Appeal No. 95-3720
Application 08/088,146
that Usui discloses the claimed cleaning roller and pressure
roller defining a nip therebetween through which the
photoreceptor belt moves. Rather, appellants focus their
arguments on the failure of Usui to meet the recitation of the
“means for continuously maintaining” as recited in claim 1.
Specifically, appellants argue that the cleaning brush of Usui is
simply moved between a cleaning and a non-cleaning position, and
that such movement does not satisfy the “means for continuously
maintaining” element of claim 1.
Appellants interpret the final element of claim 1 as
requiring some kind of sensing or control feature [brief, page
4]. They argue that since Usui does not sense the amount of
pressure across the cleaning nip, then the Usui actuator does not
“continuously and uniformly adjust contact nip pressure on the
photoreceptor belt” [Id.]. We note that claim 1 does not recite
that the means must be able to “adjust” the pressure, but only
that the means be able to “maintain” a pressure. It is the
position of the examiner and we agree that the cleaning position
of the Usui device forces the cleaning roller and pressure roller
together so as to maintain a continuous and uniform pressure
across the cleaning nip. An uncontrollable pressure applying
means such as a mechanical clamp can maintain a continuous and
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