DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 7/14/25 has been entered.
Claim Objections
Claim 17 is objected to because of the following informalities: In line 12, “form a side” appears to be a typographical error and should be replaced with –from a side--. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 17-20, 22-25, 27 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Liu (US 2014/0332019).
Claim 17. Liu discloses an electronic cigarette device comprising an atomizing device 10 for vaporizing tobacco flavored liquid, and a battery 20 electrically connected with the atomizing device 10 and supplying power source to the atomizing device 10 ([0036]). The atomizing device 10 includes an atomizing cup 11, an atomizer 12 (heater arrangement) received and fixed in the atomizing cup 11, an atomizing sleeve 13 sleeved at the outer of the atomizing cup 11, and an atomizing seat 14 located in the atomizing sleeve 13 to secure the atomizing cup 11 and the atomizer 12 ([0037]; Figure 4). The atomizing cup 11 is used for storage tobacco flavored liquid, and includes a liquid storage element 111 and a supporting tube 112 (housing at least partly defining a chamber for containing the heater arrangement). In this embodiment, the liquid storage element 111, the supporting tube 112, and the atomizing sleeve 13 are all substantially hollow tube structure and are all disposed along a same axis ([0038]; Figure 4). The supporting tube 112 is sleeved in the liquid storage element 111 and used for allowing an airflow to pass through and supporting and fixing for the liquid storage element 111 ([0040]; Figure 4). The atomizer 12 (heater arrangement) is used for vaporizing the tobacco flavored liquid into smoke, and includes a heating wire 121 (electrical connecting member) and an atomizing pole 122. The heating wire 121 winds around the atomizing pole 122, and located in the atomizing cup 11 using the atomizing pole 122 ([0041]; Figure 4). The atomizing pole 122 is disposed in the supporting tube 112 (housing) along radial direction. Sidewalls of the central portion of the supporting tube 112 have latching openings 1121 (passageway located away from both the proximal and distal ends on the tube 112) along radial direction and communicating through the sidewalls. To avoid the atomizing pole 122 axially moving in the supporting tube 112, the outer of the supporting tube 112 is sleeved around a positioning sleeve 113 located on or under the atomizing pole 122. One end of the positioning sleeve 113 resists on the atomizing pole 122 so as to tightly resist the atomizing pole 122 in the latching openings 1121 ([0042]; Figure 4). The atomizing seat 14 axially defines a first line hole 143 and a second line hole 144 respectively for being passed through by the two ends of the heating wire 121. The two ends of the heating wire 121 respectively pass through the first line hole 143 and the second line hole 144, and respectively connect with the first seat body 31 and the first electrode post 32 ([0049]; Figures 4 and 5).
Claims 18 and 19. Liu discloses that the latching openings 1121 (passageway located away from both the proximal and distal ends on the tube 112) define a passageway oriented laterally and perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the supporting tube 112 (housing) (Figure 4).
Claim 20. Liu discloses a positioning sleeve 113 (sealing arrangement) sleeved on supporting tube 112 (housing) to seal the latching openings 1121 (passageway) while allowing the heating wire 121 (electrical connecting member) to pass through the latching openings 1121 (passageway) (Figure 4).
Claim 22. Liu discloses atomizer 12 (heater arrangement) arranged in the chamber defined by supporting tube 112 and heating wire 121 (electrical connecting member) passing through the latching openings 1121 (passageway) into the chamber such that a first portion of the heating wire 121 (electrical connecting member) is wound around (connected to) the atomizing pole 122 (part of heating arrangement) and a second portion of the heating wire 121 (electrical connecting member) is exterior to the supporting tube 112 (housing) and connect with the first seat body 31 and the first electrode post 32 (electrical components of the device) ([0049]; Figures 4 and 5).
Claim 23. Liu discloses that the heating wire 121 (electrical connecting member) exits the latching openings 1121 (passageway) in a direction lateral to the longitudinal axis of the supporting tube 112 (housing) and the second portion of the heating wire 121 (portion that is exterior to the supporting tube 112) is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the supporting tube 112 (housing) (Figure 4).
Claim 24. Liu discloses that the second portion of the heating wire 121 (portion that is exterior to the supporting tube 112) is configured to connect to the first seat body 31 and the first electrode post 32 (electrical components of the device) which are adjacent to and substantially parallel with a longitudinal axis of the supporting tube 112 (housing) ([0049]; Figures 4 and 5).
Claim 25. Liu discloses that the heating wire 121 (electrical connecting member) comprises only one bend between a portion of the heating wire 121 (electrical connecting member) which exits the latching openings 1121 (passageway) in a direction lateral to the longitudinal axis of the supporting tube 112 (housing) and the second portion of the heating wire 121 (portion that is exterior to the supporting tube 112) which is aligned substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the supporting tube 112 (housing) (Figure 4).
Claim 27. Liu discloses the aerosol generating device of claim 22 and a liquid storage element 111 (article containing aerosol generating material) wherein the liquid storage element 111 has liquid-absorbing and liquid-storing ability, and used for absorbing and storing tobacco flavored liquid such that the atomizer 12 then vaporizes tobacco flavored liquid ([0039]; Figure 4).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 28-32 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The closest prior art is Liu (US 2014/0332019). Liu discloses the housing module of claim 20 but does not explicitly disclose that the supporting tube 112 (housing) comprises a first housing member for at least partly defining the chamber for containing a heater arrangement for heating an aerosol generating material; a second housing member attached to the first housing member via an attachment, wherein the first housing member and the second housing member define therebetween the passageway into the chamber, and wherein the passageway is configured to allow the electrical connecting member for connecting to the heater arrangement to extend through the passageway; wherein the attachment between the first housing member and the second housing member is configured to hold the first housing member and the second housing member in a configuration which causes the sealing arrangement to seal the passageway.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, filed 3/17/25, regarding the rejection of claims 17-20, 22-25, 27-30, and 32 under 35 USC 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Thorson and the rejection of claim 31 under 35 USC 103 as being unpatentable over Thorson in view of Gavrielov, 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Katherine A Will whose telephone number is (571)270-0516. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 10:00AM-6:00PM(EST).
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/KATHERINE A WILL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1747