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.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 2/6/2025 and 2/24/2025 was considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings filed on 2/6/2025 are acceptable for examination by the examiner.
Title
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.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
(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) 1-5 and 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by JUN SHIRAYANGI (US2020/0387084 A1; cited by applicant).
Regarding claim 1, SHIRAYANGI teaches a developing device (figure 2) comprising: a developer container 6 that stores developer containing toner to be supplied to an image carrying member 3; a conveying member 64-65 that is rotatably supported on the developer container, the conveying member 64-65 conveying the developer while stirring the developer; and a developer carrying member 70 that is rotatably supported on the developer container 6 so as to face the image carrying member 3, the developer carrying member 70 supplying the toner in the developer container to the image carrying member 3, wherein the conveying member 64-65 has: a rotation shaft 80 that extends along a longitudinal direction of the developer container (shown in figure 3); a conveying blade 81 that is helically formed on an outer circumferential part of the
rotation shaft 80; a cut portion 82 in which the conveying blade 81 is partly cut off along the longitudinal direction (shown in figures 3-4); and a dispersing portion 90 having a dispersing surface formed on an outer circumferential part of the rotation shaft, so as to face the cut portion 82, and extending along a radial direction of the rotation shaft 80, the dispersing surface having an area larger than a sectional area of the conveying blade (figures 3-9; [0036-0037, 0047-0049]).
Regarding claim 2, the area of the dispersing surface 90 is 1.4 to 9 times the sectional area of the conveying blade (figure 3, [0054, 0046-0047], 94 is shown to be larger than a sectional area of the conveyance blade 81).
Regarding claim 3, the dispersing surface 90 is formed on a side surface of the conveying blade so as to face the cut portion (figure 3-4).
Regarding claim 4, wherein the dispersing surface 90 is formed parallel to an axial direction of the rotation shaft (figures 3-4).
Regarding claim 5, the dispersing surface 90 is formed at one [or two] places on the rotation shaft with respect to an axial direction thereof (figures 3-4).
Regarding claim 7, an image forming apparatus (shown in figure 1) comprising the developing device.
Claim(s) 1 and 3-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by HIRAYAMA et al. (US 2009/0190960 A1; cited by applicant).
Regarding claim 1, HIRAYAMA teaches a developing device (shown in figure 2) comprising: a developer container 6 that stores developer containing toner to be supplied to an image carrying member 1; a conveying member 61 that is rotatably supported on the developer container 6, the conveying member 54 conveying the developer while stirring the developer; and a developer carrying member 51 that is rotatably supported on the developer container so as to face the image carrying member 1, the developer carrying member 51 supplying the toner in the developer container 6 to the image carrying member 1, wherein the conveying member 54 has: a rotation shaft 62ay that extends along a longitudinal direction of the developer container; a conveying blade 62by that is helically formed on an outer circumferential part of the rotation shaft 62ay; a cut portion (in which the conveying blade is partly cut off along the longitudinal direction; and a dispersing portion 70 (170, 270; figures 7-12) having a dispersing surface formed on an outer circumferential part of the rotation shaft 62ay, so as to face the cut portion, and extending along a radial direction of the rotation shaft, the dispersing surface having an area larger than a sectional area of the conveying blade (figures 1-4; [0083-0085; 0093-0094, 0099]).
Regarding claim 3, the dispersing surface is formed on a side surface of the conveying blade so as to face the cut portion (shown in figure 4).
Regarding claim 4, the dispersing surface is formed parallel to an axial direction of the rotation shaft (shown in figure 3).
Regarding claim 5, the dispersing surface is formed at one or two places on the rotation shaft with respect to an axial direction thereof (shown in figure 3).
Regarding claim 6, the developing device (shown in figure 2) further comprising; a toner concentration sensor 58 that is disposed in a wall portion of the developer container along a longitudinal direction thereof, opposite the conveying member 54, the toner concentration sensor 58 sensing a concentration of the toner in the developer, wherein the conveying member has: the cut portion (open area where 70 is positioned) that is formed in a region opposite the toner concentration sensor 58; a scraper 72 that is fixed to the rotation shaft in the cut portion (shown in figure 5), the scraper 72 moving the developer opposite the toner concentration sensor 58; and a holding portion that is formed on the rotation shaft in the cut portion, the holding portion holding the scraper and serving as the dispersing portion, and the holding portion extends along the radial direction of the rotation shaft on each end part of the rotation shaft in a circumferential direction thereof, the holding portion having the dispersing surface disposed at an edge facing the cut portion (figures 2-4; [0098-0099]).
Regarding claim 7, an image forming apparatus (shown in figure 1) comprising the developing device.
Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. MUGITA et al. (US 2018/0059606 A1) teaches a conveyance member with a cleaner for a developer sensor.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to QUANA GRAINGER whose telephone number is (571)272-2135. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday - Friday, 9-5.
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 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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/QUANA GRAINGER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852
QG