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.
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 21 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 21, last line, the phrase “an inner side” and “an end” of the cleaning member is indefinite since these terms could be interpreted as any part of the cleaning member (e.g. the “end” of the cleaning member could be part contacting the photoreceptor or the opposite end or even the two side ends of the cleaning member). Applicant’s specification, par. 68 and 72, describes the “inner side” and the “end” of the cleaning member however these passages do not specifically point out which part of the cleaning member is considered the “end” and which part is considered the “inner side”.
A fair interpretation and referring to applicant’s Fig. 4, it is believed the “end” of the blade portion 17a refers to the part of the blade portion 17a that contacts the photoreceptor 11 and the “inner side” refers to the part of the cleaning blade 17a that is supported by the support portion 17b; the “inner side” being closer to the second transport member 71 than the “end” of the cleaning blade contacting the photoreceptor. This interpretation (or another interpretation) should be clearly described in the claims so that there is no ambiguity of the term’s “end” and “inner side”.
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 21 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Okamoto et al. (U.S. 5,132,740).
Okamoto et al. teach an image forming device (applicant’s cartridge) 10 including a rotatable image bearing member 18 to bear a developed image, a cleaning member (blade) 32a which has a contact portion contacting the image bearing member and a support portion for supporting the cleaning member (blade), a developer recovery portion 32 for temporarily storing the waste developer removed by the cleaning member, a first conveyance member 54 disposed inside the developer recovery portion configured to transport the removed developer in the rotational axis direction of the image bearing member, and a second conveyance member 78 conveys the developer conveyed by the first conveyance member in a direction crossing (perpendicular) to the rotational axis direction from a discharge port 58 provided in the developer recovery portion toward a discharge port (no reference numeral but opening between the toner discharge portion 74 and collecting device’s accommodating portion 76). As seen in Fig.3, in a rotational axis direction of the image bearing member 18 (left/right direction of Fig.3), the second conveyance member 78 is provided on an inner side of the end part of the contact portion of the cleaning member. In other words, the second conveyance member is provided inside the marginal end portion of the cleaning blade with respect to the rotational axis direction. See col.2, line 29 – col.4, line 33.
Additionally, as seen in Fig. 1 of Okamoto et al., the second conveyance member 78 is disposed closer to the portion of the cleaning blade 32a which is supported by a shown but not described holder (applicant’s inner side) than an end of the cleaning blade that contacts photoreceptor 18 (applicant’s end of the cleaning member).
Conclusion
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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