Appeal No. 1997-0214
Application 08/155,560
Appellants have appealed to the Board from the examiner's
final rejection of claims 1 and 2 which constitute all the
claims on appeal.
Representative claim 1 is reproduced below:
1. An image-forming machine comprising:
an electrostatic latent image-bearing member on the
surface of which an electrostatic latent image is formed;
an exchangeable developing unit for developing an
electrostatic latent image formed on a surface of an
electrostatic latent image-bearing member, said developing
unit including a developing housing, a developing agent
contained in said developing housing, and a developing agent
application means for applying said developing agent onto a
surface of an electrostatic latent image-bearing member;
a developing agent depletion detecting means for
detecting the depletion of the developing agent from said
developing housing;
a counter means that can be reset and counts the number
of times said developing unit is used; and
an exchange signal forming means that generates a
developing unit exchange signal either when said developing
agent depletion detecting means has detected the depletion of
the developing agent or when said counting means has counted a
predetermined number.
The following references are relied on by the examiner:
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