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 Objections
Claim 7 is objected to because of the following informalities: claim 7 recites for the temperature “problem” which should be the temperature --probe--. . Appropriate correction is required.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the internal resistive heating component in claim 4 must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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) 1-3 and 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Scime et al (US 2006/0024036) in view of Taylor (US 5,459,812) and Sorenson et al (US 12,384,222).
Scime discloses the electrical heater claimed including an electric heating element (26) for heating liquid contained in a reservoir or water tank (12) that is connected to an electrical system (para 0016) of a vehicle (21). But, Scime does not explicitly show an electrical connection to an electrical system of a vehicle.
Taylor shows it is known to provide an electric heater with an electrical connection (shown by terminal pins 47) that can be connected to a power source.
Sorenson discloses it is known to provide an electrical system of a vehicle that allows an electrical connection to be made to an electrical system of a vehicle (including a pin receptable as shown in Figure 10a) that allows power to be supplied therethrough (column 16, lines 14-47).
In view of Taylor, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to adapt Scime with the electrical heater having an electrical connection (terminal pins) to be connected to a power source of an electrical system wherein Sorenson further discloses an electrical system of a vehicle that allows electrical components to be connected thereto so that power can be predictably supplied to the electrical heater that is known to be used in the vehicles (e.g., recreational vehicles) for its heated water tank/reservoir.
With respect to claim 2, Scime discloses the heating element that has a tubular shape as illustrated in Figure 1.
With respect to claim 3, Sorenson discloses that the electrical connection is to a 7 pin trailer receptable which is illustrated in Figure 10A.
With respect to claim 8, Scime discloses that the heating element can be used when the vehicle (RV) is hooked to a power source (para 0015), and thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill to active the heating element with the vehicle connected to a power source wherein the heater can be activated with the vehicle hooked to the power source and is running so that continuous and uninterrupted power can be provided to the heating element.
Claim(s) 4-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Scime in view of Taylor and Sorenson as applied to claims 1-3 and 8 above, and further in view of Ulanet (US 3,319,049).
Scime in view of Taylor and Sorenson discloses the electrical heater claimed except for explicitly showing an internal resistive heating component.
Ulanet shows it is known to provide an electrical heater having an internal resistive heating component inside a tube (31; column 2, lines 67-71) connected with an electrical connection (shown with a power cord as illustrated in Figure 2)..
In view of Ulanet, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to adapt Scime as modified by Taylor and Sorenson with electric heating element having an internal electric resistive heating component/wire within the electrical heater that is known to predictably produce a resistance conductive heating for heating of water as the electrical connection is made to a power source as known in the art.
With respect to claim 5, Sorenson discloses for the electrical connection to a DC power supply such as a battery supply.
With respect to claims 6 and 7, Ulanet shows it is known to provide the electrical heater with a temperature probe (13) that is maintained at a predetermined distance from the heating element (12) to measure the temperature of the water wherein the temperature probe is provided with a connector (24/25) to a thermostat (18) that is adjustable to adjust the liquid temperature. And, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to adapt Scime, as modified by Taylor and Sorenson, with a temperature probe that is maintained at a predetermined distance from the heating element so that the temperature probe is situated at a desired location to predictably and effectively measure the temperature of the heated water wherein the temperature of the water can be predictably adjusted by the thermostat.
Claim(s) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Scime in view of Taylor, Sorenson as applied to claims 1-3 and 8 above, and further in view of Henrie et al (US 2002/0127007).
Scime in view of Taylor and Sorenson discloses the electrical heater claimed except for an On-Off switch.
Henrie shows it is known to provide an electric heater with an On-Off switch (222) to control the operation of the electric heater.
In view of Henrie, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to adapt Scime, as modified by Taylor and Sorenson, with an On-Off switch to power on and off the electric heater as desired by the user to control its operation.
Claim(s) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Scime in view of Taylor and Sorenson as applied to claims 1-3 and 8 above, and further in view of McGraw (US 5,960,157) and Peretz (US 2011/0277488).
Scime in view of Taylor and Sorenson discloses the electrical heater claimed except for the electrical heater comprising an AC power supply with a ground fault circuit interrupt GFCI.
McGraw shows it is known to provide an electrical heat that is supplied with AC power as well as DC battery power.
Peretz shows it is known to provide an electric water heater that is provided with a ground fault circuit interrupt GFCI for shock prevention (para 0054).
In view of McGraw, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to adapt Scime, as modified by Taylor, Sorenson, with the power source being an AC power supply as another suitable power source that can power the heating element as known in the art; and, in view of Peretz, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to adapt Scime, as modified above, to further provide a GFCI for the protection of a user from any potential electric shocks that can occur due to electric shorts as known in the art.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SANG Y PAIK whose telephone number is (571)272-4783. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00-5:30; M-F.
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/SANG Y PAIK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3761