Appeal No. 95-3720
Application 08/088,146
uniform pressure where it is applied without any additional
sensing or control means. We are of the view that the mechanical
force applied by lever 42 on the arm 38 in Usui is sufficient to
overcome any opposite forces so that the cleaning roller is
maintained against the pressure roller with a continuous and
uniform distribution of the pressure.
Claim 1 does not recite that the pressure is maintained
“resiliently” so that arguments to that effect are not
persuasive. Finally, appellants’ arguments regarding the
inability of the Usui device to move in a side to side or other
self-adjusting manner are not commensurate in scope with the
invention as recited in claim 1. Claim 1 does not require that
such movements be possible in order to maintain a continuous and
uniform distribution of pressure. The rollers 34 and 36 in Usui
are cylindrical in shape and extend along the full width of the
photoreceptor belt. Therefore, like the clamp noted above, the
cleaning roller is forced against the pressure roller to maintain
a continuous and uniform pressure across the entire width of the
cleaning nip.
For the reasons just discussed, we are of the view that
the invention as broadly recited in claim 1 is fully met by the
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