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 under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the “plurality of test toner images for each of the plurality of target image-carrying members are transferred within an area on the surface of the intermediate transfer body whose length corresponds to pacing between the plurality of target image-carrying members”** of claim 1 must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
** As can be seen below, under the Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112 section, though the language is indefinite and subject to a need for revision, one interpretation and the description in the specification states “so that the N test toner images for each of the two target photoconductors are transferred within an area on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 441 whose length corresponds to the spacing between the two target photoconductors” in para.0101 and then in para.0102 refers the reader to figs.6-10. Fig.6-10 do not appear to show G1a-G3c falling within a length area of Twice SP1. As such, the Office contends that the intended subject matter does not appear to be shown in the drawings.
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. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. 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.
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 1-2 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.
The final clause of claim 1, from lines 20-27, is generally convoluted and requires revision for clarity. In line 27, it is unclear whether “pacing between” is a typo of ‘spacing’ or intended to reference a ‘pacing’. If the latter, the term ‘pacing’ is undefined and not enough detail, control or structure is given to impart meaning to the pacing referenced. If the former, it is unclear if the ‘spacing’ would be intended to refer to the spacing between any two adjacent image-carrying members, spacing between the designated, selected target image-carrying members, or the overall spacing between the most upstream image-carrying member and the most downstream image-carrying member. As such, the Office is unable to ascertain the metes and bounds of the claim.
Claim 2 is 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, lines 15-17, the claim sets forth “a plurality of test toner images, each having a different developing voltage condition, are sequentially formed on the surface of each of the plurality of image-carrying members and transferred to the intermediate transfer body”. Claim 2 sets forth “control portion sequentially selects two of the four image-carrying members that are positioned first and third in an arrangement direction of the four image-carrying members, and the remaining two target image carriers”. This appears to directly contradict the language of claim 1 which discloses formation of patches on each. It is also unclear what is meant by “and the remaining two target image carriers”.
Claim 2 recites the limitation "the remaining two target image carriers" in line 6. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claims 3-4 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.
The final clause of claim 3, from lines 20-24, is generally convoluted and requires revision for clarity.
Claim 3 recites the limitation "the arrangement spacing" in lines 22-23. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
It is also unclear if this ‘arrangement spacing’ would be intended to refer to the spacing between any two adjacent image-carrying members or the overall spacing between the most upstream image-carrying member and the most downstream image-carrying member. As such, the Office is unable to ascertain the metes and bounds of the claim.
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.
Claims 1-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Mori et al. (US Pub.2019/0049872).
Regarding claim 1, Mori et al. (US Pub.2019/0049872) teach an image forming apparatus (fig.1), comprising: an image forming portion (fig.1, #1Y-K) including a plurality of image-carrying members (fig.1, #3Y-K) arranged with spacing in between (see arrangement in fig.1) and a plurality of toner-carrying members arranged corresponding to the plurality of image-carrying members (fig.1&2, #12Y in #7Y-K), and to which a common developing voltage is applied (para.0085), and configured to form a toner image of each of a plurality of development colors on a surface of each of the plurality of image-carrying members by toner supplied from each of the plurality of toner-carrying members (para.0069); a transfer device including an intermediate transfer body (fig.1, #40 with #41), which transfers the toner images on the surfaces of the plurality of image-carrying members to the intermediate transfer body (para.0057), and configured to further transfer the toner images transferred to the intermediate transfer body to a sheet (para.0058); a density detecting portion (fig.1, #48) configured to detect density of a toner image formed on a surface of the intermediate transfer body (para.0079-0080); and a control portion configured to cause the image forming portion to execute a test output process in which a plurality of test toner images, each having a different developing voltage condition, are sequentially formed on the surface of each of the plurality of image-carrying members and transferred to the intermediate transfer body (fig.5B,22&23), and adjust the image forming portion in accordance with the densities of the plurality of test toner images detected by the density detecting portion (para.0085&0186); wherein the control portion sequentially selects from the plurality of image-carrying members a plurality of target image-carrying members that are arranged at a distance greater than an arrangement spacing of the plurality of image-carrying members (para.0182: when selecting two, this is several ones of a few finite possibilities), and causes the image forming portion to execute the test output process so that each time one of the plurality of target image-carrying members is selected, the plurality of test toner images for each of the plurality of target image-carrying members are transferred within an area on the surface of the intermediate transfer body whose length corresponds to pacing between the plurality of target image-carrying members (embodiments of fig.22 &23: fitting small patches in the intersheet area of the belt will necessarily be smaller than the distance between any two of #3Y-K).
Regarding claim 2, Mori et al. (US Pub.2019/0049872) teach an image forming apparatus wherein the image forming portion includes four image-carrying members and four toner-carrying members corresponding to four development colors see fig.1, #3Y-3K having toner-carrying in #7Y-7K forming Yellow, Cyan, Magenta, and Black, respectively); and the control portion sequentially selects two of the four image-carrying members that are positioned first and third in an arrangement direction of the four image-carrying members, and the remaining two target image carriers (para.0182: when selecting two, this is one of the few finite possibilities).
Regarding claim 3, Mori et al. (US Pub.2019/0049872) teach an image forming apparatus (fig.1), comprising: an image forming portion (fig.1, #1Y-K) including a plurality of image-carrying members (fig.1, #3Y-K) arranged with spacing in between (see arrangement in fig.1) and a plurality of toner-carrying members arranged corresponding to the plurality of image-carrying members (fig.1&2, #12Y in #7Y-K), and to which a common developing voltage is applied (para.0085), and configured to form a toner image of each of a plurality of development colors on a surface of each of the plurality of image-carrying members by toner supplied from each of the plurality of toner-carrying members (para.0069); a transfer device including an intermediate transfer body (fig.1, #40 with #41), which transfers the toner images on the surfaces of the plurality of image-carrying members to the intermediate transfer body (para.0057), and configured to further transfer the toner images transferred to the intermediate transfer body to a sheet (para.0058); a density detecting portion (fig.1, #48) configured to detect density of a toner image formed on a surface of the intermediate transfer body (para.0079-0080); and a control portion configured to cause the image forming portion to execute a test output process in which a plurality of test toner images, each having a different developing voltage condition, are sequentially formed on the surface of each of the plurality of image-carrying members and transferred to the intermediate transfer body (fig.5B,22&23), and adjust the image forming portion in accordance with the densities of the plurality of test toner images detected by the density detecting portion (para.0085&0186); wherein the control portion causes the image forming portion to execute the test output process so that the plurality of test toner images for each of the plurality of image-carrying members are transferred within an area having a length corresponding to the arrangement spacing of the plurality of image-carrying members on the surface of the intermediate transfer body (embodiments of fig.22: fitting small patches in the intersheet area of the belt will necessarily be smaller than the distance between any two of #3Y-K).
Regarding claim 4, Mori et al. (US Pub.2019/0049872) teach an image forming apparatus wherein the image forming portion includes four image-carrying members and four toner-carrying members corresponding to four development colors (see fig.1, #3Y-3K having toner-carrying in #7Y-7K forming Yellow, Cyan, Magenta, and Black, respectively).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Kajiwara et al. (US Pub.2001/0031148) teach an image forming apparatus forming density patches on an intermediate transfer belt wherein the length of formation is shown in relation to the drum spacing.
Watanabe (US Pub.2007/0217802) teach an image forming apparatus forming density patches on an intermediate transfer belt wherein the length of formation is shown in relation to the drum spacing.
Hirayama et al. (US Pub. 2007/0098423) teach an image forming apparatus forming density patches on an intermediate transfer belt wherein the length of formation is shown in relation to the drum spacing.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LAURA K ROTH whose telephone number is (571)272-2154. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 7:30AM-3:30 PM.
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/LKR/
3/6/2026
/STEPHANIE E BLOSS/ Supervisory Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852