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 Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 1 has a myriad of antecedent basis issues that render the claim unclear and indefinite to the Examiner. The Examiner will present an amended claim 1 with edits to overcome clarity issues. Applicant is advised to further check their claim language to ensure that proper antecedent basis is maintained.
An energy-saving portable dryer for digestive endoscope, comprising a box (1) and a top cover (2), wherein the box (1) is a hollow shell structure, the top cover (2) covers an upper port of the box (1) to form a sealed environment, [[the]] a upper end of the top cover (2) is provided with a controller (3) to control the operation of [[the]] a device, and the box (1) is internally provided with heating tubes; the box (1) is provided with a water inlet and a drainage mechanism, [[the]] a bottom end of the box (1) is provided with a liquid heater (8), and the liquid heater (8) is arranged to heat a disinfection solution in the box (1) to generate hot vapor; the top cover (2) and the box (1) are installed and disassembled through a fixed mechanism; [[the]] a lower end of the top cover (2) is connected with a plurality of support plates (19) through a telescopic mechanism, and [[the]] a upper end of each one of the plurality of support plates (19) is provided with a clamp (22) matched with a digestive endoscope (23); the clamp (22) is arranged to position the digestive endoscope (23), and the telescopic mechanism drives [[the]] each support plate (19) to clamp the digestive endoscope (23) for positioning; the [[a]] plurality of the support plates (19) are [[is]] provided, [[the]] a bottom end of [[the]] each support plate (19) at [[the]] a lowest end is provided with a clamping groove (20), and the clamping groove (20) and a clamping column (18) at [[the]] a upper end of a curved disc (17) are mutually matched and inserted; a partition (9) is also arranged inside the box (1), a motor (10) is installed in the partition (9), and the motor (10) is connected with a fan blade (16) and a mixing blade (14) through a driving mechanism to drive the fan blade (16) and the mixing blade (14) to rotate; [[the]] a upper end of a shaft of the motor (10) is provided with the curved disc (17), and the curved disc (17) and a crankshaft rod (24) form a reciprocating movement structure; [[the]] a right end of the crankshaft rod (24) is provided with a piston (25) through a hinge; the surface of the box (1) is provided with an air hole (27), and the piston (25) moves laterally to open and close the air hole (27) intermittently to achieve intermittent pressure relief; the air hole (27) is provided with an opening size control mechanism to achieve the efficiency required for regulating [[the]] a discharge of high-temperature and high-pressure gas.
Claim 2 recites “the water inlet and drainage mechanism comprises a water inlet valve (6) arranged at the lower side of the box (1) and a drainage valve (7) arranged at the bottom of the box (1)” which features multiple antecedent basis issues that lead to clarity issues with claim 2. For examination purposes, claim 2 will be interpreted as “the water inlet and the drainage mechanism comprises a water inlet valve (6) arranged at [[the]] a lower side of the box (1) and a drainage valve (7) arranged at [[the]] a bottom of the box (1).”
Claim 3 recites “at the side of the box” in typed line 3 where the Examiner is unclear about which side of the box is being referred back to due to improper antecedent basis. For examination purposes, “at the side of the box” will be treated as “at [[the]] a side of the box”.
Claim 4 recites “the telescopic mechanism comprises a first electric telescopic rod (201) connected with the lower end of the top cover (2), and the other end of the first electric telescopic rod (201) is connected with the support plate (19), and the support plates (19) are connected to each other through a second electric telescopic rod (202); the clamping column (18) is a hexagonal prism, and the clamping groove (20) is a hexagonal groove, and the surface of the support plate (19) is provided with a mesh (21) for through which the hot vapor passes” which features multiple antecedent basis issues that lead to clarity issues with claim 4. For examination purposes, claim 4 will be interpreted as “the telescopic mechanism comprises a first electric telescopic rod (201) connected with the lower end of the top cover (2), and [[the]] a other end of the first electric telescopic rod (201) is connected with [[the]] each support plate (19), and the plurality of support plates (19) are connected to each other through a second electric telescopic rod (202); the clamping column (18) is a hexagonal prism, and the clamping groove (20) is a hexagonal groove, and [[the]] a surface of the support plate (19) is provided with a mesh (21) for through which the hot vapor passes.”
Claim 5 recites “wherein the clamp (22) is an inverted U-shaped block structure, the digestive endoscope (23) is a cylindrical structure, and the radius of the U-shaped part of the clamp (22) is greater than the cylindrical radius of the digestive endoscope (23)” which has a plurality of clarity issues that render the claim indefinite. For examination purposes, claim 5 will be treated as “wherein the clamp (22) is an inverted U-shaped block structure, the digestive endoscope (23) is a cylindrical structure, and [[the]] a radius of the U-shaped part of the clamp (22) is greater than [[the]] a cylindrical radius of the digestive endoscope (23).”
Claim 6 recites “the handle (4) is made of thermal insulation material” where the Examiner is unclear which thermal insulation material is being referred back to due to improper antecedent basis. For examination purposes, the phrase “the handle (4) is made of thermal insulation material” will be treated as “the handle (4) is made of a thermal insulation material.”
Claim 7 recites “wherein the driving mechanism comprises a first gear (11) connected with the shaft end of the motor (10), and the surface of the partition (9) is provided with a rotating hole, and the rotating hole is connected with a first gear shaft (12) and a second gear shaft (15) in a rotating manner; the lower end of the first gear shaft (12) is connected with the mixing blade (14), and the upper end of the first gear shaft (12) is connected with the second gear (13), and the second gear (13) and the second gear shaft (15) form gear mesh; the upper end of the second gear shaft (15) is connected with the fan blade (16), and the first gear (11) and the second gear (13) form gear mesh” which has a plurality of clarity issues that render the claim indefinite. For examination purposes, claim 7 will be treated as “wherein the driving mechanism comprises a first gear (11) connected with [[the]] a shaft end of the motor (10), and [[the]] a surface of the partition (9) is provided with a rotating hole, and the rotating hole is connected with a first gear shaft (12) and a second gear shaft (15) in a rotating manner; [[the]] a lower end of the first gear shaft (12) is connected with the mixing blade (14), and [[the]] a upper end of the first gear shaft (12) is connected with the second gear (13), and the second gear (13) and the second gear shaft (15) form gear mesh; [[the]] a upper end of the second gear shaft (15) is connected with the fan blade (16), and the first gear (11) and the second gear (13) form gear mesh.”
Claim 8 recites “the surface of the piston” where the Examiner is unclear which surface of the piston is being referred back to due to improper antecedent basis. For examination purposes, the phrase “the surface of the piston” will be treated as “[[the]] a the surface of the piston”.
Claim 9 recites “wherein the opening size control mechanism comprises a chute arranged on the side of the box (1), and a sealing plate (28) is arranged in the chute; the sealing plate (28) is located above the through hole (26) and contacts; one end of the sealing plate (28) is connected with the right end of a third electric telescopic rod (29), and left end of the third electric telescopic rod (29) is connected with the side of the box(1); the third electric telescopic rod (29) drives the sealing plate (28) to slide laterally in the chute to adjust the size of the air hole (27) accordingly.” which has a plurality of clarity issues that render the claim indefinite. For examination purposes, claim 9 will be treated as “wherein the opening size control mechanism comprises a chute arranged on [[the]] a side of the box (1), and a sealing plate (28) is 2arranged in the chute; the sealing plate (28) is located above [[the]] a through hole (26) and a plurality of contacts; one end of the sealing plate (28) is connected with [[the]] a right end of a third electric telescopic rod (29), and [[the]] a left end of the third electric telescopic rod (29) is connected with the side of the box(1); the third electric telescopic rod (29) drives the sealing plate (28) to slide laterally in the chute to adjust the size of the air hole (27) accordingly.”
Allowable Subject Matter
Independent claim 1 and dependent claims 2-9 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action. The closest prior art combination would be between CN 213312003 (Duan), US 2020/0118674 (Le), CN 108168235 (Jin), and JP 2009131295 (Serizawa). Duan teaches a device for cleaning/sterilizing an endoscope. Le teaches a cabinet used for drying and cleaning endoscopes. Jin teaches a steam cleaning device for treating medical devices. Serizawa teaches a portable device for cleaning endoscopes. A possible combination would teach the general concept of providing a portable endoscope cleaning system (See Duan and Serizawa). The specific claim language of “a partition (9) is also arranged inside the box (1), a motor (10) is installed in the partition (9), and the motor (10) is connected with a fan blade (16) and a mixing blade (14) through a driving mechanism to drive the fan blade (16) and the mixing blade (14) to rotate; the upper end of shaft of the motor (10) is provided with the curved disc (17), and the curved disc (17) and a crankshaft rod (24) form a reciprocating movement structure; the right end of the crankshaft rod (24) is provided with a piston (25) through a hinge; the surface of the box (1) is provided with an air hole (27), and the piston (25) moves laterally to open and close the air hole (27) intermittently to achieve intermittent pressure relief; the air hole (27) is provided with an opening size control mechanism to achieve the efficiency required for regulating the discharge of high-temperature and high-pressure gas” requires significant structure to move the airflow and ventilate the chamber. Duan in Figure 1 shows teach a motor driven stirring rod but fails to disclose the further specifics regarding the shaft structures. Duan also fails to disclose the venting portion and piston being moved by the crankshaft. A modification to the Duan reference would require further extensive modifications to recreate the claimed structure. Therefore, for at least these reasons, independent claim 1 and dependent claims 2-9 are found to be allowable if the claims are free from 112(b) rejections.
Conclusion
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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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, MICHAEL HOANG can be reached at (571) 272-6460. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CONNOR J TREMARCHE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3762