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.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 01/16/2025 and 08/19/2025 have been considered.
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) 1- 4, 6 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Nakao, Kenichi [JP 2013061403 A].
Regarding claim 1, Nakao, an applicant’s cited prior art, discloses a drive transmission device [50; Figs. 2a-d] arranged to face a drive transmitted portion [41] across a metal plate [51], said drive transmission device comprising a gear part [45c] which is coupled to a drive source [48], and rotates around an axis [G] by a driving force of the drive source; a coupling part [45a] which is formed into a cylindrical shape [Fig. 2b] penetrates a through hole of the metal plate [Fig. 2b], is connected to the drive transmitted portion [Fig. 2b], and rotates around the same axis of the gear part [Figs. 2c, 2d]; a biasing member [54] which biases the gear part and the coupling part to a direction close to the drive transmitted portion [Figs. 2a, 2d]; and a retracting part [49] which is formed into an annular shape [Fig. 5b] through which the coupling part [45a] penetrates [Fig. 2b], and rotates around the same axis as the coupling part in a reciprocating manner [Figs. 5b-e]; wherein the metal plate having at least two inclined parts [46d] which are arranged across the through hole [Fig. 5b], and protrude in a direction away from the drive transmitted portion [Figs. 2, 5]; and the retracting part rotates in one direction while in contact with the inclined part to move the gear part and the coupling part in the direction away from the drive transmitted portion against a biasing force of the biasing member [Figs. 2, 5].
Regarding claim 2, Nakao discloses the coupling part [45a] is integrally molded with the gear part [45c; Fig. 2a].
Regarding claim 3, Nakao discloses the retracting part [49] having a retracting body portion formed into an annular shape, and at least two retracting contact portions [Fig. 5b] protruding radially outward from the retracting body portion and capable of being in contact with the inclined part [46d]. [Figs. 5d, 5f].
Regarding claim 4, Nakao discloses the retracting contact portion has an L-shaped cross section in which a distal end portion of the retracting contact portion is bent toward the metal plate [Figs. 2d, 2f].
Regarding claim 6, Nakao discloses an image forming apparatus [Fig. 1] comprising the drive transmission device.
Regarding claim 7, Nakao discloses the image forming apparatus including an apparatus main body [Fig. 5] in which the drive transmission device is housed, a cover [57], and a lever [58]which connects the cover to the retracting part [49] of the transmission device [Fig. 5].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 5 is 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.
Prior Art
8. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure:
- Mizuno [11,867,268] disclose a drive transmission device.
Contact Information
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/HOAN H TRAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852 02/21/26
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