CTNF 18/465,668 CTNF 72641 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 . Priority 02-26 AIA Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55. Information Disclosure Statement The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 9/23/2024, 7/9/2024, 4/29/2024, 9/12/2023 and 3/21/2024 was considered by the examiner. Drawings The drawings filed on 9/12/2023 are acceptable for examination by the examiner. Title 06-11 AIA 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 Objections Claim 8-12 are objected to because of the following informalities. Claim 8 recites a “transport member” which are not defined in the claims or detailed description and relates to the other defined lower and opposite direction transport members. Appropriate correction is required. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102 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. 07-12-aia AIA (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. 07-15-aia AIA Claim(s) 1-3, 8, and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by NAGAYAMA (cited by applicant) . Regarding claim 1, NAGAYAMA teaches a developing device (figure 7-8) comprising: a developer moving unit ( 6-10) that circularly moves a developer, the developer moving unit including a one-direction transport member 8 that transports the developer in one direction, and an opposite-direction transport member 6 that is disposed below the one-direction transport member 8 and that transports the developer in a direction opposite to the one direction; a facing member 5 that is disposed at a location facing an image carrier 1 and that supplies the image carrier 1 with the developer supplied from the one-direction transport member 8; a lower transport member 10 that is disposed below the facing member 5 and that transports the developer that has separated from the facing member 5 in the one direction to cause the developer to be supplied to one end portion side of the opposite-direction transport member 6; and a movement restricting portion 133 that is disposed between the lower transport member 10 and the opposite-direction transport member 6 and that restricts a movement of the developer from the opposite-direction transport member 10 to the lower transport member (figures 7-8; [0186-0187; 0189-0190]). Regarding claim 2, the developing device (figure 7) further comprising: a movement restricting portion 133 that is disposed between the facing member 5 and the opposite-direction transport member 8 and that restricts a movement of the developer from the opposite-direction transport member 6 to the facing member 11. Regarding claim 3, the movement restricting portion 133 that is disposed between the lower transport member 10 and the opposite-direction transport member 6 and the movement restricting portion that is disposed between the facing member 5 and the opposite-direction transport 6 member are integrated together (figure 7). Regarding claim 8, NAGAYAMA teaches a developing device comprising: a facing member that is disposed at a location facing an image carrier and that is used to supply a developer to the image carrier; a supplying unit 132-133 that has a stirring function of stirring the developer and that supplies the facing member with the developer; a transport member that transports the developer that has separated from the facing member to the supplying unit having the stirring function; and a movement restricting portion that is disposed between the facing member and the transport member and that restricts a movement of the developer from the transport member to the facing member (figure 10; “transport member” is not defined; all rotary members are transport members). Regarding claim 15, the movement restricting portion is disposed with a gap between the movement restricting portion and the facing member (shown in figure 10) . 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 s 4-7 and 9-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over NAGAYAMA in view of NAITO (US 2015/030819 A1; cited by applicant) . NAGAYAMA teaches a developing device as discussed above. NAGAYAMA does not teach that an axial center of the one-direction transport member is located above an axial center of the facing member. NAITO teaches a developing device regarding claim 4, a facing member 11 and the one-direction transport member 5 are each a rotary member that rotates about an axial center extending in the one direction, and wherein an axial center of the one-direction transport member 5 is located above an axial center of the facing member 11 (roller locations are shown in figures 8-10; [0178-0180]). Regarding claim 5, the facing member 11, the one-direction transport member 5, and the opposite-direction transport member 7 are each a rotary member that rotates about an axial center extending in the one direction, and wherein an axial center of the opposite-direction transport member 7 is located farther than an axial center of the one-direction transport member 5 from the facing member 11 when the axial centers are compared with each other in terms of positions in a horizontal direction (shown in figures 8-10). Regarding claim 6, the facing member 11 and the lower transport member 6 are each a rotary member that rotates about an axial center extending in the one direction, and wherein an axial center of the lower transport member 6 is located off a portion that is immediately under an axial center of the facing member (roller 6 is below facing roller 11; shown in figures 8-10). Regarding claim 7, the one-direction transport member 5 and the opposite-direction transport member 7 are each a rotary member that rotates about an axial center extending in the one direction, wherein an axial center of the opposite-direction transport member 7 is located farther than an axial center of the one-direction transport member 5 from the facing member 11 when the axial centers are compared with each other in terms of positions in a horizontal direction, and wherein the axial center of the lower transport member 6 is located closer than the axial center of the facing member 5 to the opposite-direction transport member 7 when the axial centers are compared with each other in terms of positions in the horizontal direction (the center of the transport roller 6 is closer to facing roller 11 than to the transport roller 7; shown in figures 8-10; [0179]). Regarding claim 9, the developing device further comprising: an attracting magnetic pole (N2 in screw roller 5; [0180]) that causes the developer supplied from the supplying unit C2 to be attracted onto an outer peripheral surface of the facing member 5, wherein the movement restricting portion is disposed between the attracting magnetic pole N2 and the transport member 5 (figures 8-10). Regarding claim 10, the transport member 5 is a member that rotates about a rotary shaft (screw has a shaft, [0179]) extending in an axial direction of the facing member 11, wherein the transport member 5 includes a portion that is located on a side of one region and that moves toward the facing member 11, and a portion that is located on a side of another region and that moves away from the facing member 11, the one region and the other region being two regions facing each other with a plane between the two regions, the plane extending along an axial center of the transport member and passing through both the attracting magnetic pole N2 and the axial center (shown in figure 8 and 10, a plane through the center of screw 5 would intersect the N2 poles which raises to the S2 pole), and wherein the movement restricting portion 3A is disposed between the attracting magnetic pole N2 and, of the transport member 5, a portion located in the one region (figures 8-10; [0178-0180]). Regarding claim 11, the developing device further comprising: an attracting magnetic pole (N2 in roller 11; [0180]) that causes the developer supplied from the supplying unit (3C and 2a [0182-0183]) to be attracted onto an outer peripheral surface of the facing member, wherein the transport member 5 is a member that rotates about a rotary shaft extending in an axial direction of the facing member 11, and wherein the movement restricting portion is located on a plane, the plane extending along an axial center of the transport member 3A and passing through the attracting magnetic pole N2 and an outer peripheral portion of the transport member (figures 8-10; [0180-0183]). Regarding claims 12-14, it would have been obvious to select an appropriate material to use for the movement restricting portion accord to its inherent benefits. In re Leshin, 277 F.2d 197, 125 USPQ 416 (CCPA 1960). NAGAYAMA and NAITO are concerned with developing devices using magnetic rollers. NAGAYAMA and NAITO teach similar configurations for developing devices. The rationale for combining the teachings of NAGAYAMA with the teachings of NAITO relates to the rationale of combining prior art elements according to known methods to yield predictable results. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains to use the teaching of NAGAYAMA with the teaching of NAITO since the teaching of NAGAYAMA may be utilized to benefits similar developing devices. Prior Art 07-96 AIA The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. UCHIMITSU et al. (US 11,567,430) teaches a developing device with transport rollers . Contact Information Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to QUANA GRAINGER whose telephone number is (571)272-2135. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday - Friday, 9-5. 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 on 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 an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /QUANA GRAINGER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852 QG Application/Control Number: 18/465,668 Page 2 Art Unit: 2852 Application/Control Number: 18/465,668 Page 3 Art Unit: 2852 Application/Control Number: 18/465,668 Page 4 Art Unit: 2852 Application/Control Number: 18/465,668 Page 5 Art Unit: 2852 Application/Control Number: 18/465,668 Page 6 Art Unit: 2852 Application/Control Number: 18/465,668 Page 7 Art Unit: 2852 Application/Control Number: 18/465,668 Page 8 Art Unit: 2852 Application/Control Number: 18/465,668 Page 9 Art Unit: 2852 Application/Control Number: 18/465,668 Page 10 Art Unit: 2852 Application/Control Number: 18/465,668 Page 11 Art Unit: 2852 Application/Control Number: 18/465,668 Page 12 Art Unit: 2852
Prosecution Insights