Appeal 2007-1899
Application 10/112,743
process which can be performed to some extent by an apparatus containing
the semiconductive member. Our interpretation of claim 1 in this manner
comports with the term “coating layer” in the context of the claim language
as a part of the semiconductive member itself, and the disclosure of a
“coating film” as a “coating layer” in the written description in the
Specification (Specification, e.g., 3:4-8, 7:4-16, and
7:24-8:7) as well as the ordinary usage of the term “coating” in the
chemical arts as a film or continuous layer that adheres to a surface of a
substrate.1
There is no dispute each of blade 5 and photoconductor layer 3 of
photoconductor 1 of the electrophotographic apparatus illustrated in
Yasuda’s Fig. 3 are semiconductive members that momentarily have a
transient “layer” of toner particles thereon during the process of forming
fixed images by developing an electrostatic latent image with toner particles
to form a visible image that is transferred and fixed to a recording medium
using the apparatus (Yasuda, e.g., col. 2, ll. 41-63, and col. 3, l. 53, to col. 6,
l. 23). Indeed, Yasuda discloses that “[b]y providing conductivity to the
developing blade 5, excessive charging of the toner can be prevented,
thereby making it possible to prevent electrostatic agglomeration or
solidification of the toners” (id. col. 5, ll. 9-12).
Thus, the Examiner has not established that prima facie Yasuda’s
toner in fact forms a film or continuous coating layer as a constituent
1 See, e.g., Hawley’s Condensed Chemical Dictionary 277 (14th ed.,
Richard J. Lewis, Sr., revisor, New York, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2001);
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms 394 (Sybil P.
Parker, ed., New York, McGraw-Hill, Inc. 1994).
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