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 .
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.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species I, Sub-Species A, and Sub-subspecies 1, in the reply filed on 12/16/25 is acknowledged.
Claims 5-7, 10-12, 13-15, 21 and 22 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 12/16/25.
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.
(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) 1-4, 8-9, 16 and 19-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and (a)(2) as being anticipated by Fukui et al. (US 2017/0033485).
With respect to claims 1, 19 and 20, Fukui et al. disclose a structure comprising, and a method for making the structure comprising: a first plate-shaped portion (701) having electric conductivity; and a second plate-shaped portion (711) having electric conductivity, wherein the first plate-shaped portion (701) includes an elastic member provided with a bending portion (e.g., bend portion 703) configured to protrude toward (as shown at least by figs. 75-78c) the second plate-shaped portion (711) and come into contact with the second plate-shaped portion (711) to establish electrical continuity between the first plate-shaped portion (701) and the second plate-shaped portion (711), and wherein a surface of the bending portion facing the second plate-shaped portion includes a smooth portion (e.g., fig. 78A, item(s) 703, 704A, and/or the downstream bump of 712a) and an asperity portion (e.g., fig. 78A, item 705) having a roughness that is greater than a roughness of the smooth portion (703 and/or 704A).
With respect to claim 2, Fukui et al. further disclose wherein the elastic member is provided to extend from a connection portion (e.g., fig. 75, item 702) of the first plate-shaped portion (701), and the asperity portion (705) is provided closer to a leading edge of the elastic member (e.g., the bottommost edge of item 703) than the smooth portion (e.g., portion of item 703 pointed to by item marker 703 in fig. 75).
With respect to claim 3, Fukui et al. further disclose wherein the smooth portion (704A) of the first plate-shaped portion (701) is configured to come into contact with the second plate-shaped portion (711).
With respect to claim 4 and with further respect to claim 19, Fukui et al. further disclose wherein the asperity portion (705) and the smooth portion (the downstream bump of 712a) of the bending portion are provided in a row, and wherein the bending portion (the downstream bump of 712a) is provided so that, when the bending portion (the downstream bump of 712a) is brought into contact with the second plate-shaped portion (711), the asperity portion (705) moves in contact with the second plate-shaped portion (711), and then the smooth portion (the downstream bump of 712a) comes into contact with the second plate-shaped portion (711).
With respect to claim 8, Fukui et al. further disclose wherein an arithmetical mean roughness Ra of the asperity portion ranges between 10 micrometers (μm) and 20 μm, inclusive (as discussed at least in paragraph 396).
With respect to claim 9, Fukui et al. further disclose wherein an arithmetical mean roughness Ra of the smooth portion ranges between 0.3 micrometers (μm) and 0.9 μm, inclusive (as discussed at least in paragraph 396 and/or as shown at least by figs. 75-78c).
With respect to claim 16, Fukui et al. further disclose housing comprising: the structure according to claim 1; a container (as shown at least by item 702 in figs. 75-78C and/or as discussed at least in paragraph 396) configured to include one of a first plate-shaped portion and a second plate-shaped portion; and a lid (as shown at least by item 710 in figs. 75-78c) configured to include the other of the first plate-shaped portion and the second plate-shaped portion and to cover an opening of the container (as shown at least by figs. 75-78c).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 17 and 18 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for indicating allowable subject matter: The prior art of record does not disclose or suggest the claimed Image forming apparatus or electrical component box comprising: a control unit provided in a housing which includes: the structure according to claim 1, a container configured to include one of a first plate-shaped portion and a second plate-shaped portion, and a lid configured to include the other of the first plate-shaped portion and the second plate-shaped portion and to cover an opening of the container, in combination with the remaining claim elements as set forth in the claims.
Prior Art of Record
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure. Koyanagi et al. (US 2015/0063863) disclose a lid with a plate in contact with and in electrical continuity with a plate of a container.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOSEPH S WONG whose telephone number is (571)272-8457. The examiner can normally be reached 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 L Lindsay Jr. 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.
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/JOSEPH S WONG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852
JSW