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
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority based on applications filed in China on 8/19/2022, 8/26/2022, and 8/31/2022. It is noted that only the 202222199710.4 (8/19/2022) has electronically retrieved on 2/6/2025. However, an attempt by the Office to electronically retrieve, under the priority document exchange program, the foreign applications 2022222271716.8 (8/26/2022) and 202222315065.8 (8/31/2022) to which priority is claimed have FAILED on 2/6/2025.
Drawings
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: W41, W42 (page 4, lines 1 and 2), 163c (page 21, line 2), 851 (page 39, paragraph [00133], line 2, etc.), and 852 (page 39, paragraph [00133], line 2, etc.). 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 include the following reference character(s) not mentioned in the description: 843 and 844 (Figs. 31 and 32). Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d), or amendment to the specification to add the reference character(s) in the description in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(b) 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
Claims 8-13 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 8, line 3, “the action” should be “an action”.
Claim 13, last line, “separation” should be “separated”.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 20 and 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 20 recites the limitation "the first retaining part" in lines 4-5 and 5-6. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 21 is considered to be indefinite because there is no proper antecedent basis for “the first retaining part” (lines 2 and 4).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-7 and 14-19 are allowed.
Claims 8-13 are allowable over the prior art of record; however, it is found to be objectionable for the reasons specified above.
Claims 20 and 21 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include 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 1 is allowable over the prior art of record because the prior art of record does not teach or suggest: “when the developing coupling does not receive the rotational driving force, the force-applying component is in the extended position under an action of the elastic member to separate the developing component from the photosensitive component, and when the developing coupling receives the rotational driving force to rotate the developing component, the force-applying component moves from the extended position to the retracted position, and the developing component is in contact with the photosensitive component” as set forth in the claimed combination.
Independent claim 7 is allowable over the prior art of record because the prior art of record does not teach or suggest: “when the developing coupling does not receive the rotational driving force, the force-applying component maintains the developing unit in the separated position by applying the thrust force to the photosensitive unit, so that the photosensitive drum is separated from the developing roller, and when the developing coupling receives the rotational driving force and rotates, the developing unit rotates from the separated position to the contact position due to an action of a self-weight or a torque of the rotational driving force, so that the photosensitive drum is in contact with the developing roller” as set forth in the claimed combination.
Independent claim 15 is allowable over the prior art of record because the prior art of record does not teach or suggest: “when the developing coupling does not receive a rotational driving force, the developing unit returns from the contact position to the separated position under an action of the elastic component, so that the developing roller is separated from the photosensitive drum, and when the developing coupling receives the rotational driving force to rotate, the developing unit rotates from the separated position to the contact position, so that the developing roller is in contact with the photosensitive drum” as set forth in the claimed combination.
Independent claim 18 is allowable over the prior art of record because the prior art of record does not teach or suggest: “before the developing coupling receives the rotational driving force, the clutch mechanism keeps the developing unit in the separation position, and the developing roller is separated from the photosensitive drum, and when the developing coupling receives the rotational driving force and rotates, a torque generated by a rotation of the developing coupling causes the developing unit to rotate clockwise, so that the developing unit rotates from the separated position to the contact position, and the developing roller contacts the photosensitive drum” 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.”
Citation of Pertinent Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Sugimoto et al. (US Pat. Pub. No. US 2023/0205128 A1) discloses a process cartridge, comprising: a photosensitive unit including a photosensitive component; a developing unit including a developing component, wherein the developing unit is capable of moving between a contact position where the developing component contacts the photosensitive component and a separated position where the developing component is separated from the photosensitive component relative to the photosensitive unit; a drum coupling; a developing coupling; a regulating member being capable of taking a driving force transmitting position and the driving force interrupting position in a state that the developing component is in a position where toner is capable of being deposited on the photosensitive component.
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.
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, Stephanie Bloss can be reached at 571-272-3555. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/SOPHIA S CHEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852
Ssc
March 12, 2026