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 .
Election/Restrictions
Claims 11-15 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 04/23/2026.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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) 1-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lochtman et al (US 2023/0404155) in view of Chen et al (US 2018/0070639).
Lochtman discloses the heating structure claimed including a heating housing comprising a hollow body portion (315) having a firs surface, a second surface opposite the first surface, a side surface between the first surface and the second surface, a hollow portion (301) defined by the side surface, a first coil (314) having a first axis (101) in a first direction between the first surface and the second surface, and a second coil (312). Also, see Figure 3A. But, Lochtman does not the show the second coil having a second axis in a second direction that intersects with the first direction of the body portion.
Chen discloses it is known to provide a heating housing with a body portion having a first axis (i.e., a longitudinal axis) in a first direction wherein a plurality of heating coils (121) is provided to have a second axis in a second direction that intersects with the first direction of the body portion (also, see Figure 2), and Chen further discloses that such arrangement of the heating coils can provide an independent and uniform heating for a material contained in the heating housing. Also, see para 0029-0030.
In view of Chen, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to adapt Lochtman with the second coil having a second axis in a section direction intersecting with the first direction of the body portion, as an alternative coil arrangement, that can provide an independent and uniform heating to a material contained in the heating housing so that uniform aerosol from the material can be produced as desired.
With respect to claim 2, Lochtman as modified by Chen discloses the first direction (101; see Figure 3A of Lochtman) is a longitudinal direction with the second direction being a normal (i.e., perpendicular) direction of the side surface of the body portion (see Figure 2a or 2b of Chen).
With respect to claim 3, Lochtman as modified by Chen discloses the first coil that is wound in a clockwise direction (see Figure 4A of Lochtman) and the second coil that is also wound in clockwise direction (see Figure 2b of Chen)
With respect to claim 4, Lochtman as modified by Chen discloses the first coil and the second coil being directly connected to the side surface of the body portion.
With respect to claim 5, Lochtman as modified by Chen discloses the first coil and the second being separated on the side surface of the body portion.
With respect to claims 6 and 7, Lochtman as modified by Chen discloses the first coil being positioned in a first region and adjacent to the second coil being positioned in a second region different from the first region.
With respect to claims 8-10, Lochtman as modified by Chen with Chen further disclosing a plurality of coils (e.g., four coils 121 disposed on the side of the heating body; para 0029) which teaches for the second coil and a third coil that are disposed on the side of the heating body wherein the third coil would having a third axis in third a direction intersection with the first and second direction wherein the third coil would also be wound in a clockwise direction as shown with the second coil with the third direction also being normal to the side surface of the body portion.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Crishchenko (US 2022/0304369) and Cross (2020/0046020) both illustrating a plurality of heating coils disposed on the side surface of a body portion.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SANG Y PAIK whose telephone number is (571)272-4783. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00-5:30; M-F.
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/SANG Y PAIK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3761
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