CTNF 19/191,548 CTNF 68132 DETAILED ACTION Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102 07-06 AIA 15-10-15 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. 07-07-aia AIA 07-07 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 – 07-08-aia AIA (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. 07-15 AIA Claim s 1, 3 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102( a)(1 ) as being anticipated by Okabe (US 2006/0216056) . Okabe (…056) discloses an image forming apparatus (101) (figure 9) comprising: an image carrier (3) that carries a toner image; an intermediate transfer unit that includes: an intermediate transfer member (68) that is a seamless belt ([0068]; and figure 9); and a plurality of stretching rollers configured to stretch the intermediate transfer member (figure 9); a secondary transfer unit including a secondary transfer roller (67) and configured to perform a secondary transfer of a toner image, primarily transferred from the image carrier to the intermediate transfer member, from the intermediate transfer member to a printing medium ([0068]); and a cleaning device (100) configured to come into contact with and separate from the intermediate transfer member, and configured to clean toner remaining on the intermediate transfer member after the secondary transfer ([0044]-[0051]; [0069]; and figure 9), wherein, in a contact nip where the cleaning device and the intermediate transfer member come into contact with each other, the intermediate transfer member is inclined such that an upstream side in a conveyance direction of the intermediate transfer member is lower in a gravity direction than a downstream side in the conveyance direction of the intermediate transfer member (figure 9), and wherein a stretched surface is an outer surface of the intermediate transfer member formed between the plurality of stretching rollers when the intermediate transfer member is stretched by the plurality of stretching rollers (figure 9); and a length in the conveyance direction of the stretched surface of the intermediate transfer member upstream of the contact nip is longer than a length in the conveyance direction of a stretched surface of the intermediate transfer member downstream of the contact nip (figure 9) [see Applicant’s claim 1]. The plurality of stretching rollers includes a first roller that is close to the secondary transfer roller (67) and a second roller that is more distant from the secondary transfer roller (67) than the first roller, and wherein a position in the gravity direction of the first roller is lower than the second roller (figure 9) [see Applicant’s claim 3]. A path on which the cleaning device moves immediately before the cleaning device comes into contact with the intermediate transfer member is positioned on the downstream side of the intermediate transfer member in the conveyance direction relative to a perpendicular line to a surface of the intermediate transfer member at a central portion of the contact nip (figure 9) [see Applicant’s claim 7] . Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 07-20-aia AIA 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. 07-20-02-aia AIA This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention. 07-21-aia AIA Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Okabe (US 2006/0216056) . Okabe (…056) discloses the features mentioned previously, but do not disclose the claimed inclination of the stretched surface. It is considered to be merely an engineering decision as to the specific inclination of the stretched surface [see Applicant’s claim 2]. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the claimed inclination of the stretched surface, since the specific inclination of the stretched surface is considered to be an engineering decision . 07-21-aia AIA Claim s 4-6 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Okabe (US 2006/0216056) in view of Aiba et al. (US 2013/0223872) . Okabe (…056) discloses the features mentioned previously. Okabe (…056) further disclose a backup member (110) that backs up the intermediate transfer member from a surface of the intermediate transfer member opposite to a surface that comes into contact with the cleaning device (figure 9) [see Applicant’s claim 4]. The intermediate transfer member is stretched over the backup member in addition to the first roller that is close to the secondary transfer roller and the second roller that is more distant from the secondary transfer roller than the first roller (figure 9) [see Applicant’s claim 5]. A distance between the first roller and the backup member is longer than a distance between the second roller and the backup member (figure 9) [see Applicant’s claim 6]. The cleaning device is configured to bring the cleaning member into contact with the intermediate transfer member ([0044]-[0051]) [see Applicant’s claim 9]. However, Okabe (…056) do not disclose the claimed position of the backup member with respect to the contact nip and the cleaning member is the claimed brush member. Aiba et al. (…872) disclose a cleaning device (28) that cleans an intermediate transfer member (5), where a backup member (30) that backs up the intermediate transfer member from a surface of the intermediate transfer member opposite to a surface that comes into contact with the cleaning device (figures 7 and 10), wherein the backup member does not back up the intermediate transfer member at edge portions on the upstream side and the downstream side of the contact nip (figures 7 and 10) [see Applicant’s claim 4]. The cleaning member is a brush member (28) [see Applicant’s claim 9]. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the claimed position of the backup member with respect to the contact nip, since as disclosed by Aiba et al. (…872), such a configuration of a backup member is well known in the art. Moreover, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the cleaning member be a brush member, since as disclosed by Aiba et al. (…872), it is well known in the art for a cleaning member to be a brush . 07-21-aia AIA Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Okabe (US 2006/0216056) in view of Shimura et al. (US 2011/0150532) . Okabe (…056) discloses the features mentioned previously, but do not disclose the claimed voltage applied to the cleaning device. Shimura et al. (…532) disclose an image forming apparatus (figure 1), wherein a voltage of a polarity opposite to a regular polarity of toner is applied to a cleaning device (16), and the cleaning device charges a portion of toner remaining on an intermediate transfer member (10) to the opposite polarity and holds the portion of the toner ([0042]; [0048]; and figure 2) [see Applicant’s claim 8]. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the claimed voltage applied to the cleaning device, since as disclosed by Shimura et al. (…532), it is well known in the art to apply a voltage to the cleaning device so as to charge the toner remaining on the surface of the intermediate transfer member. Inquiry Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SANDRA BRASE whose telephone number is (571)272-2131. The examiner can normally be reached M-F. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Walter Lindsay can be reached at 571-272-1674. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /SANDRA BRASE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852 May 16, 2026 Application/Control Number: 19/191,548 Page 2 Art Unit: 2852 Application/Control Number: 19/191,548 Page 3 Art Unit: 2852 Application/Control Number: 19/191,548 Page 4 Art Unit: 2852 Application/Control Number: 19/191,548 Page 5 Art Unit: 2852 Application/Control Number: 19/191,548 Page 6 Art Unit: 2852 Application/Control Number: 19/191,548 Page 7 Art Unit: 2852
