DETAILED ACTION
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments filed 2/2/2026 with respect to the rejection(s) of the claims under 102 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made as detailed below.
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 1-8 and 10-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Qiu (CN 210782921) in view of Bessant (US 20180242644).
Regarding claims 1 and 11, Qiu [Fig. 1-2] teaches an electronic vaporization device 200, comprising: a shell 71; a vaporizer, at least partially arranged in the shell, wherein the vaporizer comprises a cavity 36 (liquid storage unit) configured to store a liquid, and an atomizing (vaporization) core 23 configured to heat the liquid to generate an aerosol [0062-0064]; a battery 72, arranged in the shell; a circuit board 73, arranged in the shell between the vaporizer and the battery and electrically connected to the battery, wherein the circuit board comprises a battery terminal 75, the left portion corresponding to a first electrical contact portion and the right portion corresponding to a second electrical contact portion; two contacts 22, the left contact 22 corresponding to a first conductive connector, wherein an end of the first conductive connector abuts against the vaporization core 23 to form an electrical connection with the vaporization core, and the other end of the first conductive connector 22 abuts against the first electrical contact portion 75 to form an electrical connection with the circuit board; and a right contact 22 corresponding to a second conductive connector, spaced apart from the first conductive connector, wherein an end of the second conductive connector 22 abuts against the vaporization core 23 to form an electrical connection with the vaporization core, and the other end of the second conductive connector 22 abuts against the second electrical contact portion 75 to form an electrical connection with the circuit board [0067-0069, 0089-0090].
Qiu does not teach flat surfaces of the electrical contact portions on the circuit board. Bessant teaches an aerosol-generating system comprising conductive tracks printed on a surface of a circuit board [0119], i.e. flat surfaces of the electrical contact portions on the circuit board. As this is a conventional means known in the art to for forming electrical contact portions, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to apply to the circuit board of Qiu to achieve the predictable result of establishing an electrical connection between the circuit board and the vaporization core.
Regarding claim 2, Qiu [Fig. 2 and 5] teaches the electronic vaporization device further comprises a fixing base 24, and the fixing base comprises a first through hole and a second through hole 241 ; the first conductive connector 22 is mounted in the first through hole, and two ends of the first conductive connector respectively extend out of the first through hole; and the second conductive connector 22 is mounted in the second through hole, and two ends of the second conductive connector respectively extend out of the second through hole [0077]. a
Regarding claim 3, Qiu teaches the fixing base 24 is positioned inside the shell, to form a first cavity (portion within shell above fixing base 24) and a second cavity (portion within shell below fixing base 24) on two sides of the fixing base, the vaporization core 21 is arranged in the first cavity, and the circuit board 73 and the battery 74 are arranged in the second cavity [Fig. 1].
Regarding claims 4-5, Qiu teaches the fixing base further comprises an air inlet channel 243 [Fig. 2], the air inlet channel configured to guide air in the second cavity to flow into the first cavity. The upper rim of 243 is interpreted as a blocking portion configured to block the air inlet channel, to prevent a condensed liquid from entering the second cavity through the air inlet channel, and groove around the upper rim of 243 is interpreted as a condensing cavity configured to collect a condensed liquid.
Regarding claim 6, Qiu teaches the vaporizer further comprises a liquid storage member 3 (vaporization shell), a part of the vaporization shell 3 is accommodated in the first cavity, and the fixing base 24 is arranged at an end of the vaporization shell 3 and is partially inserted into the vaporization shell; and a part of a space between an inner wall of the vaporization shell 3 and the fixing base 24 forms the liquid storage unit 36, and the vaporization core 23 is arranged between the liquid storage unit 36 and the fixing base 24 [Fig. 1].
Regarding claim 7, Qiu teaches the vaporization core comprises a porous substrate and a heating element 231 arranged on the porous substrate; and an end of the first conductive connector 22 and an end of the second conductive connector 22 respectively abut against the heating element to form an electrical connection [0063-0067].
Regarding claim 8, Qiu teaches the circuit board 73 comprises a first (upper) surface and a second (lower) surface that are opposite to each other in a length direction of the electronic vaporization device, the first surface is arranged adjacent to the vaporizer, and the first electrical contact portion and the second electrical contact portion 75 are arranged on the first surface [Fig. 1].
Regarding claim 10, Qiu teaches the shell 71 comprises a first (upper) opening end and a second (lower) opening end; the electronic vaporization device further comprises a frame 74 (holder) configured to mount the circuit board 73 and the battery 72; and the vaporizer is at least partially accommodated in the shell from the first opening end, and the holder is at least partially accommodated in the shell from the second opening end [Fig. 1].
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Qiu and Bessant as applied to claim 8 above, and further in view of Ma (US 2023/0070240).
Qiu teaches the circuit board further comprises a third (left) surface and a fourth (right) surface that are opposite to each other in a thickness direction of the electronic vaporization device [Fig. 1]. Qiu does not teach pad is arranged on the third surface or the fourth surface; and the circuit board is welded to the battery through the pad. However, this is a conventional control circuit and battery connection mechanism known in the art as taught by Ma [0213] and would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to apply to the circuit board and batter of modified Qiu to achieve the predictable result of establishing an electrical connection between them.
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Qiu and Bessant as applied to claim 8 above, and further in view of Anderson (US 2020/0000143).
Modified Qiu does not teach gold plating is performed on the flat surface of the first electrical contact portion and on the flat surface of the second electrical contact portion. Anderson teaches a vaporizer device wherein electrical contacts are gold-plated to cause better physical and electrical contact [0248]. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to include in modified Qiu teach gold plating on the flat surface of the first electrical contact portion and on the flat surface of the second electrical contact portion to cause better physical and electrical contact.
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.
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/ERIC YAARY/Examiner, Art Unit 1755