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 .
The status of the 09/04/2025 claims, is as follows: Claims 1 and 4 have been amended; Claims 2-3, and 5-6 have been canceled; and claims 1 and 4 are pending.
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 set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied 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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over 정성훈 (KR 200395158, hereinafter KR’158, published on 09/07/2005) in view of Yamada (US 20240041120) and Kim (US 20150342089)
Regarding Claim 1, KR’158 discloses a heating device (figs. 1-2) capable of uniform sealing (p. 03, lines 2-4, 18-22), comprising:
a heater (sealing member 100) for heating a sealing portion of a to-be-sealed object (portion of packaging paper 200; annotated fig. 2) (p. 05, lines 1-4), wherein the heater is provided with a first accommodating space (annotated fig. 1 for accommodating the heater 120 that stretches in longitudinal direction) and a second accommodating space along a longitudinal direction (annotated fig. 1 for accommodating the heat pipe 130 that stretches in longitudinal direction) (p. 04, lines 20-25);
a heat source supplier (heater 120) for supplying a heat source (heat) for heating to the heater (sealing member 100) (p. 04, lines 38-41), wherein the heat source supplier is accommodating in the first accommodating space (annotated fig. 1);
a heat transfer part (heat pipe 130) formed of a heat pipe (heat pipe 130) and accommodated in the second accommodating space of the heater (annotated fig. 1) and transferring the heat source to the heater to heat the entire heater (sealing member 100) at a uniform temperature (p. 04, lines 9-14 and 21-25).
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KR’158 does not disclose:
the heater is formed of nobinite or invar;
an additional heat transfer part formed of thermal grease and disposed on the outer surface of the heat transfer part to conduct the heat source to the heater and in contact with the inner surface of the heater, wherein the additional heat transfer part fills a space between the outer surface of the heat transfer part and an inner surface of the second accommodating space to provide enhanced thermal conductivity.
However, Yamada discloses the heater (first metal plate 1220 and second metal plate 1230) is formed of nobinite or invar (Invar) (para. 0066).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the heater of KR’158 to be formed of invar as taught by Yamada, because Invar is known to have low thermal expansion coefficient, therefore the delamination of the heater due to exposure to heat can be suppressed (para. 0066 of Yamada).
The modification does not disclose an additional heat transfer part formed of thermal grease and disposed on the outer surface of the heat transfer part to conduct the heat source to the heater and in contact with the inner surface of the heater, wherein the additional heat transfer part fills a space between the outer surface of the heat transfer part and an inner surface of the second accommodating space to provide enhanced thermal conductivity.
However, Kim discloses an additional heat transfer part (thermal grease 222) formed of thermal grease (thermal grease 222) and disposed on the outer surface of the heat transfer part (heat pipe 220) to conduct the heat source (heat) to the frame 210 and in contact with the inner surface of the frame 210 (para. 0169).
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Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the heating device of KR’158 in view of Yamada to include the additional heat transfer part formed of thermal grease and disposed on the outer surface of the heat pipe 130 of KR’158 to conduct the heat source to the heater and in contact with the inner surface of the heater as taught by Kim, in order to bond the heat pipe 130 of KR’158 to the heater (i.e. sealing member 100 of KR’158) and enhance heat exchange between the heat pipe 130 of KR’158 and the sealing member 100 because the thermal grease has excellent thermal conductivity. The modification would result in the structure, in which the additional heat transfer part (thermal grease 222 of Kim) fills a space between the outer surface of the heat transfer part (heat pipe 130 of KR’158) and an inner surface of the second accommodating space to provide enhanced thermal conductivity (para. 0169 of Kim).
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Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over the modification of 정성훈 (KR 200395158, hereinafter KR’158, published on 09/07/2005), Yamada (US 20240041120), and Kim (US 20150342089) as applied to claim 1, further in view of Endo (US 20070059062)
Regarding Claim 4, the modification discloses substantially all of the claimed features as set forth above, except:
the heater further comprises blocking parts for closing both ends of the second accommodating space, and
wherein the blocking parts include at least one through-hole.
However, Endo discloses a heater (heating apparatus) (para. 0001) comprises blocking parts (flanges 31 and 32) for closing both ends of the second accommodating space (end portions of fixation tension roller 14) (para. 0058), and
wherein the blocking parts (flanges 31 and 32) include at least one through-hole (openings 35) (“flanges 31 and 32 are provided with rent holes (openings) 35 and 36”, para. 0059 and 0065).
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Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the heater of KR’158 in view of Yamada and Kim to include the blocking parts for closing both end of the second accommodating space, wherein the blocking parts include at least one through-hole as taught by Endo, in order to insulate the heat pipe such that heat loss is reduced and cause the pressure of the heat pipe to leak out to the outside through the air vents 35 and 36, which is possible to prevent the breakage of the heater (para. 0058 and 0065 of Endo).
Response to Amendment
With respect to specification objection: since amendment made to the specification, therefore the specification objection is withdrawn.
With respect to claim objections: since amendments made to the claims, therefore the claim objections are withdrawn.
With respect to Notification of 112f: since amendments made to the claims, therefore the 112f notification are withdrawn.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to prior art rejections filed on 09/04/2025, have been fully considered but are respectfully considered moot in view of the new ground(s) of rejection.
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 extension fee 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 date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BONITA KHLOK whose telephone number is (571)270-7313. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F: 9:00am-6pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Helena Kosanovic can be reached on (571)272-9059. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/BONITA KHLOK/Examiner, Art Unit 3761
/SANG Y PAIK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3761