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 .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed in parent Application No. CN202010015172.1, filed on 01/07/2020.
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Status of the Claims
Claims 20, 28-29, 31-32, and 40 are amended. Claims 21-26, 30, and 33-39 are as previously presented. Claims 1-19 and 27 are cancelled. Therefore, claims 20-26 and 28-40 are currently pending and have been considered below.
Response to Amendment
The amendment filed on June 11, 2025 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see Pages 10-13, filed 06/11/2025, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 20-26 and 28-40 under U.S.C. 103 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of applicant’s amendment regarding electrode connections and newly found prior art.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 20-26, 33, and 40 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhu et al. (CN 205568620 U, hereinafter Zhu) in view of Gao et al. (CN 107713712 A, hereinafter Gao) and Chen (CN 209377296 U) and Kim (CN 105877535 A) and He (CN 107334367 A, hereinafter Yun).
Regarding claim 20, Zhu discloses a cooking device (Abstract, “a roller type cooking appliance.”) comprising:
an outer pot having a mounting cavity (Page 3, Para. 1, “outer barrel 1 is provided into the cooking bucket 2 of the opening 11”, where the outer barrel includes a cavity, meaning that the interior is empty, and where that interior includes a mounting apparatus; Page 3, Para. 5, “cooking appliance in the output shaft of the driving motor 4 and the coupling device 5 is set on the outer end of the guide part 41”);
an inner pot assembly removably arranged in the mounting cavity (Page 3, Para. 1, “is set at the bottom of said cooking barrel and the output shaft 4 coupling device 5. said cooking barrel 1 is placed in the outer barrel 1, the output shaft 4 is coupled to the coupling device 5”, where the cooking barrel includes the coupling device 5 for mounting within the cavity of the outer barrel 1);
a first coupler arranged at the inner pot assembly (Page 3, Para. 1, “is set at the bottom of said cooking barrel and the output shaft 4 coupling device 5. said cooking barrel 1 is placed in the outer barrel 1, the output shaft 4 is coupled to the coupling device 5”, where the first coupler is coupling device 5);
alignment guides (Page 3, Para. 2, “slide rail 7 to guide the cooking barrel 2 slides into the outer barrel 1”) including: two handles symmetrically arranged at two sides of the inner pot assembly (Modified Fig. 1, where the two handles are shown on the inner pot); and
a second coupler arranged at the outer pot and configured to be plugged with the first coupler (Page 3, Para. 1, “is set at the bottom of said cooking barrel and the output shaft 4 coupling device 5. said cooking barrel 1 is placed in the outer barrel 1, the output shaft 4 is coupled to the coupling device 5”, where the second coupler is output shaft 4);
and the first coupler is symmetric with respect to the symmetrical axis of the two handles (Fig. 2, where the first coupler or coupling device 5 and second coupler or output shaft 4 are located in the center cooking barrel and outer pot respectively, where this would mean that the first and second couplers are located on the axis of symmetry and would be symmetric with respect to the handles).
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Modified Figure 1, Zhu
Zhu does not disclose:
alignment guides including: two bumps on a bottom of the inner pot assembly and symmetrically arranged about a central axis of the inner pot assembly, a symmetrical axis of the two handles being perpendicular to a symmetrical axis of the two bumps;
a plurality of grooves arranged at the outer pot and configured to accommodate and match the two handles and the two bumps, respectively;
wherein one of the first coupler and the second coupler includes a plurality of electrode needles, and another one of the first coupler and the second coupler includes a plurality of electrode grooves;
and where the first and second couplers is symmetric with respect to the symmetrical axis of the two bumps.
However, Gao discloses, in the similar field of cooking devices (Abstract, “cooking apparatus”), where there is an alignment assembly between the inner pot and outer pot that are a plurality of grooves arranged at the outer pot and configured to accommodate and match the two handles (Page 4, Para. 4 from end, “a locating opening 31 of how to realize the limit lifting, specifically the handle 50 placed on the positioning hole 31, the positioning hole 31 of the side wall surface side of the handle 50 against the pot 70 formed of circumferential location.”, where there is an accommodation groove in 31 and there is an alignment assembly which is the handle 50). It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to have modified the alignment guides in the cooking device in Zhu to include an alignment structure using the handles with grooves as taught by Gao.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to gain the advantage of being able to ensure positioning of the inner pot is correct, as stated by Gao, Page 4, Para. 4 from end, “a locating opening 31 of how to realize the limit lifting, specifically the handle 50 placed on the positioning hole 31”.
Chen discloses, in the similar field of cooking devices (Abstract, “cooking appliance”), where the alignment assembly can include additional structures such as bumps located at the bottom of the inner pot assembly that are symmetrically arranged about a central axis of the inner pot (Page 4, Para. 5, “Specifically, the bottom of the inner pot 130 can be provided with two projections 131, two protruding parts 131 are symmetrically arranged”), where that bump can be accommodated within a second groove located at the bottom wall of the mounting cavity (Page 4, Para. 5, “number and position of the slot 141 can correspond to two projections 131, so that the two projections 131 can be respectively inserted into two slots 141, to fit with the two slots 141”). It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to have modified the inner pot and outer pot assemblies in modified Zhu to include the features as taught by Chen.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to gain the advantage of being able to prevent rotation of the inner pot though additional structures, as stated by Chen, Page 4, Para. 5, “slot 141 capable of limiting function to the bulging portion 131, so as to prevent the inner pot 130 to rotate.”.
Further, Kim discloses, in the similar field of cooking devices (Abstract, “food processing and cooking apparatus”), where there are handles located near the top of a pot (Modified Fig. 2, where the two features construed to be equivalent to handles are shown as they allow a user to grip onto the inner pot; Page 8, Para. 3, “locking hole 211 for allowing the fixed lock 122 is inserted and placed groove 210 of the upper part on the outer surface of the upper case 200a”, and Page 11, Para. 5, “container module 100 of the handle 111”), where there are bumps located near the bottom of the pot (Modified Fig. 2, where the two bumps are shown; Page 11, Para. 5 from end, “a plurality of stepped portion 131 in a sliding manner and fixedly combined with the plurality of step grooves 222”), and where the symmetrical axis of the handles are perpendicular to a symmetrical axis of the two bumps (Modified Fig. 2, where the handle and bump locations are shown to have symmetrical axes that are perpendicular to each other, where the handle and bump alternate every 90 degrees around the inner pot). It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to have modified the inner pot with the handles and bumps from modified Zhu to include the perpendicular axes of symmetry as taught by Kim; where this arrangement of the handles and bumps would result in the first and second couplers being symmetric with respect to the symmetric axis of handles and bumps as the couplers are right on the axis of symmetry by being in the center.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to gain the advantage of a combined handle and bump feature that ensure the orientation of the inner pot is kept stable, as stated by Kim, Page 11, Para. 4, “protruded 231 towards horizontal direction pushes the container module 100 of the container cover 120 is formed with fixing lock end piece 122”, and Page 11, Para. 5 from end, “stepped portion 131 in a sliding manner and fixedly combined with the plurality of step grooves 222”.
Regarding the specific orientation of the handle and bump features, it has been held that mere rearrangement of parts is an obvious modification to make. In re Japikse, 181 F.2d 1019, 86 USPQ 70 (CCPA 1950). It is the Examiner’s position that merely altering the orientation of the handle and bumps and how they interact with the outer pot would still achieve the same end result of allowing the inner pot to be anchored to the outer pot in a predetermined orientation. As a result, any positioning of the handle and bumps would be a mere matter of user design choice. Kim also discloses that an orientation where the symmetric axes of the handle and bumps are perpendicular is known in the prior art as one possible orientation.
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Modified Figure 2, Kim
Additionally, Yun discloses, in the similar field of cooking devices (Page 1, last Para., “domestic culinary cooker device”), where the first coupler includes a plurality of electrode needles located at an inner pot (Page 4, Para. 2 from end, “the electrode 31 relative to the lower side surface of the boiler body 4 at an angle acute angle extending downwards”, where the electrode can be a pin, Page 2, Para. 2 from end, “electrode of the cooker body heating device in the existing technology adopts the vertical pin structure”, where the definition of a needle is taken from https://dict.org/bin/Dict, to be a slender pointed object, where the pin would satisfy being a needle and achieve the same end result of a needle in transferring electrical energy) and the second coupler includes a plurality of electrode grooves located at an outer pot (Page 4, Para. 2 from end, “the fixing plate 2 is provided with an electrode socket 21 through the opening 24, the electrode socket 21 is located on the fixing plate 2 of the upper side part is provided with a electrode socket 214 by the electrode 31, the electrode socket 214 is composed of electrode socket 21 close to one side of the electrode 31 downward extends downward for connecting the inclined electrode 31.”). It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to have modified the inner and outer pot couplers in modified Zhu to include the electrode needle and groove features as taught by Yun.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to gain the advantage of being able to supply electrical power to the inner pot to allow for a heating device to be activated, where the electrode needle coupling mechanism allows that electrical power to be transferred, as stated by Yun, Page 1, last Para., “domestic culinary cooker device aspect, in order to cater to people diet life out of a multifunctional electric heating boiler for cooking different food requirement, on the market, the warmer is mainly the electric energy is converted into heat energy”, and Page 2, Para. 3 from end, “An electric heating pot, comprising a pot body, a base, a heating device, an electrode socket and a fixing plate for fixing the electrode socket”,
where it is the Examiner’s position that the coupler mechanism from Zhu already includes a coupling groove and a shaft that extends outwards, where these structures are similar to the socket and pin from Yun. As a result, replacing the structure from Zhu to be the structure from Yun would improve the system in allowing for electricity to flow to the inner pot while also maintaining a similar coupling structure.
Regarding claim 21, modified Zhu teaches the apparatus according to claim 20, as set forth above, discloses wherein
a groove of the plurality of grooves is formed by a downward depression of an upper surface of the outer pot, the groove matching one of the two handles (Teaching from Gao, Page 4, Para. 4 from end, “a locating opening 31 of how to realize the limit lifting, specifically the handle 50 placed on the positioning hole 31, the positioning hole 31 of the side wall surface side of the handle 50 against the pot 70 formed of circumferential location.”, where there are two accommodation grooves in 31 and there is an alignment assembly which is the handles 50).
Regarding claim 22, modified Zhu teaches the apparatus according to claim 21, as set forth above, discloses wherein: the groove is a first groove (Teaching from Gao, Page 4, Para. 4 from end, “a locating opening 31 of how to realize the limit lifting, specifically the handle 50 placed on the positioning hole 31”, where the accommodation groove 31 is construed as a first groove);
Modified Zhu does not disclose:
a second groove of the plurality of grooves is arranged at a bottom wall of the mounting cavity.
However, Chen discloses, in the similar field of cooking devices (Abstract, “cooking appliance”), where the alignment assembly can include additional structures such as a bump located at the bottom of the inner pot assembly (Page 4, Para. 5, “Specifically, the bottom of the inner pot 130 can be provided with two projections 131, two protruding parts 131 are symmetrically arranged”), where that bump can be accommodated within a second groove located at the bottom wall of the mounting cavity (Page 4, Para. 5, “number and position of the slot 141 can correspond to two projections 131, so that the two projections 131 can be respectively inserted into two slots 141, to fit with the two slots 141”). It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to have modified the inner pot and outer pot assemblies in modified Zhu to include the features as taught by Chen.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to gain the advantage of being able to prevent rotation of the inner pot though additional structures, as stated by Chen, Page 4, Para. 5, “slot 141 capable of limiting function to the bulging portion 131, so as to prevent the inner pot 130 to rotate.”.
Regarding claim 23, modified Zhu teaches the apparatus according to claim 21, as set forth above.
Modified Zhu does not disclose:
wherein a distance between a groove wall of the groove and an edge of the one of the two handles ranges from 0.2 mm to 6 mm.
However, Gao discloses an alignment assembly between the inner pot and outer pot that is within an accommodation groove with a distance between the groove wall and edge of the handle (Modified Fig. 2 and 4, where there would be a distance between the groove and edge of the handle). It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to have modified the alignment guides in the cooking device in Zhu to include another alignment structure using the handles with grooves as taught by Gao.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to gain the advantage of being able to ensure positioning of the inner pot is correct, as stated by Gao, Page 4, Para. 4 from end, “a locating opening 31 of how to realize the limit lifting, specifically the handle 50 placed on the positioning hole 31”.
Regarding the specific distance, it is the Examiner’s position that one of ordinary skill in the art would have found it obvious, through routine experimentation, to selectively choose or optimize the distance values between the handle and groove. See MPEP 2144.05, Section II A and B. Routine optimization would have been desired to one of ordinary skill in the art, as the application of Gao discloses a cooking appliance of a specific size, with an inner pot with handles that protrude a specific distance; thus, adjusting the specific distance of the handles would be dependent on the size of the inner pot and how long a user would want their handles to be. These features would be discovered through routine experimentation as obvious design choices.
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Modified Fig. 2 and 4, Gao
Regarding claim 24, modified Zhu teaches the apparatus according to claim 20, as set forth above.
Modified Zhu does not disclose:
a groove of the plurality of grooves is arranged at a bottom wall of the mounting cavity, the groove matching one of the two bumps.
However, Chen discloses where the alignment assembly can include additional structures such as a bump located at the bottom of the inner pot assembly (Page 4, Para. 5, “Specifically, the bottom of the inner pot 130 can be provided with two projections 131, two protruding parts 131 are symmetrically arranged”), where that bump can be accommodated within a second groove located at the bottom wall of the mounting cavity (Page 4, Para. 5, “number and position of the slot 141 can correspond to two projections 131, so that the two projections 131 can be respectively inserted into two slots 141, to fit with the two slots 141”). It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to have modified the inner pot and outer pot assemblies in modified Zhu to include the features as taught by Chen.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to gain the advantage of being able to prevent rotation of the inner pot though additional structures, as stated by Chen, Page 4, Para. 5, “slot 141 capable of limiting function to the bulging portion 131, so as to prevent the inner pot 130 to rotate.”.
Regarding claim 25, modified Zhu teaches the apparatus according to claim 24, as set forth above.
Modified Zhu does not disclose:
wherein: a bottom wall of the outer pot includes a stepped surface on an outer peripheral side and a sinking step in a middle portion, and a side wall of the sinking step is recessed to form the groove;
a shape of a bottom wall of the inner pot assembly matches a shape of the bottom wall of the outer pot, to allow the inner pot assembly to be embedded in the outer pot; and
a maximum distance between the bump and a center of the inner pot assembly is greater than a radius of the stepped surface, to allow the two bumps to be supported on the stepped surface.
However, Chen discloses where the bottom wall of the outer pot includes a stepped surface on the outer side and a sinking step in the middle, where the sinking step includes a groove (Modified Fig. 4.1, where the stepped outer and middle surfaces are shown, where the sinking step creates a groove on the periphery as it protrudes downwards), where the shape of the bottom wall matches the shape of the inner pot and allowed the inner to be embedded (Fig. 3, where the bottom wall 140 matches the pot 130 and the inner pot is embedded within the bottom wall 140), and where the maximum distance between the bump and center of the inner pot is greater than the radius of the stepped surface to allow bump to be supported on the stepped surface (Page 4, Para. 5, “the protruding part 131 can be inserted into the slot 141”, where Fig. 3 shows that the bump 131 is supported by the stepped surface’s slot 141, meaning that the two bumps must protrude enough to be supported by the stepped surface). It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to have modified the inner and outer pot of modified Zhu to include the features as taught by Chen.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to gain the advantage of being able to prevent rotation of the inner pot though additional structures, as stated by Chen, Page 4, Para. 5, “slot 141 capable of limiting function to the bulging portion 131, so as to prevent the inner pot 130 to rotate.”.
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Modified Fig. 4.1, Chen
Regarding claim 26, modified Zhu teaches the apparatus according to claim 24, as set forth above.
Modified Zhu does not disclose:
wherein a radial clearance between the one of the two bumps and the groove when the one of the two bumps is located in the groove is greater than or equal to 0.1 mm and less than or equal to 2 mm.
However, Chen discloses where the bump and groove are inserted into one another (Page 4, Para. 5, “the two projections 131 can be respectively inserted into two slots 141,
to fit with the two slots 141”). It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to have modified the bump and groove in modified Zhu to be embedded within one another as taught by Chen.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to gain the advantage of being able to prevent rotation of the inner pot though additional structures, as stated by Chen, Page 4, Para. 5, “slot 141 capable of limiting function to the bulging portion 131, so as to prevent the inner pot 130 to rotate.”.
Regarding the specific distance, it is the Examiner’s position that one of ordinary skill in the art would have found it obvious, through routine experimentation, to selectively choose or optimize the distance values between the bump and groove. See MPEP 2144.05, Section II A and B. Routine optimization would have been desired to one of ordinary skill in the art, as the application of Chen discloses a cooking appliance of a specific size, with an inner pot with bumps that are inserted into grooves, where there must be some clearance between the two components; thus, adjusting the specific clearance would be dependent on the size of the inner pot and the specific sizing that a user would want for the bumps. These features would be discovered through routine experimentation as obvious design choices.
Regarding claim 33, modified Zhu teaches the apparatus according to claim 20, as set forth above.
Modified Zhu does not disclose:
wherein a distance between a side wall of the inner pot assembly and an inner side wall of the mounting cavity ranges from 0.1 mm to 6 mm.
However, Zhu shows that the inner pot and the side wall of the mounting cavity of the outer pot have a distance between them (Fig. 2, where there must be a distance between the inner and outer pot due to the rails 7).
Regarding the specific distance, it is the Examiner’s position that one of ordinary skill in the art would have found it obvious, through routine experimentation, to selectively choose or optimize the distance values between the inner pot and the outer pot side wall. See MPEP 2144.05, Section II A and B. Routine optimization would have been desired to one of ordinary skill in the art, as the application of Zhu discloses a cooking appliance of a specific size, where there is a clearance distance in order to accommodate rails 7; thus, adjusting the specific distance between the inner and outer pot would be dependent on the size of the inner pot and the size of the rails, which would be a mere matter of user design choice. These features would be discovered through routine experimentation as obvious design choices.
Regarding claim 40, Zhu discloses a cooking device (Abstract, “a roller type cooking appliance.”) comprising:
an outer pot having a mounting cavity (Page 3, Para. 1, “outer barrel 1 is provided into the cooking bucket 2 of the opening 11”, where the outer barrel includes a cavity, meaning that the interior is empty, and where that interior includes a mounting apparatus; Page 3, Para. 5, “cooking appliance in the output shaft of the driving motor 4 and the coupling device 5 is set on the outer end of the guide part 41”);
an inner pot assembly removably arranged in the mounting cavity (Page 3, Para. 1, “is set at the bottom of said cooking barrel and the output shaft 4 coupling device 5. said cooking barrel 1 is placed in the outer barrel 1, the output shaft 4 is coupled to the coupling device 5”, where the cooking barrel includes the coupling device 5 for mounting within the cavity of the outer barrel 1);
a first coupler arranged at the inner pot assembly (Page 3, Para. 1, “is set at the bottom of said cooking barrel and the output shaft 4 coupling device 5. said cooking barrel 1 is placed in the outer barrel 1, the output shaft 4 is coupled to the coupling device 5”, where the first coupler is coupling device 5);
an alignment assembly (Page 3, Para. 2, “slide rail 7 to guide the cooking barrel 2 slides into the outer barrel 1”) including: two handles symmetrically arranged at two sides of the inner pot assembly (Modified Fig. 1, where the two handles are shown on the inner pot); and
a second coupler arranged at the outer pot and configured to be plugged with the first coupler (Page 3, Para. 1, “is set at the bottom of said cooking barrel and the output shaft 4 coupling device 5. said cooking barrel 1 is placed in the outer barrel 1, the output shaft 4 is coupled to the coupling device 5”, where the second coupler is output shaft 4);
and the first coupler is symmetric with respect to the symmetrical axis of the two handles (Fig. 2, where the first coupler or coupling device 5 and second coupler or output shaft 4 are located in the center cooking barrel and outer pot respectively, where this would mean that the first and second couplers are located on the axis of symmetry and would be symmetric with respect to the handles).
Zhu does not disclose:
alignment assembly including: two bumps on a bottom of the inner pot assembly and symmetrically arranged about a central axis of the inner pot assembly, the two handles and two bumps being alternately arranged along a circumference of the inner pot assembly;
a plurality of grooves arranged at the outer pot and configured to accommodate and match the two handles and two bumps, respectively;
wherein one of the first coupler and the second coupler includes a plurality of electrode needles, and another one of the first coupler and the second coupler includes a plurality of electrode grooves;
and where the first and second couplers is symmetric with respect to the symmetrical axis of the two bumps.
However, Gao discloses, in the similar field of cooking devices (Abstract, “cooking apparatus”), where there is an alignment assembly between the inner pot and outer pot that are a plurality of grooves arranged at the outer pot and configured to accommodate and match the two handles (Page 4, Para. 4 from end, “a locating opening 31 of how to realize the limit lifting, specifically the handle 50 placed on the positioning hole 31, the positioning hole 31 of the side wall surface side of the handle 50 against the pot 70 formed of circumferential location.”, where there is an accommodation groove in 31 and there is an alignment assembly which is the handle 50). It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to have modified the alignment guides in the cooking device in Zhu to include an alignment structure using the handles with grooves as taught by Gao.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to gain the advantage of being able to ensure positioning of the inner pot is correct, as stated by Gao, Page 4, Para. 4 from end, “a locating opening 31 of how to realize the limit lifting, specifically the handle 50 placed on the positioning hole 31”.
Chen discloses, in the similar field of cooking devices (Abstract, “cooking appliance”), where the alignment assembly can include additional structures such as bumps located at the bottom of the inner pot assembly that are symmetrically arranged about a central axis of the inner pot (Page 4, Para. 5, “Specifically, the bottom of the inner pot 130 can be provided with two projections 131, two protruding parts 131 are symmetrically arranged”), where that bump can be accommodated within a second groove located at the bottom wall of the mounting cavity (Page 4, Para. 5, “number and position of the slot 141 can correspond to two projections 131, so that the two projections 131 can be respectively inserted into two slots 141, to fit with the two slots 141”). It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to have modified the inner pot and outer pot assemblies in modified Zhu to include the features as taught by Chen.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to gain the advantage of being able to prevent rotation of the inner pot though additional structures, as stated by Chen, Page 4, Para. 5, “slot 141 capable of limiting function to the bulging portion 131, so as to prevent the inner pot 130 to rotate.”.
Further, Kim discloses, in the similar field of cooking devices (Abstract, “food processing and cooking apparatus”), where there are handles located near the top of a pot (Modified Fig. 2, where the two features construed to be equivalent to handles are shown as they allow a user to grip onto the inner pot; Page 8, Para. 3, “locking hole 211 for allowing the fixed lock 122 is inserted and placed groove 210 of the upper part on the outer surface of the upper case 200a”, and Page 11, Para. 5, “container module 100 of the handle 111”), where there are bumps located near the bottom of the pot (Modified Fig. 2, where the two bumps are shown; Page 11, Para. 5 from end, “a plurality of stepped portion 131 in a sliding manner and fixedly combined with the plurality of step grooves 222”), and where the symmetrical axis of the handles are perpendicular to a symmetrical axis of the two bumps, meaning that the handles and bumps alternate along the circumference of the inner pot (Modified Fig. 2, where the handle and bump locations are shown to have symmetrical axes that are perpendicular to each other, where the handle and bump alternate every 90 degrees around the inner pot). It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to have modified the inner pot with the handles and bumps from modified Zhu to include the perpendicular axes of symmetry as taught by Kim.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to gain the advantage of a combined handle and bump feature that ensure the orientation of the inner pot is kept stable, as stated by Kim, Page 11, Para. 4, “protruded 231 towards horizontal direction pushes the container module 100 of the container cover 120 is formed with fixing lock end piece 122”, and Page 11, Para. 5 from end, “stepped portion 131 in a sliding manner and fixedly combined with the plurality of step grooves 222”.
Regarding the specific orientation of the handle and bump features, it has been held that mere rearrangement of parts is an obvious modification to make. In re Japikse, 181 F.2d 1019, 86 USPQ 70 (CCPA 1950). It is the Examiner’s position that merely altering the orientation of the handle and bumps and how they interact with the outer pot would still achieve the same end result of allowing the inner pot to be anchored to the outer pot in a predetermined orientation. As a result, any positioning of the handle and bumps would be a mere matter of user design choice. Kim also discloses that an orientation where the symmetric axes of the handle and bumps are perpendicular is known in the prior art as one possible orientation.
Additionally, Yun discloses, in the similar field of cooking devices (Page 1, last Para., “domestic culinary cooker device”), where the first coupler includes a plurality of electrode needles located at an inner pot (Page 4, Para. 2 from end, “the electrode 31 relative to the lower side surface of the boiler body 4 at an angle acute angle extending downwards”, where the electrode can be a pin, Page 2, Para. 2 from end, “electrode of the cooker body heating device in the existing technology adopts the vertical pin structure”, where the definition of a needle is taken from https://dict.org/bin/Dict, to be a slender pointed object, where the pin would satisfy being a needle and achieve the same end result of a needle in transferring electrical energy) and the second coupler includes a plurality of electrode grooves located at an outer pot (Page 4, Para. 2 from end, “the fixing plate 2 is provided with an electrode socket 21 through the opening 24, the electrode socket 21 is located on the fixing plate 2 of the upper side part is provided with a electrode socket 214 by the electrode 31, the electrode socket 214 is composed of electrode socket 21 close to one side of the electrode 31 downward extends downward for connecting the inclined electrode 31.”). It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to have modified the inner and outer pot couplers in modified Zhu to include the electrode needle and groove features as taught by Yun.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to gain the advantage of being able to supply electrical power to the inner pot to allow for a heating device to be activated, where the electrode needle coupling mechanism allows that electrical power to be transferred, as stated by Yun, Page 1, last Para., “domestic culinary cooker device aspect, in order to cater to people diet life out of a multifunctional electric heating boiler for cooking different food requirement, on the market, the warmer is mainly the electric energy is converted into heat energy”, and Page 2, Para. 3 from end, “An electric heating pot, comprising a pot body, a base, a heating device, an electrode socket and a fixing plate for fixing the electrode socket”,
where it is the Examiner’s position that the coupler mechanism from Zhu already includes a coupling groove and a shaft that extends outwards, where these structures are similar to the socket and pin from Yun. As a result, replacing the structure from Zhu to be the structure from Yun would improve the system in allowing for electricity to flow to the inner pot while also maintaining a similar coupling structure.
Claims 28 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhu et al. (CN 205568620 U, hereinafter Zhu) in view of Gao et al. (CN 107713712 A, hereinafter Gao) and Chen (CN 209377296 U) and Kim (CN 105877535 A) and He (CN 107334367 A, hereinafter Yun) in further view of He et al. (CN 208941745 U, hereinafter He).
Regarding claim 28, modified Zhu teaches the apparatus according to claim 20, as set forth above.
Modified Zhu does not disclose:
the plurality of electrode needles are configured to be inserted in the plurality of electrode grooves for electrical connection.
However, He discloses, in the similar field of cooking devices (Page 1, Para. 2, “a coupler and a cooking appliance.”), where there is a coupler that includes a first coupler with electrode needles and another coupler with grooves (Page 1, last Para., “current hardware coupler with two contacting on the market, one is electrode needle coupler, the coupler comprising a hardware and hardware sleeve matched with the hardware.”), where the two couplers connect together for alignment (Page 2, last Para., “the first coupling piece has is first inclined portion disposed at an angle to the horizontal, second coupling has a second inclined part matched with the first inclined part.”), where one coupler is on the inner pot and another coupler is on the outer pot (Page 2, Para. 3 from end, “first coupling member coupler set on the inner pot, second coupling element of the coupler is set on the cooker body”). It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to have modified the coupler assembly in modified Zhu to include an electrode needle coupling system as taught by He.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to gain the advantage of a known coupling system for electric systems, where choosing between different coupling systems would be a mere matter of design choice, as stated by He, Page 1, last Para., “current hardware coupler with two contacting on the market, one is electrode needle coupler, the coupler comprising a hardware and hardware sleeve matched with the hardware.”.
Claims 29-31 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhu et al. (CN 205568620 U, hereinafter Zhu) in view of Gao et al. (CN 107713712 A, hereinafter Gao) and Chen (CN 209377296 U) and Kim (CN 105877535 A) and He (CN 107334367 A, hereinafter Yun) in further view of Johnson et al. (US 20190115691 A1, hereinafter Johnson).
Regarding claim 29, modified Zhu teaches the apparatus according to claim 20, as set forth above.
Modified Zhu does not disclose:
wherein: the plurality of the electrode needles include a pair of electrode needles distributed on a first circle and distributed symmetrically about a center of the first circle; the plurality of electrode grooves include a pair of electrode grooves distributed on a second circle and distributed symmetrically about a center of the second circle; and
the plurality of electrode needles correspond to the plurality of electrode grooves in a one-to-one correspondence.
However, Johnson discloses, in the similar field of electrical connectors (Abstract, “electrical connections between cables, electrical power and signal sources, equipment”), where there are a plurality of electrode needles arranged in a circle around a center point and where there are a plurality of electrode grooves arranged in a circle around a center point (Para. 0032, “Referring to FIGS. 1-2, an example magnetic latching connector 10 includes a male connector component 20 and a female connector component 40.”, where Fig. 2 shows that there needles 54 and grooves 108), where the needles and grooves correspond to one another (Fig. 3-4, where the needles 54 are shown to correspond to the grooves 108). It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to have modified the coupling system in modified Zhu to include the needle and groove configuration as taught by Johnson.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to gain the advantage of another electrical needle configuration that can deliver power, where different configurations are shown to be possible, as stated by Johnson, Abstract, “Recessed within the male and female couplings are electrically conductive pins and sockets and male and female magnetic latching elements. When the male and female connector components are coupled, the pins and sockets provide electrical connections”.
Regarding claim 30, modified Zhu teaches the apparatus according to claim 29, as set forth above, discloses wherein a diameter of the first circle equals a diameter of the second circle (Teaching from Johnson, Fig. 3-4, where the needles 54 are shown to correspond to the grooves 108, where the circles are the same diameter).
Regarding claim 31, modified Zhu teaches the apparatus according to claim 20, as set forth above.
Modified Zhu does not disclose:
wherein the plurality of electrode needles are distributed on a plurality of first concentric circles with different diameters; the plurality of electrode grooves are distributed on a plurality of second concentric circles with different diameters; and the diameter of each of the plurality of first concentric circles equals the diameter of a corresponding one of the plurality of second concentric circles.
However, Johnson discloses where there are a plurality of electrode needles arranged in a circle around a center point and where there are a plurality of electrode grooves arranged in a circle around a center point (Para. 0032, “Referring to FIGS. 1-2, an example magnetic latching connector 10 includes a male connector component 20 and a female connector component 40.”, where Fig. 2 shows that there needles 54 and grooves 108), where the needles and grooves correspond to one another (Fig. 3-4, where the needles 54 are shown to correspond to the grooves 108). It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to have modified the coupling system in modified Zhu to include the needle and groove configuration as taught by Johnson.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to gain the advantage of another electrical needle configuration that can deliver power, where different configurations are shown to be possible, as stated by Johnson, Abstract, “Recessed within the male and female couplings are electrically conductive pins and sockets and male and female magnetic latching elements. When the male and female connector components are coupled, the pins and sockets provide electrical connections”.
Regarding including a secondary concentric circle, it has been held that duplication of parts is an obvious modification to make. In re Harza, 274 F.2d 669, 124 USPQ 378 (CCPA 1960). It is the Examiner’s position that adding another concentric circle to the electrode needles and grooves would not produce any new and unexpected results as the two couplers would still be able to deliver electric signals when connected. Thus, the configuration of the needles and grooves would be a mere matter of user design choice.
Claims 32 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhu et al. (CN 205568620 U, hereinafter Zhu) in view of Gao et al. (CN 107713712 A, hereinafter Gao) and Chen (CN 209377296 U) and Kim (CN 105877535 A) and He (CN 107334367 A, hereinafter Yun) in further view of Aldrich et al. (US 8979559 B2, hereinafter Aldrich).
Regarding claim 32, modified Zhu teaches the apparatus according to claim 20, as set forth above.
Modified Zhu does not disclose:
wherein: the first coupler further includes a first ground electrode located at a center of a distribution circle of the plurality of electrode needles; the second coupler further includes a second ground electrode located at a center of a distribution circle of the plurality of electrode grooves; and the first ground electrode and the second ground electrode are configured to abut against each other when the first coupler is plugged with the second coupler.
However, Aldrich discloses, in the similar field of electric couplers (Page 7, Section 1, lines 53-54, “The electrical connector can include a plug assembly having a plurality of pins.”), where there is a ground electrode included within the coupler (Page 8, Section 3, lines 39-42, “When multiple connector pins are positioned in the cavity 130 of the cylindrical body 110, one of the pins may be shorter than the other pins. In such a case, the shorter pin may be a grounding conductor or a grounding pin.”). It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to have modified the coupler in modified Zhu to include a ground electrode as taught by Aldrich.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to gain the advantage of being able to allow the coupler to have grounding, where Aldrich states that having a ground electrode is an optional piece that would be dependent upon a user’s design choice, as stated by Aldrich, Page 10, Section 7, lines 21-26, “In certain example embodiments, the pins of the plug assembly do not include a ground pin 340. Alternatively, when the pins of the plug assembly include a ground pin 340, the ground pin 340 can have the same and/or different length and/or a same and/or different width as the remainder of the pins (e.g., the connector pins 342).”.
Regarding the positioning of the ground electrode and groove, it has been held that mere rearrangement of parts is an obvious modification to make. In re Kuhle, 526 F.2d 553, 188 USPQ 7 (CCPA 1975). It is the Examiner’s position that changing the positioning of the grounding electrode and groove would still produce a grounding effect for the coupler. Thus, the specific location of the grounding elements would be a mere matter of user design choice.
Claims 34-35 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhu et al. (CN 205568620 U, hereinafter Zhu) in view of Gao et al. (CN 107713712 A, hereinafter Gao) and Chen (CN 209377296 U) and Kim (CN 105877535 A) and He (CN 107334367 A, hereinafter Yun) in further view of Finona (EP 3410543 A1).
Regarding claim 34, modified Zhu teaches the apparatus according to claim 20, as set forth above, discloses further comprising: a mounting structure arranged at a bottom wall of the outer pot (Zhu, Fig. 2, where the second coupler 4 is located within the outer pot and within a depression located at the bottom of the outer pot, which is construed as the mounting portion);
wherein: the second coupler is located at the mounting structure, and the mounting structure is configured to support the second coupler (Zhu, Fig. 2, where the second coupler 4 is supported within the mounting structure or depression located at the bottom of the outer pot);
the mounting structure includes: a mounting hole arranged at the bottom wall of the outer pot (Zhu, Fig. 2, where the entirety of the second coupler 4 is located within a depression on the bottom of the outer pot, meaning that there must be a hole in that location).
Modified Zhu does not disclose:
a rib arranged at an outer periphery of the mounting hole, the rib being protrudingly arranged at a bottom wall of the outer pot, and the rib supporting the second coupler; and
a positioning boss protrudingly arranged at the rib.
However, Finona discloses, in the similar field of coupling devices (Abstract, “The splice connector assembly can include a connection unit mating a female and male terminals.”), where coupler assembly can include a mounting device within a mounting hole that includes a protruding rib (Modified Fig. 17, where the mounting device is shown), where the rib supports the second coupler (Modified Fig. 17, where the second coupler is shown), where a positioning boss protrudes from the rib (Modified Fig. 17, where the positioning boss is shown). It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to have modified the coupler system in modified Zhu to include the features as taught by Finona.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to gain the advantage of having a mounting component that can secure the second coupler in place, as stated by Finona, Para. 0043, “As shown, the retention cap 96 can include the locking mechanism 82 that engages with the corresponding locking mechanism 80 of the outer body 78. This can secure the socket 22 together and maintains the inner body 88”.
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Modified Fig. 17, Finona
Regarding claim 35, modified Zhu teaches the apparatus according to claim 34, as set forth above.
Modified Zhu does not disclose:
wherein the second coupler includes: a coupler housing; a buckle arranged at the coupler housing and configured to pass through the mounting hole to be buckled on an outside of the bottom wall of the outer pot; and a support member arranged at an outer periphery wall of the coupler housing and abutting against the rib, a notch extending through the support member along an axial direction of the second coupler being arranged at the support member, and the positioning boss being located in the notch.
However, Finona discloses where the second coupler includes the coupler housing, a buckle within the housing, a support member on the outer periphery wall of the housing and touching the rib, and notch within the support member that engages the positioning boss (Modified Fig. 17, where the features are shown, where the buckle is construed as the electrode needles within the coupler housing that would engage with electrode grooves of the other coupler component). It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to have modified the coupler system in modified Zhu to include the features as taught by Finona.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to gain the advantage of having a mounting component that can secure the second coupler in place, as stated by Finona, Para. 0043, “As shown, the retention cap 96 can include the locking mechanism 82 that engages with the corresponding locking mechanism 80 of the outer body 78. This can secure the socket 22 together and maintains the inner body 88”.
Claims 36 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhu et al. (CN 205568620 U, hereinafter Zhu) in view of Gao et al. (CN 107713712 A, hereinafter Gao) and Chen (CN 209377296 U) and Kim (CN 105877535 A) and He (CN 107334367 A, hereinafter Yun) in further view of Zhu et al. (CN 203016646 U, hereinafter Zhu 2013).
Regarding claim 36, modified Zhu teaches the apparatus according to claim 20, as set forth above, discloses wherein the inner pot assembly includes: an inner pot (Zhu, Page 3, Para. 2, “cooking bucket 2”).
Modified Zhu does not disclose:
a bottom cover arranged at a bottom of the inner pot, and connected with the inner pot to form a sealed cavity, the first coupler being at least partially located inside the sealed cavity; and
a heating element arranged at the bottom wall of the inner pot and in the sealed cavity, and electrically connected to the first coupler.
However, Zhu 2013 discloses, in the similar field of cooking appliances (Abstract, “electric rice cooker”), where there is a bottom cover of the inner pot that includes a sealed cavity with the coupler within that cavity (Para. 0024, “inner container 12, the in 12 bottom is provided with thick heating film 13 and a sealing cover 14, sealing cover 14 and liner 12 connect heating thick film 13 sealed cavity 15 is formed. the seal cover 14 is provided with opening or sealed on the coupler of the cavity 15 of the valve 18”), where a heating element is within the cavity and electrically connected to a first coupler (Para. 0024, “seal cover 14 is provided with opening or sealed on the coupler of the cavity 15 of the valve 18 and connect heating thick film 16, pot body 11 is provided with a lower coupler connected with the power supply 17 of the upper coupler 16 and lower coupler 17 connection, valve 18 open to the cavity 15.”). It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to have modified the inner pot of modified Zhu to include the features as taught by Zhu 2013.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to gain the advantage of being able to include a heating feature within the cooking assembly that allows for the inner pot to be more reliably cleaned, as the cavity is sealed, as stated by Zhu 2013, Para. 0012, “furthermore, when the user needs to take out the inner cleaning, the valve is closed the cavity such that heating thick film is sealed in the sealed cavity to avoid heating thick film or impact damage, safer and more reliable.”.
Claims 37 and 39 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhu et al. (CN 205568620 U, hereinafter Zhu) in view of Gao et al. (CN 107713712 A, hereinafter Gao) and Chen (CN 209377296 U) and Kim (CN 105877535 A) and He (CN 107334367 A, hereinafter Yun) in further view of Zhu et al. (CN 203016646 U, hereinafter Zhu 2013) and Nishiyama et al. (JP 2009172031 A, hereinafter Nishiyama).
Regarding claim 37, modified Zhu teaches the apparatus according to claim 36, as set forth above, discloses wherein the inner pot includes: a pot body (Zhu, Fig. 1, the cooking bucket or inner pot 2 includes a body).
Modified Zhu does not disclose:
a bottom plate arranged between the pot body and the heating element, and connected to the heating element and the first coupler.
However, Nishiyama discloses, in the similar field of cooking appliances (Abstract, “The cooker”), where there is a bottom plate between the pot body and heating element (Page 4, Para. 4 from end, “The outer casing is provided with an inner pot accommodating portion 32 having a protective frame 35 and an inner trunk 33 inside, and the inner pot 10 is detachably accommodated in the inner pot accommodating portion 32.”), which is connected to the heating element (Page 10, Para. 1, “Next, the protective frame 35 to which the induction heating coil 44 and the ferrite core 48 are fixed is disposed in the bottom body 25.”) and can be attached to a coupler (Page 9, Para. 2, “guide rib 80 that protrudes radially outward is provided on the outer peripheral portion of the cylindrical mounting portion 41”). It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to have modified inner pot in modified Zhu to include a plate as taught by Nishiyama.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to gain the advantage of being able to include a plate that isolates heating in order to protect sensitive components within the inner pot, as stated by Nishiyama, Page 5, Para. 3, “The protective frame 35 is made of a resin which is a non-conductive material disposed so as to cover the lower end opening of the inner cylinder 33.”.
Regarding claim 39, modified Zhu teaches the apparatus according to claim 36, as set forth above.
Modified Zhu does not disclose:
further comprising: a sensor arranged at the inner pot; and
a pressure plate arranged at the first coupler and configured to fix the sensor.
However, Nishiyama discloses where a sensor is arranged at the inner pot (Page 5, Para. 3, “Moreover, the sensor attachment part 39 which has the hole which attaches the temperature sensor which detects the temperature of the inner pot 10 is provided in the expansion part 37 of the protective frame 35 so that it may be located in the upper part at the back side”), and where a pressure plate near the first coupler (Page 9, Para. 2 from end, “in the assembled state, the flange portion 42 abuts against the upper end surface of the boss portion 31 of the bottom body 25 by moving the protective frame 35 downward against the urging force of the spring 83 while releasing the pressure.”) fixes the sensor in place (Page 9, Para. 2 from end, “moving the protective frame 35 downward against the urging force of the spring 83”, where the downward force of the protective frame forces the inner pot into a position where the sensor can detect the temperature of the inner pot). It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to have modified the inner pot to include the features as taught by Nishiyama.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to gain the advantage of being able to having a stopping position for the inner pot so that sensors can be in the correct location, as stated by Nishiyama, Page 9, Para. 2 from end, “That is, the boss portion 31 of the bottom body 25 serves as a stopper portion that restricts the downward movement of the protective frame 35, and the restriction plate portion 72 of the shoulder body 13 restricts the upward movement of the protective frame 35. Serves as a stopper.”.
Claims 38 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhu et al. (CN 205568620 U, hereinafter Zhu) in view of Gao et al. (CN 107713712 A, hereinafter Gao) and Chen (CN 209377296 U) and Kim (CN 105877535 A) and He (CN 107334367 A, hereinafter Yun) in further view of Zhu et al. (CN 203016646 U, hereinafter Zhu 2013) and Nishiyama et al. (JP 2009172031 A, hereinafter Nishiyama) and Lv (CN 205514171 U).
Regarding claim 38, modified Zhu teaches the apparatus according to claim 37, as set forth above.
Modified Zhu does not disclose:
further comprising: a fixation hole arranged at the first coupler;
a fixation column arranged at the bottom plate and extending downward from a bottom wall of the bottom plate to be inserted in the fixation hole; and
a connection member passing through the fixation hole to be connected to the fixation column, to connect the first coupler and the bottom plate.
However, Lv discloses, in the similar field of cooking appliances (Abstract, “cooking appliance”), where a fixation hole appears in a part that could be part of the first coupler, where a fixation column is located on a bottom plate and extends downwards into the fixation hole, where a connection member connects all the pieces together (Modified Fig. 5, where the features are shown). It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to have modified the bottom plate and components of modified Zhu to include the features as taught by Lv.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to gain the advantage of having an assembly that can firmly fix components together, as stated by Lv, Page 11, Para. 2 from end, “namely membrane 4 deforms downwards does not interfere with the connector 5 of the second shaft section 522 is interfered, so membrane 4 when the stress deformation, the condition of not applying pressure to connector 5 so as to prevent the connector 5 easy to loose because of long-term stress occurs, so the heating plate 1 by connector 5, membrane 4 is firmly and effectively fixed on the outer pot 3.”.
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Modified Fig. 5, Lv
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KEVIN GUANHUA WEN whose telephone number is (571)272-9940. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm.
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/KEVIN GUANHUA WEN/Examiner, Art Unit 3761
10/17/2025
Prosecution Insights