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 § 102
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 1, 5, 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Jung et al. (KR 20160124351 A).
Jung et al. discloses a hair dryer (Fig. 1) comprising: a main body 120 having a gas discharger (Fig. 1, at 120) configured to discharge gas; and a handle (Fig. 1, not numbered, where 28,29 located) disposed on the main body 120, wherein the gas discharger includes: a module power supply 25 located at a center of the gas discharger (Fig. 1) and configured to supply power to a diffuser 110 coupled to the main body 120; and a coupling portion (Fig. 1, translation, page 4, lines 21-26, portion at front end of body part 120 corresponding the rear long rod shaped head part 110) surrounding the module power supply 25 and formed in an annular shape along a circumference of the gas discharger (Fig. 1), wherein the diffuser 110 is coupled to the main body 120 via the coupling portion (Fig. 1), wherein the module power supply 25 faces the diffuser 110 and is in rotatable contact with the diffuser 110 (Fig. 1, while diffuser 110 is inserted within the main body 120 of the hair dryer, the diffuser 110 and main body 120 of the hair dryer are rotatable with respect to each other, therefore, the power supply 25 is in rotatable contact with the diffuser 110 as well) to supply power to the diffuser 110 (Fig. 1). Wherein the diffuser 110 includes: a housing 110 forming an outer appearance of the diffuser 110 (Fig. 1); a gas inlet (Fig. 1, right side of 110) disposed at one side of the housing, wherein gas is introduced into the gas inlet from the gas discharger (translation, page 3, lines 1-2 disclose when the main body part 120 and the head part are coupled o each other, the hair dryer 100 serves as a hair dryer; page 4, lines 31-32 disclose a circular or polygonal discharge port is formed at the front end of the head part 110, so that hot wind generated from the main body part 120 can be discharged); and a module 12, 14 disposed inside the housing 110 (Fig. 1) and operated by receiving power from the module power supply 25, wherein the gas inlet includes: a module power receiver 14 in contact with the module power supply 25 to transmit received power to the module 12, 14 (Fig.1); and a receiving portion (Fig. 1, rear end of the head part 110 having a long rod shape that receives 12, 14) disposed at a center of the gas inlet (Fig. 1), wherein the module power receiver 14 is received in the receiving portion (Fig. 1), wherein the module power receiver 14 has an end (Fig. 1, right side of 14) facing the module power supply 25, wherein the end extends through the receiving portion to be in contact with the module power supply 25 (Fig. 1). Wherein the diffuser 110 is coupled to the main body 120 to be rotatable using a virtual line passing through the center of the gas inlet and heading toward the module power supply 25 as a rotation axis (Fig. 1).
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 14 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jung et al. (KR 20160124351 A) in view of Shiibashi et al. (US 2018/0036553 A1).
The hair dryer of Jung et al. as above includes all that is recited in claim 14 except for wherein the module includes a plurality of lamps spaced apart from a center of the module in a radial direction of the module, wherein the lamp is turned on by receiving power from the module power receiver. Shiibashi et al. discloses a hair dryer 40 comprising a module 13, wherein the module 13 includes a plurality of lamps 20 spaced apart from a center of the module 13 in a radial direction of the module 13 (Fig. 1), wherein the lamp 20 is turned on by receiving power from the module power receiver 36 (Fig. 13). Therefore, it would have been obvious to someone with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the hair dryer of June et al. to include a module having a plurality of lamps spaced apart from a center of the module in a radial direction of the module, wherein the lamp is turned on by receiving power from the module power receiver as taught by Shiibashi et al. in order to irradiate a scalp or hair while using the hair dryer.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-4, 6-12, 15-16 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 4/7/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Jung shows in Fig. 1 that head portion 110 is coupled via an projection and recess structure. This structure allows the head portion 110 to be inserted in longitudinal direction and also allows it to be rotated within the recess portion of the main body 120 of the hair dryer. There is no structural difference between the claimed invention and Jung.
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 JESSICA J YUEN whose telephone number is (571)272-4878. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9am-5pm.
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/Jessica Yuen/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3762
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