Appeal No. 2002-1838
Application 09/631,765
prevent toner from adhering to the surface of the fuser roll and
thereby degrading image quality and contaminating the fuser
surface" (see column 1, line 64 through column 2, line 2, emphasis
added).
Thus, Dowlen et al. is describing the function of a release
agent, that is, a compound which prevents toner from adhering to a
surface rather than a compound for which the toner particles have
an affinity and to which they adhere. Further, Dowlen et al. also
addresses the problem that conventional silicone oil release agents
were known to contaminate the paper passing through the printer and
damage the image quality and contaminate other printing machine
surfaces. Dowlen et al. resolved both these problems by using as
the release agent a random silicone copolymer as defined by the
formulae at column 4, lines 8 through 27; column 5, line 8 through
column 6, line 18; column 6, line 49 through column 7, line 18.
The copolymers are described in Dowlen et al. as having "a
paste or caulk-like consistency" and exhibit the property of being
a liquid on the heated fuser roll surface but a solid as they cool
on the print surface of the paper (column 4, lines 1 through 5;
lines 30 through 39). The copolymers comprise a "silicone oil" and
a "silicone wax" portion (column 5, lines 1 through 8). Random
silicone copolymers as claimed in appellants' claim 19 are set
forth in column 6, line 49 through column 7, line 18 but those
copolymers are disclosed as useful sealants for toner cartridges to
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