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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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 11 is objected to because of the following informalities: antecedent basis is missing. For the purposes of examination it will be assumed that claim 11 should be dependence on claim 1. 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 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.
Claims 1-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Sato et al. US 2017/0261927 A1 (Sato).
Regarding claim 1, Sato teaches a cartridge comprising:
a photosensitive member (10);
a first unit (C) including the photosensitive member;
a developing member (13) for depositing toner onto the photosensitive member (10);
a second unit (B1) including the developing member and movable between a developing position in which the toner is capable of being deposited onto the photosensitive member from the developing member and a spaced position in which at least a part of the developing member is spaced from the photosensitive member (¶0085);
a coupling member (180);
a first gear portion (27) configured to receive a driving force from the coupling member to rotate the first gear portion (¶0097);
a second gear portion (29) for engagement with the first gear portion and configured to receive the driving force and thereby rotate, the second gear portion being movable in an axial direction of the developing member (¶0095-¶0096);
a holding portion (contacting/spacing lever 70) movable, by movement of the developing member in the axial direction, between a first position for stably holding the second unit in the spaced position and a second position for stably holding the second unit in the developing position (¶0277-¶0280); and
an urging portion (driving-side developing pressure spring 71) for urging the holding portion in a direction from the second position toward the first position in the axial direction of the developing member (¶0099-¶0100),
wherein at least one of the first gear portion and the second gear portion is a helical gear (¶0095-¶0096),
wherein, when the second gear (29) portion is driven and rotated by the first gear portion (27), the holding portion is moved from the first position to the second position by the second gear portion receiving a force from the first gear portion (via the driving side bearing member 36, ¶0282), and
wherein, when the second gear (29) portion is not driven by the first gear portion (27), the holding portion is moved from the second position toward the first position by an urging force of the urging portion (via the driving side bearing member 36, ¶0282).
Regarding claim 2, Sato teaches a cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the urging portion (71) is provided on an elastic member or a member urged by the elastic member (¶0099-¶0100).
Regarding claim 3, Sato teaches a cartridge according to claim 2, wherein the elastic member (71) is a spring (¶0099-¶0100).
Regarding claim 4, Sato teaches a cartridge according to claim1, further comprising:
a force receiving portion (70a) configured to receive a force for moving the holding portion (70) from the second position toward the first position,
wherein the urging portion (71) urges the holding portion (70) from the second position toward the first position when the force receiving portion receives the force (¶0203-¶0205).
Regarding claim 5, Sato teaches a cartridge according to claim 4, wherein the urging portion (71) urges the holding portion (70) from the second position toward the first position by the force receiving portion (120) moving in a direction crossing the axial direction of the developing member (¶0284-¶0288).
Regarding claim 6, Sato teaches a cartridge according to claim 5, further comprising:
a first movable member (70f) provided with the force receiving portion (70a) and a second movable member (70b) movable by receiving the force from the first movable member,
wherein the urging portion is provided on the second movable member (¶0227).
Regarding claim 7, Sato teaches a cartridge according to claim 6, wherein the second movable member (70b) urges, when moving in the axial direction of the developing member, the holding portion from the second position toward the first position by the urging portion (¶0219-¶0227).
Regarding claim 8, Sato teaches a cartridge according to claims 1, further comprising:
a gear member (27c), provided with the second gear portion (27), configured to transmit the driving force to the developing member (¶0106).
Regarding claim 9, Sato teaches a cartridge according to claim 8, wherein the gear member (27c) has a rotational axis coaxial with a rotational axis of the developing member (¶0106).
Regarding claim 10, Sato teaches a cartridge according to claim 8, wherein the gear member is provided with the holding portion (¶0106).
Regarding claim 11, Sato teaches a cartridge according to claim 1,
wherein the first unit (C) includes a first frame (21) rotatably supporting the photosensitive member (10), and the second unit (B1) includes a second frame rotatably supporting the developing member and supporting the holding portion (¶0083), and
wherein the holding portion (B1) stably holds the second unit in the spaced position by contacting the first frame (¶0221-¶0222).
Regarding claim 12, Sato teaches a cartridge according to claim 11, wherein the first frame (21) is provided with an inclined surface (D1, D2) inclined with respect to the rotational axis of the developing member (36), and the holding portion (70) moves in the axial direction of the developing member while being in contact with the inclined surface, during movement of the holding portion from the second position to the first position (¶0128-¶0137).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JESSICA L ELEY whose telephone number is (571)272-9793. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM CST.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Walter Jr. 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.
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/JESSICA L ELEY/
Examiner, Art Unit 2852