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 § 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 1,4-5,7-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hazeyama et al. (U.S. 2016/0116875).
Hazeyama et al. teach an image forming apparatus 1 comprising a fixing device 8 that includes a fixing member 110 (fixing belt), a heater 120 for heating the fixing member, a pressure member 140 that applies pressure to the fixing member to form a nip, a motor 83 that drives the pressure member and the fixing member so as to rotate, a temperature detector 170 to detect the temperature of the heater (see Fig.s 1-4, par. 27,33,36). A controller 10 will execute a pre-stored process to estimate the pressure roller’s temperature and the rotational speed will be accordingly adjusted (par. 47-48,51). The pressure roller’s diameter will increase with increasing temperature (par. 6,77) thus the rotational speed will be adjusted based on the expansion amount of the pressure roller which is estimated from the detected temperature.
Regarding claims 4-5, a timer for counting the time from when a sheet passes a sheet sensor 92 located upstream of the fixing device to when the trailing end of a sheet passes through the fixing device and the controller performs velocity correction when the time times out. In other words, a time interval from the end of process for a currently processed m-th sheet to the start of processing of a following sheet (m+1) th sheet is counted and velocity will be controlled when the time elapses (see par. 81-87, Fig.7). Similarly, a time interval from the end of a currently processed sheet in a job for a n-th sheet to the start of processing of a following sheet in a job (n+1) th sheet is counted and velocity will be controlled when the time elapses (see par. 81-87, Fig.7).
Regarding claim 7, as described in par. 81, the rotational speed will be changed after the one sheet has passed through the fixing device and before the next sheet enters the nip between the pressure roller and heating belt and therefore completes the updating of the new fixing speed before the sheet enters the nip.
Regarding claim 8, the image forming apparatus has a sheet supply unit 3 which includes a sheet supply roller 33, a conveyance roller 36 and registration roller 37 (par. 21) which is driven by another motor different than the pressure roller motor (par.46); the pressure roller velocity will be increased or decreased so as to compensate for variations in pressure roller diameter so that the velocity will remain constant therefore the velocity of the pressure roller will be matched to the velocity of an upstream conveyed sheet from the conveyance / sheet supply rollers (par. 75).
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.
Claims 2-3,6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hazeyama et al. (U.S. 2016/0116875) in view of Kato et al.
Regarding claims 2-3, Hazeyama et al. additionally teach that initially the rotational speed will be set from VT to a target speed VT1 according to temperature of the pressure roller, thereafter if the image forming apparatus receives a print job from a job receiving section and a sheet sensor 91 determines a sheet has passed through the fixing apparatus (processed sheet), if image data exists for the next sheet of the print job, the rotational speed will be set from the current rotational speed VT1 to the newest target speed VT2 according to detected increase of temperature (Fig.6, par. 71-73). Therefore, the control for driving the fixing motor (adjusting speed) will be performed before a first processed sheet of a print job and the speed will be determined for a k-th sheet (current sheet) depending on previous history of speed for previously processed (k-1)th sheet. See also, par. 51-53, where the change of temperature from one sheet to another is based on a previous temperature (TPn = TPn-1 +C); the change in temperature is equivalent to the change in velocity.
Specifically, Hazeyama et al. teach all that is claimed except a counter for counting the number of processed sheets (claim 2) and to perform the speed change before the next sheet is fed (claim 6).
Kato et al. teach an image forming apparatus having a plurality of consumable printing units 20 and a counter to count how many prints NA have been executed by the consumable. The maximum print count is NB for each printing unit and if the print count NA exceeds the maximum print count NB for that unit, then a recommendation for replacement is issued (par 44,52-53). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify Hazeyama et al. with a counter to count the number of processed sheets because an operator can be informed how many sheets were printed for the purpose of replacement of an image forming unit as described in Kato et al.
Further, it is noted that Hazeyama et al. teach changing the speed before the next sheet is conveyed through the fixing device but not while the sheet is still in the feed tray (not fed). However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed that the changing of the speed before a sheet is even fed (still in the paper tray) would ensure the sheet would not reach the fixing device before a speed change occurs (which would cause problems as explained in Hazeyama et al.) but with the sacrifice of adding additional time to processing a sheet (lower throughput).
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hazeyama et al. (U.S. 2016/0116875) in view of Koda (U.S. 2015/0093136).
Hazeyama et al. additionally teach that the rotational speed may be adjusted depending on not only the temperature of the pressure roller which will cause the pressure roller to retain or lose heat but by other types of parameters such as the types of sheets conveyed (par. 92-94). Therefore, Hazeyama et al. teach all that is claimed except using a storage table for storing the correspondence between temperature and speed.
Koda et al. teach an image forming apparatus 1 comprising a fixing device 30 that includes a fixing member 31, a heater 33 for heating the fixing member, a pressure member 32 that applies pressure to the fixing member to form a nip, a motor 5 that drives the pressure member and the fixing member so as to rotate, a temperature detector 43 to detect the temperature of the heater (see Fig.s 2, par. 32-33). A controller 6 estimates a variation of the outside diameter of the pressure roller from the detected temperature and will control the drive motor so that the pressure roller can rotate at a speed appropriate to the outside diameter (par. 38). A control table will be used to store a correspondence between the temperature and rotational speed (par. 58).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify Hazeyama et al. to use a storage table because the temperature/speed correspondence can be retrieved quickly rather than being computed each time.
Conclusion
Applicant's arguments filed 12/5/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
The applicant argues that Hazeyama et al. does not teach an “expansion amount estimating section which estimates the expansion amount” based on a relationship between the temperature and the expansion amount of the pressure roller and controlling the driving of the fixing motor “based on the expansion amount”. For example, as described in par. 75-83 and referring to the table in Fig.6, a relationship between the detected temperature and the speed change of the pressure roller is depicted. The estimated expansion amount is proportional to the temperature and the speed is changed accordingly. It is noted that there is a one-to-one inverse correspondence between speed change and expansion amount, for example, if the pressure roller expands 0.41%, then the speed will be reduced by 0.41% (see par.82-83).
Hazeyama et al. teach the rotational speed of the pressure roller will be changed depending on the change in diameter of the pressure roller (expansion amount) which is caused by a temperature change (see par. 6). The rotational speed of the pressure roller will be controlled depending on the temperature of the pressure roller (par. 47-48,66,69,71). The expansion of the (diameter) pressure roller is dependent on temperature and the speed of the pressure roller will be controlled depending on the temperature (par.75). Thus, although not shown, Hazeyama et al. describes a table such as applicant’s Fig. 6 where pressure roller speed change will be dependent on temperature change. Hazeyama et al. describes in numerous places, that the speed change is necessary because the pressure roller changes diameter (expands or contracts) depending on temperature.
It is therefore believed that Hazeyama et al. does teach controlling the speed of the pressure roller based on the expansion amount of the pressure roller (pressure roller expansion leads to lower speed and pressure roller contraction leads to faster speeds as described in par. 75); the expansion amount being a consequence of increasing (or decreasing) temperature. Although, Hazeyama et al. does not specifically describe an “expansion amount estimating section”, Hazeyma et al. does teach a pressure roller temperature estimating section (controller) which estimates the temperature of the pressure roller (par. 48) which will be equivalent to estimating the change in diameter of the pressure roller since they both occur concurrently.
The examiner has included a new reference (Kato et al.) as requested by applicant to show the obviousness of using a print counter in an image forming apparatus.
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 ROBERT B BEATTY whose telephone number is (571) 272-2130. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F from 7 to 3.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Stephanie Bloss, can be reached on (571) 272-3555. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is (571) 273-2130.
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/ROBERT B BEATTY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852