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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 1, 12, 23-26 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102((a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by Kim (US 2005/0204583 A1).
With regard to claim 1, Kim discloses a laundry appliance (Fig. 1), comprising: a cabinet (not numbered, at W, Fig. 1) that defines an opening (paragraph [0019]); a rotating drum 11 accessible via the opening and operably coupled to the cabinet, wherein a blower 90 directs process air through the rotating drum 11; a fluid emitting feature 12, 13, 14 proximate the rotating drum 11, wherein the fluid emitting feature 12, 13, 14 is configured to dispense at least one fluid into the rotating drum 11, and wherein the at least one fluid is configured to contact foreign particulates in the rotating drum 11, wherein the fluid emitting feature includes a plurality of fluid emitting nozzles 12, 13, 14 that each provide a respective fluid of the at least one fluid (paragraphs [0021], [0022]), the plurality of fluid emitting nozzles 12, 13, 14 including an air emitting nozzle 14 that directs the respective fluid, in a form of bursts of gas, into the rotating drum 11 (paragraph [0022]), wherein the bursts of gas are configured to dislodge the foreign particulates from clothing items contained within the rotating drum 11; and a housing (Fig. 1, not numbered, the component that housing the blower 90) proximate the rotating drum 11 and including a foreign particulate filter 21 configured to collect the foreign particulates, wherein the at least one fluid and rotation of the rotating drum direct the foreign particulates toward the foreign particulate filter 21. Wherein the bursts of gas are configured to dislodge the foreign particulates from clothing items contained within the rotating drum 11. Wherein the bursts of gas emitted by the air emitting nozzle 14 are air. Wherein the bursts of gas emitted by the air emitting nozzle 14 are pressurized air (paragraph [0022]). Wherein the controller activates the fluid emitting feature to subsequently deliver the bursts of gas, in the form of air, into the rotating drum 11 to dislodge the foreign particulate and direct the foreign particulate toward the foreign particulate filter 21 (see air flow arrows in Fig. 1). Wherein the plurality of fluid emitting nozzles 12, 13, 14 includes the air emitting nozzle 14 that emits the bursts of gas and at least one fluid emitting nozzle 12, 13 that emits a liquid solution (paragraphs [0021], [0022]).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 2-7, 9-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim (US 2005/0204583 A1) in view of Cooke et al. (Wo 2019/068473 A1) .
With regard to claims 2-6, Kim further discloses a fluid container (paragraph [0021], barrel), wherein the respective fluid of the fluid container is delivered into the rotating drum 11 via a fluid emitting nozzle 12, 13 of the plurality of fluid emitting nozzle. However, Kim does not explicit the fluid container disposed within the cabinet; a fluid supply conduit that extends between the fluid container and the fluid emitting nozzles; wherein the fluid container includes a plurality of reservoirs that each contain a dedicated fluid of the at least one fluid, and wherein the plurality of reservoirs each include a dedicated fluid supply conduit that is in communication with the plurality of fluid emitting nozzles of the fluid emitting feature. Cooke et al. disclose a laundry appliance comprising a fluid container 17 disposed within the cabinet 10 (Fig. 3); a fluid supply conduit (Fig. 3, not numbered, between 18 and 27) that extends between the fluid container 17 and the fluid emitting nozzles 12; wherein the fluid container includes a plurality of reservoirs 17a, 17b, 17c, that each contain a dedicated fluid of the at least one fluid, and wherein the plurality of reservoirs each include a dedicated fluid supply conduit that is in communication with the plurality of fluid emitting nozzles of the fluid emitting feature (page 44, line 31 to page 45, line 2, disclose different reservoirs may be in fluid communication with different nozzles such that a first reservoir is in fluid communication with a first nozzle and a second reservoir is in fluid communication with a second nozzle). Therefore, it would have been obvious to someone with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to
Modify the laundry appliance of Kim to dispose the fluid container within the cabinet and to include a fluid supply conduit that extends between the fluid container and the fluid emitting nozzles; wherein the fluid container includes a plurality of reservoirs that each contain a dedicated fluid of the at least one fluid, and wherein the plurality of reservoirs each include a dedicated fluid supply conduit that is in communication with the plurality of fluid emitting nozzles of the fluid emitting feature as taught by Cooke et al. in order to provide a compact laundry appliance and to be able to independently control the treatment of the laundry with different treating agents to improve laundry treating efficiency.
With regard to claims 4-5, Kim discloses a controller communicatively coupled to the fluid emitting feature, wherein the controller is configured to actuate the fluid emitting feature (paragraphs [0018], [0023] discloses a microprocessor). Cooke et al. discloses a controller 20 communicatively coupled to the fluid emitting feature, wherein the controller 20 is configured to actuate the fluid emitting feature; wherein the controller 20 activates the fluid emitting feature to deliver the respective fluid of the fluid container at an initial phase of a selected drying cycle (page 48, lines 16-31).
With regard to claim 7, Cooke discloses the at least one fluid includes an anti-static solution (page 17, lines 19 and 28). Therefore, it would have been obvious to someone with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to use anti-static solution as treating agent as taught by Cooke et al. to treat static.
With regard to claims 9-10, Cooke et al. discloses wherein operation of the fluid emitting feature occurs within a pre-programmed laundry cycle (page 48, lines 14-31); wherein the fluid emitting feature is activated upon selection through an interactive portion of a user interface (page 48, lines 14-31). Therefore, it would have been obvious to someone with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the laundry appliance to operate the fluid emitting feature within a pre-programmed laundry cycle; to activate the fluid emitting feature upon selection through an interactive portion of a user interface as taught by Cooke et al. in order to improve the laundry treatment efficiency.
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim (US 2005/0204583 A1) in view of Cooke et al. (Wo 2019/068473 A1) as applied to claim 7 as above, and further in view of Olofsson (US 2013/0319448 A1).
The laundry appliance of Kim as modified by Cooke et al. as above includes all that is recited in claim 8 except for the anti-static solution is a water-vinegar mixture. Olofsson teaches a concept of using water-vinegar mixture as anti-static solution (abstract). Therefore, it would have been obvious to someone with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the laundry appliance of Kim to use water-vinegar mixture as anti-static solution as taught by Olofsson in order to obtain a predictable anti-static treating result by the water-vinegar mixture solution.
Claims 13-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim (US 2005/0204583 A1) in view of Cooke et al. (Wo 2019/068473 A1) as applied to claim 7 as above, and further in view of Pasad et al. (US 5,461,742).
The laundry appliance of Kim as modified by Cooke et al. as above includes all that is recited in claims 13-14 except for wherein the bursts of gas and the anti-static solution are delivered into the rotating drum via dedicated nozzles of the plurality of fluid emitting nozzles, and wherein the anti-static solution is dispensed into the rotating drum before the burst of gas is dispensed into the rotating drum; wherein the anti-static solution and the burst of gas are delivered simultaneously as an anti-static mist. Pasad et al. discloses a laundry appliance 104 comprising the fluid emitting feature includes an air emitting nozzle 128, 138 that directs bursts of gas into the rotating drum 112 (Fig. 3), wherein the gas 105, 129 and the anti-static solution 106, 130 are delivered into the rotating drum 112 via dedicated nozzles 128, 138 (Fig. 3, by controlling opening/closing of valves 109, 111, 131, 132), and wherein the anti-static solution is dispensed into the rotating drum before the gas is dispensed into the rotating drum (Fig. 3, by controlling opening/closing of valves 109, 111, 131, 132); wherein the anti-static solution and the gas are delivered simultaneously as an anti-static mist (Fig. 3, by controlling opening/closing of valves 109, 111, 131, 132). Therefore, it would have been obvious to someone with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to further modify the laundry appliance of Kim to include control means to control the fluid emitting feature such that wherein the burst of gas and the anti-static solution are delivered into the rotating drum via dedicated nozzles, and wherein the anti-static solution is dispensed into the rotating drum before the burst of gas is dispensed into the rotating drum; wherein the anti-static solution and the burst of gas are delivered simultaneously as an anti-static mist as taught by Pasad et al. in order to efficiently treat the laundry. As to the limitations, “wherein the bursts of gas are configured to dislodge the foreign particulates from clothing items contained within the rotating drum”, “wherein the anti-static solution is dispensed into the rotating drum before the burst of gas is dispensed into the rotating drum”; and “wherein the anti-static solution and the burst of gas are delivered simultaneously as an anti-static mist”, they are viewed as functional or intended use limitations. As MPEP 2114 states, “[a] claim containing a “recitation with respect to the manner in which a claimed apparatus is intended to be employed does not differentiate the claimed apparatus from a prior art apparatus” if the prior art apparatus teaches all the structural limitations of the claim”. In this case, the limitations above do not add any structural limitations to the claims and the laundry appliance of Kim as modified by Cooke et al. and Pasad et al. discloses all the structural limitations. Additionally while not disclosed, the laundry appliance of Kim as modified by Cooke et al. and Pasad et al. is capable of being used for perform above claimed functions.
Claims 15, 21-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim (US 2005/0204583 A1) in view of Cooke et al. (Wo 2019/068473 A1) as applied to claim 7 as above, and further in view of Kim et al. (US 7,325,330 B2).
The laundry appliance of Kim (‘583) as modified by Cooke et al. as above includes all that is recited in claims 15, 21-22 except for wherein the anti-static solution is delivered to the rotating drum as steam. wherein the steam is generated using anti-static solution that is delivered to the rotating drum as heated steam; wherein the steam is generated using a differential in dew points and humidity levels. Kim et al. (‘330) discloses a laundry appliance comprising an anti-static solution (Fig. 3 discloses supply water, water is considered an anti-static solution), wherein the anti-static solution is delivered to the rotating drum as steam (Fig. 2, water is supplied from pipe 24 to a steam generating device 30, spray nozzle 35 sprays steam from the outlet of the steam supply pipe 33 into the rotating drum 70 (Fig. 2). Therefore, it would have been obvious to someone with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the laundry appliance of Kim (‘583) to deliver the anti-static solution to the rotating drum as steam as taught by Kim et al. (‘330) in order to improve the laundry treating efficiency. With regard to the limitations in claims 21-22, they are viewed as functional or intended use limitations. As MPEP 2114 states, “[a] claim containing a “recitation with respect to the manner in which a claimed apparatus is intended to be employed does not differentiate the claimed apparatus from a prior art apparatus” if the prior art apparatus teaches all the structural limitations of the claim”. In this case, the limitations above do not add any structural limitations to the claims and the laundry appliance of Kim (‘583) as modified Cooke et al., and Kim (‘330) discloses all the structural limitations. Additionally while not disclosed, the laundry appliance of Kim (‘583) as modified Cooke et al., and Kim (‘330) is capable of being used to generate steam using anti-static solution that is delivered to the rotating drum as heated steam or using a differential in dew points and humidity levels.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-10, 12-15 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
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JESSICA J YUEN whose telephone number is (571)272-4878. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9am-5pm.
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/Jessica Yuen/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3762
JY
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