotator is not particularly indicative of the invention. A substantial number of image forming apparatuses charge an image bearing member.
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.
Claim Interpretation
The claims have been amended to avoid a rebuttal presumption that the claim elements are to be treated in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 112(f).
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 and 3-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 2011/0158664 to Hotomi et al.
Hotomi teaches:
(claim 1) An image forming apparatus comprising:
an image bearing member 1;
a charging roller 2 configured to come into contact with the image bearing member and charge the image bearing member when a voltage is applied;
a charging power supply 16 configured to apply, to the charging roller, a voltage in which a direct-current voltage and an alternating-current voltage are superimposed [0036];
a current detector configured to detect a current flowing through the charging roller when the charging power supply applies the voltage to the charging roller [0128];
a temperature detector 40 configured to detect an environmental temperature [0130]; and
a controller 17 configured to control the charging power supply, wherein
the controller performs (Fig.12), in a case (S40=NO) where an absolute value of a difference between a previous temperature detected by the temperature detector and a current temperature detected by the temperature detector is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold (i.e., different temperature range in Fig.13), and the current temperature detected by the temperature detector is equal to or higher (S14=YES) than a predetermined temperature (15˚C), first control (i.e., discharge current control) of controlling the charging power supply to apply, to the charging roller, a voltage at which the current detected by the current detector has a predetermined current value (S20),
the controller performs, in a case (S40=NO) where the absolute value of the difference is equal to or higher than the predetermined threshold, and the current temperature detected by the temperature detector is lower (S14=NO) than the predetermined temperature, second control (i.e., constant voltage control) of controlling the charging power supply to apply, to the charging roller, a predetermined voltage (S16),
the controller performs, in a case (S40=YES) where the absolute value of the difference is lower than the predetermined threshold, and the first control is previously performed (discharge current control region of Fig.13), third control of controlling the charging power supply to apply, to the charging roller, a voltage obtained by offsetting a first correction value with respect to a value of the voltage previously applied to the charging roller (voltage is corrected according to humidity within a same temperature range of discharge current control),
the controller performs, in a case (S40=YES) where the absolute value of the difference is lower than the predetermined threshold, and the second control is previously performed (constant voltage control region of Fig.13), fourth control of controlling the charging power supply to apply, to the charging roller, a voltage obtained by offsetting a second correction value with respect to a value of the voltage previously applied to the charging roller (voltage is corrected according to charging roller resistance within a same temperature range of constant voltage control), and
the second correction value when the previous temperature detected by the temperature detector is a first temperature and the current temperature detected by the temperature detector is a second temperature different from the first temperature is different from the first correction value when the previous temperature detected by the temperature detector is the first temperature and the current temperature detected by the temperature detector is the second temperature (each constat voltage control tables A-C, are different from discharge current control tables A-C, with different voltage [0155]).
(claim 3) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller performs the third control in a case where the absolute value of the difference is lower than the predetermined threshold and the previous temperature detected by the temperature detector is equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature, and the controller performs the fourth control in a case where the absolute value of the difference is lower than the predetermined threshold and the previous temperature detected by the temperature detector is lower than the predetermined temperature (Fig.13, each of discharge current control and constant current control are corrected when within a same temperature range, above and below 15˚C respectively).
(claim 4) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an alternating-current component of the predetermined voltage when the current temperature detected by the temperature detector is a third temperature (e.g. 4˚C) lower than the predetermined temperature (15˚C) is larger than an alternating-current component of the predetermined voltage when the current temperature detected by the temperature detector is a fourth temperature (e.g. 8˚C) lower than the predetermined temperature and higher than the third temperature (larger AC component (constant voltages Vpp used for the constant voltage control-A, the constant voltage control-B, and the constant voltage control-C are reduced in this order, [0155, 0172]).
(claim 5) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller selects and performs one of the first control, the second control, the third control, and the fourth control at a timing when a preparation operation from input of a start instruction for image formation to actual start of image formation is started [0152].
(claim 6) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller selects and performs one of the first control, the second control, the third control, and the fourth control at a timing when the image forming apparatus is powered on [0152].
(claim 7) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller selects and performs one of the first control, the second control, the third control, and the fourth control at a timing when the image forming apparatus returns from a sleep state (e.g., by receiving a printing instruction [0152]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 2 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 12/23/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. The Applicants point to the features of claim 1 that they believe to be allowable and state that the cited art fails to teach these features. The Office respectfully disagrees and the rejection has been presented above. In particular, Hotomi discloses,
[0155] A region in which a temperature is smaller than 15.degree. C. may be divided into multiple regions and constant voltage control-A, constant voltage control-B, and constant voltage control-C with different voltage values may be switched.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 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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/Arlene Heredia Ocasio/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852