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 .
Specification
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.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
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 1-11 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.
In claim 1, last two lines and claim 4, lines 14-15, the phrase “when the intermediate transfer unit, to which the cleaning device that is new is attached, is attached to the image forming apparatus main body” is unclear since it doesn’t appear to be connected to the storage section which stores first and second information, mentioned beforehand. As a comparison, in the abstract, the applicant recites nearly the same subject matter however the abstract has a control section which “reads” the first and second information “when the intermediate transfer unit, to which the cleaning device that is new is attached, is attached to the image forming apparatus main body” which is clear.
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 1-2,4,6-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kubota (U.S. 2022/0082962) in view of Saito et al. (U.S. 2004/0126149).
Kubota teach an image forming apparatus 1 (Fig.1) having an intermediate transfer unit 100; the intermediate transfer unit 100 including an intermediate transfer member (belt) 101 which is rotated while bearing a toner image, a unit main body 107 and belt feeding portion 109 to rotatable support the intermediate transfer belt, and a cleaning device 108 to clean the intermediate transfer belt (Fig.s 2-5; par. 46-49). The intermediate transfer unit 100 is mountable and dismountable from the image forming apparatus main body 2 and the cleaning device 108 is mountable and dismountable from the intermediate transfer unit main body 107/ feeding portion 109 (Fig.s 2-3, par.51). The cleaning device 108 and intermediate transfer belt 101 may be exchanged together or separate from each other because both have different lifetime expectancies (par.54-56).
The belt cleaning device 108 has a fuse 4a which is detected by a connecting portion 5 to determine whether the cleaning device is new or used (par. 58). The image forming apparatus has a cleaning counter 71 which counts up how many times the cleaning device has been and will provide to the operator an exchange index value (print count) as to when to replace the cleaning device (par. 63-69). Additionally, the image forming apparatus has an intermediate belt counter 72 which similarly indicates an exchange index value (print count) as to when to replace the intermediate belt. Instead of using the fuse to indicate whether the cleaning unit is new or used; a storage section (memory) 93 can store (first) information for discriminating whether the cleaning device is new or used (par. 125-130).
Regarding claims 2 and 4, when it is determined that a new cleaning device has been mounted, the image forming apparatus will undergo an initial control procedure (par. 57). The initial control will constitute forming band-like toner patterns so that when they are transferred to the intermediate transfer belt, the cleaning device’s blade can be lubricated (par. 70-75).
Regarding claim 6, if the cleaning device is determined to be new, the cleaning counter 71 will be reset to zero and if the intermediate transfer unit is determined to be new, the belt counter 72 will be reset to zero (par. 65,91-94). Thus, Kubota has a first counting section 71 to count an exchange index value (print number) regarding usage of the cleaning device, a second counting section 72 to count an exchange index value (print number) regarding usage of the transfer belt, and a controller that will reset the counters accordingly if it is determined the cleaning device or transfer belt is newly installed such that a) it will reset the cleaning counter if the cleaning device is new (as determined by information in memory 93) and not reset the transfer belt counter if the transfer belt is not new and b) reset both the cleaning counter and the belt counter if both the cleaning device and transfer belt are determined to be new.
Regarding claims 7 and 8, the controller provides information (count information) regarding the usage of the intermediate transfer belt based on the counted value of the first and second counters such that a greater value of the counter would indicate a greater usage of the belt.
Specifically, Kubota teach all that is claimed except the storage memory also storing (second) information as to whether the intermediate transfer belt is new.
Saito et al. teach an image forming apparatus 100 including a detachable/attachable intermediate transfer belt unit 200 having an intermediate transfer belt 5, and a storage memory 21. Upon attachment of the intermediate belt unit 200 to the image forming apparatus, the memory will be read and information such as number of printed sheets will be determined; if the number of printed sheets X is zero, then the intermediate transfer belt unit will be determined as new. See Fig.2, par. 58-63.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to include in the storage memory of Kubota, a storage section to store information regarding the number of printed sheets processed by the intermediate transfer belt because when the intermediate belt unit is indicated as new (print count =0), the new intermediate transfer belt can be deposited with toner and then cleaned and thus a negative ghost image can be prevented from formed thus improving image quality (see par.40-41).
Claims 3 and 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kubota (U.S. 2022/0082962) in view of Saito et al. (U.S. 2004/0126149) as applied to claims 1-2,4,6-8 above and further in view of Ohta et al. (U.S. 2017/0336738).
Kubuta and Saito et al. taught supra, discloses most of what is claimed except that when the intermediate transfer belt is determined to be new to perform an operation of applying a test voltage to set a transfer voltage to be applied during a transfer operation onto the intermediate transfer member before a transfer operation is executed
Ohta et al. teach an image forming apparatus 100 that uses an intermediate transfer belt 7 (Fig.1) and a controller 21 that performs a resistance measuring operation on the intermediate transfer belt if it is determined the intermediate transfer belt is new (see Fig.4). During the resistance measuring operation, a discharge start voltage between the photoreceptive member 1 and the intermediate transfer belt 7 is measured and on the basis of this measurement, the primary transfer voltage is controlled (see par. 58-65). As described in par. 67-77, Fig.6, a voltage Vn (applicant’s test voltage) will be applied to the intermediate transfer belt via the transfer roller 6 so as to measure the resistance of the intermediate transfer belt.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify Kubuta and Saito et al. such that if the intermediate transfer belt is determined to be newly installed, to measure the resistivity of the transfer belt by applying a test voltage to the belt because by determining the resistivity of the belt at the beginning of use, a stable transfer voltage can be applied so as to transfer the toner images to the intermediate transfer belt consistently regardless of time of use or deterioration of the belt over time.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9-11 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.
Regarding claims 9-10, the controller performing, based on the counted value of the second counter, a control to change the amount of toner to be supplied to the abutment portion of the cleaning device through the supply control per period correlated with the usage of the intermediate transfer belt is not taught, suggested or rendered obvious by the prior art of record.
Regarding claim 11, when the image bearing member and the intermediate transfer member are to be stopped after image formation, the control section arranges a predetermined toner image formed on the image bearing member to be between the image bearing member and the intermediate transfer member so that the control section stops the image bearing member and intermediate transfer member in a state where the intermediate transfer member abuts the image bearing member via the predetermined toner image and performs control to change enabling or disabling of formation of the predetermined toner image based on the counted value of the second counting section is not taught, suggested or rendered obvious by the prior art of record.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Maeda et al., Katoh et al., Sugiura, Hatano ‘106, Zensai, Ikegami et al., and Hatano ‘819 all teach detecting whether an intermediate transfer unit and/or associated cleaning device is new or used which are relevant to the claimed invention.
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