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 .
Response to Amendment
The amendments filed 2/25/2026 are entered.
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, 3-15, and 17-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Jang (US 20210144286 A1).
Regarding claims 1 and 15, Jang teaches a cooking appliance (FIG. 1, oven 1), comprising: cavity walls (FIG. 1, the walls of the oven, including side wall 12) having a cooking chamber (FIG. 3, cooking chamber 20) with an open front side (FIG. 3, the opening in which door 30 sits); a door (FIG. 3, door 30) provided at a front of the cavity walls to open and close the cooking chamber; a control panel (FIG. 3, machine room cover 17) provided above the cavity and the door; an air guide (FIG. 3, barrier 130) provided between the door and the control panel (FIG. 3, the barrier 130 is placed vertically between the door 30 and the machine room cover 17); and a cover protrusion (FIG. 4, upper air guide 110 and the attached assembly (e.g., link connector 150)) that protrudes from the door or the control panel (FIG. 3, the upper air guide 110 abuts the machine room cover 17), wherein: the air guide is coupled to the cover protrusion, and the cover protrusion guides a position of the air guide and is in contact with the air guide in a horizontal direction (FIG. 5, the shaft portion 132 and the link connector 150 and the upper air guide 110 contact the barrier 130 vertically and horizontally), and the cover protrusion includes: a fastening protrusion region (FIG. 5, the upper area of the protrusion 112) coupled to the air guide and in contact with the air guide in a vertical direction; and a guide protrusion region (FIG. 5, the rear area of the protrusion 112) configured to guide the position of the air guide and in contact with the air guide in the horizontal direction.
Regarding claims 3 and 17, Jang teaches that the guide protrusion region is provided at a rear side of the fastening protrusion region to support the air guide from a rear side (FIG. 5, the rear area of the protrusion 112).
Regarding claims 4 and 18, Jang teaches that the guide protrusion region protrudes in the vertical direction from an end of the fastening protrusion region that faces the air guide (FIG. 5, the rear area of the protrusion 112 extends downward from the top area, which partially faces and abuts the barrier 130).
Regarding claim 5, Jang teaches that the guide protrusion region protrudes by a length that corresponds to a thickness of the air guide (FIG. 5, the protrusion 112 extends so as to hold the barrier 130 in place).
Regarding claim 6, Jang teaches that each of the air guide and the fastening protrusion region includes a fastening hole that extends in the vertical direction (FIG. 5, the hole in the protrusion 12 and the hole in the shaft 132, each of which have a vertical dimension); the guide protrusion region is provided at the rear side of the fastening protrusion region; and the air guide contacts the guide protrusion region in a front-rear direction such that the fastening hole formed in the air guide and the fastening hole formed in the fastening protrusion region are provided in a straight line in a lateral direction to receive a fastener (FIG. 5, the barrier 130 is laterally inserted, with the holes in the shaft 132 forming a straight line with the hole in the protrusion 112), the fastener passes through the fastening hole of the air guide and the fastening hole of the fastening protrusion region to fasten the air guide to the fastening protrusion region (FIG. 9, the barrier 130 is inserted in alignment with the hole in the protrusion 112 and the hole in the shaft 132).
Regarding claim 7, Jang teaches that the guide protrusion region supports the air guide from a rear side of the air guide so that the air guide is slidable in the lateral direction; and the fastening hole of the fastening protrusion region is provided in a movement path of the fastening hole of the air guide sliding in the lateral direction (FIG. 5, the shaft 132 may be laterally slid through the holes in the protrusions 112).
Regarding claim 8, Jang teaches that the cooking appliance comprises a plurality of the cover protrusions (FIG. 5, the upper area of the protrusion 112 comprises an area on each lateral side of the barrier 130), and the plurality of the cover protrusions are in a lateral direction; and the cooking appliance further comprises an extension cover protrusion (FIG. 5 the top of the upper air guide 110) that protrudes from at least one of the plurality of cover protrusions and is configured to support the cover protrusions.
Regarding claim 9, Jang teaches that at least one of the plurality of cover protrusions includes a guide protrusion region (FIG. 5, the rear area of the protrusion 112) configured to guide the position of the air guide and to be in contact with the air guide in the horizontal direction; and the extension cover protrusion protrudes from the guide protrusion region and supports the guide protrusion region.
Regarding claim 10, Jang teaches that at least one of the plurality of cover protrusions includes a fastening protrusion region (FIG. 5, link connector 150) coupled to the air guide and in contact with the air guide in the vertical direction (FIG. 5, via the first hole 151); the guide protrusion region is provided at a rear side of the fastening protrusion region to support the air guide from a rear side (FIG. 5, protrusion 112); and the extension cover protrusion is provided at a rear of the guide protrusion region and is formed to protrude further in the lateral direction than the fastening protrusion region and the guide protrusion region (FIG. 5, the top of the upper air guide 110 is much wider than each of the side panels of the protrusion 112).
Regarding claim 11, Jang teaches that at least one of the plurality of cover protrusions includes a fastening protrusion region coupled to the air guide and in contact with the air guide in the vertical direction; and the fastening protrusion region, the guide protrusion region, and the extension cover protrusion are integrally formed (FIG. 5, the whole assembly is connected).
Regarding claim 12, Jang teaches that the air guide is configured to cover at least a portion of a front of a front panel (FIG. 6, when viewed from certain angles, using the broadest reasonable interpretation the barrier 130 covers the front panel of the oven); the cooking appliance comprises: a plurality of exhaust ports (FIG. 8, the front exhaust ports displayed) that are provided on the front panel and are spaced apart in a lateral direction in the front panel; a partition (FIG. 8, the laterally spaced partitions between the exhaust ports) that is formed between an adjacent pair of the plurality of exhaust ports; and the cover protrusion (FIG. 8, the top part of the barrier module 100 extends in front of the exhaust ports) is provided at a front side of the partition to cover the front side of the partition.
Regarding claim 13, Jang teaches that the cover protrusion is provided at the control panel; and the air guide is coupled to the cover protrusion and fixed to the control panel (FIG. 3, the upper air guide 110 and barrier 130 are connected to the machine room cover 17).
Regarding claim 14, Jang teaches that the cover protrusion includes a fastening protrusion region (FIG. 5, the upper area of the protrusion 112) coupled to the air guide and in contact with the air guide in a vertical direction, and a guide protrusion region (FIG. 5, the rear area of the protrusion 112) configured to guide the position of the air guide and in contact with the air guide in the horizontal direction; and at least a portion of the control panel is integrally formed with the fastening protrusion region and the guide protrusion region (FIG. 3, the various parts of the assembly is fastened to one another).
Regarding claim 19, Jang teaches that the cooking appliance comprises a plurality of exhaust ports (FIG. 8, the front exhaust ports displayed) that are provided on the front panel and are spaced apart in a lateral direction; and the cover protrusion is positioned between an adjacent pair of the exhaust ports so as to not block the exhaust ports (FIG. 8, the entire barrier module 100 is contained between two exhaust ports and does not block them).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 2/25/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Specifically, the Applicant asserts on pages 11-14 that Jang does not teach a cover protrusion, a fastening protrusion region, or a guide protrusion region as recited in the claims. More specifically, on pages 13 and 14 the Applicant argues that the upper region of the protrusion of Jang does not couple with the shaft portion 132. However, FIG. 9 of Jang shows otherwise. Later on page 14, the Applicant argues that the rear region of protrusion 112 of Jang does not guide the coupling position between the upper region of protrusion 112 and the shaft portion 132. However, the Examiner notes that, given the broadest reasonable interpretation, the rear area of the protrusion 112 can be said to horizontally contact, and therefore partially restrain (i.e., guide) the position of the shaft portion 132 (see FIG. 9).
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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