DETAILED ACTION
Claim Objections
Claim 4 is objected to because of the following informalities: the filter that is recited appears to refer back to the lint screen. Therefore, “the filter” should instead be “the lint screen”.
Claim 10 is objected to because of the following informalities: “A control system” should instead be “a control system”.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 2, 7, 9-11, 16, 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Yoo (US 20130200833 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Yoo discloses an improved tumble dryer for drying clothes or fabric with reduced wear and tear to the clothes, the dryer rotates the clothes inside a drum (Fig. 1, 30) to separate them and blows heated air through the drum to heat the clothes and remove moisture from them (para. 21), according to the improvement, in a repeating cycle, the dryer rotates the drum for a given first time period to separate the clothes, so the heated air removes moisture from them (paras. 69, 70), then, the dryer stops and keeps the drum stationary for a given second time period to allow outward transfer of moisture within the clothes and heating them by the heated air for further moisture removal (paras. 70, 84).
Regarding claim 2, Yoo discloses the improved tumble dryer of claim 1 wherein the temperature or flow rate of the heated air during the rotation of the drum is higher than that during its stationary period. See second half of period S30 in Fig. 3. The heater (H/T) turns on when the drum rotates and is turned off when the drum stops. Therefore, the air proximate the heater is at a higher temperature when the drum rotates than when the drum stops.
Regarding claim 7, Yoo discloses (see rejection of claim 1 for citations unless otherwise noted) a clothes drying process to reduce wear and tear to the clothes wherein wet clothes are tumbled inside a horizontal rotating drum to get separated, heated air is blown continuously through the drum to heat the clothes and remove moisture from them, the drum is rotated for a given first time period, then, the drum is stopped and kept stationary for a given second time period, the cycle of rotating and stopping the drum is repeated until the clothes are dried (see S30 and S40 in Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 9, Yoo discloses wherein the heated air temperature or flow rate is higher during the rotation of the drum than when the drum is stationary (see rejection of claim 2).
Regarding claim 10, Yoo discloses (see rejection of claim 1 for citations unless otherwise noted) an improved tumble dryer for drying clothes or fabric with reduced wear and tear to the clothes, the dryer rotates the clothes inside a drum to separate them and blows heated air through the drum to heat the clothes and remove moisture from them, A control system (Fig. 3, 100; see also para. 60) allows drying option setting by the user via an interface and controls the running time, air temperature, or air flow, according to the improvement, in a repeating cycle, the dryer rotates the drum for a given first time period to separate and redistribute the clothes, and allow the heated air to remove moisture from them, then, the dryer stops the drum and keeps it stationary for a given second time period to allow redistribution of moisture within and between the clothes and heating of them by the hot air for further drying.
Regarding claim 11, Yoo discloses wherein the heated air temperature or flow rate is higher during the rotation of the drum than when the drum is stationary (see rejection of claim 2).
Regarding claim 16, Yoo discloses (see rejection of claim 1 for citations unless otherwise noted) a clothes drying process to reduce wear and tear to the clothes wherein wet clothes are tumbled inside a horizontal rotating drum to get separated, heated air is blown continuously through the drum to heat the clothes and remove moisture from them, the drum is rotated for a given first time period, then, the drum is stopped and kept stationary for a given second time period, the cycle of rotating and stopping the drum is repeated until the clothes are dried (see S30 and S40 in Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 18, Yoo discloses wherein the heated air temperature or flow rate is higher during the rotation of the drum than when the drum is stationary (see rejection of claim 2).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 3-6, 8, 12-15, 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yoo (US 20130200833 A1).
Regarding claim 3, Yoo discloses the improved tumble dryer of claim 1 except wherein the repeating cycle time is less than one minute. However, this limitation is a matter of optimization that can be found through routine experimentation. See MPEP 2144.05.
In this case, the drum intermittently pauses to prevent laundry from adhering to the inner wall of the drum (para. 77). Therefore, enough time is needed to release the clothing items from the wall of the drum, but too much time would reduce drying efficiency.
Regarding claim 4, Yoo discloses a tumble dryer for drying clothes, the dryer is comprised of
a rotatable drum (30) with an open end (12a) installed horizontally inside an enclosure (10) (Fig. 1),
a plurality of blades (Fig. 1, 31) attached axially to the inside surface of the drum,
a door (Fig. 1, 15) attached to the enclosure to close the open end of the drum,
a drive system including an electric motor (Fig. 1, 60) to rotate the drum,
an air blower Fig. 3, 122),
a heater (Fig. 3, 120),
a duct and enclosure system communicating with the blower, the heater, and the inside of the drum (paras. 7, 62),
a control system (Fig. 3, 100) to control the drive system, heater, and blower and provide human interface for operating the dryer (para. 60),
when the dryer is turned on through the control interface, the drum rotates and separates wet clothes inside of it with the help of its blades, air enters the blower, passes over the heater, enters the drum, heats the clothes, removes moisture from them, and exits the drum,
the rotation of the drum is intermittent to reduce the time that clothes are deformed and rubbed against each other during drying, and thus, reduce the wear and tear to them, in a repeating cycle, the drum rotates for a given first time period to separate the clothes, so the heated air removes moisture from them, then, the drum stops and stays stationary for a given second time period to allow outward transfer of moisture within the clothes and heating of them by the heated air for further moisture removal (see rejection of claim 1 regarding the intermittent stopping and rotating of the drum).
Yoo fails to disclose:
a lint screen, which communicates with the duct and enclosure system, and is configured to trap lint.
However, Official Notice is taken that a lint screen, which communicates with the duct and enclosure system, and is configured to trap lint, is well-known and common knowledge since almost every domestic clothes dryer has this feature.
It would have been obvious to a person skilled in the art at the time of effective filing of the application to modify Yoo to include a lint screen, which communicates with the duct and enclosure system, and is configured to trap lint. The motivation to combine is so that the lint can be captured, and periodically removed from the dryer, thereby reducing lint accumulation within the dryer.
Regarding claim 5, Yoo discloses the improved tumble dryer of claim 1 except wherein the repeating cycle time is less than one minute. However, see the rejection of claim 3.
Regarding claim 6, Yoo discloses wherein the heated air temperature or flow rate is higher during the rotation of the drum than when the drum is stationary (see rejection of claim 2).
Regarding claim 8, Yoo discloses the improved tumble dryer of claim 7 except wherein the first and second time periods are fractions of a minute. However, see the rejection of claim 3. See also Fig. 3 (e.g., S24) showing very short time periods where the drum intermittently rotates and stops.
Regarding claim 12, Yoo discloses the improved tumble dryer of claim 10 except wherein the repeating cycle time is less than one minute. However, see the rejection of claim 3.
Regarding claim 13, Yoo discloses (see rejection of claim 4 for citations unless otherwise noted) a tumble dryer for drying clothes, the dryer is comprised of a rotatable drum with an open end installed horizontally inside an enclosure, a plurality of blades attached axially to the inside surface of the drum, a door attached to the enclosure to close the open end of the drum, a drive system including an electric motor to rotate the drum, an air blower, a heater, a lint screen, a duct and enclosure system communicating with the blower, the heater, the inside of the drum, and the filter, a control system to control the drive system, heater, and blower and provide human interface for operating the dryer, when the dryer is turned on through the control interface, the drum rotates and separates wet clothes inside of it with the help of its blades, air enters the blower, passes over the heater, enters the drum, heats the clothes, removes moisture from them, exits the drum, and leaves fiber or lint separated from the clothes at the lint screen, the rotation of the drum is intermittent to reduce the time that clothes are deformed and rubbed against each other during drying, and thus, reduce the wear and tear to them, in a repeating cycle, the drum rotates for a given first time period to separate and redistribute the clothes, and allow the heated air to remove moisture from them, then, the drum stops and stays stationary for a given second time period to allow redistribution of moisture within and between the clothes and heating of them by the hot air for further moisture removal.
Regarding claim 14, Yoo discloses the improved tumble dryer of claim 13 except wherein the repeating cycle time is less than one minute. However, see the rejection of claim 3.
Regarding claim 15, Yoo discloses wherein the heated air temperature or flow rate is higher during the rotation of the drum than when the drum is stationary (see rejection of claim 2).
Regarding claim 17, Yoo discloses the improved tumble dryer of claim 16 except wherein the first and second time periods are fractions of a minute. However, see the rejection of claim 3. See also Fig. 3 (e.g., S24) showing very short time periods where the drum intermittently rotates and stops.
Conclusion
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/JASON LAU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3762