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.
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 1-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Morioka et al. US 2021/0382434 A1 (Morioka).
Regarding claim 1, Morioka teaches a process cartridge, comprising:
a frame (115);
a photosensitive drum (104) rotatably supported on the frame and being rotatable about a photosensitive drum rotation axis (L) extending in a first direction;
a first coupling member (143) connected to a first end of the photosensitive drum in the first direction (FIG. 1), wherein the first coupling member is capable of receiving an external force and driving the photosensitive drum to rotate (¶0286);
the first coupling member comprises:
a first protruding portion (143 b, c, d), and the first protruding portion comprises:
a first surface (143b) extending in a direction away from the photosensitive drum in a first direction (FIG. 1a);
a second surface (143c) located on a downstream side of the first surface in a rotation direction of the first coupling member, the second surface extending in a direction away from the photosensitive drum and arranged obliquely relative to the first direction (FIG. 1a); and
a third surface (143d), wherein a distance from the first end of the photosensitive drum to the third surface when measured in the first direction decreases along the extension of the third surface in the rotation direction of the first coupling member (FIG. 1a);
wherein in the rotation direction of the first coupling member, a starting position of the extension of the third surface is flush with the first surface or located on the downstream side of the first surface (FIG. 1a).
Regarding claim 2, Morioka teaches the process cartridge according to claim 1, wherein an ending position of the extension of the third surface (143d) is adjacent to the second surface (143) in the rotation direction of the first coupling member (FIG. 1a).
Regarding claim 3, Morioka teaches the process cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the first coupling member further comprises a second protruding portion (visor portion 143g);
the second protruding (143g) portion comprises a protruding portion surface (143g) extending in the rotation direction of the first coupling member and facing away from the photosensitive drum in the first direction (¶0482); and
in the rotation direction of the first coupling member, the protruding portion surface is arranged on an upstream side of the third surface and spaced apart from the third surface (FIG. 1a).
Regarding claim 4, Morioka teaches the process cartridge according to claim 3, wherein a downstream end of the protruding portion surface in the rotation direction of the first coupling member has a first distance point (FIG. 100-101);
when measured in a direction perpendicular to the first direction, the first distance point is the farthest point on the protruding portion surface from the rotation axis of the first coupling member (FIG. 100-101); and
after projection in the first direction, a first line segment connecting the first distance point and a point located at an upstream end of the third surface in the rotation direction of the first coupling member is made, and the shortest length of the first line segment is K, where 0 mm<K<4 mm (¶0645).
Regarding claim 5, Morioka teaches the process cartridge according to claim 3, wherein in the first direction, a downstream end of the protruding portion surface (143g) in the rotation direction of the first coupling member (143) is flush with an upstream end of the third surface (143d) in the rotation direction of the first coupling member, or is further away from the photosensitive drum than the upstream end of the third surface in the rotation direction of the first coupling member (FIG. 56).
Regarding claim 6, Morioka teaches the process cartridge according to claim 3, wherein the protruding portion surface (143g) comprises a fourth surface (143k) and a fifth surface (143i) arranged adjacent to each other;
the fourth surface (143k) is arranged on an upstream side of the fifth surface (143i) in the rotation direction of the first coupling member;
a distance from the first end of the photosensitive drum to the fourth surface (143k) when measured in the first direction increases along the extension of the fourth surface (143k) in the rotation direction of the first coupling member (¶0616); and
the fifth surface (143i) is configured as a plane perpendicular to the first direction (¶0616).
Regarding claim 7, Morioka teaches the process cartridge according to claim 6, wherein the first coupling member further comprises a shield surface (visor 143g) extending about the rotation axis of the first coupling member, the shield surface and the fourth surface have an overlapping portion when projected along the first direction, and the shield surface is flush with the fifth surface in the first direction (¶0482-¶0484).
Regarding claim 8, Morioka teaches the process cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the first coupling member (143) further comprises:
a second protruding portion (343i) located on an upstream side of the first protruding portion in the rotation direction of the first coupling member (¶0097, ¶0675);
the second protruding portion comprises:
a protruding portion surface (343d1) extending in the rotation direction of the first coupling member and facing away from the photosensitive drum in the first direction; and
the first coupling member further comprises a groove (343b) formed on the second protruding portion (343i), and the groove is arranged at a position closer to the photosensitive drum than the protruding portion surface in the first direction (¶0675).
Regarding claim 9, Morioka teaches the process cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the first coupling member further comprises:
a fourth surface (143i) arranged on the downstream side of the second surface in the rotation direction of the first coupling member;
a distance from the first end of the photosensitive drum to the fourth surface when measured in the first direction increases along the extension of the fourth surface in the rotation direction of the first coupling member (FIG. 56); and
a second line segment perpendicular to the first direction and connecting the third surface and the fourth surface is made, and the shortest distance of the second line segment is M, where 1 mm<M<4 mm (¶0645).
Regarding claim 10, Morioka teaches the process cartridge according to claim 9, wherein 2 mm<M<3 mm (¶0645).
Regarding claim 11, Morioka teaches the process cartridge according to claim 1, wherein an upstream end of the third surface (143d) in the rotation direction of the first coupling member has a first point (143d1);
a downstream end of the third surface in the rotation direction of the first coupling member has a second point (FIG. 56);
when measured in a direction perpendicular to the first direction, the first point (143d1) and the second point are both points on the third surface that are farthest from the rotation axis of the first coupling member (FIG. 56); and
a third line segment connecting the first point and the second point is made, and a length of the third line segment is W, where 3 mm<W<4 mm (¶0645).
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
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