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 .
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 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Morioka et al. (US 2021/0382434).
Morioka et al. (…434) disclose a drum unit (108), comprising a photosensitive drum (104) and a coupling (143) ([0200]), wherein: the drum unit is used to be detachably installed in a main assembly of an image forming device (figures 4-6); the main assembly includes a drum drive transmission unit (203) (figure 43); the drum drive transmission unit includes a driving force transmission member (180), a first braking force engagement member (204), and a second braking force engagement member (208), wherein the first braking force engagement member and the second braking force engagement member are disposed in the driving force transmission member ([0450]; and figure 43); the driving force transmission member includes a cylindrical part (180c), a driving force transmission part (180d) and a positioning boss (180i) ([0449]; [0469]; and figures 43 and 45); the coupling (143) is coaxially disposed at one end of the photosensitive drum (104), and includes a middle accommodation member (143h) and a sleeve (143j) ([0286]-[0287]; [0543]; and figure 1); and the sleeve (143j) is provided with a driving force accommodation member (143b), wherein the driving force accommodation member is able to be engaged with the driving force transmission member to transmit power received from the driving force transmission member to the photosensitive drum ([0432]; and figure 1) [see Applicant’s claim 1]. A processing cartridge (100) used to be detachably installed in a main assembly of an image forming device, comprising the drum unit (108) ([0200]; and figures 4-6) [see Applicant’s claim 11].
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim 8 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Morioka et al. (US 2021/0382434) in view of Yasumoto et al. (US 2002/0057928).
Morioka et al. (…434) disclose a drum unit (108), comprising a photosensitive drum (104) and a coupling (143), wherein: the drum unit is used to be detachably installed in a main assembly of an image forming device (figures 4-6); the main assembly includes a drum drive transmission unit (203) (figure 43); the drum drive transmission unit includes a driving force transmission member (180), a first braking force engagement member (204), and a second braking force engagement member (208), wherein the first braking force engagement member and the second braking force engagement member are disposed in the driving force transmission member ([0450]; and figure 43); the driving force transmission member includes a cylindrical part (180c), a driving force transmission part (180d) and a positioning boss (180i); the coupling is coaxially arranged at one end of the photosensitive drum ([0286]-[0287]; and figure 1); and the coupling includes a middle accommodation member (143h) (figure 1) [see Applicant’s claim 8]. The middle accommodation member (143h) is fixedly connected to the photosensitive drum (104), and is provided with a receiving part for inserting the positioning boss (180i) of the driving force transmission member ([0543]; and figure 1) [see Applicant’s claim 9]. However, Morioka et al. (…434) do not disclose the claimed middle accommodation member able to engage with the driving force transmission member and the claimed receiving part having the claimed friction end face. Yasumoto et al. (…928) discloses a drum unit (figure 2), comprising a photosensitive drum (80) and a coupling ([0009]); and figure 5), and the coupling includes a middle accommodation member; wherein the middle accommodation member is able to be engaged with the driving force transmission member to transmit power received from the driving force transmission member to the photosensitive drum ([0069]-[0070]; and figures 5 and 6) [see Applicant’s claim 8]. The middle accommodation member is fixedly connected to the photosensitive drum, and is provided with a receiving part for inserting the positioning boss of the driving force transmission member; the receiving part includes a friction end face that contacts with an inner abutment surface of the driving force transmission member and generates a friction force and/or a friction side wall that contacts with an outer circumferential surface of the positioning boss and generates a friction force, to transmit the driving force to the photosensitive drum through the friction force ([0069]-[0070]; and figures 5 and 6) [see Applicant’s claim 9]. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the claimed middle accommodation member able to engage with the driving force transmission member and the claimed receiving part having the claimed friction end face, since as disclosed by Yasumoto et al. (…928), such a configuration is well known in the art.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 12-20 are allowed.
Claims 2-7 and 10 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.
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.
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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 June 19, 2026
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