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 .
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.
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 “adhesive layer,” “double-sided tape,” and “adhesive” (see claims 3, 6, and 13) 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.
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they do not include the following reference sign(s) mentioned in the description: “adhesive layer 401”. 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. 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 § 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 3 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.
The 2nd line of claim 3 recites the limitation “wherein the mounting portion further includes a stud portion”, while the last paragraph recites the limitation “wherein the protruding portion includes an urging member located within an opening in the stud portion”. It does not make sense for the protruding portion to include an urging member located within an opening of the stud portion that is a part of the mounting portion.
As such, claim 3 is rendered indefinite. For examination purposes, claim 3 will be interpreted as best as one is able.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 5-10, and 13-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Maeda (US 2020/0401080).
Regarding claim 1, Maeda discloses a mountable set (Figs. 1 & 3) to be mounted in an image forming apparatus A (Fig. 2), the mountable set comprising:
a process cartridge B having a driven gear 64 (Fig. 1), the driven gear 64 to couple with a driving gear 81 (Fig. 6a) of the image forming apparatus A and to receive a driving force from the driving gear 81 ([0093]); and
an attachment 100 (Fig. 7) including:
a mounting portion 100f to mount to the image forming apparatus A (Fig. 7a [0090]); and
a protruding portion (100a/100b), coupled to the mounting portion 100f, to provide an aligning force to the driving gear 81 (Fig. 7a [0086,0088]).
Regarding claim 5, Maeda discloses the mountable set of claim 1, wherein a cross-section of the mounting portion 100f includes a shape corresponding to a shape of a housing 200b of the driving gear 81 (Fig. 8c).
Regarding claim 6, Maeda discloses the mountable set of claim 5, wherein the mounting portion 100f is to couple to the housing 200b by at least one of an elastic force of the mounting portion ([0134]), a double-sided tape 400 (Fig. 21a [0133]), an adhesive 400 (Fig. 21a [0133]), or a mounting device 100h (Fig. 21c [0134]).
Regarding claim 7, Maeda discloses the mountable set of claim 5, wherein the mounting portion 100f is to mount to the housing 200b of the driving gear 81 at a location of the housing having an opening 200a, and wherein the protruding portion 100a/100b is to protrude from the mounting portion 100f through the opening 200a to provide the aligning force to the driving gear (Figs. 7a-7b, 8a-8c).
Regarding claim 8, Maeda discloses the mountable set of claim 7, wherein the protruding portion 100a/100b includes an elastic member 100h to provide the aligning force (Figs. 21a-21c [0134]).
Regarding claim 9, Maeda discloses the mountable set of claim 1 wherein the protruding portion 100a/100b includes a key 100b/100m (Fig. 26) to be inserted in the image forming apparatus, and wherein the key is guided by an alignment feature 200a of the image forming apparatus based on being inserted in the image forming apparatus (Figs. 8a-8c [0088]).
(Note: the following rejections of claims 9-10 are based on a different interpretation of the claimed “key”.)
Regarding claim 9, Maeda discloses the mountable set of claim 1 wherein the protruding portion 100a/100b includes a key (finger) to be inserted in the image forming apparatus ([0088]), and wherein the key is guided by an alignment feature 100d of the image forming apparatus based on being inserted in the image forming apparatus (Figs. 8a-8c [0088]).
Regarding claim 10, Maeda discloses the mountable set of claim 9, wherein the key is to be removed from the image forming apparatus after providing the aligning force to the driving gear ([0088]).
Regarding claim 13, Maeda discloses an attachment 100 (Fig. 24) to mount to an image forming apparatus A (Fig. 1), the attachment comprising: a mounting portion 100a/100b including a curved body 100a/100b to couple to a curved housing 200a of a driving gear 81 by at least one of an elastic force of the curved body (clearly the mounting portion is coupled by at least an elastic force), a double-sided tape, an adhesive, or a mounting device; and a protruding portion 100h (Fig. 21 [0133])), protruding from the mounting portion, to provide an aligning force to a driving gear of the image forming apparatus (attachment 100, of which protruding portion is a part, provides the aligning force; [0131]).
Regarding claim 14, Maeda discloses the attachment of claim 13 wherein the mounting portion 100a/100b is to mount to the curved housing 200a of the driving gear 81 at a location of the curved housing have an opening 200a (Figs. 6a-6c), and wherein the protruding portion 100h is to protrude from the mounting portion 100a/100b through the opening 200a to provide the aligning force to the driving gear (via 200d; Fig. 21 [0133-0134]).
Regarding claim 15, Maeda discloses the attachment of claim 13, wherein the protruding portion 100h includes an elastic member to provide the aligning force (Fig. 21 [0133-0134]).
Claim(s) 11-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Takigawa et al. (US 2009/0028597; “Takigawa”).
Regarding claim 11, Takigawa discloses an attachment 87 (Fig. 4) to be mounted in an image forming apparatus (Fig. 1), the attachment 87 comprising: a mounting portion 87a to mount to the image forming apparatus (Figs. 6A-6C [0088]); and an elastic forcing portion (87b or 87d or 87e), coupled to and extending from the mounting portion 87a (Figs. 6A-6C [0088]), to be located near a driving gear (not shown; [0085]) of the image forming apparatus and to provide an elastic aligning force to the driving gear (Figs. 4-5 [0088-0090, 0105]).
Regarding claim 12, Takigawa discloses the attachment of claim 11 wherein the mounting portion 87a includes a head portion (outer surface of 87a) and a body portion (rest of 87a), and wherein the mounting portion 87a has a shape corresponding to a shape of a component (hole in supporting plate 89) of the image forming apparatus (Fig. 11 [0109]).
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(s) 1-4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Furuta (JP 2009/270594) in view of Maeda (US 2020/0401080). (Note: cited paragraphs correspond to those in the machine translation of Furuta provided herewith.)
Regarding claim 1, Furuta discloses a mountable set to be mounted in an image forming apparatus ([0001-0002]), the mountable set comprising: a photosensitive drum having a driven gear ([0032]), the driven gear to couple with a driving gear 4 of the image forming apparatus and to receive a driving force from the driving gear (Figs. 3-4 [0024, 0032]); and an attachment 2/6 including: a mounting portion 2 to mount to the image forming apparatus (Figs. 3-4 [0024]); and a protruding portion 6, coupled to the mounting portion 2, to provide an aligning force to the driving gear (Figs. 3-4 [0025]; note that protruding portion 6 fills a gap between mounting portion 2 and driving gear 4, and as such, will provide an aligning force to driving gear 4).
Furuta fails to disclose a process cartridge, per se, having the driven gear.
Maeda teaches that it is known to drive a photosensitive drum 62, housed within a process cartridge B comprising driven gear 64 (Fig. 1), via a driving gear 81 (Fig. 6) of an image forming apparatus A (Fig. 2 [0050, 0083, 0093]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to utilize a process cartridge, as taught by Maeda, within the apparatus of Furuta. One would have been motivated to make this modification in order to allow a user to replace depleted developer and a worn photosensitive drum quickly and efficiently in order to promote high quality printing.
Regarding claim 2, modified Furuta teaches the mountable set of claim 1 wherein (see Furuta) the mounting portion 2 includes a head portion (portion mounted to 1 via screw) to mount to an internal component 1 of the image forming apparatus (Fig. 1), and wherein the protruding portion 6 is to provide the aligning force to the driving gear 4 on a back side of the driving gear 4 (Fig. 3), the back side of the driving gear 4 being opposite to a front side of the driving gear 4 that is to couple with the driven gear (Fig. 3 [0024]).
Regarding claim 3 as best understood, modified Furuta teaches the mountable set of claim 2 wherein (see Furuta) the mounting portion 2 further includes a stud portion (entire portion of 2 visible in Fig. 3), wherein the mounting portion is to mount to the image forming apparatus by at least one of insertion through a hole, an adhesive layer to adhere the head portion to the image forming apparatus, or a mounting device to couple the head portion to the image forming apparatus (see screw through hole in mounting portion 2 fastening it to internal component 1; [0024]), and wherein the protruding portion 6 includes an urging member 5 located within an opening in the stud portion and having an elastic member 5a to provide the aligning force (Figs. 4-5 [0036-0037]).
Regarding claim 4, modified Furuta teaches the mountable set of claim 2 wherein (see Furuta) the mounting portion 2 further includes a bracket coupled between the head portion and the protruding portion, and wherein the protruding portion extends from the bracket (see Figs. 3-4).
Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Morioka et al. (US 2004/0013446) and Matsuda et al. (US 2013/0260952) are cited for teaching insertion of a tool/guide stick in order to align gears.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CARLA J THERRIEN whose telephone number is (571)272-2677. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8 am - 4 pm EST.
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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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/CARLA J THERRIEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852