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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they do not include the following reference sign(s) mentioned in the description: L1 (page 17, line 18, etc.), L2 (page 17, line 19, etc.), L3 (Page 17, line 20, etc.), and L4 (page 17, line 22, etc.). Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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.
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: Page 21, line 3, “V3” (second occurrence) should be written as “42”. Appropriate correction is required.
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 Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
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, 5-7, 11 and 16-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Takemoto et al. (US Pat. Pub. No. US 2007/0212129 A1)
Regarding claim 1, Takemoto et al. discloses an image forming apparatus (Fig. 2) comprising: a rotatable image bearing member 10 configured to bear a toner image t (paragraphs [0075] and [0081]); an endless first belt (an intermediate transfer member) 20 onto which the toner image t is transferred from the image bearing member 10 (paragraphs [0075] and [0081]); a driving roller 22 configured to drive the first belt 20; a first driving source 26 configured to drive the driving roller 22 (paragraph [0093] and Fig. 3); an inner roller (a driven roller) 23 configured to contact an inner surface of the first belt 20 (Fig. 3); an endless second belt 30 configured to convey a recording material P and configured to form a transfer portion n1 or n2 where the toner image t is transferred from the first belt 20 onto the recording material p (Fig. 3); a transfer roller (a large roller) 31 configured to contact an inner surface of the second belt 30 and configured to nip the first belt 20 and the second belt 30 between itself and the inner roller 23 and configured to from the transfer portion n1 (paragraph [0079] and Fig. 3); a downstream roller (a small roller) 32 provided so as to contact an inner peripheral surface of the second belt 30 on a side downstream of the transfer roller 31 with respect to a recording material conveying direction and configured to form a surface (Fig. 3), on which the recording material P is conveyed, between itself and the transfer roller 31; and a second driving source 35 configured to rotationally drive the downstream roller 32, wherein during transfer in which the toner image t is transferred onto the recording material P, a surface speed of the downstream roller 32 is set so as to become higher than an inner peripheral surface speed of the second belt 30 (paragraphs [0089] and [0120]; Figs. 3 and 10).
Regarding claim 5, Takemoto et al. discloses a torque limiter (a decelerator) 37 provided in a drive transmitting portion for transmitting a driving force from the second driving source 35 to the downstream roller 32 (paragraph [0091]).
Regarding claim 6, Takemoto et al. discloses wherein the torque limiter 37 is constituted so that during the transfer in which the toner image is transferred onto the recording material P, a state in which the downstream roller 32 is driven at a torque within a limit torque is maintained so that the surface speed of the downstream roller 32 becomes faster than the inner peripheral surface speed of the second belt 30 (paragraphs [0088]-[0091]).
Regarding claim 7, Takemoto et al. discloses wherein the second belt 30 is supported by two rollers of the transfer roller 31 and the downstream roller 32 (Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 11, Takemoto et al. discloses an image forming apparatus (Fig. 2) comprising: a rotatable image bearing member 10 configured to bear a toner image t (paragraphs [0075] and [0081]); an endless first belt 20 onto which the toner image t is transferred from the image bearing member 10 (paragraphs [0075] and [0081]); an inner roller 23 configured to contact an inner surface of the first belt 20 (Fig. 3); an endless second belt 30 configured to convey a recording material P and configured to form a transfer portion n1 or n2 where the toner image t is transferred from the first belt 20 onto the recording material P (Fig. 3); a transfer roller 31 configured to contact an inner surface of the second belt 30 and configured to nip the first belt 20 and the second belt 30 between itself and the inner roller 23 and configured to from the transfer portion n1 (paragraph [0079] and Fig. 3); a downstream roller 32 provided so as to contact an inner peripheral surface of the second belt 30 on a side downstream of the transfer roller 31 with respect to a recording material conveying direction and configured to form a surface, on which the recording material P is conveyed, between itself and the transfer roller 31 (Fig. 3); a first driving source 34 configured to rotationally drive the transfer roller 31; and a second driving source 35 configured to rotationally drive the downstream roller 32, wherein during transfer in which the toner image t is transferred onto the recording material P, a surface speed of the downstream roller 32 is set so as to become higher than an inner peripheral surface speed of the second belt 30 (paragraphs [0089] and [0120]; Figs. 3 and 10).
Regarding claim 16, Takemoto et al. discloses a torque limiter 37 provided in a drive transmitting portion for transmitting a driving force from the second driving source 35 to the downstream roller 32 (paragraph [0091]).
Regarding claim 17, Takemoto et al. discloses wherein the torque limiter 37 is constituted so that during the transfer in which the toner image is transferred onto the recording material P, a state in which the downstream roller 32 is driven at a torque within a limit torque is maintained so that the surface speed of the downstream roller 32 becomes faster than the inner peripheral surface speed of the second belt 30 (paragraphs [0088]- [0091]).
Regarding claim 18, Takemoto et al. discloses wherein the second belt 30 is supported by two rollers of the transfer roller 31 and the downstream roller 32 (Fig. 3).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
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.
Claim(s) 2 and 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takemoto et al. in view of Murayama (US Pat. Pub No. US 2016/0091835 A1) and Noguchi et al. (US Pat. Pub. No. US 2017/0003623 A1)
Takemoto et al., as discussed above, differs from the instant claimed invention in not disclosing the transfer roller including an elastic layer of 25o or more and 50o or less in Asker-C hardness.
Murayama discloses an image forming apparatus comprising: an image bearing member 1K; an endless first belt 40; an inner roller 42; an endless second belt 12; a transfer roller 10; a downstream roller 21; and the transfer roller 10 including an elastic layer of 25o or more and 50o or less in Asker-C hardness (30o-40o; paragraph [0038]).
Noguchi et al. also discloses an image forming apparatus comprising: an image bearing member 1K; an endless first belt 40; an inner roller 42; an endless second belt 12; a transfer roller 10; a downstream roller 21; and the transfer roller 10 including an elastic layer of 25o or more and 50o or less in Asker-C hardness (30o-40o; paragraph [0038]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to apply the transfer roller as taught by both Murayama and Noguchi et al. in place of the transfer roller of Takemoto et al. because of the same functionality for transferring toner image from the first belt (intermediate transfer belt) to a recording material (or second belt)
Claim(s) 3-4 and 13-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takemoto et al. in view of In re Aller, 220 F.2d 454, 456, 105 USPQ 233, 235 (CCPA 1955).
Takemoto et al., as discussed above, differs from the instant claimed invention in not disclosing a speed difference of a surface speed of the downstream roller to an inner peripheral surface speed of the second belt becomes 5% or more and 50% or less (10% or more or 15% or more).
In re Aller discloses “Claimed process which was performed at a temperature between 40oC and 80oC and an acid concentration between 25% and 70% was held to be prima facie obvious over a reference process which differed from the claims only in that the reference process was performed at a temperature of 100oC and an acid concentration of 10%”.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to apply the optimization ranges as taught by In re Aller to the speed difference of Takemoto et al. because the range can be achieved by routine experimentation without causing an unexpected result.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8-10 and 19-21 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:
Dependent claims 8 and 19 are allowable over the prior art of record because the prior art of record does not teach or suggest “the transfer roller and the downstream roller are provided in positions so that the axis-to-axis distance becomes L+5%” as set forth in the claimed combination.
Dependent claim 9 is allowable over the prior art of record because the prior art of record does not teach or suggest “V3>V1>V2” as set forth in the claimed combination.
Dependent claim 21 is allowable over the prior art of record because the prior art of record does not teach or suggest “V3>V4>V2” as set forth in the claimed combination.
Other Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Seto et al. (US Pat. Pub. No. US 2007/0212126 A1) discloses an image forming apparatus comprising: an image bearing member; an endless first belt; a driving roller configured to drive the first belt; a first driving source; an inner roller; an endless second belt; a transfer roller; a downstream roller; and a second driving roller.
Kishi et al. (US Pat. Pub No. US 2017/0003636 A1) discloses an image forming apparatus comprising: an image bearing member; an endless first belt; a driving roller; an inner roller; an endless second belt; a transfer roller; a downstream roller; and the transfer roller including an elastic layer of 30o-40o in Asker-C hardness.
Kumagai et al. (US Pat. Pub. No. US 2018/0059583 A1) discloses an image forming apparatus comprising: an image bearing member; an endless first belt; a driving roller configured to drive the first belt; a first driving source; an inner roller; an endless second belt; a transfer roller; a downstream roller; and a second driving roller.
Nakamoto et al. (US Pat. Pub. No. US 2021/0333725 A1) discloses an image forming apparatus comprising: an image bearing member; an endless first belt; a driving roller configured to drive the first belt; a first driving source; an inner roller; an endless second belt; a transfer roller; a downstream roller; and a second driving roller.
Numata et al. (US Pat. Pub. No. US 2023/0176505 A1) discloses an image forming apparatus comprising: an image bearing member; an endless belt; a driving roller configured to drive the belt; a first driving source; an inner roller; a transfer roller; and a second driving roller.
Konishi (US Pat. Pub. No. US 2024/0012347 A1) discloses an image forming apparatus comprising: an image bearing member; an endless first belt; a driving roller; an inner roller; an endless second belt; a transfer roller; a downstream roller; and the transfer roller including an elastic layer of 40o-50o in Asker-C hardness.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SOPHIA S CHEN whose telephone number is (571)272-2133. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8 am - 5 pm.
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/SOPHIA S CHEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852
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January 19, 2026