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 .
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: In paragraph [0001] of the specification the terms “claim 1”, “claim 12” and “claim 13” are object because claims are subjected to change or delete during prosecution and should not include in the specification. Correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
Claim(s) 14-19 and 27-30 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yun et al (US 2019/0394837) cited by applicant. Regarding claims 14, 27 and 29, Yun discloses a household appliance (100) comprising a first inverter (120-1); a second inverter (120-2); a first phase terminal designed for electrical connection to a first phase (140-1) of a power supply network; a second phase terminal designed for electrical connection to a second phase (140-2) of the power supply network; and a switching arrangement (110) configured to assign each of the first and second inverters to each of the first and second phase terminals (par. 0029-par. 0032; Figure 1; par. 0040). Regarding claims 15, 28 and 30, Yun discloses a household appliance is constructed in a form of cooktop apparatus. Regarding claim 16, Yun discloses a third inverter (120-3), said switching arrangement (110) configured to assign the third inverter to each of the first and second phase terminals (par. 0029-par. 0032; figure 1; par. 0040). Regarding claim 17, Yun discloses a fourth inverter (530-4), said switching arrangement (100) configured to assign the fourth inverter to each of the first and second phase terminals (par. 0029-par. 0032; figure 1; par. 0040). Regarding claim 18, Yun discloses a third phase terminal designed for electrical connection to a third phase of the power supply network, said switching arrangement (110) configured to assign each of the first (120-1) and second inverters (120-2) to the third phase terminal. Regarding claim 19, Yun discloses a plurality of heating units (130-1, 130-2, 130-3), said switching arrangement (110) configured to assign the plurality of heating units to different ones of the first and second phase terminals (par. 0029-par. 0032; figure 1; par. 0040).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
Claim(s) 20-22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yun et al (US 2019/0394837) cited by applicant, in view of Nam et al (US 10,873994). Regarding claim 20, Yun discloses substantially all features of the claimed invention except at least two of the plurality of heating units are configured as bridge heating units which at least partially form a continuous heating zone. Nam discloses at least two of the plurality of heating units (21-22) are configured as bridge heating units which at least partially form a continuous heating zone (col. 5, lines 21-40). It would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the invention was made to utilize in Yun the at least two of the plurality of heating units are configured as bridge heating units which at least partially form a continuous heating zone as taught by Nam in order to provide continuous heating to the heating object. Regarding claims 21-22, Nam discloses a control unit (120) configured to assign in at least one operating state the bridge heating units to different ones of the first and second phase terminals via the switching arrangement (col. 5, lines 21-40).
Claim(s) 23 and 25-26 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yun et al (US 2019/0394837) cited by applicant, in view of Heo et al (US 2017/0223780). Regarding claim 23 and 25, Yun discloses substantially all features of the claimed invention except the switching arrangement includes an isolating switching element configured to isolate in at least one switched-off operating state all connections between the first and second phase terminals and the first and second inverters. Heo discloses the switching arrangement includes an isolating switching element (S1, S4) configured to isolate in at least one switched-off operating state all connections between the first and second phase terminals and the first and second inverters (Figure 4). It would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the invention was made to utilize in Yun the switching arrangement includes an isolating switching element configured to isolate in at least one switched-off operating state all connections between the first and second phase terminals and the first and second inverters as taught by Heo in order to shut-off supply power of the first and the second inverter. Regarding claim 26, Yun discloses a control unit (160) configured to assign in the switched-off operating state all of the first and second inverters (120-1, 120-2) to the second phase terminal via the switching arrangement (110’) and to open the isolating switching element (SW-A1, SW-A2, SW-B1, SW-B2).
Claim(s) 24 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yun et al (US 2019/0394837) cited by applicant, in view of WO 2007/048700). Regarding claim 24, Yun discloses substantially all features of the claimed invention except the switching arrangement includes exactly one isolating switching element configured to isolate in at least one switched-off operating state all connections between the first and second phase terminals and the first and second inverters. WO 2007/048700 discloses switching arrangement includes exactly one isolating switching element (30) configured to isolate in at least one switched-off operating state all connections between the first and second phase terminals and the first and second inverters (Figure 1). It would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the invention was made to utilize in Yun the switching arrangement includes exactly one isolating switching element configured to isolate in at least one switched-off operating state all connections between the first and second phase terminals and the first and second inverters as taught by WO 2007/048700 in order to shut-off supply power of one inverter to the at least one heating unit.
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/QUANG T VAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3761 December 20, 2025