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 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) 1-4, 7-12, 14-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by SILVESSTRINI et al. (US 2018/0242643).
Silvesstrini teaches a vaporizer configured to vaporize a liquid substrate to generate an aerosol, comprising at least one suction port (110); a liquid storage cavity (130, 135), configured to store a liquid substrate; a liquid guide element (136), in fluid communication with the liquid storage cavity to absorb the liquid substrate in the liquid storage cavity, the liquid guide element having a vaporization surface (see top surface of 136 in figure 4A) arranged towards the suction port; a heating element (122 in figure 4B), formed on the vaporization surface and configured to heat at least a part of the liquid substrate absorbed by the liquid guide element to generate an aerosol; and a conductive element (121 in figure 4B), abutting against the heating element for electric conduction, at least a part of the conductive element extending or being exposed outside the vaporizer to form an electrical contact for supplying power to the heating element (para. 0120).
Regarding claim 2, Silvesstrini teaches the conductive element elastically abuts against the heating element (para. 0120).
Regarding claim 3, figure 4B shows the electrical contact (121) is flush with a surface of the vaporizer.
Regarding claim 4, figure 7 shows the conductive element comprises a first part (121) and a second part (160); the first part abuts against the heating element to form a conductive connection; and at least a part of the second part extends or is exposed outside the vaporizer to form the electrical contact.
Regarding claim 7, figure 4B shows a support (138, 134), configured to accommodate and maintain the liquid guide element.
Regarding claim 8, Silvesstrini teaches the support is formed by molding a moldable material around the conductive element and coupled to the conductive element (para. 0016).
Regarding claim 9, figure 4A shows a liquid guide channel (133) is formed on the support, and the liquid guide element (136) is in fluid communication with the liquid storage cavity through the liquid guide channel.
Regarding claim 10, Silvesstrini teaches the liquid guide channel comprises a liquid inlet part (see inlet in figures 3 and 4) extending along a longitudinal direction of the vaporizer, and a liquid outlet part (para. 0070) extending along a direction intersecting with the longitudinal direction of the vaporizer; and the liquid inlet part is in communication with the liquid storage cavity (para. 0069), and the liquid outlet part is in communication with the liquid guide element (para. 0070).
Regarding claim 11, figure 2B shows a vapor output channel (145), configured to output the aerosol to the suction port, the vapor output channel comprising a hole (140 in figure 4, para. 0103) formed in the support, and a projection of the vaporization surface along a longitudinal direction of the vaporizer covering the hole (see figure 3).
Regarding claim 12, Silvesstrini teaches the support comprises a supporting leg (134) extending along a longitudinal direction of the vaporizer, and the vaporizer maintains the support through the supporting leg.
Regarding claim 14, figures 3 and 4A show the liquid guide element (135) comprises a liquid channel (133) extending along a length direction, and is in fluid communication with the liquid storage cavity through the liquid channel.
Regarding claim 15, figure 7 shows the second part 160 of the conductive element is provided with an avoiding hole opposite to the liquid channel.
Regarding claim 16, Silvesstrini teaches a sealing element is arranged between the liquid guide element and the support (para. 0111).
Regarding claim 17, figure 2B shows the support is provided with an air inlet channel (140); and the air inlet channel has an air inlet end (150) and an air outlet end (portion of channel near 120 in figure 3), and the air outlet end faces the vaporization surface.
Regarding claim 18, figure 7 shows the conductive element (121 and 160) is at least partially suspended, and the suspended part abuts against the heating element to form electric conduction.
Regarding claim 19, figures 6A and 6B show the conductive element (121) is constructed to cross the liquid guide element along a longitudinal direction of the vaporizer.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 20-23 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.
The prior art does not teach or suggest a support assembly comprising a first support, configured to accommodate the liquid guide element, a support side wall of the first support being provided with a first matching surface; and a second support, comprising a main part and a blocking wall higher than the main part, the blocking wall being arranged on one side of the second support, and a top surface of the main part and a bottom surface of the first support being slidable relatively, so that the first matching surface is in stop fit with the blocking wall.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CYNTHIA SZEWCZYK whose telephone number is (571)270-5130. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 10 am - 6 pm.
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/CYNTHIA SZEWCZYK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1741