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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 01/23/2026, 03/31/2026, and 04/01/2026. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of AIA 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent may not be obtained though the invention is not identically disclosed or described as set forth in section 102 of this title, if the differences between the subject matter sought to be patented and the prior art are such that the subject matter as a whole would have been obvious at the time the invention was made to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which said subject matter pertains. Patentability shall not be negatived 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.
Claims 1-2 and 7-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ishigami et al (US 20200353488 A1), in view of Heys et al. (US 9808114 B1).
Regarding claim 1, Ishigami discloses
A brewer (voltage application device 1, discharge device 10, fig.1), comprising:
a first electrode (discharge electrode 41, fig.1) disposed adjacent to the stream of water dispensed by the nozzle (discharge device 10);
a voltage source (voltage application circuit 2, fig.1) electrically coupled to the first electrode (discharge electrode 41) through a first electrical circuit (voltage generation circuit 22, fig.1) and configured to apply a voltage to the first electrode (discharge electrode 41); and
a controller (control circuit 3, fig.1) communicatively coupled to the first electrical circuit (voltage generation circuit 22) and configured to control a magnitude of the voltage applied to the first electrode (discharge electrode 41) from the voltage source,
wherein varying the magnitude of the voltage applied to the first electrode (discharge electrode 41) generates an electrical field that bends the laminar flowing stream (discharge electrode 41 can perform the function).
Ishigami does not disclose a holder configured to hold a container for coffee grinds or tea material; a nozzle configured to dispense a laminar flowing stream of water downward into the pod; create a selected pouring pattern; and wherein the selected pouring pattern is user selected or is automatically retrieved by the controller based on instruction received from the pod.
Heys discloses a brewer (voltage application device 1, discharge device 10, fig.1), comprising: a holder (rack 250, fig.5) configured to hold a pod (filter holders 251, 252, 253, 254, and 255, fig.5) containing coffee grinds or tea material [Col.12, lines 62-64 cited: “…Rack 250 supports filter holders 251, 252, 253, 254, and 255 which hold filters, such as coffee filters, tea infuser filters, or other apparatus' useful for beverages …”]; and a nozzle (nozzle 112, fig.1) configured to dispense a laminar flowing stream of water downward into the pod (filter holders 251, 252, 253, 254, and 255); create a selected pouring pattern; and wherein the selected pouring pattern is user selected [Col.17, lines 59-63 cited: “…pours could be added by a user by activating button 5116. Activation of window 5114 typically triggers a new user interface window, such as user interface 5120, that a user could use to specify a pouring pattern …”] or is automatically retrieved by the controller based on instruction received from the pod.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify a brewer of Ishigami, by comprising a holder configured to hold a pod containing coffee grinds or tea material; a nozzle configured to dispense a laminar flowing stream of water downward into the pod; create a selected pouring pattern; and wherein the selected pouring pattern is user selected or is automatically retrieved by the controller based on instruction received from the pod, as taught by Hey, in order to draw a custom-pattern.
Regarding claim 2, Ishigami discloses
a second electrode (counter electrode 42, fig.1) disposed adjacent to the laminar flowing stream of water dispensed by the nozzle (discharge device 10, fig.1), second electrode (counter electrode 42) electrically coupled to the voltage source (voltage application circuit 2, fig.1) through a second electrical circuit (drive circuit 21, fig.1), wherein the controller (control circuit 3, fig.1) is communicatively coupled to the second electrical circuit (drive circuit 21) and the controller (control circuit 3, fig.1) further configured to control a magnitude of the voltage applied to the second electrode (drive circuit 21) from the voltage source (voltage application circuit 2).
Regarding claim 7, Ishigami discloses
the electrical circuit (voltage generation circuit 22, fig.1) comprises a transformer (isolation transformer 220, fig.6) configured to amplify an electrical signal transferred from the voltage source (voltage application circuit 2, fig.1) to the first electrode (discharge electrode 41, fig.1) [Par.0061 cited: “…Voltage generation circuit 22 includes isolation transformer 220…”].
Regarding claim 8, Ishigami discloses
the transformer (isolation transformer 220, fig.6) is a piezoelectric transformer [Par.0092 cited: “…voltage generation circuit 22 may be implemented by a transformer (a piezoelectric transformer) including a piezoelectric element…”].
Regarding claim 9, Ishigami does not disclose
the transformer is an electromagnetic transformer.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to replace a transformer of Ishigami, by using an electromagnetic transformer, as it well known in the art of manufacturing design choice purpose, in order to provide an electromagnetic field.
Regarding claim 10, Ishigami discloses
the first electrode (discharge electrode 41, fig.1) is separate from and spaced apart from the nozzle (discharge device 10, fig.1).
Regarding claim 11, Ishigami discloses
the first electrode (discharge electrode 41, fig.1) is integrated onto an outer edge of the nozzle (discharge device 10, fig.1).
Regarding claim 12, Hey discloses
selected pouring pattern is selected from a predetermined group of dynamic pattern including a spiral, a circle, a line, a wav shape, or a zig-zag shape (figs.8A-E).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify a brewer of Ishigami, to create a selected pouring pattern is selected from a predetermined group of dynamic pattern including a spiral, a circle, a line, a wav shape, or a zig-zag shape, as taught by Hey, in order to draw a custom-pattern that suitable for the user application.
Claims 5-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ishigami et al (US 20200353488 A1), in view of Heys et al. (US 9808114 B1) and further in view of Carpio (US 5364510).
Regarding claim 5, the modification of Ishigami and Hey discloses substantially all the features as set forth in the claim above, such as the first electrode, but does not disclose the first electrode comprises an electrical conductor encased in an electrical isolation material.
Carpio discloses a first electrode (electrodes 15, fig.2) comprises an electrical conductor encased in an electrical isolation material (membrane 34, fig.2) [Lines 58-60, Col.14 cited: “…hydrophobic membrane will be chemically inert in most instances and will isolate the electrodes from the bath liquid…”].
Regarding claim 6, Carpio discloses
the first electrode (electrodes 15, fig.2) comprises a hydrophobic coating (membrane 34, fig.2) surrounding the electrical isolation material [Lines 58-60, Col.14 cited: “…hydrophobic membrane will be chemically inert in most instances and will isolate the electrodes from the bath liquid…”].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify a first electrode of Ishigami, by including an electrical conductor encased in an electrical isolation material; and a hydrophobic coating surrounding the electrical isolation material, as taught by Carpio, in order to provide an electrical isolation.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-4 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 3, the prior art of record does not anticipate or render fairly obvious in combination to teach the limitation a third electrode disposed adjacent to the laminar flowing stream of water dispensed by the nozzle, the third electrode electrically coupled to the voltage source through a third electrical circuit; and a fourth electrode disposed adjacent to the laminar flowing stream of water dispensed by the nozzle, the fourth electrically coupled to the voltage source through a fourth electrical circuit wherein the controller is communicatively coupled to the third electrical circuit and to the fourth electrical circuit, the controller further configured to control a magnitude of voltage applied to the third electrode and a magnitude of voltage applied to the fourth electrode from the voltage source.
The dependent claim 4, is also objected by being depended by the dependent claim 3
Response to Amendment
Applicant's arguments in the Remark, filed on 04/06/2026, have been considered but are moot in view of the new ground(s) of rejection.
The newly cited Hey reference discloses a holder (rack 250, fig.5) configured to hold a pod (filter holders 251, 252, 253, 254, and 255, fig.5) containing coffee grinds or tea material [Col.12, lines 62-64 cited: “…Rack 250 supports filter holders 251, 252, 253, 254, and 255 which hold filters, such as coffee filters, tea infuser filters, or other apparatus' useful for beverages …”]; and a nozzle (nozzle 112, fig.1) configured to dispense a laminar flowing stream of water downward into the pod (filter holders 251, 252, 253, 254, and 255); create a selected pouring pattern; and wherein the selected pouring pattern is user selected [Col.17, lines 59-63 cited: “…pours could be added by a user by activating button 5116. Activation of window 5114 typically triggers a new user interface window, such as user interface 5120, that a user could use to specify a pouring pattern …”] or is automatically retrieved by the controller based on instruction received from the pod.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PHUONG T NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)270-1834. The examiner can normally be reached 9.00am-5.00pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Steven Crabb can be reached on 571-270-5095. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/PHUONG T NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3761
04/22/2026
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