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 .
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 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) 71, 75 and 76 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Matsumaru et al. (US Pat. Pub. No. US 2020/0301352 A1; cited in IDS filed 12/19/2024)
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 71, Matsumaru et al. discloses a mountable kit comprising: an attachment detachably mountable to a main assembly of an image forming apparatus, the attachment including a body 1085a and a gear 1081b that is rotatable about a rotational axis, with the gear 1081b being movable relative to the body 1085a of the attachment such that the rotational axis of the gear 1081b is movable relative to the body 1085a of the attachment (paragraphs [0654]-[0658]; Figs. 91 and 92); and a cartridge B detachably mountable to the main assembly of the image forming apparatus (Figs. 2 and 3), the cartridge B including a photosensitive drum 62.
Regarding claim 75, Matsumaru et al. discloses wherein the cartridge B further includes a coupling 1064 operatively connected to the photosensitive drum 62 (paragraph [0651] and Fig. 91).
Regarding claim 76, Matsumaru et al. discloses wherein the cartridge B further includes a developing roller 32 configured to develop a latent image on the photosensitive drum 62 (Fig. 3).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 77 is allowed.
Claims 72-74 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 allowance: Independent claim 77 is allowable over the prior art of record because the prior art of record does not teach or suggest: “the drive transmission member includes a gear configured to engage the gear of the attachment” as set forth in the claimed combination.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Contact Information
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/SOPHIA S CHEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852
Ssc
January 22, 2026