DETAILED ACTION
This office action is in response to the application and claims filed on June 27, 2023. Claims 1-10 are pending, with claim 1 in independent claim form.
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 .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed in parent Application No. CN202223148034.4 filed on 11/27/2022.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
Specification
Applicant is reminded of the proper language and format for an abstract of the disclosure.
The abstract should be in narrative form and generally limited to a single paragraph on a separate sheet within the range of 50 to 150 words in length. The abstract should describe the disclosure sufficiently to assist readers in deciding whether there is a need for consulting the full patent text for details.
The language should be clear and concise and should not repeat information given in the title. It should avoid using phrases which can be implied, such as, “The disclosure concerns,” “The disclosure defined by this invention,” “The disclosure describes,” etc. In addition, the form and legal phraseology often used in patent claims, such as “means” and “said,” should be avoided.
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because of :
the language of “The present invention discloses” in line 1.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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.
Claims 1-5 and 8-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Tang CN Publication (102,923,626) hereinafter Tang.
Regarding claim 1,
Tang discloses a grinder (fig.1-2 and 4-9) comprising:
an upper shell (marked as 11,16 in fig.2) having a lower end (end marked as 11a in fig.2) and an inside (space occupied by element 14 in fig.2);
a lower shell (3, see fig.1, the shell better seen in fig.4) having an upper end (end marked as 32a in fig.4) connected to the lower end (end marked as 11a in fig.2) of the upper shell (see fig.1);
a PCB (12-1, 13-2);
a charging contact piece (12-2 and 4) having one end connected to the PCB (12-1 see fig.8) and another end protruding from and exposed on a side of the upper shell (16 of 11,16, see fig.2); and
a battery (15) connected to the PCB (12-1, 13-2).
Examiner notes, All components of the grinder are connected as a whole, see fig.1 of reference Tang.
Regarding claim 2,
Tang further discloses wherein the upper shell (marked as 11,16 in fig.2) comprises an inner left shell, an inner right shell (see fig.2), and an upper bottom cap (fig.2 shown the cap since the function of the cap is to cover, the structure discloses in the picture, covers and interconnect element 1 with element 3, see fig.1 hereinafter C);
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wherein the battery (15) and the PCB (12-1, 13-2) are built in and connected to one of the inner left shell and the inner right shell (see fig.2);
wherein the another end of the charging contact piece (12-2 of 12-2 and 4) protrudes from and is exposed on the side of one of the inner left shell and the inner right shell (see fig.2);
wherein an upper end of the upper bottom cap is connected to the inner left shell and the inner right shell (see fig.2); and
wherein a lower end of the upper bottom cap is connected to the upper end of the lower shell (3, see fig.1).
Regarding claim 3,
Tang further discloses wherein the lower shell (3) comprises:
a feed bin (32);
a limit bulge (32a) provided on an outer side of an upper end of the feed bin (3, see fig.4);
a limit groove (11a) having a first end and a second end (see fig 2) provided inside the lower end of the upper bottom cap (see fig.2);
wherein the first end of the limit groove (11a) bends down and opens (see fig 2);
wherein the second end of the limit groove (11a) extends circumferentially inside the lower end of the bottom cap (see fig 2); and
wherein the limit bulge (32a) and the limit groove (11a) are connected in a matched manner (see pag.4 lines 20-25).
Regarding claim 4,
Tang further discloses a driving shaft (34); and
a snap spring (37);
wherein the lower shell (3) further comprises a bracket (36) connected to the lower end of the feed bin (32, see fig.4);
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wherein the snap spring (37) is connected to a middle of the driving shaft (34);
wherein the driving shaft (34) passes through a middle fixing hole of the bracket (36); and
wherein the snap spring (37) abuts against the middle fixing hole of the bracket (36, see fig.4).
Examiner notes, this arrangement is inherent with cone grinder.
Regarding claim 5,
Tang further discloses a male grinding head (39); and
a female grinding head (38);
wherein the lower shell (3) further comprises a lower bottom cap (31);
wherein the upper end of the lower bottom cap (31) is connected to a lower end of the bracket (36);
wherein the male grinding head (39) is connected to the lower end of the driving shaft (34);
wherein the female grinding head (38) is connected inside the lower bottom cap (31); and
wherein the male grinding head (39) is located inside the female grinding head (38).
Examiner notes, All components of the grinder are connected as a whole, see fig.1 of reference Tang.
Regarding claim 8,
Tang further discloses wherein the PCB (12-1, 13-2) further comprises:
a master PCB (13-2); and
a charging PCB (12-1); wherein the battery (15) is electrically connected to the master PCB (13-2) or the charging PCB (12-1); and wherein one end of the charging contact piece (12-2 of 12-2 and 4) is electrically connected to the charging PCB (12-1. See pag.4 lines 46-48 and pag.5 lines 1-2).
Examiner notes, All electronic components of the grinder are connected as a whole to allow distribution of current.
Regarding claim 9,
Tang further discloses a motor (14) connected inside the upper shell and electrically connected to the PCB (12-1, 13-2).
Examiner notes, All electronic components of the grinder are connected as a whole to allow distribution of current.
Regarding claim 10,
Tang further discloses wherein the charging contact piece (12-2 and 4) is a flexible charging cable (42, see fig.1).
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.
Claims 6- 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tang CN Publication (102,923,626) hereinafter Tang in view of Hong US Patent (7,207,511) hereinafter Hong.
Regarding claim 6,
The prior art Tang discloses all limitation of claim 5,
Tang is silent about a fool-proof bulge inside the lower end of the lower bottom cap.
Tang and Hong disclose both art in the same field of endeavor of the claimed invention (i.e. grinder).
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Hong, in a similar art, teaches a grinder (fig.1-14) with a fool-proof bulge (see fig.9) inside the lower end of the lower bottom cap (420, fig. 9).
Hong teaches the fool-proof bulge to facilitate the grinding adjustment size of the material (see Col.1 lines 10-12), therefore it would have been obvious to the skilled artisan before the effective filing date to construct the grinder of Tang with a fool-proof bulge as taught by Hong, as it would be beneficiary to Tang to be able to facilitate the grinding adjustment size of the material and render the apparatus more efficient.
Regarding claim 7,
The prior art Tang discloses all limitation of claim 5,
Tang is silent about wherein the lower shell further comprises a lower casing; and wherein the lower casing fits over the outside of the lower bottom cap.
Hong, in a similar art, teaches a grinder (fig.1-14) with a lower shell (400) to comprise a lower casing (410); and wherein the lower casing (410) fits over the outside of the lower bottom cap (420, fig. 8).
Hong teaches the lower casing and to fit over the outside of the lower bottom cap to facilitate the grinding adjustment size of the material (see Col.1 lines 10-12), therefore it would have been obvious to the skilled artisan before the effective filing date to construct the grinder of Tang with a lower casing and to fit over the outside of the lower bottom cap as taught by Hong, as it would be beneficiary to Tang to be able to facilitate the grinding adjustment size of the material and render the apparatus more efficient.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Smith O. BAPTHELUS whose telephone number is (571)272-5976. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Fri 9:00-6:00.
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February 19, 2026
/BSO/Examiner, Art Unit 3725
/Christopher L Templeton/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3725