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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 02/20/2025 and 08/26/2025 have been considered.
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1, 6, 8 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Toshiaki et al. [JP 5162911]
Toshiaki et al., an applicant’s cited prior art, disclose an image forming apparatus comprising a toner image forming device [Fig. 3], and a transfer device including an intermediate transfer belt [20] comprising a binder resin [Para. 0037-0038], at least one modified silicone oil of a modified silicone oil having a benzene ring or a polyether-modified silicone oil [Para. 0069-0073], and an epoxide derivative [Para. 0061-0063].
Regarding claim 15, Toshiaki et al. disclose the image forming apparatus comprising a primary transfer device [unlabeled roller connected to the power source 81 in Fig. 3], and a secondary transfer device [25].
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, 3, 9, 10, 13, 16, 17 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Toshiaki et al. in view of Makoto et al. [JP 5162911]
Toshiaki et al., as discussed above disclose the claimed invention except for a content of the modified silicone oil with respect to 100 parts by mass of the binder resin is 0.5 parts by mass or more and 6.0 parts or less.
Makoto et al., an applicant’s cited prior art, disclose an image forming apparatus [Fig. 1 ] comprising an endless belt [6] having a binder resin [Para. 0061], and at least one modified silicone oil [Para. 0109]; wherein the content of the modified silicone oil with respect to 100 parts by mass of the binder resin preferably is 1 to 7 parts by mass [Para. 0113].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention was made to have the endless belt disclosed by Toshiaki et al. having the content of the modified silicone oil with respect to 100 parts by mass of the binder resin preferably is 1 to 7 parts by mass as taught by Makoto et al. for the purpose of improving the mechanical characteristic such as flexing endurance, electrical characteristic, and surface characteristic of the endless belt.
Regarding claims 16 and 17, Toshiaki et al. disclose the image forming apparatus comprising a primary transfer device [unlabeled roller connected to the power source 81 in Fig. 3], and a secondary transfer device [25].
Prior Art
10. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure:
- Kubo et al. [11,988,981] disclose an image forming apparatus.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
examiner should be directed to HOAN H TRAN whose telephone number is (571)272-2141.
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/HOAN H TRAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852 04/04/26
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