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 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.
The following title is suggested: DEVELOPING DEVICE WITH REMOVABLE SHEET-SHAPED MEMBER.
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, 3-8, 10, 13-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hattori et al. US 2014/0169827 A1 (Hattori).
Regarding claim 1, Hattori teaches a developing device detachably attachable to a body of an image forming apparatus and storing developer, the developing device comprising:
a developing roller (50) to bear the developer and develop a latent image on a surface of an image bearer;
a developer supply (53/54) rotator disposed opposite the developing roller to rotate in a specified direction to supply the developer to the developing roller; and
a removable sheet-shaped member (70) that separates the developing roller and the developer supply rotator to form a developer pre-storage portion storing the developer in an inner space in which the developer supply rotator is disposed in the developing device (FIG. 1),
wherein the sheet-shaped member (70) intersects with a virtual line connecting a rotation center of the developing roller and a rotation center of the developer supply rotator at 90 +10 degrees when viewed in a cross section orthogonal to a rotation shaft of the developing roller or the developer supply rotator (since the sheet wraps around the developing roller, part of the sheet is orthogonal to the developing roller and the developer supply rotator.
Regarding claim 3, Hattori teaches the developing device according to claim 1,
wherein, when viewed in the cross section, both ends of the sheet-shaped member are removably adhered in the developing device (¶0133), and
wherein a distance between an intersection point of the sheet-shaped member and the virtual line and a downstream sheet sticking position corresponding to a downstream side in a rotation direction of the developing roller is shorter than a distance between the intersection point and an upstream sheet sticking position corresponding to an upstream side in the rotation direction of the developing roller (true when the virtual line is in reference to supply roller 53, FIG. 1).
Regarding claim 4, Hattori teaches the developing device according to claim 3, further comprising:
a developing case (5) rotatably holding the developing roller and the developer supply rotator,
wherein the developing case (5) includes a base having an opening (580) sealed with the sheet- shaped member removably adhered to the base (¶0141), and
wherein the base includes the downstream sheet sticking position (70a) and the upstream sheet sticking position (523).
Regarding claim 5, Hattori teaches the developing device according to claim 4,
wherein a lateral range of the sheet-shaped member is within a lateral range of the base and includes a lateral range of the opening (FIG. 7).
Regarding claim 6, Hattori teaches the developing device according to claim 4,
wherein the developing case includes a lower developing case (58a) having the base and an upper developing case (58b) disposed above the lower developing case, and
wherein the base has a cutout or a recess that reduces a portion overlapping with the upper developing (58b) case at a longitudinal end of the base (FIG. 1).
Regarding claim 7, Hattori teaches the developing device according to claim 4,
wherein the downstream sheet sticking position (70a) of the base is at a position lower than a top of the developer supply rotator (FIG. 1), and the upstream sheet sticking position (523) of the base is at a position higher than the top (FIG. 1).
Regarding claim 8, Hattori teaches the developing device according to claim 4,
wherein an opening area of the opening orthogonal to the virtual line gradually decreases from above to below along the virtual line (FIG. 1).
Regarding claim 10, Hattori teaches the developing device according to claim 1,
wherein the sheet-shaped member (70) is removably disposed at a position at which the sheet-shaped member is away from the developing roller even when the sheet-shaped member is moved toward the developing roller by application of an external force (FIG. 1).
Regarding claim 13, Hattori teaches the developing device according to claim 1,
wherein the developer supply rotator (53) is a first conveying screw including a rotation shaft and a screw portion wound around the rotation shaft to convey the developer in a rotation axis direction of the first conveying screw (FIG. 7), and
wherein the developing device further comprises a second conveying screw (54) disposed opposite the first conveying screw via a wall to form a circulation passage of the developer together with the first conveying screw (FIG. 70.
Regarding claim 14, Hattori teaches a process cartridge removably attachable to a body of an image forming apparatus (FIG. 2), the process cartridge comprising:
the developing device according to claim 1; and
an image bearer united with the developing device (FIG. 1-2).
Regarding claim 15, Hattori teaches an image forming apparatus (FIG. 1) comprising: the developing device according to claim 1.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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 of this title, 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.
Claims 2, 9, 11, 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hattori et al. US 2014/0169827 A1 (Hattori) and Takahashi et al. US 2018/0164714 A1 (Takahashi).
Regarding claim 2, Hattori teaches the developing device according to claim 1. Hattori differs from the instant claimed invention by not explicitly disclosing: the distance between the developing roller and the sheet-shaped member is longer than a distance between the developer supply rotator and the sheet-shaped member when viewed in the cross section. However this is known. Takahashi teaches the distance between the developing roller and the sheet-shaped member is longer than a distance between the developer supply rotator and the sheet-shaped member when viewed in the cross section (FIG. 9). It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the sheet member taught by Hattori so that it is in the position taught by Takahashi since Takahashi teaches that this configuration reduces the discharge of unused initial developer which can be an issue when the developing apparatus is initially installed (Takahashi, ¶0008).
Regarding claim 9, Hattori teaches the developing device according to claim 3, further comprising:
a developer regulator (52) facing the developing roller, which is disposed obliquely above the developer supply rotator, from below to regulate an amount of the developer borne on the surface of the developing roller (FIG. 1).
Hattori differs from the instant claimed invention by not explicitly disclosing: a position of a tip of the developer regulator facing the developing roller is higher than the downstream sheet sticking position and lower than the upstream sheet sticking position. However this is known. Takahashi teaches a position of a tip of the developer regulator facing the developing roller is higher than the downstream sheet sticking position and lower than the upstream sheet sticking position (FIG. 9). It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the sheet member taught by Hattori so that it is in the position taught by Takahashi since Takahashi teaches that this configuration reduces the discharge of unused initial developer which can be an issue when the developing apparatus is initially installed (Takahashi, ¶0008).
Regarding claims 11-12, Hattori teaches the developing device according to claim 1. Hattori differs from the instant claimed invention by not explicitly disclosing: gearing configurations. However there are many well-known gear configurations. Takahashi teaches
a first gear (37) on a rotation shaft of the developing roller (¶0091);
a second gear (34/35) on a rotation shaft of the developer supply rotator (¶0090); and
an idler gear (33) to mesh with the first gear and the second gear (¶0090-¶0091),
wherein at least a part of the sheet-shaped member is disposed in a space surrounded by the first gear, the second gear, and the idler gear when viewed in the cross section (FIG> 14). Furthermore Takahashi teaches an outer diameter of the idler gear (33) is smaller than an outer diameter of the first gear (37) and smaller than an outer diameter of the second gear (34/35, see FIG. 14). It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to use the gear configuration taught by Takahashi as the gear configuration for Hattori, since Hattori is silent with regards to the driving mechanism, leaving it to one of ordinary skill to use the known options, of which Takahashi is one. Furthermore using the gear configuration taught by Takahashi would yield predictable results, namely the rollers would be driven.
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