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.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 2/27/2026 was considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings filed on 7/1/2025 are acceptable for examination by the examiner.
Title
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.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by MIYAWAKI et al. (cited by applicant; JP2012-2347068A).
MIYAWAKI teaches regarding claim 1, an image forming apparatus comprising: a detachable unit 117 including a driven member 40 configured to rotate; and an apparatus body (figure 2) to which the detachable unit 117 is detachably attached, wherein the apparatus body includes: a driving-force transmission portion 14 configured to transmit driving force to the driven member 40, and including an engagement member, the engagement member 70 being configured to rotate about a rotation axis extending in an axis direction and to engage with the driven member; a support portion configured to support the driving-force transmission portion 14 that the driving-force transmission portion is rotatable, and including an extending surface 119 extending in an intersecting direction that intersects the axis direction (shown in figure 1); a brake portion 130 configured to generate brake force that applies load to rotation of the driven member; and a brake-force applying portion including a through member extending from one side of the extending surface to the other side of the extending surface in the axis direction, and a brake engagement member configured to engage with the driven member, the brake-force applying portion 131 being configured to apply the brake force to the driven member 40 via the through member 70 and the brake engagement member by the brake engagement member engaging with the driven member 40, and wherein the brake portion 130 is disposed opposite the driving-force transmission portion 14 across the extending surface 119 in the axis direction.
Regarding claim 2, the driving-force transmission portion, the brake portion, and the brake-force applying portion are disposed on the same side with respect to the driven member in the axis direction (figures 1 and 6).
Regarding claim 3, the driven member 40 is configured to rotate in a first rotational direction by driving force transmitted from the driving-force transmission portion, wherein the engagement member is configured to engage with the driven member in the first rotational direction, and wherein the brake engagement member 130 engages with the driven member 40 in a second rotational direction opposite to the first rotational direction (abstract; figure 4 and discussion).
Regarding claim 4, the engagement member 128 includes a cylindrical portion formed cylindrically, and wherein the brake engagement member 130 is disposed in an internal space of the cylindrical portion (figure 1).
Regarding claim 5, the engagement member, the through member, and the brake engagement member are configured to rotate about the rotation axis (figure 1; top half).
Regarding claim 8, the brake portion includes a torque limiter (figure 3 discussion).
Regarding claim 9, the brake portion includes a rotary member 130configured to rotate about the rotation axis (shown in figure 1).
Regarding claim 14, the driven member includes a photosensitive drum 40 configured to bear a toner image.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-7 and 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.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to QUANA GRAINGER whose telephone number is (571)272-2135. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday - Friday, 9-5.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Walter 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.
Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/QUANA GRAINGER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852
QG
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