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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 11/12/2025 has been entered.
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) 10-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wu (CN20810076U) in view of Qiu et al. (CN109717519A)
Regarding claim 10, Wu discloses an electronic vaporization device, comprising:
a vaporization core (by reference sign 12, fig. 9) configured to heat and vaporize a vapor generation substrate; a vaporization base comprising an electrode, the vaporization base being electrically connectable to the vaporization core (by reference signs 15 and 15, fig. 9);
a holder (by reference sign 14, fig. 9) configured to support and fix the vaporization base; and the seal member (26, fig. 3) comprising a main body portion configured to be attached to the structural member so as to provide a sealing function (by reference sign 21-22, and 26, fig. 1);
wherein the structural member comprises the holder (22, figs. 1 and 3), and wherein the seal member is disposed between the vaporization base and the holder (see figs. 1 and 3).
Wu does not expressly disclose a traction portion connected to the main body portion and configured to pull the seal member such that the main body portion is attached to the structural member. Qiu discloses a seal for an electronic vaporization device wherein the sealing member (14) comprises a portion (141) and traction portion (142) wherein the seal member is pull so that the main body portion is attached to the structure (portion 163). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to use the teaching of Qiu for the device of Wu so that the sealing member can be attached to the structural member via pulling.
Qiu further discloses that the traction portion can be cut off by an external force (see sections referring to fig. 4, 7 and 8 wherein fig. 8 show a cut surface) (corresponding to the claimed a cut surface).
Regarding claim 11, Qiu discloses the electronic vaporization device further comprising:
a pneumatic switch; and a printed circuit board (PCB), wherein one end of the holder away from the vaporization base is configured to support and fix the pneumatic switch and the PCB (by references 653 and 652 of fig. 29).
Regarding claim 12, Wu discloses an airflow channel is provided inside the electronic vaporization device, wherein a vaporization cavity is formed between the vaporization core and the vaporization base, and wherein the vaporization cavity is in communication with the airflow channel (airflow by the arrows in fig. 1).
Regarding claim 13, Wu discloses the electronic vaporization device comprises a housing and a cover body that are connected to each other, wherein the airflow channel is provided in the housing, wherein the airflow channel comprises an air inlet channel (20a, fig.1) and an air outlet channel (11a, fig. 1), wherein an air inlet is provided at a junction of the cover body and the housing, wherein an air outlet is provided at one end of the cover body away from the housing, and wherein the air inlet, the vaporization cavity, and the air outlet are all in communication with the airflow channel (see fig. 1).
Regarding claim 14, Wu discloses the electronic vaporization device further comprising:
a power supply (24, fig. 1), wherein a first protrusion and a second protrusion are further provided on a surface of the holder attached to the seal member, the first protrusion and the second protrusion both protruding from the surface of the holder in a direction toward the seal member, wherein a magnetic groove is provided both in the first protrusion and the second protrusion, wherein holes are provided at positions corresponding to the first protrusion and the second protrusion on the seal member, wherein the magnetic grooves and the holes are all configured to place magnetic members, and wherein the magnetic member is configured to connect the vaporization base to the power supply (Wu discloses the atomization device and power supply device can also be detachably connecting was through magnetic and other assembled together such as bracket is provided with magnetic element; therefore the attraction of the magnet can adhered and fixed together) .
Regarding claim 15, Qiu discloses a third protrusion is further provided on the surface of the holder attached to the seal member, the third protrusion protruding from the surface of the holder in the direction toward the seal member, wherein a microphone air inlet hole is provided in the third protrusion, and wherein the microphone air inlet hole is in communication with the airflow channel so as to enable airflow to reach the pneumatic switch (Qiu discloses the air inlet is in communication with a detecting sensor and reach a switch to heat up the cartridge) .
Regarding claim 16, Wu discloses the electronic vaporization device of claim 15, wherein an airflow chamber is further provided between positions corresponding to the second protrusion and the third protrusion on the seal member, wherein the magnetic member in the second protrusion is provided with an airflow hole in an axial direction of the magnetic member, the airflow hole being in communication with the airflow channel, and wherein one end of the second protrusion close to the third protrusion is provided with a notch configured to flow the airflow from the second protrusion into the airflow chamber through the notch and then into the microphone air inlet hole (follows the arrows starting from 20a, fig.1 to 11a, fig. 1).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 11/12/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant essentially argues that claimed feature “wherein the traction portion comprises a cut surface” is not taught or suggested by prior arts. This argument is not persuasive because Qiu further discloses that the traction portion can be cut off by an external force (see sections referring to fig. 4, 7 and 8 wherein fig. 8 show a cut surface) (corresponding to the claimed a cut surface).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PHU H NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)272-5931. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-5.
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/PHU H NGUYEN/ Examiner, Art Unit 1747