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 under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the “in a case where the rotating member is at the first position, a distance from a contact portion between the rotating member and the pressing member to a rotation center of the pressing member is greater than a distance from the contact portion to a rotation center of the rotating member” of claim 6; the “in a case where the rotating member is at the first position, a distance from the force receiving portion to the rotation center of the pressing member is greater than the distance from the contact portion between the rotating member and the pressing member to the rotation center of the pressing member” of claim 7; and the “in a case where the rotating member is at the first position, a distance from a contact portion between the rotating member and the pressing member to a rotation center of the pressing member is greater than a distance from the contact portion to a rotation center of the rotating member, wherein the pressing member includes a force receiving portion which receives a force for rotating in the second rotating direction, wherein in a case where the rotating member is at the first position, a distance from the force receiving portion to the rotation center of the pressing member is greater than the distance from the contact portion between the rotating member and the pressing member to the rotation center of the pressing member, and wherein the image forming apparatus further comprises a force applying member which applies a force to the force receiving portion” of claim 9 must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) 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. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. 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 1-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Fukui et al. (US Pub.2021/0397122).
Regarding claim 1, Fukui et al. (US Pub.2021/0397122) teach a cartridge (fig.1) configured to be attachable to and detachable from an image forming apparatus (fig.6), the cartridge comprising: a first unit (fig.3, #108) including a photosensitive member (fig.3, #104); a second unit (fig.3, #109) including a developing member (fig.3, #106) configured to develop an electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive member, the second unit being configured to be swingable with respect to the first unit between a contact position where the developing member is in contact with the photosensitive member (fig.34(b)) and a separation position where the developing member is separated from the photosensitive member (fig.34(a)); a rotating member (fig.16&17, #151L/R) configured to be rotatable to a first position (fig.34(a), position of #151L) and a second position (fig.34(b), position of #151L), the first position being a position for holding the second unit at the separation position (fig.34(a); para.0383) against a biasing force which biases the second unit at the separation position toward the contact position (fig.30, biasing force created by #134), the second position being a position in which the second unit is allowed to be located at the contact position (fig.34(b); para.0383) and being a position rotated in a first rotating direction from the first position (fig.34, rotated in the B5 direction from (a) to (b)); and a pressing member (fig.16&17, #152R/L) configured to be capable of moving in a pressing direction (fig.34, #W41 direction; fig.25, #W42 direction by rotation direction #BB) to press the rotating member so that the rotating member rotates in the first rotating direction, the pressing member including (i) a first surface that faces a downstream side in the pressing direction (fig.18, #152Rr) and comes into contact with the rotating member at the first position (fig.17, contacts #151Rd; para.0341) and (ii) a second surface that is shifted toward a direction opposite to the pressing direction with respect to the first surface (fig.18, #152Ru or #152Rw), wherein, when the pressing member presses the rotating member to rotate the rotating member in the first rotating direction from the first position to a position beyond the second position, a contact portion between the rotating member and the pressing member is switched from a position on the first surface to a position on the second surface such that a rotation amount of the rotating member with respect to a movement amount of the pressing member is reduced (para.0332).
Regarding claim 8, Fukui et al. (US Pub.2021/0397122) teach an image forming apparatus (fig.2), comprising: an apparatus main body; and a cartridge (fig.1) attachable to and detachable from the apparatus main body (fig.6), the cartridge including: a first unit (fig.3, #108) including a photosensitive member (fig.3, #104); a second unit (fig.3, #109) including a developing member (fig.3, #106) configured to develop an electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive member, the second unit being configured to be swingable with respect to the first unit between a contact position where the developing member comes into contact with the photosensitive member (fig.34(b)) and a separation position where the developing member separates from the photosensitive member (fig.34(a)); a rotating member (fig.16&17, #151L/R) configured to be rotatable to a first position (fig.34(a), position of #151L) and a second position (fig.34(b), position of #151L), the first position being a position for holding the second unit at the separation position (fig.34(a); para.0383) against a biasing force which biases the second unit at the separation position toward the contact position (fig.30, biasing force created by #134), the second position being a position in which the second unit is allowed to be located at the contact position (fig.34(b); para.0383) and being a position rotated in a first rotating direction from the first position (fig.34, rotated in the B5 direction from (a) to (b)); and a pressing member (fig.16&17, #152R/L) configured to be capable of moving in a pressing direction (fig.34, #W41 direction; fig.25, #W42 direction by rotation direction #BB) to press the rotating member so that the rotating member rotates in the first rotating direction, the pressing member including (i) a first surface which faces a downstream side in the pressing direction (fig.18, #152Rr) and comes into contact with the rotating member at the first position (fig.17, contacts #151Rd; para.0341) and (ii) a second surface which is shifted toward a direction opposite to the pressing direction with respect to the first surface (fig.18, #152Ru or #152Rw), wherein, when the pressing member presses the rotating member to rotate the rotating member in the first rotating direction from the first position to a position beyond the second position, a contact portion between the rotating member and the pressing member is switched from a position on the first surface to a position on the second surface such that a rotation amount of the rotating member with respect to a movement amount of the pressing member is reduced (para.0332).
Regarding claim 2, Fukui et al. (US Pub.2021/0397122) teach a cartridge wherein the pressing member has a connecting surface which connects the first surface and the second surface to each other (fig.18, bottom surface near indicator #152Rm) and of which an angle with the second surface is an obtuse angle (fig.18, angle around outside at #152Rp is obtuse ~310 degrees, give or take; alternatively, fig.18, upper arcuate surface of #152Rt).
Regarding claim 3, Fukui et al. (US Pub.2021/0397122) teach a cartridge wherein the connecting surface of the pressing member comes into contact with the rotating member positioned at the second position (fig.18, #152Ru and upper arcuate surface will contact with fig.17, #151Rn when in the position shown in fig.34(b)).
Regarding claim 4, Fukui et al. (US Pub.2021/0397122) teach a cartridge wherein the second surface is formed on a side closer to a rotation center of the pressing member than the first surface (fig.18, #152Ru or #152Rw closer to #HB).
Regarding claim 5, Fukui et al. (US Pub.2021/0397122) teach a cartridge wherein the second unit includes a developing frame body (fig.3&16, #109 body #125a) which supports the developing member (fig.3, #106), the rotating member (fig.16, #125a/#127b), and the pressing member (fig.16, #125a/#127f).
Regarding claim 6, Fukui et al. (US Pub.2021/0397122) teach a cartridge wherein the pressing member is configured to be rotatable in a second rotating direction (fig.34, #BD/#BC) around a rotation axis (fig.34, #HE) parallel to a rotation axis of the rotating member (fig.34, #H), and wherein: in a case where the rotating member is at the first position, a distance from the contact portion between the rotating member and the pressing member to a rotation center of the pressing member is greater than a distance from the contact portion to a rotation center of the rotating member (fig.34(a), see difference in distance from contact point to #h and #HE).
Regarding claim 7, Fukui et al. (US Pub.2021/0397122) teach a cartridge wherein the pressing member includes a force receiving portion which receives a force for rotating in the second rotating direction (fig.24-27, see #152Rh for causing #BA-BB rotation; also fig.34, #152Lm), and wherein in a case where the rotating member is at the first position (fig.34(a)), a distance from the force receiving portion to the rotation center of the pressing member (fig.34(a), #152Ln to #HE) is greater than the distance from the contact portion between the rotating member and the pressing member to the rotation center of the pressing member (see fig.34 from contact to #HE).
Regarding claim 9, Fukui et al. (US Pub.2021/0397122) teach an image forming apparatus wherein the pressing member is configured to be rotatable in a second rotating direction (fig.34, #BD/#BC) around a rotation axis (fig.34, #HE) parallel to a rotation axis of the rotating member (fig.34, #H), wherein in a case where the rotating member is at the first position, a distance from the contact portion between the rotating member and the pressing member to a rotation center of the pressing member is greater than a distance from the contact portion to a rotation center of the rotating member (fig.34(a), see difference in distance from contact point to #h and #HE), wherein the pressing member includes a force receiving portion which receives a force for rotating in the second rotating direction (fig.24-27, see #152Rh for causing #BA-BB rotation; also fig.34, #152Lm), wherein in a case where the rotating member is at the first position (fig.34(a)), a distance from the force receiving portion to the rotation center of the pressing member (fig.34(a), #152Ln to #HE) is greater than the distance from the contact portion between the rotating member and the pressing member to the rotation center of the pressing member (see fig.34 from contact to #HE), and wherein the image forming apparatus further comprises a force applying member which applies a force to the force receiving portion (fig.24-27, #196R/L).
Regarding claims 10 and 12, Fukui et al. (US Pub.2021/0397122) teach a cartridge for an image forming apparatus further comprising a spring connected to the rotating member and the pressing member (fig.34, #CS).
Regarding claims 11 and 13, Fukui et al. (US Pub.2021/0397122) teach a cartridge for an image forming apparatus wherein the pressing member includes an elongated slit extending in a predetermined direction (fig.18, #HB), wherein the second unit includes a protrusion inserted in the elongated slit (fig.16, #127f), and wherein the pressing member is movable in the predetermined direction relative to the second unit between a rotatable position at which the pressing member is rotatable to press the rotating member and a retracted position different from the rotatable position (see fig.23-24).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 29 June 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Regarding the arguments pertaining to the Objection to the Drawings, while the applicant is correct that the various distances can be sussed out over an assortment of figures, if the relational subject matter of claims 6, 7, and 9 become patentability critical, the relative distances will need to be shown in a manner that is more clearly comprehended. As such, the Office chooses to maintain the objection.
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-9 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LAURA K ROTH whose telephone number is (571)272-2154. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 7:30AM-3:30 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Stephanie Bloss can be reached at 571-272-3555. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/LKR/
9/4/2026 /STEPHANIE E BLOSS/ Supervisory Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852
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