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)(4) because of the following informalities:
Reference character “20” has been used to designate both “a charging roller” page 34, paragraph [0157], line 5) and “a resin layer coating material” (page 57, paragraph [0254], line 3, etc.).
Reference character “1” has been used to designate both “a resin layer coating material” (page 44, last line) and “an elastic roller” (page 45, line 1).
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.
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: 2 (page 52, paragraph [0225], line 2). 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 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 Objections
Claim 8 is objected to because of the following informality: line 4, “DBP” should be “dibutyl phthalate (DBP)”. Appropriate correction is required.
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) 1-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Suzumura et al. (US Pat. Pub. No. US 2025/0244712 A1; cited in IDS filed 1/28/2026)
The applied reference has a common assignee with the instant application. Based upon the earlier effectively filed date of the reference, it constitutes prior art under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2). This rejection under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) might be overcome by: (1) a showing under 37 CFR 1.130(a) that the subject matter disclosed in the reference was obtained directly or indirectly from the inventor or a joint inventor of this application and is thus not prior art in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(A); (2) a showing under 37 CFR 1.130(b) of a prior public disclosure under 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(B) if the same invention is not being claimed; or (3) a statement pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) establishing that, not later than the effective filing date of the claimed invention, the subject matter disclosed in the reference and the claimed invention were either owned by the same person or subject to an obligation of assignment to the same person or subject to a joint research agreement.
Regarding claim 1, Suzumura et al. discloses an electrophotographic roller (a developer carrying member) 10 having a conductive substrate 11 and a resin layer 12 on an outer peripheral surface of the substrate 11, wherein a thickness of the resin layer is 2.0 to 30.0 µm (paragraph [0153]), the resin layer comprises a binder resin and carbon black dispersed in the binder resin (paragraph [0181]), an arithmetic mean value Rc of a circle-equivalent diameter of the carbon black in the resin layer is not more than 80 nm (paragraph [0171]), an arithmetic mean value d of a distance between wall surfaces of the carbon black in the resin layer is 60 to 170 nm (paragraph [0172]), and when an elastic modulus of the binder resin in a first region from an outer surface of the resin layer to a depth of 0.1 µm, measured in a cross section in a thickness direction of the resin layer, is defined as E1, E1 satisfies a following formula (1): E1 ≥ 200 MPa. (1) (paragraph [0124]).
Regarding claim 2, Suzumura et al. discloses wherein the binder resin comprises a crosslinked urethane resin (paragraph [0148]).
Regarding claim 3, Suzumura et al. discloses wherein the resin layer includes at least one compound selected from the group consisting of a compound having a structure represented by a following structural formula (2), a compound having a structure represented by a following structural formula (3), and a compound having a structure represented by a following structural formula (4) (paragraph [0182]).
Regarding claim 4, Suzumura et al. discloses wherein E1 is at least 250 MPa, and when an elastic modulus of the binder resin in a second region from the outer surface of the resin layer to a depth of 1.0 to 1.1 µm is denoted by E2, E2 is 120 to 200 MPa (paragraphs [0124]-[0130]).
Regarding claim 5, Suzumura et al. discloses wherein the resin layer comprises a crosslinked urethane resin and a crosslinked (meth)acrylic resin, and the crosslinked urethane resin and the crosslinked (meth)acrylic resin form an interpenetrating polymer network structure in the first region (paragraph [0150]).
Regarding claim 6, Suzumura et al. discloses wherein the binder resin comprises a crosslinked urethane resin, and the crosslinked urethane resin has a polycarbonate structure (paragraph [0082]).
Regarding claim 7, Suzumura et al. discloses wherein the arithmetic mean value Rc of the circle-equivalent diameter is not more than 60 nm, when a standard deviation of the circle-equivalent diameter is denoted by σc, σc/Rc is 0.000 to 0.650, the arithmetic mean value d of the distance between the wall surfaces is 80 to 150 nm, and when a standard deviation of the distance between the wall surfaces is denoted by σd, σd/d is 0.000 to 0.600 (paragraphs [0171]-[0172]).
Regarding claim 8, Suzumura et al. discloses wherein a number-average diameter of primary particles of the carbon black is not more than 30 nm, a DBP absorption amount of the carbon black is not more than 90 mL/100 g, and a pH of the carbon black is not more than 4.0 (paragraph [0162]).
Regarding claim 9, Suzumura et al. discloses a process cartridge 22 configured to be detachably attached to a main body of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus (paragraph [0286]), wherein the process cartridge 22 has the electrophotographic roller (a developer carrying member) 10, the electrophotographic roller 10 has a conductive substrate 11 and a resin layer 12 on an outer peripheral surface of the substrate 11, a thickness of the resin layer is 2.0 to 30.0 µm (paragraph [0153]), the resin layer comprises a binder resin and carbon black dispersed in the binder resin (paragraph [0181]), an arithmetic mean value Rc of a circle-equivalent diameter of the carbon black in the resin layer is not more than 80 nm (paragraph [0171]), an arithmetic mean value d of a distance between wall surfaces of the carbon black in the resin layer is 60 to 170 nm (paragraph [0172]), and when an elastic modulus of the binder resin in a first region from an outer surface of the resin layer to a depth of 0.1 µm, measured in a cross section in a thickness direction of the resin layer, is defined as E1, E1 satisfies a following formula (1): E1 ≥ 200 MPa...(1) (paragraph [0124]).
Regarding claim 10, Suzumura et al. discloses an electrophotographic image forming apparatus (Fig. 4) comprising: an image bearing member 19 for bearing an electrostatic latent image; a charging roller 20 for primarily charging the image bearing member 19; and a developing roller 14 for developing the electrostatic latent image with toner to form a toner image (paragraph [0286] and Fig. 4), wherein either or both of the charging roller 20 and the developing roller 14 are an electrophotographic roller having a conductive substrate 11 and a resin layer 12 on an outer peripheral surface of the substrate 11, a thickness of the resin layer is 2.0 to 30.0 µm (paragraph [0153]), the resin layer comprises a binder resin and carbon black dispersed in the binder resin (paragraph [0181]), an arithmetic mean value Rc of a circle-equivalent diameter of the carbon black in the resin layer is not more than 80 nm (paragraph [0171]), an arithmetic mean value d of a distance between wall surfaces of the carbon black in the resin layer is 60 to 170 nm (paragraph [0172]), and when an elastic modulus of the binder resin in a first region from an outer surface of the resin layer to a depth of 0.1 µm, measured in a cross section in a thickness direction of the resin layer, is defined as E1, E1 satisfies a following formula (1): E1 ≥ 200 MPa...(1) (paragraph [0124]).
Other Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Okano et al. (US Pat. Pub. No. US 2023/0152720 A1) discloses an image forming apparatus comprising: an image bearing member; a charging roller; a developing roller; and an electrophotographic belt including a base layer containing a binder resin and carbon black in the binder resin.
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
Ssc
August 19, 2026
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