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 .
Response to Amendment
The proposed amendments filed 01/12/2026 has been entered. Claims 1-9, 11-16, and 21-23 are currently pending. Applicants amendments are sufficient to overcome the previous 112(b) rejections previously set forth.
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.
Claims 1-8 and 22-23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2018/0334767 (Kim hereinafter) in view of US 567922 (Moll hereinafter).
Regarding claim 1, Kim teaches a laundry closest that discloses a main body including a garment care room formed therein (Figures 1 and 2 with room 11 within 10 as closed by door 20), the garment care room having a front side that is openable (Opening of 10 that is covered by door 20); and a filter installable in the main body and configured to collect dust included in air in the garment care room (¶ 89).
Kim is silent with respect to a filter body, and a filter frame configured to support the filter frame including a bending guide having a plurality of portions that are cut away from only one side of an edge of the filter frame toward a second side of the edge of the filter frame that is without cut portions so as to make the filter bendable in a direction in which the plurality of portions are cut out.
However, Moll teaches a filter (Figures 1-5) that discloses a filter body (Figures 1 and 5 with body 12), and a filter frame configured to support the filter frame (Frame 40/48) including a bending guide (Guide 40) having a plurality of portions that are cut away from only one side of an edge of the filter frame toward a second side of the edge of the filter frame that is without cut portions so as to make the filter bendable in a direction in which the plurality of portions are cut out (Figures 1 and 5 show a solid side and a cut out side of 40).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the filter of Kim with the bendable filter of Moll to allow for the filter to be adaptable to the shape and orientation of the filter opening.
Regarding claim 2, Kim’s modified teachings are described above in claim 1 where the combination of Kim and Moll would further disclose that the bending guide (40 of Moll) further comprises a plurality of uncut portions of the filter frame, each uncut portion between adjacent portions of the plurality of cut portions that are cut from the filter frame (Under the broadest reasonable interpretation, the apexes between the cut outs of 40 of Moll read on this limitation).
Regarding claim 3, Kim’s modified teachings are described above in claim 2 where the combination of Kim and Moll would further disclose that the plurality of portions that are cut out from the filter frame and the plurality of uncut portions are alternately arranged (Evident from Figures 1 and 5 of Moll).
Regarding claim 4, Kim’s modified teachings are described above in claim 2 where the combination of Kim and Moll would further disclose that each of the plurality of uncut portions have a quadrangle shape (Broadest reasonable interpretation of the shape shown in Figures 1 and 5 of Moll).
Regarding claim 5, Kim’s modified teachings are described above in claim 3 where the combination of Kim and Moll would further disclose a bending maintaining member configured to maintain a bending shape of the filter (Figure 5 of Moll with being maintaining member 58).
Regarding claim 6, Kim’s modified teachings are described above in claim 5 where the combination of Kim and Moll would further disclose that the bending maintaining member includes at least one of a Velcro member, tape, a buckle, a band, a wire, and a hinge (Buckle 62/64 of Moll in Figure 5).
Regarding claim 7, Kim’s modified teachings are described above in claim 6 where the combination of Kim and Moll would further disclose that the bending maintaining member is configured to maintain intervals between the plurality of portions that are cut from the filter frame and the plurality of uncut portions in the bending state of the filter (The bent shape shown in Figure 5 of Moll is maintained in this manner by 58 with buckles 62/64).
Regarding claim 8, Kim’s modified teachings are described above in claim 1 where the combination of Kim and Moll would further disclose that the filter is formed by a fabric that is pleated and attached to the filter frame which is cut on at least one surface (Figures 1 and 2 of Moll with fabric 14 per Column 5 Line 6 through Column 6 Line 15).
Regarding claim 22, Kim’s modified teachings are described above in claim 1 where the combination of Kim, Moll, Lee, and Smith would further disclose that portions of the plurality of portions that are cut extend from the first side of the edge of the filter frame by at least 2/3 of a thickness of the first side of the filter frame (Evident from Figure 5 of Moll).
Regarding claim 23, Kim’s modified teachings are described above in claim 1 where the combination of Kim, Moll, Lee, and Smith would further disclose that portions of the plurality of portions that are cut extend from the first side of the edge of the filter frame to within about 1 to 2 mm from a second side of the edge of the filter frame that is opposite to the first side (Moll Column 9 Lines 44-67 where Moll flanges 28 are about 2mm and the cut outs are shown to be at the flanges 28 where extending within 1-2 mm of the filter frame).
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2018/0334767 (Kim) in view of US 5679122 (Moll) and further in view of US 5098769 (Linnersten hereinafter).
Regarding claim 9, Kim’s modified teachings are described above in claim 8 but are silent with respect that spots of a hotmelt are applied onto a surface of the filter.
However, Linnersten teaches a filter assembly method that discloses spots of a hotmelt are applied onto a surface of the filter (Column 7 Lines 14-22).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the pleating of the filter of Kim/Moll with the hotmelt of Linnersten to ensure that the filter retains the pleating applied per Linnersten Column 7 Lines 21-22.
Claims 11, 12, and 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2018/0334767 (Kim) in view of US 5679122 (Moll) in view of US 2021/0071345 (Lee hereinafter) and further in view of US 2019/0321762 (Smith hereinafter).
Regarding claim 11, Kim’s modified teachings are described above in claim 1 where the combination of Kim and Moll would further disclose a first fan formed inside the main body (Figure 4 of Kim with fan 183) and an inputter configured to receive a user command (Inputter 170 per ¶ 85); and a controller configured to control an operation of the first fan (Controller 110 per ¶ 88).
Kim is silent with respect to the fan being adjacent to the filter.
However, Lee teaches a laundry cabinet that discloses an airflow path that shows a fan being adjacent to a filter (Figure 5 with filter 229 being adjacent to the blower 230).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the location of the fan and filter of Kim/Moll with the teachings of Lee to ensure that the filter adequately protects the fan from any debris or damage.
Kim is silent with respect to the inputter configured to receive the user command including a filter drying command; and a controller configured to control an operation of the first fan based on the received filter drying command.
However, Smith teaches an filter drying system that discloses a drying step for drying a filter (¶ 23). The resultant combination would allow for the inputter of Kim to be configured to receive the user command including a filter drying command (Via inputter of Kim as equally taught in ¶ 50 of Smith with control panel 14); and a controller configured to control an operation of the first fan based on the received filter drying command (Controller 110 of Kim will operate the fan is the drying manner).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the operation of Kim with the drying steps taught in Smith to ensure that the filter is sufficiently dry and allowing air to efficiently pass through.
Regarding claim 12, Kim’s modified teachings are described above in claim 11 where the combination of Kim, Moll, Lee, and Smith would further disclose a heat exchanger configured to perform heat exchange of the air in the garment care room (Heat unit 260 per ¶ 62 of Lee), the heat exchanger including a compressor (Heat pumps inherently have compressors); and a second fan adjacent to the heat exchanger (Second fan 184 of Kim per ¶ 89 is said to be at the bottom of the cabinet and the heat exchanger 260 of Lee is also shown towards the bottom of the cabinet and therefore are broadly seen as adjacent to each other), wherein the controller controls, the received filter drying command as the user command, an operation of at least one of the first fan, the second fan, and the compressor of the heat exchanger (Operation of the laundry cabinet of Kim/Moll/Lee/Smith would involve operating at least the first fan and depending on the program would add the heat pump and second fan).
Regarding claim 21, Kim teaches a laundry closest that discloses a main body including a garment care room formed therein (Figures 1 and 2 with room 11 within 10 as closed by door 20), the garment care room having a front side that is openable (Opening of 10 that is covered by door 20); and a filter installable in the main body and configured to collect dust included in air in the garment care room (¶ 89); a first fan is disposed inside the main body (Figure 4 of Kim with fan 183); an inputter configured to receive a user command (Touch Panel 172 per ¶ 81-83); and a controller configured to control an operation of the first fan (Controller 110 per ¶ 88).
Kim is silent with respect to a filter body, and a filter frame configured to support the filter frame including a bending guide having a plurality of portions that are cut away from only one side of an edge of the filter frame toward a second side of the edge of the filter frame that is without cut portions so as to make the filter bendable.
However, Moll teaches a filter (Figures 1-5) that discloses a filter body (Figures 1 and 5 with body 12), and a filter frame configured to support the filter frame (Frame 40/48) including a bending guide (Guide 40) having a plurality of portions that are cut away from only one side of an edge of the filter frame toward a second side of the edge of the filter frame that is without cut portions so as to make the filter bendable (Figures 1 and 5 show a solid side and a cut out side of 40).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the filter of Kim with the bendable filter of Moll to allow for the filter to be adaptable to the shape and orientation of the filter opening.
Kim, per Moll, is silent with respect to the first fan being adjacent to the filter.
However, Lee teaches a laundry cabinet that discloses an airflow path that shows a fan being adjacent to a filter (Figure 5 with filter 229 being adjacent to the blower 230).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the location of the fan and filter of Kim/Moll with the teachings of Lee to ensure that the filter adequately protects the fan from any debris or damage.
Kim, per Moll and Lee, is silent with respect to a filter drying command; and the controller configured to control an operation of the first fan based on the receipt of the filter drying command.
However, Smith teaches an filter drying system that discloses a drying step for drying a filter (¶ 23). The resultant combination would allow for the inputter of Kim to be configured to receive the user command including a filter drying command (Via inputter of Kim as equally taught in ¶ 50 of Smith with control panel 14); and a controller configured to control an operation of the first fan based on the received filter drying command (Controller 110 of Kim will operate the fan is the drying manner).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the operation of Kim with the drying steps taught in Smith to ensure that the filter is sufficiently dry and allowing air to efficiently pass through.
Claim 16 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2018/0334767 (Kim) in view of US 5679122 (Moll) in view of US 2021/0071345 (Lee) in view of US 2019/0321762 (Smith) and further in view of US 2018/0126313 (Canonico hereinafter).
Regarding claim 16, Kim’s modified teachings are described above in claim 1 but are silent with respect to a detector configured to detect humidity information of air that has passed through the filter, wherein the controller is further configured to perform a control operation to finish a filter drying process based on humidity information detected by the detector.
However, Canonico teaches a filter assembly that discloses a detector provided around the filter and configured to detect humidity of ambient air of the filter (¶ 20, 24, 61), wherein the controller is further configured to perform a control operation to finish a filter drying process based on humidity information detected by the detector (The resultant combination would utilize the airflow of Kim/Moll/Smith with the moisture detection of Canonico to control/alert a user based on the moisture sensed).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the filter of Kim/Moll/Smith to ensure that the filter is operating in an effective window and not saturated.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-9, 11-16, and 21-23 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 13-15 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. Applicant has amended the claims along the claim dependency chain of claim 13 and claim 13 itself that a further modification relative to the rejection of claim 12 above would not be obvious in the Examiner’s view point.
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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CONNOR J. TREMARCHE whose telephone number is (571)272-2175. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday 0700-1700 Eastern.
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/CONNOR J TREMARCHE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3762