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 .
Specification
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.
It is recommended applicant change the title to -- PROCESS CARTRIDGE AND DEVELOPING CARTRIDGE HAVING ELECTRICAL CONTACT ARRANGEMENT --.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
In claim 12, applicant calls for a fourth and fifth contact without reciting a third contact.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 1,6,8,11-12 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Isobe et al. (U.S. 5,995,782) in view of Yokoi (U.S 2017/0269546).
Isobe et al. teach a developing cartridge 21B which is attachable/detachable from an image forming apparatus P having a photosensitive drum 15 rotatable about a rotation axis (see Fig.1; col.3, lines 16-25; col.4, lines 23-44); the developing cartridge 21B includes a developing roller 21BS, a process member (toner application blade 21BB) which acts on the developing roller, a developing frame having a swing supported portion 21B which is swingably supported by the swing support portion 50 of the image forming apparatus such that the developing roller can swing between a first position separated from the photosensitive drum and a second position in contact with the drum (col.11, lines 58-65), a first electrical contact 21BU1, and a second electrical contact 21BU2 (col.12, lines 36-48. As seen in Fig.16, the elongated hole 21BY has a longitudinal direction (line L2) which extends in a first direction, an imaginary line drawn perpendicular to the first direction line L2 can intersect at least a part of electrical contacts 21BU1, 21BU2. Also, it appears from Fig.s 7 and 16 that the electrical contacts have a greater width in the first direction than in the second direction – although this is not definitive.
Regarding claim 6, the swing support portion 21BY is located on an end portion of the developer cartridge in the direction of the rotation axis.
Regarding claim 11, a line L2 in the longitudinal direction of the elongated hole 21BY is parallel to a straight line L4 passing through the rotational axis of the developing roller and the photosensitive drum as seen in Fig.18 and described in col.14, lines 8-16.
Regarding claim 12, the developing cartridge 21B includes a toner storage portion and the second electrical contact 21BU2 is used to detect the remaining toner within the toner storage (see col.12, lines 36-65).
Specifically, Isobe et al. teach all that is claimed except explicitly stating that the width of the electrical contacts are greater in a first direction than a direction perpendicular to the second direction (claims 1 and 14). Additionally, the developing cartridge being located in a process cartridge having a drum unit (claim 1), the electrical contacts being made of conductive resin (claim 8), and the remaining amount detector including a first and second conductor within the toner storage portion and corresponding electrical contacts on the exterior of the cartridge (claim 12) is not taught.
Yokoi teach an image forming apparatus having a process cartridge PC that is attachable and detachable from the image forming apparatus; the process cartridge having a drum unit 70 including a photosensitive drum 71 and a developing cartridge 60 having a developing roller 61 and a supply roller 62 (see Fig.3, par. 53-54). The developing device can swing about a pivot axis CL between a separated position (Fig.5) and a contact position (Fig.4). An electrode 66B which is an electrical contact to supply power to the developing roller and supply roller is arranged to have an elongated (oval) shape such that the width is greater in a first direction toward and away from the photoreceptor than a second direction perpendicular to the first direction (Fig.4, par. 56).
The electrical contact 66B is made of a conductive resin (see par. 54).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify Isobe et al.’s electrical contacts so that they are elongated so that the contacts will always be connected to the power source regardless of whether the developing device is in a first or a second separated position as taught by Yoki (see par.65). It also would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify Isobe et al. such that the developing device is arranged within a process cartridge (cartridge having both the developing unit and the photosensitive drum unit) so that maintenance / refurbishment can be simplified as is notoriously well known in the art. It further would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date that the use of a conductive resin for the material of the electrical contacts is well known as taught by Yokoi and such material would be easier to manufacture than a solid metal contact. Finally, the examiner takes Official Notice that a remaining amount toner detector that includes two conductors within the toner storage and corresponding electrical terminals exterior to the toner storage used to transmit the remaining level information is notoriously well known in the art for the purpose of informing the operator of the remaining amount condition of the toner within the developing device.
Claims 2-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Isobe et al. (U.S. 5,995,782) in view of Yokoi (U.S 2017/0269546) as applied to claims 1 and 14 above and further in view of Carpenter et al. (U.S. 10,884,353).
Isobe et al. and Yokoi taught supra disclose most of what is claimed except the second contact applying power to a developing blade and third contact which applies power to a toner supply roller.
Carpenter et al. teach a detachable/attachable process cartridge (Fig.2) which includes a drum unit 200 and a developing unit 100. The developing unit includes electrical contacts 150a, 150b, 150c located on an end face of the developing unit (see Fig.3,5,11). The developing unit includes a developing roller 120, a toner adder (supply) roller 130 and a developing blade 134 to regulate the thickness of the developer on the developing roller (Fig.10). The “first” electrical contact 150c supplies power to the developing roller, the “third” electrical contact 150b supplies power to the toner supply roller, and the “second” electrical contact 150a supplies power to the developing blade (see col.8, line 47 – col. 9, line 19). The “first” electrical contact for the developing roller is closest to the developing roller 120, the “third” electrical contact for the supply roller is the next closest to the developing roller and the “second” electrical contact for the blade is the farthest from the developing roller as seen in Fig.10.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the combination of Isobe et al. and Yokoi to include three electrical contacts for supplying power to the developing roller, supply roller and regulating blade because each of these elements can be supplied with a different power source so that different power characteristics (magnitude, type or variability) can be achieved. Further, switching the order between the “second” and “third” electrical contact so that the contact for the developing blade is second closest to the developing roller and the electrical contact for the supply roller is farthest from the developing roller is a matter of design which would not affect the operation of the image forming apparatus/process cartridge and thus would be and obvious expedient to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7,9-10,13 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.
Regarding claim 7, the second contact positioned farther away from the swing support portion than the first contact and has a width in the first direction greater than the width of the first contact in the first direction is not anticipated, suggested or rendered obvious by the prior art of record.
Regarding claims 9-10, the swing support portion including a first circular support hole at one end of the cartridge and a second elongated hole located at the other end, the swing supported portion including a first and second supported portions at either end of the cartridge, each of the first and second contacts has a length in the first direction that is longer that the combined length in the first direction of the apparatus main body electrode, the length of the elongated hole of the second support hole and the length by which the developer frame can swing relative to the drum frame is not anticipated, suggested or rendered obvious by the prior art of record.
Regarding claim 13, the process cartridge including a biasing member connecting the drum frame to the developing frame to bias the developing roller toward the photosensitive drum; the biasing member, first contact and second contact are arranged on an imaginary line extending in the second direction is not anticipated, suggested or rendered obvious by the prior art of record.
CONCLUSION
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Fukui et al. and Munetsugu et al. teach cartridges having elongated swing axis portions but no mention of electrical contacts. Chandani et al., Seto et al.,Takarada et al., Fukasawa et al., and Shinoya et al. teach process cartridges having a particular arrangement of electric contacts that are relevent to the claimed invention.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ROBERT B BEATTY whose telephone number is (571) 272-2130. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F from 7 to 3.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Stephanie Bloss, can be reached on (571) 272-3555. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is (571) 273-2130.
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/ROBERT B BEATTY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852
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