Appeal No. 96-1380
Application 08/219,189
The merits of the rejection
The examiner relies on the following references:
Davidge et al. (Davidge) 3,700,328 Oct.
24, 1972
Bisaiji et al. (Bisaiji) 5,270,783 Dec.
14, 1993
Claims 1-34 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as
unpatentable over Bisaiji taken with Davidge.
The examiner relies on the Bisaiji patent for its
disclosure of an electrostatic printing apparatus having a
belt cleaning unit 22 (Fig. 2), including a movable rubber
blade 22b, for cleaning the intermediate transfer belt 19
(col. 6, lines 63-67). After the Bk image, or first image,
has been transferred to the belt 19, the belt cleaning unit 22
is spaced apart from the belt 19 by the mechanism 22c while
the belt transfer of the second, third and fourth colors are
under way (col. 6, line 67 to col. 7, line 5).
The examiner notes that Bisaiji fails to explain what
happens to the residual material that is collected by the belt
cleaning unit 22 and assumes (Answer at 4), without
contradiction by appellant, that the material is retained in
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