Appeal No. 1998-0546
Application No. 08/560,507
removed from photosensitive drum 10 by cleaning blade 12. The
positively charged toner particles in housing 11a interact
with the negatively charged paper 13 to produce a magnetic
field 17 which attracts the paper toward the housing, causing
displacement of the paper and possible disturbance of the
toner image thereon (Trans. at 4, lines 5-9 and 14-18).
Referring to Figure 1, Yoshikawa solves this problem by making
the cleaning-device housing 2a conductive and connecting it to
ground (Trans. at 6, lines 11-13), as shown by the ground
symbol, which symbol the translation (at 6, line 12) refers to
as "figure 6" and the examiner describes as an "integrally
formed tap '5'" (Answer
at 3-4). Alternatively, as shown in Figure 2, the housing can
be connected to a negative biasing source 8. While Yoshikawa
explains that "[m]etals, conductive plastics, and plastics
whose surface has been treated for electrical conduction are
suitable for use in making the container 2a" (Trans. at 6,
lines 21-23), Yoshikawa fails to give an example of a suitable
conductive plastic or to specify the volume resistivity or
doping weight. Nor does Yoshikawa indicate that the housing
may be formed with a tab for forming the illustrated
-5-
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