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 .
This office action is a response to the restriction requirement filed on 2/18/2026.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I, claims 1-5, in the reply filed on 2/18/2026.
Claims 6-7 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 2/18/2026 is acknowledged.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
The following title is suggested: --METHOD OF MANUFACTURING A CARTRIDGE OF AN ELECTRONIC VAPING DEVICE--.
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 1-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mironov et al. (PGPub 2017/0105452 A1 A1) in view of Aisenbrey (PGPub 2005/0024290 A1).
Mironov et al. teach a process of making a cartridge of an electronic vaping device, the cartridge (200, Fig. 1, paragraph [0051]) including a pre-vapor formulation storage element (204, Fig. 1, paragraph [0053]), comprising steps of: forming an electrical inductor (110, Fig. 1, paragraph [0052]) from an electrical component; and mounting the electrical inductor to the cartridge as shown in Fig. 1.
However, Mironov et al. silent the electrical inductor having an inductance indicative of a pre-vapor formulation substrate contained in the pre-vapor formulation storage element. Aisenbrey teaches, an electrical inductor (identifier chip 14 in Fig. 1)
having an inductance indicative (disclosed in para 0054 "The identifier chip 14 preferably comprises an integrated circuit device capable of storing multiple bits of data and capable of modulating the current in the transponder antenna 18 to thereby encode this data onto the RF signal the identifier device 14 comprises a passive network of resistors, capacitors, and/or inductors that exhibits a resonance response to the incoming RF signal"). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time of the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made, to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify a process of fabricating a cartridge of an electronic vaping device of Mironov et al. by an electrical inductor having an inductance indicative of a pre-vapor formulation substrate contained in the pre-vapor formulation storage element as taught by Aisenby because the inductor is concerning an identifier, revealed that the function of the substituted electrical inductor was known and predictable (e.g., indicative of the pre-vapor formulation substrate contained in the pre-vapor formulation storage element), and that it could be used as an identifier in Mironov et al.
Re. claims 2-4: Mironov et al. also teach that the electrical component is a wire (or inductive coil, as per claim 4) composed of a conductive material such as copper (as per claim 3, paragraph [0052]).
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mironov et al. in view of Aisenbrey, and further in view of Onishi (JP 2004276288 A).
Mironov et al., modified by Aisenbrey, teach all limitations as set forth above including an electrical heating element mounted (152, Fig. 5, paragraph [0060]) to the cartridge, but silent electrically connecting the electrical inductor in series with the electrical heating element. Onishi teaches a process of making an electrical device including electrically connecting an electrical inductor (260) in series with the electrical heating element (170) in order to control a driving of a power source as shown in Fig. 1 (see abstract). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time of the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made, to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify a process of fabricating a cartridge of an electronic vaping device of Mironov et al., modified by Aisenbrey, by electrically connecting the electrical inductor in series with the electrical heating element as taught by Onishi in order to control a driving of a power source.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PAUL D KIM whose telephone number is (571)272-4565. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday: 6:00 AM-2:00 PM.
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/PAUL D KIM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3729
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