DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Response to Amendment
The amendment filed on 09/09/2026 has been entered and accepted.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 09/09/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Regarding claim 22, the applicant argues that a “valve-opening duration is not itself a mass of water or vapour and cannot establish such a mass without at least corresponding flow-rate and operating-condition information” (Page 13 of applicant’s remarks filed 09/09/2026). Branz teaches that the controller is programmed to take account of both the necessary heat content to complete the cooking of the identified product as well as the necessary liquid needed to hydrate the final product. The controller controls the time when the valves are open such as to control the amount of steam and water which are delivered. Branz also recognizes that the amount of steam and/or hot water to be introduced depends on the type of food stored in the cup. Thus, Branz establishes that the amount of steam and/or hot water to be introduced is a result effective variable which is dependent upon the type of food stored. As such, having a specific weight ratio between a type of food and steam/hot water would be a mere matter of discovering an optimal value of a result effective variable which involves only routine skill in the art as stated by MPEP 2144.05(II). One of ordinary skill in the art would have found it obvious to have optimized the amount of water and steam delivered such as to result in a product having a 50% liquid and 50% solid, 90% liquid and 10% solid, or another other desirable ratio for which the controller has been programmed.
Applicant’s other arguments with respect to claim(s) 1, 20, and 26 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument. A full rejection can be found below.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim(s) 1, 3, 8-10, 12-14, and 16-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gabara (US 20150257573 A1) in view of NISHIKAWA (JP H0910113 A), Cai (US 20020178932 A1), Sus (US 20110256287 A1), and DI (EP 0273323 A2).
Regarding claim 1, Gabara (US 20150257573 A1) teaches a system for cooking pasta (Figure 12B Paragraph 100, cooking pasta); the system comprising:
a container (vessel 9-13), which is configured to contain a given quantity of pasta (Paragraph 16, vessel is used to cook comestibles; Paragraph 92, comestibles include pasta; Paragraph 102, pulsing of the steam continues as more comestibles are added to the liquid); the container comprising a base wall and one single opening opposite the base wall (Figure 2A, vessel containing a base and a wall as a well as a single opening opposite the base wall); and
a pasta cooking machine (Figure 12B) comprising:
a first dosing device (Figure 12B Paragraph 134, steam wand 2-1a) to feed a given quantity of liquid water into the container (Paragraph 15, steam wand applies hot water to the liquid to prepare a meal); the first dosing device being configured to feed the given quantity of liquid water to the container and comprising a first duct (Paragraph 112, pressure control unit 7-6 regulates the flow of water to the steam wand; Figure 12B Paragraph 135, flexible tube 12-14a), a first nozzle arranged at an end of the first duct to release the liquid water into the container (Figure 12B Paragraph 135, steam wand 2-1a is connected to a detachable coupling 9-9a which is coupled to flexible tube 12-14a), and a feeding assembly to convey the liquid water along the first duct to the first nozzle (Paragraph 112, one-way valve is inserted to convey the water along the path such as to regulate the flow of hot water through the coupling 12-13a and flexible tube 12-14a such as to reach the steam wand 2-1a); and
a second dosing device (Figure 12B Paragraph 134, steam wand 2-1b) to feed a given quantity of water vapour into the container (Paragraph 15, steam wand applies steam to the liquid to prepare a meal); the second dosing device comprising a second duct (Figure 12B Paragraph 135, flexible tube 12-14b), a second nozzle arranged at an end of the second duct to emit the water vapour (Figure 12B Paragraph 135, steam flows from the flexible tube 12-14b such as to reach the steam wand 2-1b), and a boiler to feed the water vapour along the second duct to the second nozzle (Figure 7A Paragraph 112, heating element transfers its energy to the water such as to be transformed into steam which is delivered to the steam wand 2-1), wherein the container is separable from the pasta cooking machine (Paragraph 90, vessel is removable from the grill; Paragraph 135, steam wands are detachable and the lid in which the steam wands are connected is detachable from the vessel) and the first and the second nozzle are two different, separate nozzles that at least partially extend inside the container through the opening (Figure 12B Paragraph 135, steam wands 2-1a and 2-1b are different nozzles which extends inside the vessel through the opening covered by the lid), wherein the feeding assembly comprises a flow adjuster to adjust the quantity of water flowing along the first duct and the water vapour emitted by the second nozzle (Paragraph 112, pressure control unit 7-6 regulates the flow of water or steam to the steam wand), wherein the first duct and the first nozzle define a first flow path terminating at a first discharge outlet of the first nozzle inside the container (Figures 2A-2B and 12B Paragraph 95, first duct 12-14a and steam wand 2-1a form an outlet wherein an orifice 2-11 at the end of the team wand 2-1a is positioned within the vessel 1-1; Paragraph 137, hot water can emanate from the orifice of the steam wand 2-1 instead of steam), wherein the second duct and the second nozzle define a second flow path terminating at a second discharge outlet of the second nozzle inside the container (Figures 2A-2B and 12B Paragraph 95, first duct 12-14b and steam wand 2-1b form an outlet wherein an orifice 2-11 at the end of the steam wand 2-1b is positioned within the vessel 1-1), wherein the first discharge outlet is spaced apart from the second discharge outlet (Figure 12B, the orifices of steam wand 2-1a is clearly spaced from steam wand 2-1b), and wherein the first flow path extends from the first flow adjuster to the first discharge outlet (Paragraph 112, pressure control unit 7-6 regulates the flow of water to the steam wand; Figure 12B Paragraph 135, flexible tube 12-14a), and
wherein, in use, the given quantity of pasta rests on the base wall in a lower region of the container (Paragraph 118, user fills his vessel with liquid and comestibles; Paragraph 100, comestibles include pasta, noodles, and ravioli; Figure 3A, liquid within the vessel is supported by the lower region of the container by gravity and thus the comestibles would likewise be supported by the lower region of the container by gravity; base wall of the vessel is in a lower region of the vessel)
Gabara fails to teach:
the first dosing device being configured to feed the given quantity of liquid water at a temperature of at least 50°C to the container
wherein the first duct conveys only the liquid water to the first nozzle and the second duct conveyors only water vapor to the second nozzle,
wherein the feeding assembly comprises a first flow adjuster to adjust the quantity of water flowing along the first duct, and wherein the second dosing device comprises a second flow adjuster to adjust the water vapour emitted by the second nozzle,
the second flow path extends from the second flow adjuster to the second discharge outlet and the first and second flow paths are fluidically isolated from one another between the respective flow adjusters and discharge outlets,
and wherein the pasta cooking machine is configured to operate the first dosing device and the second dosing device such that, during at least a portion of a cooking cycle, the first discharge outlet discharges the liquid water while the second discharge outlet simultaneously discharges the water vapour;
in use, the given quantity of pasta rests on the base wall in a lower region of the container and the first and the second nozzle terminate in an upper region of the container above the given quantity of pasta so as to direct the liquid water and the water vapour toward the given quantity of pasta.
NISHIKAWA (JP H0910113 A) teaches a steam and water providing apparatus, wherein:
wherein the first duct conveys only the liquid water to the first nozzle (Figure 3 Paragraph 22, pipe 49 of the hot water supply device 3 conveys hot water from a tank 42 to a hot water supply nozzle 40) and the second duct conveyors only water vapor to the second nozzle (Figure 3 Paragraph 28, steam supply unit 52 conveys steam through silicone steam tube 64 connected to a discharge nozzle 51 from a sealed tank 65 for storing steam),
wherein the feeding assembly comprises a first flow adjuster to adjust the quantity of water flowing along the first duct (Paragraph 23, solenoid valve opens and closes to control the amount of water which is delivered along the piping 49 toward the hot water supply nozzle 40), and wherein the second dosing device comprises a second flow adjuster to adjust the water vapour emitted by the second nozzle (Figure 3 Paragraph 44, solenoid valve 74 controls the flow of steam from the steam supply unit 52 toward the ejection nozzle 51),
the first flow path extends from the first flow adjuster to the first discharge outlet (Figure 3 Paragraph 23, flow path of water extends through solenoid valve 50 through piping 49 toward hot water supply nozzle 40), the second flow path extends from the second flow adjuster to the second discharge outlet (Figure 3 Paragraph 29, solenoid valve interposed in the steam tube 64 which extends to the ejection nozzle 51) and the first and second flow paths are fluidically isolated from one another between the respective flow adjusters and discharge outlets (Figure 3, the flow paths for the steam ejection device and the hot water supply device are isolated from one another),
It would have thus been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Gabara with NISHIKAWA and have each of the steam nozzles consist of an independent system for delivering either hot water or steam. This would have been done to facilitate individualized control for each of the flow rate of water and steam for their respective wands (Gabara Paragraphs 8 and 120) while providing a device which allows for improved safety (NISHIKAWA Paragraph 4).
The Office further notes that the delivery of the water and steam each being delivered through their own pipes is known in the art as evidenced by AZUKI (JP H0787915 A) and is beneficial in allowing the apparatus to individually control of the quantity of hot water and steam entering the container such as to better control the cooking process, and to facilitate the cooking of noodles and other pasta requiring delivery of both hot water and steam (AZUKI Paragraph 5).
Gabara modified with NISHIKAWA fails to teach:
the first dosing device being configured to feed the given quantity of liquid water at a temperature of at least 50°C to the container
and wherein the pasta cooking machine is configured to operate the first dosing device and the second dosing device such that, during at least a portion of a cooking cycle, the first discharge outlet discharges the liquid water while the second discharge outlet simultaneously discharges the water vapour;
in use, the given quantity of pasta rests on the base wall in a lower region of the container and the first and the second nozzle terminate in an upper region of the container above the given quantity of pasta so as to direct the liquid water and the water vapour toward the given quantity of pasta.
Cai (US 20020178932 A1) teaches a device and method for cooking comestibles with hot gaseous fluid, wherein:
in use, the given quantity of pasta rests on the base wall in a lower region of the container (Figures 1a and 2a Paragraphs 33 and 43, comestibles to be prepared can be pasta wherein said comestibles are placed in a dish on a base wall in a lower region of said dish) and the first and the second nozzle terminate in an upper region of the container above the given quantity of pasta (Figure 2a Paragraphs 26, steam distributor 59 near the center of the applicator body terminates in an upper region of the container above said pasta; Figure 2a Paragraphs 36-37, water outlet 42 is formed at the bottom of the chamber 48 and is connected to a valve 83 via a liquid passageway such as to deliver hot water through the applicator to the vessel) so as to direct the liquid water and the water vapour toward the given quantity of pasta (Figure 2a Paragraph 26, steam jets are dotted arrows from the orifices are uniformly distributed onto the comestibles in a downward direction)
It would have thus been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Gabara with Cai and have the wands terminate in an upper region of the container above the given quantity of pasta such as to direct steam and hot water down onto the food. This would have been done as directing steam from above from a steam wand onto pasta is known in the art to maximize the agitation and mixing of the pasta inside the container as evidenced by Paragraph 39 of Sus (US 20110256287 A1).
The Office further notes that since the applicator and nozzle of Cai is capable of delivering both hot water and steam, and is positioned above the pasta, one of ordinary skill in the art would have found it obvious when modifying Gabara with Cai to position both wands in an upper region of the container such as to direct liquid water and water vapor toward the pasta.
Gabara modified with Cai fails to teach:
the first dosing device being configured to feed the given quantity of liquid water at a temperature of at least 50°C to the container
and wherein the pasta cooking machine is configured to operate the first dosing device and the second dosing device such that, during at least a portion of a cooking cycle, the first discharge outlet discharges the liquid water while the second discharge outlet simultaneously discharges the water vapour;
DI (EP 0273323 A2) teaches an apparatus for cooking pasta, wherein:
the first device being configured to feed a given quantity of liquid water at a temperature of at least 50°C to the container (Column 2 Line 51 – Column 3 Line 3, controller 34 operates the valve assembly 30 to fill the pot with hot water which is very close to the boiling temperature)
and wherein the pasta cooking machine is configured to operate the first dosing device and the second dosing device such that, during at least a portion of a cooking cycle, the first discharge outlet discharges the liquid water while the second discharge outlet simultaneously discharges the water vapour (Column 2 Line 51 – Column 3 Line 3, steam is injected into the pot at the same time that the pot is being filled with hot water; Figure 3 Paragraph 9, output of the hot water supply device and steam ejection device 1 are independent from one another as they each have individual storage tanks/flow controls/outlets; would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art to have controlled the nozzles of the hot water supply device 3 and the steam ejection device 1 such that the two output water and steam simultaneously to facilitate the method described by DI).
It would have thus been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Gabara with DI such that Gabara uses the method taught by Di including providing hot water as medium to the packaging and using steam as medium to maintain the hot water at boiling point such as to cook the pasta. This would have been done to provide rapid cooking of individual quantities of food (DI Column 1 Lines 1-5).
Regarding claim 3, Gabara as modified teaches the system according to claim 1, wherein
the opening is configured to allow part of the water vapour to flow out of the container (Figure 12B Paragraph 135, steam exists the volume via an opening 12-37).
Regarding claim 8, Gabara as modified teaches the system according to claim 1.
NISHIKAWA further teaches:
the first flow adjuster is a valve (Figure 3 Paragraph 22, solenoid valve 50 for the hot water supply nozzle 40).
It would have been obvious for the same motivation as claim 1 above.
Regarding claim 9, Gabara as modified teaches the system according to claim 1.
NISHIKAWA further teaches:
the second flow adjuster is a valve (Figure 3 Paragraphs 43-44, solenoid valve 74 for controlling the steam from the tank 65 to the ejection nozzle 51).
It would have been obvious for the same motivation as claim 1 above.
Regarding claim 10, Gabara as modified teaches the system according to claim 1, wherein
the machine comprises a lid, which is configured to at least partially cover the opening (Figure 12B Paragraph 135, removable lid 12-10 is configured to create a closed volume within the volume).
Regarding claim 12, Gabara as modified teaches the system according to claim 10, wherein
the lid completely covers said opening and is provided with control means (Figure 12B Paragraph 135, removable lid 12-10 is configured to create a closed volume within the volume)
Cai further teaches:
which are configured to let out gas from the inside of the container when the pressure inside the container exceeds a reference value (Paragraph 46, releasing excess steam in the dish when the steam pressure reaches above a certain pressure)
It would have thus been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Gabara with Cai and release the gas from the inside of the container when the pressure exceeds a reference value. This would have been done to create small pressure pulses which improves the quality of the resulting comestibles (Cai Paragraph 43).
Regarding claim 13, Gabara as modified teaches the system according to claim 10, wherein
the first and the second device, in particular the first and the second nozzle, extend through the lid (Figure 12B Paragraph 135, steam wands 2-1a and 2-1b extend through the lid 12-10).
Regarding claim 14, Gabara as modified teaches the system according to claim 10.
Cai further teaches:
a moving device to move at least one between the container and the lid relative to the other one, so as to move them close to and away from one another (Figures 1-2 Paragraph 7, extendable member is used to allow the user to move the body between a rest position and an operating position)
It would have thus been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Gabara with Cai and had an extendable member. This would have been done to allow a user to move the body between a rest position and an operating position (Cai Paragraph 7).
Sus (US 20110256287 A1) further teaches a steam injection cooking device, wherein:
the moving device is configured to move the container towards the lid or away from the lid (Paragraphs 47-48, container transport system 34 includes a platform and a motor to reciprocally move platform 138 between a loading position to a sealing position).
It would have thus been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Gabara with Sus and have a platform and motor to reciprocally move a platform. This would have been done to move the container toward and away from a sealing position with a sealing surface (Sus Paragraph 48).
Regarding claim 16, Gabara as modified teaches the system according to claim 14.
Cai further teaches:
the moving device is configured to exert a given force upon the lid and/or upon the container so as to keep the lid in contact with an upper edge of the container, even when the second device is operated (Paragraph 46, the steam pressure generated from boiler pushes the piston 85 downwards towards the dish and releases excess steam into the dish when the steam pressure reaches above a certain pressure; Paragraph 50, valve can be used to control the steam flow to the applicator).
It would have thus been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Gabara with Cai and pushed a piston downwards towards the dish and only release the gas from the inside of the container when the pressure exceeds a reference value. This would have been done to create small pressure pulses which improves the quality of the resulting comestibles (Cai Paragraph 43).
Sus (US 20110256287 A1) further teaches a steam injection cooking device, wherein:
the moving device is configured to exert a given force upon the lid and/or upon the container so as to keep the lid in contact with an upper edge of the container, even when the second device is operated (Paragraph 49, motor 140 continues to apply an upward force to platform 138 such that a seal between rim 178 and gasket 183 is applied during steam injection heating)
It would have thus been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Gabara with Sus and exerted a given force upon the container such as to keep the lid in contact with the container. This would have been done to ensures that a seal between the rim and the gasket occurs during steam injection heating (Sus Paragraph 49).
Regarding claim 17, Gabara as modified teaches the system according to claim 1, wherein:
at least one control unit, which is configured to control the first and the second dosing devices so as to feed the given quantity of liquid water and the given quantity of water vapour (Paragraph 112, pressure control unit 7-6 regulates the flow of hot water or steam to the steam wands; Paragraph 120, control system adjust the rate within each of the steam wand)
in particular, the control unit is configured to control the first and the second dosing devices so that the given quantity of liquid water is at least partially emitted before the given quantity of water vapour (Paragraph 100, steam is used to boil water within the vessel; one of ordinary skill in the art would readily recognize that the hot water should thus be at least partially delivered before the steam is completely delivered)
DI further teaches:
at least one control unit (controller 34), which is configured to control the first and the second dosing devices so as to feed the given quantity of liquid water and the given quantity of water vapour (Column 2 Lines 51 – Column 3 Lines 1-3, controller 34 operates the valve assembly 30 to fill the pot with hot water and injects steam into the pot);
in particular, the control unit is configured to control the first and the second dosing devices so that the given quantity of liquid water is at least partially emitted before the given quantity of water vapour (Column 2 Lines 51-55 and Column 3 Lines 1-3, flow of steam continues throughout he cooking process even after the inflow of water has ceased; Column 3 Lines 23-28, steam is used to maintain the boiling temperature of the water)
It would have thus been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Gabara with DI and have the dosing devices be controlled by a control unit. This would have been done so that the controller can take over the control of the cooking (DI Column 2 Lines 46-54).
The Office further notes that the MPEP teaches that broadly providing an automatic or mechanical means to replace a manual activity which accomplished the same result is not sufficient to distinguish over the prior art. MPEP §2144.04.VI.B. In this case, using a control unit to control the first and second dosing devices is not sufficient to distinguish over the prior art.
The Office further notes at least partially supplying water before supplying steam for boiling is well known in the art when cooking pasta as evidenced by AZUKI (JP H0787915 A).
Claim(s) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gabara (US 20150257573 A1) in view of NISHIKAWA (JP H0910113 A), Cai (US 20020178932 A1), Sus (US 20110256287 A1), and DI (EP 0273323 A2) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of YU (CN 106388562 A).
Regarding claim 7, Gabara as modified teaches the system according to claim 1, wherein
the feeding assembly comprises a pump (Paragraph 112, pump is used to deliver water to the heating chamber; Paragraph 112, pressure control unit regulates the flow of water).
Gabara as modified fails to explicitly teach:
a flow meter to measure the quantity of water flowing along the first duct.
YU (CN 106388562 A) teaches an electric steaming device, wherein:
the feeding assembly comprises a pump and a flow meter to measure the quantity of water flowing along the first duct (Paragraphs 18-19, water adding device includes a pump and a liquid flow meter).
It would have thus been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Gabara with YU and have the feeding assembly comprise a pump and flow meter. This would have been done to better control the water flow.
Claim(s) 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gabara (US 20150257573 A1) in view of NISHIKAWA (JP H0910113 A), Cai (US 20020178932 A1), Sus (US 20110256287 A1), and DI (EP 0273323 A2) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Toole (US 6307193 B1).
Regarding claim 11, Gabara as modified teaches the system according to claim 1, wherein
wherein the lid completely covers said opening and has an outlet passage, which establishes a communication between the inside of the container and the outside (Figure 12B Paragraph 135, removable lid 12-10 is configured to create a closed volume within the volume wherein an opening 12-37 exists in the center of the lid which allow steam to exit the volume)
Gabara as modified fails to explicitly teach:
said opening has an area from 0.09 cm2 to 0.95 cm2.
Toole (US 6307193 B1) teaches a cooking vessel for cooking, wherein:
the lid has an outlet passage (one of ventilation hole 19), which establishes a communication between the inside of the container and the outside and has an area from 0.09 cm2 to 0.95 cm2 (Column 4 Lines 55-59, the ventilation holes regulate and control the amount of steam that escapes from the cooking vessel 10; Column 6 Lines 6-17, lid 12 has ventilation holes 19 which have a diameter of a quarter of an inch each; a diameter of 0.25 inches results in a total area of 0.3167 cm).
It would have thus been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Gabara with Toole and have the outlet passage have a diameter of 0.25 inches. This would have been done to control the amount of steam that escapes from the cooking vessel.
The Office further notes that it is known in the art to choose the size of steam release holes which are sufficient to release steam but still capable of impeding fluid from splashing out as evidenced by Paragraph 58 of Kallos (US 20160302606 A1). Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have had the outlet passages have an area from 0.09 cm squared to 0.95 cm squared as discovering an optimal value of a result effective variable involves only routine skill in the art as stated by MPEP 2144.05(II).
Claim(s) 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gabara (US 20150257573 A1) in view of NISHIKAWA (JP H0910113 A), Cai (US 20020178932 A1), Sus (US 20110256287 A1), and DI (EP 0273323 A2) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of LI (CN 102654904 A) and Branz (US 5442997 A).
Regarding claim 19, Gabara as modified teaches the system according to claim 1, wherein:
control unit selects a target mass of the given quantity of liquid water fed into the container (Paragraph 112, pressure control unit 7-6 regulates the flow of water to the steam wand)
Gabara fails to explicitly teach:
a reader and a control unit, wherein the reader is configured to detect a machine-readable identifier, and the control unit controls the cooking parameters based on the machine-readable identifier, wherein the target mass is selected according to a ratio of a target water mass to a mass of the pasta in the container, and the ratio is between 0.30 and 0.95.
LI (CN 102654904 A) teaches an application of radio frequency identification, comprising:
a reader and a control unit, wherein the reader is configured to detect a machine-readable identifier, and the control unit controls the cooking parameters based on the machine-readable identifier (Paragraph 6, an RDIF-enable home cooking appliance utilizes a barcode or chip on the food packaging that indicates the cooking conditions for cooking wherein the cooking process is set based on the parameters and the process is completed with a single press of a button)
It would have thus been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Gabara with LI and have the container contain an RDIF barcode which is scannable by the appliance such that the cooking process can automatically be set by scanning. This would be done to make it more convenient for users by automatically setting cooking mode settings (LI Paragraph 4).
Gabara modified with LI fails to teach:
wherein the target mass is selected according to a ratio of a target water mass to a mass of the pasta in the container, and the ratio is between 0.30 and 0.95.
Branz (US 5442997 A) teaches of an automated cooking apparatus delivering both steam and hot water (Branz Column 12 Lines 19-37) to cook products including pastas (Branz Column 8 Lines 40-44), wherein a controller 80 determines the time when hot water valve 92 opens relative to the time when the first steam valve 88 is opened or closed (Branz Column 15 Lines 21-46) based on the necessary heat content to complete the cooking of the product as well as the necessary liquid needed to hydrate the final product (Branz Column 4 Line 64 – Column 5 Line 16). It would thus be obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify Gabara so that “wherein the target mass is selected according to a ratio of a target water mass to a mass of the pasta in the container, and the ratio is between 0.30 and 0.95”, as discovering an optimal value of a result effective variable involves only routine skill in the art as stated by MPEP 2144.05(II).
Claim(s) 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gabara (US 20150257573 A1) in view of NISHIKAWA (JP H0910113 A), Cai (US 20020178932 A1), Sus (US 20110256287 A1), and DI (EP 0273323 A2) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Raffensperger (US 4734291 A).
Regarding claim 20, Gabara as modified teaches the system according to claim 1.
Gabara as modified fails to explicitly teach:
the given quantity of pasta is substantially raw and has a humidity content of at least 24% by weight relative to the weight of the pasta.
Raffensperger (US 4734291 A) teaches a process for preparing shelf stable Al Dente cooked pasta, wherein:
the given quantity of pasta is substantially raw and has a humidity content of at least 24% by weight relative to the weight of the pasta (Column 3 Lines 19-39, pasta can be cooked by steaming or boiling in hot water freshly extruded pasta having a water content of 25% to 35%, preferably 30% by weight).
It would have thus been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Gabara with Raffensperger and have the pasta be freshly extruded pasta comprising a water content of 30% by weight. This would have been done to achieve excellent results in cooking pasta (Raffensperger Column 3 Lines 19-39).
Claim(s) 21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gabara (US 20150257573 A1) in view of NISHIKAWA (JP H0910113 A), Cai (US 20020178932 A1), Sus (US 20110256287 A1), and DI (EP 0273323 A2) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Pratolongo (US 4869160 A).
Regarding claim 21, Gabara as modified teaches the system according to claim 1.
While Gabara as modified does not explicitly teach that “the emitted water vapour has a vapour quality of less than 0.9”, Pratolongo (US 4869160 A) teaches an apparatus for the fast cooking of pasta which teaches the use of saturated wet vapor (Column 6 Lines 54-65) and against the formation and use of overheated vapour (Column 7 Lines 2-5). Pratolongo teaches that the presence of overheated vapour alters the molecular structure of gluten present and hinders the absorption of the water such as to even endanger the cooking process of pasta (Pratolongo Column 1 Lines 32-40). Given that overheated or superheated vapor has a quality of 1 and saturated vapor has a quality of 0, Pratolongo effective teaches of a vapor quality range of less than 1, which overlaps with the applicant’s claimed quality range.
Claim(s) 22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gabara (US 20150257573 A1) in view of NISHIKAWA (JP H0910113 A), Cai (US 20020178932 A1), Sus (US 20110256287 A1), DI (EP 0273323 A2), and Branz (US 5442997 A).
Regarding claim 22, Gabara (US 20150257573 A1) teaches a system for cooking pasta (Figure 12B Paragraph 100, cooking pasta); the system comprising:
a container (vessel 9-13), which is configured to contain a given quantity of pasta (Paragraph 16, vessel is used to cook comestibles; Paragraph 92, comestibles include pasta; Paragraph 102, pulsing of the steam continues as more comestibles are added to the liquid); the container comprising a base wall and one single opening opposite the base wall (Figure 2A, vessel containing a base and a wall as a well as a single opening opposite the base wall); and
a pasta cooking machine (Figure 12B) comprising:
a first dosing device (Figure 12B Paragraph 134, steam wand 2-1a) to feed a given quantity of liquid water into the container (Paragraph 15, steam wand applies hot water to the liquid to prepare a meal); the first dosing device being configured to feed the given quantity of liquid water to the container and comprising a first duct (Paragraph 112, pressure control unit 7-6 regulates the flow of water to the steam wand; Figure 12B Paragraph 135, flexible tube 12-14a), a first nozzle arranged at an end of the first duct to release the liquid water into the container (Figure 12B Paragraph 135, steam wand 2-1a is connected to a detachable coupling 9-9a which is coupled to flexible tube 12-14a), and a feeding assembly to convey the liquid water along the first duct to the first nozzle (Paragraph 112, one-way valve is inserted to convey the water along the path such as to regulate the flow of hot water through the coupling 12-13a and flexible tube 12-14a such as to reach the steam wand 2-1a); and
a second dosing device (Figure 12B Paragraph 134, steam wand 2-1b) to feed a given quantity of water vapour into the container (Paragraph 15, steam wand applies steam to the liquid to prepare a meal); the second dosing device comprising a second duct (Figure 12B Paragraph 135, flexible tube 12-14b), a second nozzle arranged at an end of the second duct to emit the water vapour (Figure 12B Paragraph 135, steam flows from the flexible tube 12-14b such as to reach the steam wand 2-1b), and a boiler to feed the water vapour along the second duct to the second nozzle (Paragraph 112, heating element transfers its energy to the water such as to be transformed into steam), wherein the container is separable from the pasta cooking machine (Paragraph 90, vessel is removable from the grill; Paragraph 135, steam wands are detachable and the lid in which the steam wands are connected is detachable from the vessel) and the first and the second nozzle are two different, separate nozzles that at least partially extend inside the container through the opening (Figure 12B Paragraph 135, steam wands 2-1a and 2-1b are different nozzles which extends inside the vessel through the opening covered by the lid);
wherein, in use, the given quantity of pasta rests on the base wall in a lower region of the container (Paragraph 118, user fills his vessel with liquid and comestibles; Paragraph 100, comestibles include pasta, noodles, and ravioli; Figure 3A, liquid within the vessel is supported by the lower region of the container by gravity and thus the comestibles would likewise be supported by the lower region of the container by gravity; base wall of the vessel is in a lower region of the vessel)
Gabara fails to teach:
the first dosing device being configured to feed the given quantity of liquid water at a temperature of at least 50°C to the container
wherein the first duct conveys only the liquid water to the first nozzle and the second duct conveys only the water vapour to the second nozzle
wherein the pasta cooking machine is configured to operate the first dosing device and the second dosing device such that the release of the liquid water from the first nozzle overlaps in time with the emission of the water vapour from the second nozzle;
wherein, in use, the given quantity of pasta rests on the base wall in a lower region of the container and the first and the second nozzle terminate in an upper region of the container above the given quantity of pasta so as to direct the liquid water and the water vapour toward the given quantity of pasta;
wherein a ratio between a weight of the given quantity of liquid water and a weight of the given quantity of pasta ranges from 0.35 to 0.90; and
wherein a ratio between a weight of the given quantity of water vapour and the weight of the given quantity of pasta ranges from 0.06 to 0.20.
NISHIKAWA (JP H0910113 A) teaches a steam and water providing apparatus, wherein:
wherein the first duct conveys only the liquid water to the first nozzle (Figure 3 Paragraph 22, pipe 49 of the hot water supply device 3 conveys hot water from a tank 42 to a hot water supply nozzle 40) and the second duct conveyors only water vapor to the second nozzle (Figure 3 Paragraph 28, steam supply unit 52 conveys steam through silicone steam tube 64 connected to a discharge nozzle 51 from a sealed tank 65 for storing steam),
It would have thus been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Gabara with NISHIKAWA and have each of the steam nozzles consist of an independent system for delivering either hot water or steam. This would have been done to facilitate individualized control for each of the flow rate of water and steam for their respective wands (Gabara Paragraphs 8 and 120) while providing a device which allows for improved safety (NISHIKAWA Paragraph 4).
The Office further notes that the delivery of the water and steam each being delivered through their own pipes is known in the art as evidenced by AZUKI (JP H0787915 A) and is beneficial in allowing the apparatus to individually control of the quantity of hot water and steam entering the container such as to better control the cooking process, and to facilitate the cooking of noodles and other pasta requiring delivery of both hot water and steam (AZUKI Paragraph 5).
Gabara modified with NISHIKAWA fails to teach:
the first dosing device being configured to feed the given quantity of liquid water at a temperature of at least 50°C to the container
wherein the pasta cooking machine is configured to operate the first dosing device and the second dosing device such that the release of the liquid water from the first nozzle overlaps in time with the emission of the water vapour from the second nozzle;
wherein, in use, the given quantity of pasta rests on the base wall in a lower region of the container and the first and the second nozzle terminate in an upper region of the container above the given quantity of pasta so as to direct the liquid water and the water vapour toward the given quantity of pasta;
wherein a ratio between a weight of the given quantity of liquid water and a weight of the given quantity of pasta ranges from 0.35 to 0.90; and
wherein a ratio between a weight of the given quantity of water vapour and the weight of the given quantity of pasta ranges from 0.06 to 0.20.
Cai (US 20020178932 A1) teaches a device and method for cooking comestibles with hot gaseous fluid, wherein:
in use, the given quantity of pasta rests on the base wall in a lower region of the container (Figures 1a and 2a Paragraphs 33 and 43, comestibles to be prepared can be pasta wherein said comestibles are placed in a dish on a base wall in a lower region of said dish) and the first and the second nozzle terminate in an upper region of the container above the given quantity of pasta (Figure 2a Paragraphs 26, steam distributor 59 near the center of the applicator body terminates in an upper region of the container above said pasta; Figure 2a Paragraphs 36-37, water outlet 42 is formed at the bottom of the chamber 48 and is connected to a valve 83 via a liquid passageway such as to deliver hot water through the applicator to the vessel) so as to direct the liquid water and the water vapour toward the given quantity of pasta (Figure 2a Paragraph 26, steam jets are dotted arrows from the orifices are uniformly distributed onto the comestibles in a downward direction)
It would have thus been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Gabara with Cai and have the wands terminate in an upper region of the container above the given quantity of pasta such as to direct steam and hot water down onto the food. This would have been done as directing steam from above from a steam wand onto pasta is known in the art to maximize the agitation and mixing of the pasta inside the container as evidenced by Paragraph 39 of Sus (US 20110256287 A1).
The Office further notes that since the applicator and nozzle of Cai is capable of delivering both hot water and steam, and is positioned above the pasta, one of ordinary skill in the art would have found it obvious when modifying Gabara with Cai and positioned both wands above in an upper region of the container such as to direct liquid water and water vapor toward the pasta.
Gabara modified with Cai fails to teach:
the first dosing device being configured to feed the given quantity of liquid water at a temperature of at least 50°C to the container
wherein the pasta cooking machine is configured to operate the first dosing device and the second dosing device such that the release of the liquid water from the first nozzle overlaps in time with the emission of the water vapour from the second nozzle
wherein a ratio between a weight of the given quantity of liquid water and a weight of the given quantity of pasta ranges from 0.35 to 0.90; and
wherein a ratio between a weight of the given quantity of water vapour and the weight of the given quantity of pasta ranges from 0.06 to 0.20.
DI (EP 0273323 A2) teaches an apparatus for cooking pasta, wherein:
the first device being configured to feed a given quantity of liquid water at a temperature of at least 50°C to the container (Column 2 Line 51 – Column 3 Line 3, controller 34 operates the valve assembly 30 to fill the pot with hot water which is very close to the boiling temperature) and a feeding assembly to convey the water along the first duct to the first nozzle (Column 2 Line 51 – Column 3 Line 3, controller 34 operates the valve assembly 30 fill the pot with hot water);
and wherein the pasta cooking machine is configured to operate the first dosing device and the second dosing device such that the release of the liquid water from the first nozzle overlaps in time with the emission of the water vapour from the second nozzle (Column 2 Line 51 – Column 3 Line 3, steam is injected into the pot at the same time that the pot is being filled with hot water).
It would have thus been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Gabara with DI such that Gabara uses the method taught by Di including providing hot water as medium to the packaging and using steam as medium to maintain the hot water at boiling point such as to cook the pasta. This would have been done to provide rapid cooking of individual quantities of food (DI Column 1 Lines 1-5).
The Office further notes that the delivery of the water and steam each being delivered through their own pipes is known in the art as evidenced by AZUKI (JP H0787915 A) and is beneficial in allowing the apparatus to individually control of the quantity of hot water and steam entering the container such as to better control the cooking process, and to facilitate the cooking of noodles and other pasta requiring delivery of both hot water and steam (AZUKI Paragraph 5).
Gabara modified with DI fails to teach:
wherein a ratio between a weight of the given quantity of liquid water and a weight of the given quantity of pasta ranges from 0.35 to 0.90; and
wherein a ratio between a weight of the given quantity of water vapour and the weight of the given quantity of pasta ranges from 0.06 to 0.20.
Branz (US 5442997 A) teaches of an automated cooking apparatus delivering both steam and hot water (Branz Column 12 Lines 19-37) to cook products including pastas (Branz Column 8 Lines 40-44), wherein a controller 80 determines the time when hot water valve 92 opens relative to the time when the first steam valve 88 is opened or closed (Branz Column 15 Lines 21-46) based on the necessary heat content to complete the cooking of the product as well as the necessary liquid needed to hydrate the final product (Branz Column 4 Line 64 – Column 5 Line 16). Furthermore, Branz teaches that said controller takes into account “the necessary heat content to complete the cooking of the identified product as well as the necessary liquid needed to hydrate the final product as desired. Controller 80 selects the time when first steam valve 88 opens and the time when first steam valve 88 closes, and therefore the length of time during which the first steam valve is to remain open while nozzle 58 is disposed inside of food storage container 20. This time element determines how much steam will be introduced into the food storage container to complete the cooking of the food product stored in the container” (Branz Column 14 Line 51 – Column 15 Line 20). It would thus be obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify Gabara so that “wherein a ratio between a weight of the given quantity of liquid water and a weight of the given quantity of pasta ranges from 0.35 to 0.90; and wherein a ratio between a weight of the given quantity of water vapour and the weight of the given quantity of pasta ranges from 0.06 to 0.20”, as discovering an optimal value of a result effective variable involves only routine skill in the art as stated by MPEP 2144.05(II).
The Office further notes that placing measured amounts of pasta along with measured amounts of water sufficient to sufficiently complete hydration of said pasta to a desired value is well known in the art as evidenced by Column 3 Lines 19-39 of Raffensperger (US 4734291 A).
The Office additionally notes that it is well known in the art that the time and temperature of heating are dependent upon the fill temperature, geometry of container used to hold the pasta, and pasta characteristics as evidenced by Column 3 Lines 40-47 of Raffensperger (US 4734291 A).
Claim(s) 23 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gabara (US 20150257573 A1) in view of NISHIKAWA (JP H0910113 A), Cai (US 20020178932 A1), Sus (US 20110256287 A1), and DI (EP 0273323 A2) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Rocklinger (US 20160220058 A1).
Regarding claim 23, Gabara as modified teaches the system according to claim 1, wherein
the first dosing device further comprises a heating assembly configured to heat the liquid water fed to the first nozzle (Paragraph 119, heating element 7-8 is configured to heat the water from the source into hot water), the boiler being the boiler that feeds the water vapour along the second duct to the second nozzle (Paragraph 112, heating element transfers its energy to the water such as to be transformed into steam).
Cai further teaches:
the boiler being the boiler that feeds the water vapour along the second duct to the second nozzle (Paragraph 40, boiler chamber to deliver water to a boiler for producing pressurized steam)
It would have been obvious for the same motivation as claim 1.
Gabara as modified fails to explicitly teach:
the heating assembly comprising a heat exchanger arranged inside the boiler
Rocklinger (US 20160220058 A1) teaches a steam cooking apparatus, wherein:
the heating assembly comprising a heat exchanger arranged inside the boiler (Paragraph 31, heating elements 113 of the boiler heats the water to the boiling point wherein the heating element includes a heat exchanger)
It would have thus been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Gabara with Rocklinger and have a heat exchanger arranged inside the boiler. This would have been done to generate steam and control the generation of steam based on feedback (Rocklinger Paragraph 31).
The Office further notes that positioning a heat exchanger within a boiler to generate both hot water and steam is known in the art as evidenced by Sala (US 20090095163 A1).
Claim(s) 24-25 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gabara (US 20150257573 A1) in view of NISHIKAWA (JP H0910113 A), Cai (US 20020178932 A1), Sus (US 20110256287 A1), and DI (EP 0273323 A2) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Branz (US 5442997 A).
Regarding claim 24, Gabara as modified teaches the system according to claim 1.
Gabara as modified fails to teach:
the given quantity of liquid water is smaller, by weight, than the given quantity of pasta.
However, Branz (US 5442997 A) teaches of an automated cooking apparatus delivering both steam and hot water (Branz Column 12 Lines 19-37) to cook products including pastas (Branz Column 8 Lines 40-44), wherein a controller 80 determines the time when hot water valve 92 opens relative to the time when the first steam valve 88 is opened or closed (Branz Column 15 Lines 21-46) based on the necessary heat content to complete the cooking of the product as well as the necessary liquid needed to hydrate the final product (Branz Column 4 Line 64 – Column 5 Line 16). It would thus be obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify Gabara so that “the given quantity of liquid water is smaller, by weight, than the given quantity of pasta”, as discovering an optimal value of a result effective variable involves only routine skill in the art as stated by MPEP 2144.05(II).
The Office further notes that placing measured amounts of pasta along with measured amounts of water sufficient to sufficiently complete hydration of said pasta to a desired value is well known in the art as evidenced by Column 3 Lines 19-39 of Raffensperger (US 4734291 A).
Regarding claim 25, Gabara as modified teaches the system according to claim 24.
Gabara as modified fails to explicitly teach:
the ratio between the weight of the given quantity of liquid water and the weight of the given quantity of pasta ranges from 0.35 to 0.90, and wherein the ratio between the weight of the given quantity of water vapour and the weight of the given quantity of pasta ranges from 0.06 to 0.20.
Branz (US 5442997 A) teaches of an automated cooking apparatus delivering both steam and hot water (Branz Column 12 Lines 19-37) to cook products including pastas (Branz Column 8 Lines 40-44), wherein a controller 80 determines the time when hot water valve 92 opens relative to the time when the first steam valve 88 is opened or closed (Branz Column 15 Lines 21-46) based on the necessary heat content to complete the cooking of the product as well as the necessary liquid needed to hydrate the final product (Branz Column 4 Line 64 – Column 5 Line 16). Furthermore, Branz teaches that said controller takes into account “the necessary heat content to complete the cooking of the identified product as well as the necessary liquid needed to hydrate the final product as desired. Controller 80 selects the time when first steam valve 88 opens and the time when first steam valve 88 closes, and therefore the length of time during which the first steam valve is to remain open while nozzle 58 is disposed inside of food storage container 20. This time element determines how much steam will be introduced into the food storage container to complete the cooking of the food product stored in the container” (Branz Column 14 Line 51 – Column 15 Line 20). It would thus be obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify Gabara so that “the ratio between the weight of the given quantity of liquid water and the weight of the given quantity of pasta ranges from 0.35 to 0.90, and wherein the ratio between the weight of the given quantity of water vapour and the weight of the given quantity of pasta ranges from 0.06 to 0.20”, as discovering an optimal value of a result effective variable involves only routine skill in the art as stated by MPEP 2144.05(II).
The Office further notes that placing measured amounts of pasta along with measured amounts of water sufficient to sufficiently complete hydration of said pasta to a desired value is well known in the art as evidenced by Column 3 Lines 19-39 of Raffensperger (US 4734291 A).
The Office additionally notes that it is well known in the art that the time and temperature of heating are dependent upon the fill temperature, geometry of container used to hold the pasta, and pasta characteristics as evidenced by Column 3 Lines 40-47 of Raffensperger (US 4734291 A).
Claim(s) 26 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gabara (US 20150257573 A1) in view of NISHIKAWA (JP H0910113 A), Cai (US 20020178932 A1), Sus (US 20110256287 A1), DI (EP 0273323 A2), and Sala (US 20090095163 A1);
Regarding claim 26, Gabara (US 20150257573 A1) teaches a system for cooking pasta (Figure 12B Paragraph 100, cooking pasta), the system comprising:
a container (vessel 9-13), which is configured to contain a given quantity of pasta (Paragraph 16, vessel is used to cook comestibles; Paragraph 92, comestibles include pasta; Paragraph 102, pulsing of the steam continues as more comestibles are added to the liquid), the container comprising a base wall and one single opening opposite the base wall (Figure 2A, vessel containing a base and a wall as a well as a single opening opposite the base wall); and
a pasta cooking machine (Figure 12B) comprising:
a first dosing device (Figure 12B Paragraph 134, steam wand 2-1a) to feed a given quantity of liquid water into the container (Paragraph 15, steam wand applies hot water to the liquid to prepare a meal), the first dosing device being configured to feed the given quantity of liquid water to the container and comprising a first duct (Paragraph 112, pressure control unit 7-6 regulates the flow of water to the steam wand), a first nozzle arranged at an end of the first duct to release the liquid water into the container (Figure 12B Paragraph 135, steam wand 2-1a is connected to a detachable coupling 9-9a which is coupled to flexible tube 12-14a), a feeding assembly to convey the liquid water along the first duct to the first nozzle (Paragraph 112, one-way valve is inserted to convey the water along the path such as to regulate the flow of hot water through the coupling 12-13a and flexible tube 12-14a such as to reach the steam wand 2-1a), and a heating assembly configured to heat the liquid water fed to the first nozzle (Paragraph 119, heating element 7-8 is configured to heat the water from the source into hot water); and
a second dosing device (Figure 12B Paragraph 134, steam wand 2-1b) to feed a given quantity of water vapour into the container (Paragraph 15, steam wand applies steam to the liquid to prepare a meal), the second dosing device comprising a second duct (Figure 12B Paragraph 135, flexible tube 12-14b) and a second nozzle arranged at an end of the second duct to emit the water vapour (Figure 12B Paragraph 135, steam flows from the flexible tube 12-14b such as to reach the steam wand 2-1b), the boiler being configured to heat the water present inside the boiler to generate the water vapour and to feed the water vapour along the second duct to the second nozzle (Paragraph 112, heating element transfers its energy to the water within the heating cavity such as to be transformed into steam before being delivered to the steam wand);
wherein the first nozzle and the second nozzle are two different, separate nozzles that at least partially extend inside the container through the one single opening (Figure 12B Paragraph 135, steam wands 2-1a and 2-1b are different nozzles which extends inside the vessel through the opening covered by the lid), the first nozzle comprising a first discharge outlet (Figures 2A-2B and 12B Paragraph 95, first duct 12-14a and steam wand 2-1a form an outlet wherein an orifice 2-11 at the end of the team wand 2-1a is positioned within the vessel 1-1; Paragraph 137, hot water can emanate from the orifice of the steam wand 2-1 instead of steam) and the second nozzle comprising a second discharge outlet spaced apart from the first discharge outlet (Figures 2A-2B and 12B Paragraph 95, first duct 12-14b and steam wand 2-1b form an outlet wherein an orifice 2-11 at the end of the steam wand 2-1b is positioned within the vessel 1-1; Figure 12B, the orifices of steam wand 2-1a is clearly spaced from steam wand 2-1b);
wherein, in use, the given quantity of pasta rests on the base wall in a lower region of the container Paragraph 118, user fills his vessel with liquid and comestibles; Paragraph 100, comestibles include pasta, noodles, and ravioli; Figure 3A, liquid within the vessel is supported by the lower region of the container by gravity and thus the comestibles would likewise be supported by the lower region of the container by gravity; base wall of the vessel is in a lower region of the vessel
Gabara fails to teach:
the first dosing device being configured to feed the given quantity of liquid water at a temperature of at least 50°C to the container
the heating assembly comprising a heat exchanger arranged inside a boiler, the heat exchanger defining a passage of the first duct arranged inside the boiler, the passage being fluidically isolated from an interior volume of the boiler and configured to convey the liquid water through the heat exchanger to the first nozzle;
wherein the first duct conveys only the liquid water to the first nozzle and the second duct conveys only the water vapour to the second nozzle; and
wherein the pasta cooking machine is configured to operate the first dosing device and the second dosing device such that, during at least a portion of a cooking cycle, the first discharge outlet discharges the liquid water while the second discharge outlet simultaneously discharges the water vapour;
wherein, in use, the given quantity of pasta rests on the base wall in a lower region of the container and the first nozzle and the second nozzle terminate in an upper region of the container above the given quantity of pasta so as to direct the liquid water and the water vapour toward the given quantity of pasta
NISHIKAWA (JP H0910113 A) teaches a steam and water providing apparatus, wherein:
wherein the first duct conveys only the liquid water to the first nozzle (Figure 3 Paragraph 22, pipe 49 of the hot water supply device 3 conveys hot water from a tank 42 to a hot water supply nozzle 40) and the second duct conveys only the water vapour to the second nozzle (Figure 3 Paragraph 28, steam supply unit 52 conveys steam through silicone steam tube 64 connected to a discharge nozzle 51 from a sealed tank 65 for storing steam); and
It would have thus been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Gabara with NISHIKAWA and have each of the steam nozzles consist of an independent system for delivering either hot water or steam. This would have been done to facilitate individualized control for each of the flow rate of water and steam for their respective wands (Gabara Paragraphs 8 and 120) while providing a device which allows for improved safety (NISHIKAWA Paragraph 4).
The Office further notes that the delivery of the water and steam each being delivered through their own pipes is known in the art as evidenced by AZUKI (JP H0787915 A) and is beneficial in allowing the apparatus to individually control of the quantity of hot water and steam entering the container such as to better control the cooking process, and to facilitate the cooking of noodles and other pasta requiring delivery of both hot water and steam (AZUKI Paragraph 5)
Gabara modified with NISHIKAWA fails to teach:
the first dosing device being configured to feed the given quantity of liquid water at a temperature of at least 50°C to the container
the heating assembly comprising a heat exchanger arranged inside a boiler, the heat exchanger defining a passage of the first duct arranged inside the boiler, the passage being fluidically isolated from an interior volume of the boiler and configured to convey the liquid water through the heat exchanger to the first nozzle;
wherein the pasta cooking machine is configured to operate the first dosing device and the second dosing device such that, during at least a portion of a cooking cycle, the first discharge outlet discharges the liquid water while the second discharge outlet simultaneously discharges the water vapour;
the first nozzle and the second nozzle terminate in an upper region of the container above the given quantity of pasta so as to direct the liquid water and the water vapour toward the given quantity of pasta
Cai (US 20020178932 A1) teaches a device and method for cooking comestibles with hot gaseous fluid, wherein:
in use, the given quantity of pasta rests on the base wall in a lower region of the container (Figures 1a and 2a Paragraphs 33 and 43, comestibles to be prepared can be pasta wherein said comestibles are placed in a dish on a base wall in a lower region of said dish) and the first and the second nozzle terminate in an upper region of the container above the given quantity of pasta (Figure 2a Paragraphs 26, steam distributor 59 near the center of the applicator body terminates in an upper region of the container above said pasta; Figure 2a Paragraphs 36-37, water outlet 42 is formed at the bottom of the chamber 48 and is connected to a valve 83 via a liquid passageway such as to deliver hot water through the applicator to the vessel) so as to direct the liquid water and the water vapour toward the given quantity of pasta (Figure 2a Paragraph 26, steam jets are dotted arrows from the orifices are uniformly distributed onto the comestibles in a downward direction)
It would have thus been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Gabara with Cai and have the wands terminate in an upper region of the container above the given quantity of pasta such as to direct steam and hot water down onto the food. This would have been done as directing steam from above from a steam wand onto pasta is known in the art to maximize the agitation and mixing of the pasta inside the container as evidenced by Paragraph 39 of Sus (US 20110256287 A1).
The Office further notes that since the applicator and nozzle of Cai is capable of delivering both hot water and steam, and is positioned above the pasta, one of ordinary skill in the art would have found it obvious when modifying Gabara with Cai to position both wands in an upper region of the container such as to direct liquid water and water vapor toward the pasta.
Gabara modified with Cai fails to teach:
the first dosing device being configured to feed the given quantity of liquid water at a temperature of at least 50°C to the container
the heating assembly comprising a heat exchanger arranged inside a boiler, the heat exchanger defining a passage of the first duct arranged inside the boiler, the passage being fluidically isolated from an interior volume of the boiler and configured to convey the liquid water through the heat exchanger to the first nozzle;
wherein the pasta cooking machine is configured to operate the first dosing device and the second dosing device such that, during at least a portion of a cooking cycle, the first discharge outlet discharges the liquid water while the second discharge outlet simultaneously discharges the water vapour;
DI (EP 0273323 A2) teaches an apparatus for cooking pasta, wherein:
the first dosing device being configured to feed the given quantity of liquid water at a temperature of at least 50°C to the container (Column 2 Line 51 – Column 3 Line 3, controller 34 operates the valve assembly 30 to fill the pot with hot water which is very close to the boiling temperature)
wherein the pasta cooking machine is configured to operate the first dosing device and the second dosing device such that, during at least a portion of a cooking cycle, the first discharge outlet discharges the liquid water while the second discharge outlet simultaneously discharges the water vapour (Column 2 Line 51 – Column 3 Line 3, steam is injected into the pot at the same time that the pot is being filled with hot water; Figure 3 Paragraph 9, output of the hot water supply device and steam ejection device 1 are independent from one another as they each have individual storage tanks/flow controls/outlets; would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art to have controlled the nozzles of the hot water supply device 3 and the steam ejection device 1 such that the two output water and steam simultaneously to facilitate the method described by DI).
It would have thus been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Gabara with DI such that Gabara uses the method taught by Di including providing hot water as medium to the packaging and using steam as medium to maintain the hot water at boiling point such as to cook the pasta. This would have been done to provide rapid cooking of individual quantities of food (DI Column 1 Lines 1-5).
Gabara modified with DI fails to teach:
the heating assembly comprising a heat exchanger arranged inside a boiler, the heat exchanger defining a passage of the first duct arranged inside the boiler, the passage being fluidically isolated from an interior volume of the boiler and configured to convey the liquid water through the heat exchanger to the first nozzle;
Sala (US 20090095163 A1) teaches a steam generator for producing steam, wherein:
the heating assembly comprising a heat exchanger arranged inside a boiler (Figure 1 Paragraph 17, heat exchanger 9 is situated inside of a steam generator 10; Paragraph25, steam generator 10 is a boiler 10), the heat exchanger defining a passage of the first duct arranged inside the boiler (Figure 1 Paragraphs 17-18, heat exchanger connects the line 11 and valve 8 for conveying water through the steam generator 10), the passage being fluidically isolated from an interior volume of the boiler and configured to convey the liquid water through the heat exchanger to the first nozzle (Figure 1 Paragraph 17, heat exchanger 9 is a hot water source which outputs through valve 8 while steam generator 10 generates steam through line 19; one of ordinary skill in the art would readily recognize that the heat exchanger would be fluidically isolated from the interior of the boiler 10 such as the able to output hot water through valve 8 and steam through line 19);
It would have thus been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Gabara with Sala and have a heat exchanger used to generate hot water positioned within a boiler used to generate steam. This would have been done to provide a source of hot water and to provide a source of steam (Figure 1 Paragraphs 17-19).
The Office further notes that positioning a heat exchanger within a boiler to generate steam is known in the art of pasta cooking as evidenced by Rocklinger (US 20160220058 A1).
The Office additionally notes that having a heat exchanger defining a passage within and fluidically isolated from an interior volume of the boiler such as to generate hot water within the heat exchanger is well known in the art as evidenced by COCCIA (US 20090101019 A1).
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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/F.J.W./Examiner, Art Unit 3761
/WOODY A LEE JR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3761
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