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 .
Drawings
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: 164 (figure 12). 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.
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)(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 and 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ozawa (US 2018/0088524).
Ozawa (…524) discloses a system for an electrophotographic image forming device (figure 1), comprising: a basket (3) having a first side, a second side, and a positioning slot ([0029]; [0041]; and figure 2), the positioning slot is configured to receive a developer unit having a longitudinal dimension that extends along a length of the positioning slot from the first side to the second side when the developer unit is positioned in the positioning slot ([0041]; [0044]; and [0045]); and a latch (63K, 63Y, 63M and 63K) positioned at the first side of the basket ([0067]; and figure 4), the latch is pivotable about a pivot axis that is parallel to the longitudinal dimension between a latched position for applying a hold-down force on an end portion of the developer unit when the developer unit is positioned in the positioning slot to rigidly hold the end portion of the developer unit against the basket and an unlatched position to release the end portion of the developer unit permitting removal of the developer unit from the basket ([0075]-[0078]; and figures 4, 9 and 11) [see Applicant’s claim 1]. The latch includes a hold-down member extending towards the positioning slot for applying the hold-down force on the end portion of the developer unit ([0075]-[0078]; and figures 4, 6 and 11) [see Applicant’s claim 3]. The hold-down member is positioned on the latch such that the hold-down member applies the hold-down force in a linear direction that passes through the pivot axis when the developer unit is positioned in the positioning slot and the latch is in the latched position (figure 9) [see Applicant’s claim 4].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9-19 are allowed.
Claims 2 and 5-8 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.
Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Amann et al. (US 2020/0142348) disclose an image forming device including basket and latches.
Wang et al. (US 2019/0302681) disclose an image forming device including a basket and lock levers.
Inquiry
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SANDRA BRASE whose telephone number is (571)272-2131. The examiner can normally be reached M-F.
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, Walter Lindsay can be reached at 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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/SANDRA BRASE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852 February 2, 2026