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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 1-3 and 5-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2014/0286747 to Fang et al. (“Fang”).
Regarding claim 1, Fang discloses a laundry treating apparatus (see ¶ [0016]) comprising:
a cabinet (inherent/implicit of a washing machine teaching);
a tub disposed in the cabinet and defining a space configured to receive water therein (inherent/implicit to a washing machine – see also ¶ [0003] and washing chamber);
a drum configured to rotate in the tub and receive clothes therein (inherent/implicit to a washing machine – see also ¶ [0003] and washing chamber); and
a drain pump (10) disposed under the tub (implicit based on drain pump inlet 26 feeding from above) and configured to discharge water in the tub to the outside of the cabinet or circulate water to the tub (see ¶ [0025]),
the drain pump comprising:
a pump housing (21,22) in fluid communication with the tub, configured to receive water from the tub, wherein the pump housing accommodates an impeller (60) therein,
a first discharge passage (23) extending from the pump housing and defined at a side which water is discharged by rotation of the impeller,
a second discharge passage (24) spaced apart from the first discharge passage, extending from the pump housing and defined at the side at which the water is discharged by the rotation of the impeller, and
a flow path selection part (30,31) connected to the first discharge passage and the second discharge passage and configured to, based on a rotation direction of the impeller, discharge water to the outside of the cabinet or circulate water to the tub (see Figs. 4A-4B and associated text), wherein the flow path selection part comprises:
a first inlet (33) in fluid communication with the first discharge passage (23) and configured to receive water discharged from the first discharge passage,
a second inlet in fluid communication with the second discharge passage (24) and configured to receive water discharged from the second discharge passage,
a first outlet (35a) in fluid communication with the outside of the cabinet and configured to guide water that has passed through the first inlet to the outside of the cabinet,
a second outlet in fluid communication with the tub and configured to guide water that has passed through the second inlet to the tub (implicit to feeding water between the tub and pump),
a flow channel body (30,31) including a drain flow passage (30,39a,36,37,38) having a drain inlet hole in fluid communication with the first inlet and a drain outlet hole in fluid communication with the first outlet defined therein, and a circulation flow passage (31,39b) having a circulation inlet hole in fluid communication with the second inlet and a circulation outlet hole in fluid communication with the second outlet defined therein (see Figs. 1C, 2, 4A, 4B and associated text), and
a diaphragm (80) accommodated inside the flow channel body, partitioning the drain flow passage and the circulation flow passage from each other, and configured to, based on the rotation direction of the impeller, close the drain flow passage or the circulation flow passage (see Figs. 3A-4B and associated text).
Fang discloses the claimed invention including implicitly teaching a rotatable drum in a tub (implicit/inherent for conventional washing machine) and the drain pump under the tub. Fang does not expressly disclose wherein a direction from the drain inlet hole to the drain outlet hole is inclined with an extension direction of the first discharge passage, and a direction from the circulation inlet hole to the circulation outlet hole is inclined with an extension direction of the second discharge passage. However, the position is taken that it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of effective filing to rearrange the drain inlet and outlet holes to be inclined as desired to achieve the desired drainage, since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. See MPEP § 2144.04(IV)(C) regarding Obviousness and Rearrangement of Parts.
Further regarding amended claim 1, Fang discloses wherein the drain flow passage and the circulation flow passage are defined in parallel with the bottom surface of the cabinet but does not expressly disclose the discharge pipes relative configuration with the cabinet wherein the first discharge passage and the second discharge passage extend in a direction away from a bottom surface of the cabinet. However, the position is taken that it would have been prima facie obvious to rearrange the pipes as desired to configure the washing machine for draining and circulation purposes absent secondary considerations (see Rearrangement of Parts above).
Regarding claim 2, Fang further discloses wherein an extension length of the drain flow passage in the direction from the drain inlet hole to the drain outlet hole is greater than a diameter of the drain flow passage, and an extension length of the circulation flow passage in the direction from the circulation inlet hole to the circulation outlet hole is greater than a diameter of the circulation flow passage (see Figs. 1B-2 of Fang).
Regarding claim 3, Fang further discloses wherein the drain flow passage is defined in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the first discharge passage, and the circulation flow passage is defined in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the second discharge passage (see Figs. 1B-2 and 4A-4B of Fang).
Regarding claim 5, Fang does not expressly disclose the drain inlet hole and discharge pipes relative configuration with the cabinet. However, the position is taken that it would have been prima facie obvious to rearrange the pipes as desired to configure the washing machine for draining and circulation purposes absent secondary considerations (see Rearrangement of Parts above).
Regarding claim 6, Fang further discloses wherein the flow channel body further comprises: a drain closing surface (38) that is disposed at a first surface defining the drain flow passage and that is configured to, based on the impeller rotating in a first direction, contact the diaphragm; and a circulation closing surface that is disposed surface defining the circulation flow passage and that is configured to, based on the impeller rotating in a second direction, contact the diaphragm (see Figs. 4A-B of Fang).
Regarding claims 7-8, Fang does not expressly disclose wherein the drain closing surface is inclined in an extension direction of the drain flow passage, and the circulation closing surface is inclined in an extension direction of the circulation flow passage or wherein the drain closing surface is inclined to correspond to a flow direction of water introduced into the drain flow passage, and the circulation closing surface is inclined to correspond to a flow direction of water introduced into the circulation flow passage. However, the position is taken that it would have been prima facie obvious to rearrange the drain closing surface and/or drain passage inclination as desired to configure the washing machine for draining and circulation purposes absent secondary considerations (see Rearrangement of Parts above).
Regarding claim 9, Fang further discloses wherein the diaphragm is configured to: contact an end of the drain closing surface and, based on the impeller rotating in a first direction, close the drain flow passage; and contact an end of the circulation closing surface and, based on the impeller rotating in the second direction, close the drain flow passage (see Figs. 4A-4B of Fang).
Regarding claims 10-11, Fang discloses the claimed diaphragm but does not expressly disclose a diaphragm configuration wherein the diaphragm is configured such that: a degree of protrusion deformation toward the drain closing surface in a case where the impeller rotates in a first direction is greater than a degree of protrusion deformation toward the circulation closing surface in a case where the impeller rotates in a second direction, and a separation distance from a center of the diaphragm to the drain closing surface is greater than a separation distance from the center of the diaphragm to the circulation closing surface of claim 10, or wherein the diaphragm is configured such that: a degree of protrusion deformation toward the drain closing surface in a case where the impeller rotates in a first direction is less than a degree of protrusion deformation toward the circulation closing surface in a case where the impeller rotates in a second direction; and a separation distance between the diaphragm and the drain closing surface is less than a separation distance between the diaphragm and the circulation closing surface based on the diaphragm being disposed at a reference location of claim 11. However, it would have been an obvious matter of choice to change the design/shape of the diaphragms, since such a modification would have involved a mere change in the form or shape of a component. A change in form or shape is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art. See MPEP § 2144.04(IV)(B) regarding Obviousness and Changes in Shape.
Similarly regarding claims 12-15, Fang discloses a diaphragm having numerous folds forming recesses, and the claimed modifications/changes in shape of the diaphragm are considered prima facie obvious (see above).
Regarding claims 16-20, Fang discloses the diaphragm having various folds, which include recesses and contact surfaces in the manner claimed, and the flow channel body of Fang provides closing/coupling surfaces for the drain and circulation portions as claimed (see Fang at Figs. 1B-4B and associated text).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 19 August 2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Regarding claim 1, Applicant argues that Fang does not disclose (1) “the first discharge passage and the second discharge passage extend in a direction away from a bottom surface of the cabinet” and (2) “the drain flow passage and the circulation flow passage are defined in parallel with the bottom surface of the cabinet.”
Regarding (1), Examiner notes that while Fang discloses discharge passages extending to a drain flow passage and a circulation flow passage, Fang does not anticipate the discharge passages extending in a direction away from a bottom surface of the cabinet (i.e. upward). However, such modification of the pump by merely rearranging the direction of the discharge passages would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of effective filing to achieve the same and predictable circulating and draining results, since it is well settled that rearranging parts involves only routine skill in the art. See MPEP § 2144.04(VI)(C) regarding Obviousness and Rearrangement of Parts.
Regarding (2), Fang expressly discloses the configuration wherein “the drain flow passage and the circulation flow passage are defined in parallel with the bottom surface of the cabinet.” This is readily evidenced by Fig. 1A of Fang which shows horizontal and parallel drain flow passage and circulation flow passage.
It is noted that Applicant is silent with respect to precisely how and why the current claims patentably distinguish from the current rejection showing both novelty AND non-obviousness. Thus, Applicant's arguments fail to comply with 37 CFR 1.111(b) because they amount to a general allegation that the claims define a patentable invention without specifically pointing out how the language of the claims patentably distinguishes them from the references.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. KR 2018-0076215 A to Choi et al. (previously cited), which teaches that it is known to form a drain pump wherein the first discharge passage and the second discharge passage extend in a direction away (upward) from a bottom surface of the cabinet towards a circulation flow path and drain flow path based on rotation direction of impeller (160), as shown in Figs. 2-4.
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 JOSEPH L PERRIN whose telephone number is (571)272-1305. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30-4:00.
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Joseph L. Perrin, Ph.D.
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1711
/Joseph L. Perrin/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1711