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 § 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.
Claim(s) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(A)(1) as being anticipated by Brant (US-20150241069-A1).
Regarding claim 1, Brant teaches a cooking appliance (FIG. 1, cooking oven 20) comprising: a casing (FIG. 1, the exterior walls of the cooking oven 20) having a cavity (FIG. 10, oven chambers 22 and 32) and an electric chamber (FIG. 10, the space between rear wall 34B and rear panel 42) separated from the cavity; a door (FIG. 1, oven doors 26 and 36) located at a front of the casing, the door being configured to open and close the cavity; an exhaust port (FIG. 10, exhaust outlet 52) at a front of the casing; a cooling fan (FIG. 10, fans 54 and 140) located in the electric chamber, the cooling fan being configured to suck external air and to discharge air to the exhaust port; a bottom spacer (FIG. 2, blockage locations 107) protruding from a lower portion of the casing to space the casing from a seating surface (FIG. 10, the bottom portion of the oven chamber 32’s interior) such that a lower surface (FIG. 10, the bottom surface of the exterior walls of the cooking oven 20) of the casing and the seating surface define an intake port (FIGS. 2 and 10, lower channel 104 and openings 104b); a first air flow path (FIG. 10, horizontal intake channel 102) located in the lower portion of the casing such that air introduced through the intake port flows to a rear space of the casing; and a second air flow path (FIG. 10, the vertical airflow path between deflector 108 and opening 106) located at the rear space of the casing, the second air flow path connecting the first air flow path to the electric chamber.
Regarding claim 2, Brant teaches that the casing includes a lower plate and an upper plate at the lower portion of the casing, the lower plate and the upper plate being located at different heights to define the first air flow path (FIG. 10, the top and bottom walls of the bottom panel of the heating chamber 32. Their difference in height defines the height of the bottom surface of the horizontal intake channel 102).
Regarding claim 3, Brant teaches that the bottom spacer protrudes downward from the lower plate (FIG. 2, the blockage locations 107 extend downwardly from the bottom of the heating chamber 32).
Regarding claim 4, Brant teaches that the lower plate has an inlet vertically penetrating the lower plate, the inlet being in communication with the intake port (FIG. 10, the inlet in the bottom left of FIG. A below (which is taken from the bottom left of FIG. 10)).
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Regarding claim 5, Brant teaches that the inlet is located at a front portion of the lower plate adjacent the door (FIG. A).
Regarding claim 6, Brant teaches a door hinge (FIG. 1, the hinge of the door 36) connecting the door to the casing; and a blocking part (FIG. 10, the left wall shown in FIG. A) extending upward at the upper plate, the blocking part being located rearward of the door hinge, wherein a portion of the lower plate contacts a portion of the upper plate (FIG. 1, the fronts of the lower and upper plates contact at a front surface).
Regarding claim 7, Brant teaches a rear cover, wherein the casing includes a rear casing (FIG. 10, rear panel 42), and wherein the second air flow path is defined between the rear casing and the rear cover.
Regarding claim 8, Brant teaches the rear casing includes a connection passage connecting the first air flow path to the second air flow path, the connection passage being located at a lower portion of the rear casing (FIG. 10, the bottom right corner passage near the spacer walls 41).
Regarding claim 9, Brant teaches a first heat source located above the first air flow path (paragraph 25, the main heat source); a second heat source (paragraph 25, the convection heat source) located in front of the second air flow path; and a motor (paragraph 25, the motor of the fan of the convection heat source) configured to drive the second heat source located in the second air flow path.
Regarding claim 10, Brant teaches a guide duct (FIG. 10, cooling plenum 44) in the electric chamber, the guide duct defining a third air flow path (FIG. 10, the path within the cooling plenum 44), the third air flow path being connected to the exhaust port, wherein the cooling fan is located at the guide duct such that air discharged by the cooling fan passes through the third air flow path and then is discharged to an external space through the exhaust port (FIG. 10).
Regarding claim 11, Brant teaches that the casing includes an upper casing (FIG. 10, the lower portion of the casing of the fan 54, which has an opening letting air in), the upper casing having a connection hole connecting the second air flow path to the electric chamber.
Regarding claim 12, Brant teaches an upper cover (FIG. 10, the upper portion of the casing of the fan 54) located above the upper casing such that the electric chamber is located between the upper cover and the upper casing, a portion of the upper cover being located above the connection hole (FIG. 10, the upper portion of the fan casing is located above the intake of the fan 54); and a rear cover (FIG. 10, rear wall 42) located at a rear of the casing, wherein the connection hole is adjacent a rear edge of the upper casing couped to the rear cover (FIG. 10).
Regarding claim 13, Brant teaches that the upper cover includes: a bent connection part (FIG. 10, the upper right corner of the fan casing) extending in a height direction of the upper cover, the bent connection part having an air in-outflow portion (FIG. 10, the portion of the upper right corner of the fan casing closest to the intake of the fan 54) facing the electric chamber, and a cover plate (FIG. B, the cross hatched element) connected to one end of the bent connection part, the cover plate being located above the connection hole.
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Regarding claim 14, Brant teaches a rear cover (FIG. 10, the rear wall of the heating chamber 32); and a guide duct (FIG. 10, cooling plenum 44) in the electric chamber, wherein the casing comprises: an inner casing (FIG. 10, the inner walls of the oven chambers 22 and 32) defining the cavity therein; and an outer casing (FIG. 10, the walls surrounding the inner walls of the oven chambers 22 and 32) surrounding the inner casing, the outer casing including: a bottom casing defining a bottom surface of the outer casing; a rear casing defining a rear surface of the outer casing; and an upper casing defining an upper surface of the outer casing (FIG. 10, the exterior walls of the outer casing), wherein the first air flow path (FIG. 10, horizontal intake channel 102) is located in the bottom casing, wherein the second air flow path (FIG. 10, vertical channel 100) is located between the rear casing and the rear cover, and wherein the guide duct is located at an upper portion of the upper casing, the guide duct defining a third air flow path (FIG. 10, the path within the cooling plenum 44).
Regarding claim 15, Brant teaches a heat source located below the cooling fan (paragraph 25, the main heating elements).
Regarding claim 16, Brant teaches a side cover defining a side surface (FIG. 2, the sidewalls of the heating chambers 22 and 32) of the casing, the side cover having a side spacer (FIG. 2, spacer walls 41) protruding outward.
Regarding claim 17, Brant teaches that the side cover includes a side through-hole (FIG. 2, the bolt holes seen on the upper portion of the side walls) at an upper portion of the side opposite the electric chamber.
Regarding claim 18, Brant teaches the side through-hole is located at a position forward of a center portion of the electric chamber, or wherein the side through-hole is located at a position separated from the cooling fan (FIGS. 2 and 10).
Regarding claim 19, Brant teaches a panel unit (FIG. 2, electrical control panel 30) located in front of the casing, the panel unit being located above the door, wherein the exhaust port is located between the panel unit and the door (FIG. 2).
Regarding claim 20, Brant teaches cooking appliance (FIG. 1, cooking oven 20) comprising: a casing (FIG. 1, the exterior walls of the cooking oven 20) having a cavity (FIG. 10, oven chambers 22 and 32) and an electric chamber (FIG. 10, the space between rear wall 34B and rear panel 42) separated from the cavity, the casing including: an inner casing (FIG. 10, the inner walls of the oven chambers 22 and 32) defining the cavity; and an outer casing (FIG. 10, the walls surrounding the inner walls of the oven chambers 22 and 32) surrounding the inner casing; a door (FIG. 1, oven doors 26 and 36) located at a front of the casing, the door being configured to open and close the cavity; an exhaust port (FIG. 10, exhaust outlet 52) at a front of the casing; a cooling fan (FIG. 10, fans 54 and 140) located in the electric chamber, the cooling fan being configured to suck external air and to discharge air to the exhaust port; a bottom spacer (FIG. 2, blockage locations 107) protruding from a lower portion of the casing (FIG. 10, the bottom surface of the exterior walls of the cooking oven 20) to space the casing from a seating surface (FIG. 10, the bottom portion of the oven chamber 32’s interior) such that a lower surface of the casing and the seating surface define an intake port (FIGS. 2 and 10, lower channel 104 and openings 104b); and a first air flow path (FIG. 10, horizontal intake channel 102) located in the lower portion of the casing such that air introduced through the intake port flows to a rear space of the casing.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WILLIAM C. WEINERT whose telephone number is (571)272-6988. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00-5:00 ET.
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/WILLIAM C WEINERT/Examiner, Art Unit 3762
/Allen R. B. Schult/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3762