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 Construction
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(f):
(f) Element in Claim for a Combination. – An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The claims in this application are given their broadest reasonable interpretation using the plain meaning of the claim language in light of the specification as it would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. The broadest reasonable interpretation of a claim element (also commonly referred to as a claim limitation) is limited by the description in the specification when 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is invoked.
As explained in MPEP § 2181, subsection I, claim limitations that meet the following three-prong test will be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
(A) the claim limitation uses the term “means” or “step” or a term used as a substitute for “means” that is a generic placeholder (also called a nonce term or a non-structural term having no specific structural meaning) for performing the claimed function;
(B) the term “means” or “step” or the generic placeholder is modified by functional language, typically, but not always linked by the transition word “for” (e.g., “means for”) or another linking word or phrase, such as “configured to” or “so that”; and
(C) the term “means” or “step” or the generic placeholder is not modified by sufficient structure, material, or acts for performing the claimed function.
Use of the word “means” (or “step”) in a claim with functional language creates a rebuttable presumption that the claim limitation is to be treated in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph. The presumption that the claim limitation is interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is rebutted when the claim limitation recites sufficient structure, material, or acts to entirely perform the recited function.
Absence of the word “means” (or “step”) in a claim creates a rebuttable presumption that the claim limitation is not to be treated in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph. The presumption that the claim limitation is not interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is rebutted when the claim limitation recites function without reciting sufficient structure, material or acts to entirely perform the recited function.
Claim limitations in this application that use the word “means” (or “step”) are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, except as otherwise indicated in an Office action. Conversely, claim limitations in this application that do not use the word “means” (or “step”) are not being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, except as otherwise indicated in an Office action.
This application includes one or more claim limitations that do not use the word “means,” but are nonetheless being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, because the claim limitation(s) uses a generic placeholder that is coupled with functional language without reciting sufficient structure to perform the recited function and the generic placeholder is not preceded by a structural modifier. Such claim limitation(s) is/are:
“biasing elements” in claim 3;
“alignment member” in claim 4;
“support member” in claim 5; and,
“alignment element” in claim 14.
Because this/these claim limitation(s) is/are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, it/they is/are being interpreted to cover the corresponding structure described in the specification as performing the claimed function, and equivalents thereof.
If applicant does not intend to have this/these limitation(s) interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, applicant may: (1) amend the claim limitation(s) to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph (e.g., by reciting sufficient structure to perform the claimed function); or (2) present a sufficient showing that the claim limitation(s) recite(s) sufficient structure to perform the claimed function so as to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph.
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)(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, 3-7, and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kawasaki et al., U.S.P.G. Pub. No. 2010/0260513.
Regarding independent claim 1, a photoconductive sleeve support comprising:
a core member (6) rotatable about a rotation axis; and
an energy exchange member (3) to receive a photoconductive sleeve (1, ¶ 62) and coupled to the core member (¶ 70), the energy exchange member including an input port (9a, ¶ 70) to receive heat transfer fluid from a fluid supply station,
wherein the energy exchange member is arranged such that an outer surface of the energy exchange member is to contact with an inner surface of the photoconductive sleeve (fig 8B, ¶ 72).
Regarding claim 3, which depends from claim 1, wherein the energy exchange member is coupled to the core member via a plurality of biasing elements, wherein upon the photoconductive sleeve is received by the energy exchange member (¶ 70-72, the core member is a “cylindrical elastic body”, which makes it comprised of a plurality of biasing elements that bias through elasticity, and the inner circumference of the heat exchange member contacts the biasing elements of the core, ¶ 70, which in turns contacts the inner surface of the photoconductive sleeve, ¶ 72, thereby biasing the energy exchange member towards the photoconductive sleeve), the plurality of biasing elements is to bias the energy exchange member towards the photoconductive sleeve.
Regarding claim 4, which depends from claim 1, wherein the core member further comprises:
an alignment member (the outer surface of the core member, which extends along the outer surface of the core member) extending along an outer surface of the core member,
wherein the alignment member is to receive a corresponding alignment member of the photoconductive sleeve (the inner surface of the photoconductive sleeve, which is to be received by the alignment member through indirect contact through the heat exchanger).
Regarding claim 5, which depends from claim 1, wherein the core member further comprises:
a support member (the end cap 3e) protruding from the outer surface of the energy exchange member (fig 8B), the support member to receive an edge of the photoconductive sleeve (fig 8B).
Regarding claim 6, which depends from claim 1, further comprising:
a rear cup (the end cap 3e) coupled to the core member (¶ 71), the rear cup arranged to contact a first end of the photoconductive sleeve (fig 8B); and
a front cup (the end cap with the through hole 8b, cupping and to be received by the projecting end of the core member that projects toward the front cap from the top of fig 8B) to be received by a projecting end of the core member, the front cup arranged to contact a second end of the photoconductive sleeve (fig 8B),
wherein the photoconductive sleeve is to be held in place by the front cup and the rear cup (fig 8B, ¶ 71).
Regarding independent claim 7, a printing system comprising:
a fluid supply station to supply heat transfer fluid (¶ 76, that which supplies the fluid through the flow rate control unit of the temperature control unit),
a controller to control the fluid supply station (¶ 76, the temperature control unit);
a photoconductive sleeve support to receive a photoconductive sleeve (, ¶ 62),
the support comprising:
a core member (6) rotatable about a rotation axis, and
an energy exchange member (3) coupled to the core member (¶ 70), the energy exchange member in fluidic communication with the fluid supply station (fig 8B, ¶ 76) and arranged such that an outer surface of the energy exchange member is to receive an inner surface of the photoconductive sleeve (fig 8B),
wherein the controller is to control the fluid supply station to supply heat transfer fluid at a temperature associated with an operating mode (¶ 76, the temperature control unit supplies the fluid with a flow rate control unit).
Regarding claim 9, which depends from claim 7, wherein the printing system further comprises a sensor to determine a temperature of the heat transfer fluid, wherein the controller is to receive the determined temperature and the controller is further to control the heat transfer fluid supply station based on the determined temperature (¶ 91, using temperature detectors to determine a temperature of the heat transfer fluid to determine whether a UV lamp needs to be changed, thereby controlling the fluid supply station to supply a fluid at a proper temperature).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2, 8, and 10-12 are 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: none of the prior art either alone or in combination teaches the following limitations in combination with the other limitations:
Regarding claim 2, wherein the energy exchange member is a helical heat exchanger having an outer surface curvature associated to the inner surface of the photoconductive sleeve;
Regarding claim 8, wherein the operating mode comprises a heating operating mode and a cooling operating mode,
wherein the controller is to control the fluid supply station to supply:
heat transfer fluid at a temperature between 70ºC and 105ºC to the energy exchange member in the heating operating mode, and
heat transfer fluid at a temperature between 5ºC and 20ºC to the energy exchange member in the cooling operating mode;
Regarding claim 10, a sensor to determine a temperature of the photoconductive sleeve as the fluid supply station operates in a first operating mode,
wherein upon the sensor determines a threshold temperature, the controller is to control the fluid supply station to shift from the first operating mode to a second operating mode in which the fluid supply station supplies heat transfer fluid at a different temperature;
Regarding claim 11, a first helical heat exchanger having a first input port in a first end of the core member; and
a second helical heat exchanger having a second input port in a second end of the core member,
wherein the first input port and the second input port are in fluidic communication with the fluid supply station;
Regarding claim 12, wherein the energy exchange member is a helical heat exchanger extending along a length associated to a length of the photoconductive sleeve, wherein the helical heat exchanger has a pitch within a range between 18 mm and 25 mm.
Claims 13-15 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: none of the prior art either alone or in combination teaches the following limitations in combination with the other limitations:
Regarding independent claim 13, a support comprising:
a core member rotatable about a rotation axis;
a helical heat exchanger coupled to the core member and arranged to contact with an inner surface of the photoconductive sleeve a fluid supply station to supply heat transfer fluid to an input port of the helical heat exchanger; and
a controller to control the fluid supply station to supply heat transfer fluid at a temperature associated with an operating mode.
As allowable subject matter has been indicated, applicant's reply must either comply with all formal requirements or specifically traverse each requirement not complied with. See 37 CFR 1.111(b) and MPEP § 707.07(a).
Relevant Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The following prior art teaches heat exchangers used to cool photoconductors: Hoefnagels et al., U.S.P.G. Pub. No. 2023/0027445; Portnoy et al., U.S.P.G. Pub. No. 2022/0082996; Yuge, U.S.P.G. Pub. No. 2012/0014708; and, Okano et al., U.S.P.G. Pub. No. 2011/0030927.
Seorl et al., U.S.P.G. Pub. No. 2006/0127141, teach that repeated cooling and heating of a photoconductor leads to heat fatigue, and cools a transfer belt to prevent that.
The following prior art teaches transfixing by heating and cooling a photoconductor: Mitani, U.S. Pat. No. 5,428,432; and, Cohen et al., U.S.P.G. Pub. No. 2023/0148288.
Veregin et al., U.S.P.G. Pub. No. 2008/0153027, teach that even toners with an ultra low glass transition temperature of 45-80C require fixing at temperatures of 75-150C.
Conclusion
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/SEVAN A AYDIN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852
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