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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 04/01/2026 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 04/01/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
In response to applicant's arguments against the references individually, one cannot show nonobviousness by attacking references individually where the rejections are based on combinations of references. See In re Keller, 642 F.2d 413, 208 USPQ 871 (CCPA 1981); In re Merck & Co., 800 F.2d 1091, 231 USPQ 375 (Fed. Cir. 1986). While Gabara does not explicitly show of a first duct which conveys only liquid water and a second duct which conveys only water vapor, Figure 1 and Paragraphs 36-37 of Cai teach of a liquid passageway 17 and a steam passageway 19 which are each only deliver water and steam respectively to the nozzle. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have modified Gabara with Cai and used distinct ducts to deliver water and steam respectively to the nozzles. This would have been done to deliver steam and water from their distinct and separate sources.
The applicant’s summary of the rejection (Page 10 of applicant’s remarks filed 04/01/2026) alleges that the rejection “borrows” from the prior art references. One of ordinary skill in the art would find each of the features recited from each reference to be obvious and known in the art. Each of these features have a distinct advantage and one of ordinary skill in the art would have found it obvious before the filing date of the invention to have modified Gabara with said features. The rejection does not borrow from the prior art, but relies upon advantageous features known in the art, of which one of ordinary skill would have found obvious to modify Gabara with to facilitate the said advantages. As stated above, Cai teaches of distinct ducts which deliver liquid water and water vapor in their own distinct ducts to the nozzle which reads upon the applicant’s newly introduced limitation. Applicant continues by arguing that the distinction is important because the features “define a materially different cooking architecture” (Pages 11-12 of applicant’s remarks filed 04/01/2026). The applicant describes the advantages of this structure as making the system flexible and allowing a plurality of cooking procedures to be carried out. However, the applicant does not explain how a system which delivers water and steam from their own respective nozzles would result in an advantage over nozzles which receive water and steam through shared ducts. A shared duct of one nozzle can still deliver water and steam independently of the shared duct of other nozzle, while also facilitating flexibility and allowing a plurality of cooking procedures to be carried out. Said shared nozzles would also be fully capable of facilitating quick and combined action of the water and vapor. As such, the examiner maintains that using distinct ducts for the nozzles is not significant over using shared ducts, and thus using shared ducts over distinct ducts would be a matter of obvious engineering choice. 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).
Applicant’s other arguments with respect to the newly introduced claims 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 Interpretation
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(f):
(f) Element in Claim for a Combination. – An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The claims in this application are given their broadest reasonable interpretation using the plain meaning of the claim language in light of the specification, as it would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. The broadest reasonable interpretation of a claim element (also commonly referred to as a claim limitation) is limited by the description in the specification when 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is invoked.
As explained in MPEP § 2181, subsection I, claim limitations that meet the following three-prong test will be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
(A) the claim limitation uses the term “means” or “step” or a term used as a substitute for “means” that is a generic placeholder (also called a nonce term or a non-structural term having no specific structural meaning) for performing the claimed function;
(B) the term “means” or “step” or the generic placeholder is modified by functional language, typically, but not always linked by the transition word “for” (e.g., “means for”) or another linking word or phrase, such as “configured to” or “so that”; and
(C) the term “means” or “step” or the generic placeholder is not modified by sufficient structure, material, or acts for performing the claimed function.
Use of the word “means” (or “step”) in a claim with functional language creates a rebuttable presumption that the claim limitation is to be treated in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph. The presumption that the claim limitation is interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is rebutted when the claim limitation recites sufficient structure, material, or acts to entirely perform the recited function.
Absence of the word “means” (or “step”) in a claim creates a rebuttable presumption that the claim limitation is not to be treated in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph. The presumption that the claim limitation is not interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is rebutted when the claim limitation recites function without reciting sufficient structure, material or acts to entirely perform the recited function.
Claim limitations in this application that use the word “means” (or “step”) are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, except as otherwise indicated in an Office action. Conversely, claim limitations in this application that do not use the word “means” (or “step”) are not being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, except as otherwise indicated in an Office action.
This application includes one or more claim limitations that use the word “means,” and thus are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, because the claim limitation(s) uses a generic placeholder that is coupled with functional language without reciting sufficient structure to perform the recited function and the generic placeholder is not preceded by a structural modifier. Such claim limitation(s) is/are: “control means” in dependent claim 12.
Regarding the term “control means in dependent claim 12, because this/these claim limitation(s) is/are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, it/they is/are being interpreted to cover the corresponding structure described in the specification as performing the claimed function, and equivalents thereof. A review of the specification and drawing found the corresponding structure of a relief valve (per page 13 Lines 1-5).
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 Cai (US 20020178932 A1), Sus (US 20110256287 A1), AZUKI (JP H0787915 A), 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), a first nozzle arranged at an end of the first duct to release the liquid water into the container, 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; Figure 12B Paragraph 135, hot water flows from the coupling 12-13 to the flexible tube 12-14 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, a second nozzle arranged at an end of the second duct to emit the water vapour (Paragraph 112, one-way valve is inserted to convey the steam along the path; Figure 12B Paragraph 135, steam flows from the coupling 12-13 to the flexible tube 12-14 such as to reach the steam wand 2-1a), 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 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, 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,
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;
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:
wherein the first duct conveys only the liquid water to the first nozzle (Figure 2a Paragraph 36, water outlet 42 is connected to a valve of the extendable arm nozzle by liquid passageway 17 which only delivers water to the extendable arm nozzle) and the second duct conveyors only water vapor to the second nozzle (Paragraph 35, steam outlet 49 is connected to a valve of the extendable arm nozzle by a steam passage 19),
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.
It further would have 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 a first duct convey only liquid water and a second duct convey only steam respectively to the nozzles. This would have been done to deliver water and steam to the nozzles from their respective sources.
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 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,
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;
AZUKI (JP H0787915 A) teaches a noddle boiling apparatus, wherein:
wherein the feeding assembly comprises a first flow adjuster to adjust the quantity of water flowing along the first duct (Paragraphs 5 and 9, water flow control valve is used to control hot water entering the pot), and wherein the second dosing device comprises a second flow adjuster to adjust the water vapour emitted by the second nozzle (Paragraph 7, steam control valve is used to control the steam entering the pot).
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 AZUKI and have the two nozzles have their own controllable control valve connected to their own source of hot water and steam. This would have been done to allow for independent control 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).
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 AZUKI 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 the release of the liquid water from the first nozzle overlaps in time with the emission of the water vapour from the second nozzle;
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 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).
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.
AZUKI further teaches:
the first flow adjuster is a valve (Paragraphs 5 and 9, hot water control valve).
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.
AZUKI further teaches:
the second flow adjuster is a valve (Paragraph 7, steam control valve is used to control the steam entering the pot).
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 further teaches:
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 release 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 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 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 exert 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 (Paragraph 112, pressure control unit 7-6 regulates the flow of hot water or steam to the steam wands)
the given quantity of liquid water is at least partially emitted before the given quantity of water vapour (Paragraph 100, steam is also used to boil water within the vessel which indicates that water is delivered before the steam is)
AZUKI- further teaches:
the given quantity of liquid water is at least partially emitted before the given quantity of water vapour (Paragraph 8, supplying water into a pot and then injecting steam generated by the boiler into the water inside the pot).
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 AZUKI- and have the quantity of water be partially emitted before the quantity of steam. This would have been done as the purpose of the steam is to maintain the temperature of the water at boiling temperature (Di Column 1 Lines 15-18) and thus the introduction of the steam would reasonably be controlled based on the temperature of the emitted water in the pot as SIEGRIST teaches that the controller generates the proper food adapted climate profile in the package (SIEGRIST Paragraph 44).
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);
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.
Claim(s) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gabara (US 20150257573 A1) in view of Cai (US 20020178932 A1), Sus (US 20110256287 A1), AZUKI (JP H0787915 A), 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 Cai (US 20020178932 A1), Sus (US 20110256287 A1), AZUKI (JP H0787915 A), 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 Cai (US 20020178932 A1), Sus (US 20110256287 A1), AZUKI (JP H0787915 A), 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 and 24-25 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gabara (US 20150257573 A1) in view of Cai (US 20020178932 A1), Sus (US 20110256287 A1), AZUKI (JP H0787915 A), and DI (EP 0273323 A2) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Branz (US 5442997 A).
Regarding claim 20, Gabara as modified teaches the system according to claim 1.
Gabara as modified fails to explicitly teach:
a ratio between a weight of the given quantity of water vapour and the given quantity of pasta ranged between .04 and 0.25
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 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 “a ratio between a weight of the given quantity of water vapour and the given quantity of pasta ranged between .04 and 0.25”, as discovering an optimal value of a result effective variable involves only routine skill in the art as stated by MPEP 2144.05(II).
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).
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).
Claim(s) 21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gabara (US 20150257573 A1) in view of Cai (US 20020178932 A1), Sus (US 20110256287 A1), AZUKI (JP H0787915 A), 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 Cai (US 20020178932 A1), Sus (US 20110256287 A1), and DI (EP 0273323 A2).
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), a first nozzle arranged at an end of the first duct to release the liquid water into the container, 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; Figure 12B Paragraph 135, hot water flows from the coupling 12-13 to the flexible tube 12-14 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, a second nozzle arranged at an end of the second duct to emit the water vapour (Paragraph 112, one-way valve is inserted to convey the steam along the path; Figure 12B Paragraph 135, steam flows from the coupling 12-13 to the flexible tube 12-14 such as to reach the steam wand 2-1a), 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;
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:
wherein the first duct conveys only the liquid water to the first nozzle (Figure 2a Paragraph 36, water outlet 42 is connected to a valve of the extendable arm nozzle by liquid passageway 17 which only delivers water to the extendable arm nozzle) and the second duct conveys only the water vapour to the second nozzle (Paragraph 35, steam outlet 49 is connected to a valve of the extendable arm nozzle by a steam passage 19),
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.
It further would have 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 a first duct convey only liquid water and a second duct convey only steam respectively to the nozzles. This would have been done to deliver water and steam to the nozzles from their respective sources.
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.
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).
Claim(s) 23 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gabara (US 20150257573 A1) in view of Cai (US 20020178932 A1), Sus (US 20110256287 A1), AZUKI (JP H0787915 A), 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).
Claim(s) 26 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gabara (US 20150257573 A1) in view of Cai (US 20020178932 A1), Sus (US 20110256287 A1), DI (EP 0273323 A2), and Rocklinger (US 20160220058 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 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, 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; Figure 12B Paragraph 135, hot water flows from the coupling 12-13 to the flexible tube 12-14 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 and a second nozzle arranged at an end of the second duct to emit the water vapour (Paragraph 112, one-way valve is inserted to convey the steam along the path; Figure 12B Paragraph 135, steam flows from the coupling 12-13 to the flexible tube 12-14 such as to reach the steam wand 2-1a), the boiler being configured 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 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);
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; and
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
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:
wherein the first duct conveys only the liquid water to the first nozzle (Figure 2a Paragraph 36, water outlet 42 is connected to a valve of the extendable arm nozzle by liquid passageway 17 which only delivers water to the extendable arm nozzle) and the second duct conveyors only water vapor to the second nozzle (Paragraph 35, steam outlet 49 is connected to a valve of the extendable arm nozzle by a steam passage 19),
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.
It further would have 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 a first duct convey only liquid water and a second duct convey only steam respectively to the nozzles. This would have been done to deliver water and steam to the nozzles from their respective sources.
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; and
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)
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; and
Rocklinger (US 20160220058 A1) teaches a steam cooking apparatus, wherein:
the heating assembly comprising a heat exchanger arranged inside a 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 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).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to FRANKLIN JEFFERSON WANG whose telephone number is (571)272-7782. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 10AM-6PM (E.S.T).
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ibrahime Abraham can be reached at (571) 270-5569. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/F.J.W./Examiner, Art Unit 3761
/WOODY A LEE JR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3761
Prosecution Insights