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 § 112
The following is a quotation of the second paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112:
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Claims 7-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b), as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor.
In claims 7-8: the term “and/or” is indefinite because it is unclear that the applicants try to claim one or the other or both. For the purpose of examination, the term “and/or” is considered as “or”. The term “and/or” is suggested to change to “or”. Clarification is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-3, 6 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Quinn et al. (US 20130156899 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Quinn discloses
A coffee filter cup (first element 51, second element 71, fig.5), comprising: a base (second element 71, fig.5) and a foldable cup body (first element 51, fig.5), wherein the foldable cup body (first element 51) is disposed on the base (second element 71), the base (second element 71) is provided with a mounting hole (opening 73, fig.5) for the foldable cup body (first element 51) to penetrate through, and a bottom of the foldable cup body (first element 51) is provided with a discharge opening (opening 55, fig.5); the foldable cup body (first element 51) comprises an upper cup body (top of first element 51) and a lower cup body (bottom of first element 51) connected in sequence; a connection position between the lower cup body (bottom of first element 51) and the upper cup body (top of first element 51) is provided with a first crease groove (notches 60, fig.5), and the first crease groove (notches 60) extends along a circumferential direction of the lower cup body (bottom of first element 51); and the lower cup body (bottom of first element 51) is capable of being folded towards an inside of the upper cup body (top of first element 51) through the first crease groove (notches 60) to form a support table [first element 51 is made of a flexible material, it can perform the function, Par.0071 cited: “…filter may be a flexible material, such as woven, non woven, or perforated film…”].
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Regarding claim 2, Quinn discloses the upper cup body (top of first element 51, fig.5) is provided with a protruding ring [bottom part of top of first element 51 is form of protruding ring], and the protruding ring passes through the mounting hole (opening 73, fig.5) and is positioned at a bottom of the base (second element 71, fig.5) [first element 51 is made of flexible material, it can perform the function].
Regarding claim 3, Quinn discloses at least one liquid drainage hole (filter 56, fig.6) is provided on at least one of a bottom of the upper cup body and a top of the lower cup body (bottom of first element 51).
Regarding claim 6, Quinn discloses a top of the upper cup body (top of first element 51, fig.5) is provided with a reinforcing ring [top most part of first element 51, has a reinforcing ring shape, fig.5].
Regarding claim 10, Quinn discloses the base (second element 71, fig.5) is provided with a handle [second element 71 has a protrude edge, fig.5].
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.
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Quinn et al. (US 20130156899 A1), in view of Wildhack et al. (US 20120018146 A1).
Regarding claim 4, Quinn discloses substantially all the features as set forth in claim 1 above, but does not disclose the upper cup body is provided with at least two second crease grooves, and each of the at least two second crease grooves extends along a circumferential direction of the upper cup body.
Wildhack discloses a coffee filter cup (filter module 1, fig.1), comprising: a cup body (annular stack 6, fig.4b) is provided with at least two second crease grooves (peripheral grooves 22, fig.4b), and each of the at least two second crease grooves (peripheral grooves 22) extends along a circumferential direction of the cup body (annular stack 6).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify a body cup of Quinn, by including at least two second crease grooves, and each of the at least two second crease grooves extends along a circumferential direction of the upper cup body, as taught by …, in order to provide a connection between a cup body and a base.
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Claims 5 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Quinn et al. (US 20130156899 A1), in view of Lin (US 20150157163 A1).
Regarding claim 5, Quinn discloses substantially all the features as set forth in claim 1 above, but does not disclose a plurality of ribs are disposed on an inner wall of the foldable cup body at intervals.
Lin discloses a coffee filter cup (main container 1, brewing container 2, fig.2), comprising: a plurality of ribs (protruding ribs 27, fig.2) are disposed on an inner wall of the cup body (brewing container 2) at intervals.
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify a coffee filter cup of Quinn, by including a plurality of ribs are disposed on an inner wall of the foldable cup body at intervals, as taught by Lin, in order to make liquid drip smoothly (Par.0023, Lin).
Regarding claim 7, Quinn discloses substantially all the features as set forth in claim 1 above, but does not disclose at least two limiting blocks are uniformly provided on a bottom surface of the base, and the at least two limiting blocks are configured to be inserted into a coffee pot and/or a coffee cup.
Lin discloses a coffee filter cup (main container 1, brewing container 2, fig.2), comprising: at least two limiting blocks (protruding block 13, fig.2) are uniformly provided on a base (main container 1, fig.2).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify a base of Quinn, by including at least two limiting blocks are uniformly provided on the base, as taught by Lin, in order to be inserted into a coffee pot or a coffee cup.
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Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8-9 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 8, the prior art of record does not anticipate or render fairly obvious in combination to teach all the limitation as cited in the claim such as a positioning ring, a support ring and a plurality of connecting strips; the support ring is disposed on an inside of the positioning ring, and the plurality of connecting strips are arranged at an interval and are connected between the support ring and the positioning ring; the positioning ring is positioned at an opening of the coffee pot and/or an opening of the coffee cup, the mounting hole is provided on the support ring, and the at least two limiting blocks are arranged at bottoms of the plurality of connecting strips.
The dependent claim 9 is also objected to, because it is depended on the dependent claim 8.
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
09/09/2025