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 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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1-3,8, 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chinese reference(CN2580335Y) taken together with Japanese reference(JP2017-156049A).
Chinese reference in figures 1 and 2 teaches a humidifier comprising:
a water containing arrangement(water tank 11) for containing water and a nebulizing device(ultrasonic transducer(12)) for nebulizing water from said water containing arrangement; an evaporation chamber(space above water in figure 1) arranged over the nebulizing device; and a fan(provided within main body 7) arranged to generate an air flow through said evaporation chamber towards an outlet(mist nozzle 10), wherein the nebulizing device is configured to float on the surface of the water in the water containing arrangement, and wherein the nebulizing device comprises a float(float 21 in figure 2, noting ultrasonic transducer configured to float as shown in figure 1). Chinese reference is silent as to a pre-filter at the base of the float and the nebulizing device further comprises at least one nebulizing element at a top of the float.
Japanese reference in figures 6A and 6B teaches a humidifier(ultrasonic humidifier 10D) including a water containing arrangement(body 1 with internal water containing arrangement), a nebulizing device(ultrasonic vibration structure 21D) for nebulizing water, an evaporation chamber above of the nebulizing device, and wherein the nebulizing device comprises a pre-filter(purification filter 3 in figure 6A) at a lower portion of a housing(26C) of the ultrasonic vibration structure (21D). It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide a pre-filter at the base of the float of the nebulizing device of Chinese reference in order to provide for hysteric humidification because a mist from which germs or mineral components are removed is sent out by the ultrasonic vibrator(stated in translation of Japanese reference). Examiner notes a base of a float in Chinese reference reads on a location adjacent to the cover(16) of Chinese reference, wherein any water provided to the piezoelectric vibrator(17) of Chinese reference passes initially through a pre-filter. Examiner also notes that it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide a nebulizing device with through holes(noting through holes 25C of Japanese reference) for movement of water from under the nebulizing device, in place of water inlet holes(20) located on a sidewall of the nebulizing device of Chinese reference. Such a modification would provide an equivalent supply of water to a nebulizing device, and would provide for a nebulizing element at a top of the float (21) of Chinese reference.
With regards to claim 2, Chinese reference taken together with Japanese reference is silent as to wherein the nebulizing device comprises an array of nebulizing elements. Examiner respectfully submits it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide an array of nebulizing elements in place of a single nebulizing element to provide for amplified ultrasonic effect for water provided to the nebulizing device of Chinese reference. Examiner respectfully submits that providing an array of nebulizing elements is not stated to provide unexpected results over a single nebulizing element in the current specification.
With regards to claim 3, Chinese reference taken together with Japanese reference is silent as to wherein the nebulizing elements of the array are arranged in a circle. Examiner respectfully submits that it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide an array of nebulizing elements arranged in a circle in order to provide an optimized symmetrical arrangement of nebulizing elements in flow communication with water of the humidifier of Chinese reference.
With regards to claim 8, Chinese reference taken together with Japanese reference further teaches an impactor(cover 9 of Chinese reference), wherein the evaporation chamber terminates at the impactor and the fan is arranged to generate the air flow through the evaporation chamber towards the impactor, wherein the impactor couples to the outlet(mist nozzle 10).
With regards to claim 13, Chinese reference taken together with Japanese reference further teaches wherein the nebulizing device further comprises a piezoelectrically actuated mesh structure(noting through holes 25C in Japanese reference) for forming water droplets from the water from said water containing arrangement and expelling the formed water droplets into the evaporation chamber.
Claim 14 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chinese reference(CN2580335Y) taken together with Japanese reference(JP2017-156049A) in view of Chinese reference(CN203719031U).
Chinese reference(CN2580335Y) taken together with Japanese reference(JP2017-156049A) teaches all of the limitations of claim 14 but is silent as to wherein an actuator of said piezoelectrically actuated mesh structure is configurable to adjust a vibration frequency of the piezoelectrically actuated mesh structure.
Chinese reference(CN203719031U) in figure 1 teaches a circuit design for an ultrasonic humidifier, wherein an actuator of the piezoelectrically actuated mesh structure is configurable to adjust a vibration frequency of the piezoelectrically actuated mesh structure(Examiner noting a frequency adjusting circuit (2) in figure 1 of the control circuit of the ultrasonic humidifier). It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide an actuator of the piezoelectrically actuated mesh structure is configurable to adjust a vibration frequency of the piezoelectrically actuated mesh structure of Chinese reference(CN2580335Y) taken together with Japanese reference(JP2017-156049A), in order to provide stable power by adjusting the working current of the ultrasonic oscillating circuit, which can accurately control the power and fog amount of the ultrasonic humidifier(noting translation of Chinese reference(CN203719031U).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-7 and 9-12 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.
Claim 4 recites “wherein the, or each, nebulizing element is situated on a surface which is angled to the horizontal to allow collected water to run away from the nebulizing element.”. Chinese reference(CN2580335Y) taken together with Japanese reference(JP2017-156049A) teaches an array of nebulizing elements arranged in a circle, however Chinese reference(CN2580335Y) taken together with Japanese reference(JP2017-156049A) does not teach or suggest wherein the, or each, nebulizing element is situated on a surface which is angled to the horizontal to allow collected water to run away from the nebulizing element. Claims 5-7 depend on claim 4 and hence would also be allowable upon incorporation of claims 2-4 into claim 1.
Claim 9 recites “wherein the impactor comprises an inner body having a plurality of apertures, and an outer body having a plurality of further apertures fluidly connected to said apertures, wherein said further apertures are offset relative to said apertures such that each aperture in the inner body faces a section of a material of the outer body that is spatially separated from said aperture.”. horizontal to allow collected water to run away from the nebulizing element.”. Chinese reference(CN2580335Y) taken together with Japanese reference(JP2017-156049A) teaches an impactor, however Chinese reference(CN2580335Y) taken together with Japanese reference(JP2017-156049A) does not teach or suggest wherein the impactor comprises an inner body having a plurality of apertures, and an outer body having a plurality of further apertures fluidly connected to said apertures, wherein said further apertures are offset relative to said apertures such that each aperture in the inner body faces a section of a material of the outer body that is spatially separated from said aperture. Claims 10-12 depend on claim 9 and hence would also be allowable upon incorporation of claims 8 and 9 into claim 1.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ROBERT A HOPKINS whose telephone number is (571)272-1159. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Thurs 6am-4pm.
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/ROBERT A HOPKINS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1776
December 1, 2025