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) 1-5, 7-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by QUI et al. (CN 210782920).
Qui teaches a vaporization core assembly comprising a liquid guide element (20) comprising a vaporization surface (21B in figures 5 and 7) and a liquid absorbing surface (21G in figure 4) opposite to the vaporization surface, a heating element (22 in figures 5 and 7) arranged 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 first sealing member (31) provided with a first open end (315 in figure 2) a first closed end (top surface of 31 in figure 3) opposite to the first open end and a sealing member side wall (side walls of 31) extending from the first closed end to the first open end wherein the first sealing member accommodates the liquid guide element and the vaporization surface is exposed (see figure 10); and the first sealing member is further provided with a liquid inlet (313) on the sealing member side wall so that the liquid absorbing surface is in communication with the outside through the liquid inlet (see figure 10).
Regarding claim 2, Qui teaches the liquid guide element (20) comprises a first wall part where the vaporization surface (21B in figures 5 and 7) is located and two second wall parts (21C, 21D in figure 4) extending from both sides of the first wall part away from the vaporization surface respectively, and the surface of the first wall part located between the two second wall parts forms at least a part of the liquid absorbing surface.
Regarding claim 3, Qui teaches the two second wall parts (21C, 21D in figure 4) are connected at tail ends away from the first wall part through a connecting wall (21A).
Regarding claim 4, figure4 4 shows the connecting wall (21A) is connected to the entire tail ends of the two second wall parts (21C, 21D).
Regarding claim 5, figures 4 and 5 show the connecting wall (21A) is arranged parallel to the first wall part (21B).
Regarding claim 7, figure 2 shows the first sealing member (31) is provided with a guide groove (315) extending from the liquid inlet into the first sealing member.
Regarding claim 8, figure 2 shows the guide groove (315) is defined by at least two strip bodies (314) protruding from the first closed end of the first sealing member.
Regarding claim 9, figure 2 shows two opposite sealing member side walls of the first sealing member are respectively provided with the liquid inlet (313).
Regarding claim 10, figure 10 shows the liquid guide element (20) is provided with a liquid channel which extends from one of the liquid inlets (313) of the first sealing member to the other liquid inlet and is in communication with the liquid inlet.
Regarding claim 11, figures 6 and 7 show the sealing member side wall of the first sealing member without the liquid inlet completely covers the corresponding side surface of the liquid guide element (20).
Regarding claim 12, figure 6 shows the sealing member side wall of the first sealing member is provided with a closed annular convex rib (beveled ridge of 33) surrounding the first sealing member along a circumferential direction.
Regarding claim 13, Qui teaches a vaporizer (abstract) configured to vaporize a liquid substrate to generate an aerosol, wherein the vaporizer comprises the vaporization core assembly (abstract); a main housing (10) defining a liquid accommodating space (101) and provided with a vapor output channel (321) located in the main housing and a supporting seat (32) configured to maintain the vaporization core assembly; wherein the supporting seat (32) is in matched connection with the main housing (see figure 3) so that the vaporization surface of the liquid guide element faces the vapor output channel.
Regarding claim 14, Qui teaches the supporting seat (32) is provided with a liquid inlet channel (301 in figure 10) and the liquid inlet channel (313) is in communication with the liquid accommodating space (101) and the liquid absorbing surface of the liquid guide element (20) respectively.
Regarding claim 15, Qui teaches the supporting seat (32) is provided with a conductive element (34) and the conductive element comprises a first part (34 in figure 10) extending in the supporting seat and a second part bent towards the heating element relative to the first part (translation page 8 “Referring again to FIG. 10…”) and the second part is configured to be in conductive connection with the heating element (translation page 8 “Referring again to FIG. 10…”).
Regarding claim 16, Qui teaches an electronic vaporization device (abstract) comprising a vaporizer (abstract) configured to vaporize a liquid substrate to generate an aerosol, and a power supply assembly configured to supply power to the vaporizer (trans. page 3 “An electronic cigarette…”).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim(s) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over QUI et al. (CN 210782920) in view of ZHANG et al. (US 2022/0211107).
Qui teaches a vaporization core assembly. Qui teaches the liquid guide element (20) comprises a first wall part where the vaporization surface (21B in figures 5 and 7) is located and two second wall parts (21C, 21D in figure 4) extending from both sides of the first wall part away from the vaporization surface respectively, and the surface of the first wall part located between the two second wall parts forms at least a part of the liquid absorbing surface. Qui teaches the two second wall parts (21C, 21D in figure 4) are connected at tail ends away from the first wall part through a connecting wall (21A).
Qui is silent to both sides of each second wall part transition to the tail end through an arc surface
Zhang teaches a vaporization core assembly. Zhang teaches a liquid guide element (4) comprising a vaporization surface (411 in figure 7) and a liquid absorbing surface (42 in figure 7) opposite to the vaporization surface, a heating element (45 in figure 7) arranged 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. Zhang teaches the liquid guide element (4) comprises a first wall part where the vaporization surface (411) is located and two second wall parts (42) extending from both sides of the first wall part away from the vaporization surface respectively, and the surface of the first wall part located between the two second wall parts forms at least a part of the liquid absorbing surface. Zhang teaches the two second wall parts (42) are connected at tail ends away from the first wall part through a connecting wall (43). Figures 6 and 7 show both sides of each second wall part (42) transition to the tail end through an arc surface.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to substitute the shape of the liquid guide element of Zhang for the liquid guide element of Qui because Qui teaches that the liquid guide element may have different shapes (translation page 5 “Referring to FIG. 4…”).
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.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Alison Hindenlang can be reached at 571-270-7001. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/CYNTHIA SZEWCZYK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1741