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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of claims 1-8 and 14 in the reply filed on 09/26/2025 is acknowledged.
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 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Bowen et al. Publication No. US 2018/0043114.
Regarding claim 1, Bowen discloses a vaporizer, comprising:
a first input end [Fig. 4, contact 1, 401; par. 0083] and a second input end [Fig. 4, contact 2, 402];
a heating element [Fig. 5, coil 411; par. 0083] arranged between the first input end and the second input end; and
a level exchange module [Fig. 4, 413] connecting the first input end and the second input end, so as to allow the vaporizer to be insertable into a battery rod rightly or reversely, wherein one of the first input end or the second input end of the vaporizer comprises a power supply voltage input end of the vaporizer, and an other end of the vaporizer comprises a ground voltage input end of the vaporizer [par. 0084].
Regarding claim 14, Bowen discloses an electronic vaporization device, comprising: the vaporizer of claim 1 [abstract, specification].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-8 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 an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance of claim 2: The prior art discloses that the level exchange module comprises: a rectifying circuit [comprising a H-bridge 413; par. 0084] comprising a first path, a second path, a power supply voltage output end, and a ground voltage output end [as shown in Fig. 4], the first path and the second path being connected in parallel and being respectively arranged between the power supply voltage output end and the ground voltage output end, the first path being connected to the first input end, and the second path being connected to the second input end.
However, the prior art does not disclose a first control unit arranged between the second input end and the ground voltage output end and connected to the first path; and a second control unit arranged between the first input end and the ground voltage output end and connected to the second path, the first control unit is configured to control the first path to conduct the path between the first input end and the power supply voltage output end, and the second control unit is configured to control the second path to conduct the path between the second input end and the ground voltage output end, and wherein, when the first input end comprises the ground voltage input end to receive a ground voltage, and the second input end comprises the power supply voltage input end to receive the power supply voltage, the second control unit is configured to control the second path to conduct the path between the second input end and the power supply voltage output end, and the first control unit is configured to control the first path to conduct the path between the first input end and the ground voltage output end. This feature in combination with the rest of the claim limitations is not anticipated or rendered obvious by the prior art of record.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DHARTI PATEL whose telephone number is (571)272-8659. The examiner can normally be reached M - F 9 AM - 5 PM.
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, Thienvu Tran can be reached at 571-270-1276. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
DHARTI PATEL
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2836
/DHARTI H PATEL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2838
Prosecution Insights