DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Response to Amendment
The amendment filed on 12/16/2025 has been entered and accepted.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 12/16/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues that “the Examiner’s conclusion is wrong that Waltz teaches independent fan control to create different cooking zones without altering heat output of its heating devices” (Page 12 of applicant’s remarks filed 12/16/2025). While the applicant argues that Waltz must constantly adjust the outputs to maintain a constant oven temperature, Waltz teaches that the flexibility of the cooking zones allows for configuration of the oven without need to change the cooking temperature (Waltz Paragraph 44). The applicant stresses the need to maintain a constant oven temperature, but does not provide evidence that Waltz teaches that maintaining a constant oven temperature is required. Waltz teaches that the airflow and heat transfer rates can update to new point data based on newly input data (Waltz Paragraph 59), which means that Waltz’s convection fans are not necessarily maintained at a constant speed, or airflow velocity, and thus the heat output of the heating devices do not need to be continuously adjusted. This is because it is well known in the art that adjusting the airflow velocity affects the heat transfer coefficient of the convection heating equation, and thus the heat transfer of a zone can be maintained even if the temperature within the oven changes. Wiker teaches detecting the temperature of heating zones and adjusting the airflow speed at those zones to responses in changes to temperature. Thus, Waltz modified with Wiker would not require a constant oven temperature, as the feedback adjustment of the airflow speed at the zones could effectively compensate for any changes of temperature within the oven at each zone.
Applicant further argues that the “Examiner’s proposed combination of Waltz and Wiker would require a substantial reconstruction and redesign of both references” (Page 15 of applicant’s remarks filed 12/16/2025) as the two references “reply on two distinct operating principles for controlling the cooking environment” (Page 11 of applicant’s remarks filed 12/16/2025). While Waltz does teach one mode of cooking which maintains a specific fan speed for each type of food product, Waltz teaches a separate manual mode which determines if there has been a change to the set of heat transfer rates and adjust the airflow to a different velocity during the cooking process (Waltz Figure 5 Paragraph 59). This indicates that the apparatus of Waltz is compatible with updating heat transfer rates during the cooking process, and does not need to remain constant throughout the cooking cycle. Wiker teaches that the oven is equipped with two or more thermocouples which monitor the heating zones created by adjusting the speed of blower motors such as to adjust these heating zones (Wiker Paragraph 63) such that the speed of the convection blowers is varied during the cooking operation to optimize the quality of the cook products cooked in the oven (Wiker Paragraph 9). It would further have thus been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Waltz with Wiker and used thermocouples to individually sensed the temperature of the individual cooking zones. This would be done such that the heating zones could be individually monitored to suit the food product (Wiker Paragraph 63).
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) 1, 3-10, 13-14, and 16-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Waltz (US 20120180775 A1) in view of Wiker (US 20070006865 A1) and Van Camp (US 20140261371 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Waltz (US 20120180775 A1) teaches a method of operating a conveyor oven for cooking food within an oven chamber (Paragraph 20), the method comprising:
operating a conveyor of the conveyor oven to convey food through a first cooking zone of the oven chamber, then through a second cooking zone of the oven chamber (Figure 2 Paragraphs 40-41, conveyor 24 extends horizontally through cooking chamber 22 between a right hand opening 23 and a left hand opening 25 through cooking zones);
heating air within a heater compartment of the conveyor oven (Paragraph 43, heating device heats the airflow in the ductwork 62);
operating a first fan to convey heated air from the heater compartment into the first cooking zone (Paragraph 43, each zone has its own independent air delivery system 60; Paragraph 43, each air delivery system comprises a fan or blower 64 disposed in the ductwork of the air delivery system to provide a circulating airflow to the cooking zone);
operating a second fan to convey heated air into the second cooking zone (Paragraph 43, each zone has its own independent air delivery system 60; Paragraph 43, each air delivery system comprises a fan or blower 64 disposed in the ductwork of the air delivery system to provide a circulating airflow to the cooking zone);
controlling a speed of the first fan, including adjusting the speed of the first fan (Paragraph 44, signal conditioner 68 varies the speed of the motor 66 which varies the speed of fan 64 to provide rapid changes in velocity of the airflow in zone 26); and
controlling a speed of the second fan, including adjusting the speed of the second fan (Paragraph 43, each zone has its own independent air delivery system 60; Paragraph 44, signal conditioner 68 varies the speed of the motor 66 which varies the speed of fan 64 to provide rapid changes in velocity of the airflow in zone 26),
wherein the air is heated within the heater compartment via a heater assembly (Paragraph 43, heating device heats the airflow in the ductwork 62),
wherein the speed of the first fan and the speed of the second fan are controlled without altering an output of the heating assembly as the food travels through the first and second cooking zones (Paragraphs 7 and 63, division of the conveyor oven into zones with variable speed airflow allows the heat transfer rate to the food to be adjusted without actually adjusting the temperature of the oven).
Waltz fails to explicitly teach:
operating a conveyor of the conveyor oven to convey food through an inlet of the oven chamber and then through an outlet of the oven chamber
operating a second fan to convey heated air from the heater compartment into the second cooking zone
sensing a temperature of the first cooking zone and generating a first signal based on the sensed temperature of the first cooking zone;
sensing a temperature of the second cooking zone and generating a second signal based on the sensed temperature of the second cooking zone;
controlling a speed of the first fan based on the first signal
controlling a speed of the second fan based on the second signal independent of the speed of the first fan
Wiker (US 20070006865 A1) teaches a self-cleaning conveyor oven, comprising:
operating a conveyor of the conveyor oven to convey food through an inlet of the oven chamber and then through an outlet of the oven chamber (Paragraph 31, conveyor assembly includes a main conveyor section 30 and first and second conveyor extension sections 32,34 extending out of the cooking chamber)
sensing a temperature of the first cooking zone and generating a first signal based on the sensed temperature of the first cooking zone (Paragraph 63, oven is equipped with thermocouples to individually monitor and adjust these heating zones);
sensing a temperature of the second cooking zone and generating a second signal based on the sensed temperature of the second cooking zone (Paragraph 63, oven is equipped with thermocouples to individually monitor and adjust these heating zones);
controlling a speed of the first fan based on the first signal (Paragraph 63, speed of the blower motors is separately adjusted to create heating zones and the heating zones are adjusted by their respective thermocouples to individually monitor said heating zones)
controlling a speed of the second fan based on the second signal independent of the speed of the first fan (Paragraph 63, speed of the blower motors is separately adjusted to create heating zones and the heating zones are adjusted by their respective thermocouples to individually monitor said heating zones)
It would have thus been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Waltz with Wiker and had the conveyor belt extend through an inlet and an outlet of the conveyor oven. This would have been to allow food to automatically be transported into the inlet and out of the outlet of the conveyor oven (Wiker Paragraph 30).
It would further have thus been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Waltz with Wiker and used thermocouples to individually sensed the temperature of the individual cooking zones. This would be done such that the heating zones could be individually monitored to suit the food product (Wiker Paragraph 63).
Waltz modified with Wiker fails to explicitly teach:
operating a second fan to convey heated air from the heater compartment into the second cooking zone
Van Camp (US 20140261371 A1) teaches a conveyor oven with a split flow scroll, wherein:
operating a second fan to convey heated air from the heater compartment into the second cooking zone (Figures 3-4 Paragraph 24, one of a plurality of fans outputs heated air into a distribution finger which outputs heated air onto the conveyor at one zone while another one of a plurality of fans outputs heated air into a distribution finger which outputs heated air onto the conveyor at a different zone; Paragraph 24, air is heated by heat source 130 within a central chamber wherein the blowers draw heated air from)
It would have thus been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Waltz with Van Camp and have the first and second fan both convey heated air from a central heater compartment. This would be done as use of a single heat source which heats air from which each blower draws air from is known in art to be acceptable substitute for having individual heat sources in each blower system (Van Camp Paragraph 24) and would be done to reduce the number of heat sources needed.
Regarding claim 3, Waltz as modified teaches method of claim 1, wherein
the first fan or the second fan conveys heated air to an upper side of the conveyor and wherein the other fan conveys heated air to an under side of the conveyor (Figures 2-3 Paragraphs 8-9, first and second independent air delivery system provide a first and second airflow to a respective first and second cooking zone above the conveyor and a third independent air delivery system provides a third airflow to a third cooking zone located below the conveyor).
Regarding claim 4, Waltz as modified teaches method of claim 1, wherein
each of the first cooking zone and the second cooking zone are located above the conveyor such that operating the first fan and the second fan conveys heated air from the heater compartment to the oven chamber above the conveyor (Figures 2-3 Paragraphs 8-9, first and second independent air delivery system provide a first and second airflow to a respective first and second cooking zone above the conveyor).
Regarding claim 5, Waltz as modified teaches method of claim 4, further comprising,
operating a third fan to convey heated air into the oven chamber below the conveyor (Figures 2-3 Paragraphs 8-9, a third independent air delivery system provides a third airflow to a third cooking zone located below the conveyor).
Regarding claim 6, Waltz as modified teaches method of claim 1, wherein
controlling the speed of the first fan based on the first signal includes controlling the speed of the first fan such that the speed of the first fan differs from the speed of the second fan (Figures 2-3 Paragraphs 8-9, first and second independent air delivery system provide a first and second airflow to a respective first and second cooking zone above the conveyor; Paragraph 7, the oven is thereby allowed to provide different heat transfer rates to food at various phases of the cooking process; Paragraph 50, different velocities for each zone can be selected).
Regarding claim 7, Waltz as modified teaches method of claim 6, wherein
controlling the speed of the second fan based on the second signal includes controlling the speed of the second fan such that the speed of the second fan differs from the speed of the first fan (Figures 2-3 Paragraphs 8-9, first and second independent air delivery system provide a first and second airflow to a respective first and second cooking zone above the conveyor; Paragraph 7, the oven is thereby allowed to provide different heat transfer rates to food at various phases of the cooking process; Paragraph 50, different velocities for each zone can be selected).
Regarding claim 8, Waltz as modified teaches method of claim 1, further comprising,
operating a third fan to convey heated air into the oven chamber below the conveyor (Figures 2-3 Paragraphs 8-9, a third independent air delivery system provides a third airflow to a third cooking zone located below the conveyor).
Regarding claim 9, Waltz as modified teaches method of claim 8, further comprising,
controlling a speed of the third fan independent of the speed of the first fan and independent of the speed of the second fan (Figures 2-3 Paragraphs 8-9, first and second independent air delivery system provide a first and second airflow to a respective first and second cooking zone above the conveyor; Paragraph 7, the oven is thereby allowed to provide different heat transfer rates to food at various phases of the cooking process; Paragraph 50, different velocities for each zone can be selected).
Regarding claim 10, Waltz as modified teaches method of claim 9, further comprising,
controlling the speed of the third fan located below the conveyor (Figures 2-3 Paragraphs 8-9, a third independent air delivery system provides a third airflow to a third cooking zone located below the conveyor)
Wiker further teaches:
sensing a temperature below the conveyor (Paragraph 63, oven is equipped with thermocouples to individually monitor and adjust these heating zones) and generating a third signal based on the sensed temperature below the conveyor, and controlling the speed of the third fan based on the third signal (Paragraph 63, speed of the blower motors is separately adjusted to create heating zones and the heating zones are adjusted by their respective thermocouples to individually monitor said heating zones).
It would have been obvious for the same motivation as claim 1.
Regarding claim 13, Waltz (US 20120180775 A1) teaches a method of operating a conveyor oven for cooking food within an oven chamber (Paragraph 20), the method comprising:
operating a conveyor of the conveyor oven to convey food through a first cooking zone of the oven chamber, then through a second cooking zone of the oven chamber (Figure 2 Paragraphs 40-41, conveyor 24 extends horizontally through cooking chamber 22 between a right hand opening 23 and a left hand opening 25 through cooking zones);
heating air via a heating assembly within a heater compartment of the conveyor oven (Paragraph 43, heating device heats the airflow in the ductwork 62);
operating a first fan to convey heated air from the heater compartment into the first cooking zone (Paragraph 43, each zone has its own independent air delivery system 60; Paragraph 43, each air delivery system comprises a fan or blower 64 disposed in the ductwork of the air delivery system to provide a circulating airflow to the cooking zone);
operating a second fan to convey heated air into the second cooking zone (Paragraph 43, each zone has its own independent air delivery system 60; Paragraph 43, each air delivery system comprises a fan or blower 64 disposed in the ductwork of the air delivery system to provide a circulating airflow to the cooking zone);
controlling a speed of the first fan Paragraph 44, signal conditioner 68 varies the speed of the motor 66 which varies the speed of fan 64 to provide rapid changes in velocity of the airflow in zone 26); and
controlling a speed of the second fan (Paragraph 43, each zone has its own independent air delivery system 60; Paragraph 44, signal conditioner 68 varies the speed of the motor 66 which varies the speed of fan 64 to provide rapid changes in velocity of the airflow in zone 26),
wherein the speed of the first fan and/or the second fan is controlled without altering an output of the heating assembly as the food travels through the second cooking zone (Paragraphs 7 and 63, division of the conveyor oven into zones with variable speed airflow allows the heat transfer rate to the food to be adjusted without actually adjusting the temperature of the oven).
Waltz fails to explicitly teach:
operating a conveyor of the conveyor oven to convey food through an inlet of the oven chamber and then through an outlet of the oven chamber
operating a second fan to convey heated air from the heater compartment into the second cooking zone
sensing a temperature of the first cooking zone and generating a first signal based on the sensed temperature of the first cooking zone;
sensing a temperature of the second cooking zone and generating a second signal based on the sensed temperature of the second cooking zone;
controlling a speed of the first fan based on the first signal; and
controlling a speed of the second fan based on the second signal,
Wiker (US 20070006865 A1) teaches a self-cleaning conveyor oven, comprising:
operating a conveyor of the conveyor oven to convey food through an inlet of the oven chamber and then through an outlet of the oven chamber (Paragraph 31, conveyor assembly includes a main conveyor section 30 and first and second conveyor extension sections 32,34 extending out of the cooking chamber)
sensing a temperature of the first cooking zone and generating a first signal based on the sensed temperature of the first cooking zone (Paragraph 63, oven is equipped with thermocouples to individually monitor and adjust these heating zones);
sensing a temperature of the second cooking zone and generating a second signal based on the sensed temperature of the second cooking zone (Paragraph 63, oven is equipped with thermocouples to individually monitor and adjust these heating zones);
controlling a speed of the first fan based on the first signal (Paragraph 63, speed of the blower motors is separately adjusted to create heating zones and the heating zones are adjusted by their respective thermocouples to individually monitor said heating zones); and
controlling a speed of the second fan based on the second signal (Paragraph 63, speed of the blower motors is separately adjusted to create heating zones and the heating zones are adjusted by their respective thermocouples to individually monitor said heating zones),
Waltz modified with Wiker fails to explicitly teach:
operating a second fan to convey heated air from the heater compartment into the second cooking zone
Van Camp (US 20140261371 A1) teaches a conveyor oven with a split flow scroll, wherein:
operating a second fan to convey heated air from the heater compartment into the second cooking zone (Figures 3-4 Paragraph 24, one of a plurality of fans outputs heated air into a distribution finger which outputs heated air onto the conveyor at one zone while another one of a plurality of fans outputs heated air into a distribution finger which outputs heated air onto the conveyor at a different zone; Paragraph 24, air is heated by heat source 130 within a central chamber wherein the blowers draw heated air from)
It would have thus been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Waltz with Van Camp and have the first and second fan both convey heated air from a central heater compartment. This would be done as use of a single heat source which heats air from which each blower draws air from is known in art to be acceptable substitute for having individual heat sources in each blower system (Van Camp Paragraph 24) and would be done to reduce the number of heat sources needed.
Regarding claim 14, Waltz as modified teaches method of claim 13, wherein
the speed of the first fan and the second fan is controlled without altering the output of the heating assembly (Paragraph 63, speed of the blower motors is separately adjusted to create heating zones and the heating zones are adjusted by their respective thermocouples to individually monitor said heating zones).
Regarding claim 16, Waltz as modified teaches method of claim 13, wherein
the first fan or the second fan conveys heated air to an upper side of the conveyor and wherein the other fan conveys heated air to an under side of the conveyor (Figures 2-3 Paragraphs 8-9, first and second independent air delivery system provide a first and second airflow to a respective first and second cooking zone above the conveyor and a third independent air delivery system provides a third airflow to a third cooking zone located below the conveyor).
Regarding claim 17, Waltz as modified teaches method of claim 13, comprising:
reducing the speed of the first fan and/or the second fan such that a cooking time is reduced (Paragraphs 5-6, the time delay between switching between different cooking items is reduced by changing the speed of the fans based on the type of food to be cooked such as to allow the heat transfer rate to be changed virtually instantaneously);
Van Camp further teaches:
reducing the speed of the first fan and/or the second fan such that a cooking time is reduced (Paragraph 27, products that might require less energy to cook the top of the food item can be accommodated by reducing the airflow to the top fingers).
It would have thus been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Waltz with Van Camp and adjusted the speed of the fans based on the type of food to be cooked. This would have been done such to optimize the cooking of the food items (Van Camp Paragraph 27).
It is well known in the art that changing the air flow of the heated air can lead to reduced cooking time as evidenced by Column 6 Lines 13-45 of Leary (US 5075120 A).
Regarding claim 18, Waltz as modified teaches method of claim 13, comprising:
operating a third fan to convey heated air into the oven chamber below the conveyor (Figures 2-3 Paragraphs 8-9, a third independent air delivery system provides a third airflow to a third cooking zone located below the conveyor); and controlling a speed of the third fan independent of the speed of the first fan and independent of the speed of the second fan (Paragraph 43, each zone has its own independent air delivery system 60).
Regarding claim 19, Waltz as modified teaches method of claim 13, further comprising
controlling the speed of the third fan located below the conveyor (Figures 2-3 Paragraphs 8-9, a third independent air delivery system provides a third airflow to a third cooking zone located below the conveyor)
Wiker further teaches:
sensing a temperature below the conveyor (Paragraph 63, oven is equipped with thermocouples to individually monitor and adjust these heating zones) and generating a third signal based on the sensed temperature below the conveyor, and controlling the speed of the third fan based on the third signal (Paragraph 63, speed of the blower motors is separately adjusted to create heating zones and the heating zones are adjusted by their respective thermocouples to individually monitor said heating zones).
It would have been obvious for the same motivation as claim 1.
Claim(s) 2 and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Waltz (US 20120180775 A1) in view of Wiker (US 20070006865 A1) and Van Camp (US 20140261371 A1) as applied to claims 1 and 13 above, and further in view of Schulte (US 20100282097 A1).
Regarding claim 2, Waltz as modified teaches method of claim 1.
Waltz as modified fails to explicitly teach:
sensing a temperature of the first cooking zone includes sensing a temperature at an outlet of the first fan, and wherein sensing a temperature of the second cooking zone includes sensing a temperature at an outlet of the second fan.
Schulte (US 20100282097 A1) teaches a temperature control for cooking appliances, wherein:
temperature is sensed by second temperature sensor 77 which is placed at an outlet (discharge plenum 52) between a fan unit 57 and the cooking chamber (oven cavity 12) to control the temperature that is to be supplied into the cooking chamber (Figure 2 Paragraph 25)
It would have thus been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Van Camp with Schulte and placed a temperature sensor between each fan and the cooking chamber to sense the temperature at the outlet of each fan. This would have been done to accurately measure the temperature of the air entering the oven cavity (Schulte Paragraph 25).
The Office further notes that the MPEP teaches that the mere duplication of parts has no patentable significance unless a new and unexpected result is produced. MPEP2144.04IVB. In this case, have a temperature sensor at the outlet of each fan instead of just one has no patentable significance unless a new and unexpected result is produced.
Regarding claim 15, Waltz as modified teaches method of claim 13.
Waltz fails to teach:
sensing a temperature of the first cooking zone includes sensing a temperature at an outlet of the first fan, and wherein sensing a temperature of the second cooking zone includes sensing a temperature at an outlet of the second fan.
Schulte (US 20100282097 A1) teaches a temperature control for cooking appliances, wherein:
temperature is sensed by second temperature sensor 77 which is placed at an outlet (discharge plenum 52) between a fan unit 57 and the cooking chamber (oven cavity 12) to control the temperature that is to be supplied into the cooking chamber (Figure 2 Paragraph 25)
It would have thus been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Van Camp with Schulte and placed a temperature sensor between each fan and the cooking chamber to sense the temperature at the outlet of each fan. This would have been done to accurately measure the temperature of the air entering the oven cavity (Schulte Paragraph 25).
The Office further notes that the MPEP teaches that the mere duplication of parts has no patentable significance unless a new and unexpected result is produced. MPEP2144.04IVB. In this case, have a temperature sensor at the outlet of each fan instead of just one has no patentable significance unless a new and unexpected result is produced.
Claim(s) 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Waltz (US 20120180775 A1) in view of Wiker (US 20070006865 A1, Van Camp (US 20140261371 A1), and Schulte (US 20100282097 A1).
Regarding claim 20, Waltz (US 20120180775 A1) teaches a method of operating a conveyor oven for cooking food within an oven chamber (Paragraph 20), the method comprising:
operating a conveyor of the conveyor oven to convey food through a first cooking zone of the oven chamber, then through a second cooking zone of the oven chamber (Figure 2 Paragraphs 40-41, conveyor 24 extends horizontally through cooking chamber 22 between a right hand opening 23 and a left hand opening 25 through cooking zones);
heating air within a heater compartment of the conveyor oven (Paragraph 43, heating device heats the airflow in the ductwork 62);
operating a first fan to draw heated air from the heater compartment and discharge the heated air into the first cooking zone (Paragraph 43, each zone has its own independent air delivery system 60; Paragraph 43, each air delivery system comprises a fan or blower 64 disposed in the ductwork of the air delivery system to provide a circulating airflow to the cooking zone);
operating a second fan to draw heated air and discharge the heated air into the second cooking zone (Paragraph 43, each zone has its own independent air delivery system 60; Paragraph 43, each air delivery system comprises a fan or blower 64 disposed in the ductwork of the air delivery system to provide a circulating airflow to the cooking zone);
controlling a speed of the first fan, including adjusting the speed of the first fan (Paragraph 44, signal conditioner 68 varies the speed of the motor 66 which varies the speed of fan 64 to provide rapid changes in velocity of the airflow in zone 26); and
controlling a speed of the second fan, including adjusting the speed of the second fan (Paragraph 43, each zone has its own independent air delivery system 60; Paragraph 44, signal conditioner 68 varies the speed of the motor 66 which varies the speed of fan 64 to provide rapid changes in velocity of the airflow in zone 26),
wherein the speed of the first fan and the speed of the second fan are controlled without altering an output of the heating assembly as the food travels through the second cooking zone (Paragraphs 7 and 63, division of the conveyor oven into zones with variable speed airflow allows the heat transfer rate to the food to be adjusted without actually adjusting the temperature of the oven).
Waltz as modified fails to teach:
operating a conveyor of the conveyor oven to convey food through an inlet of the oven chamber and then through an outlet of the oven chamber;
operating a second fan to draw heated air from the heater compartment and discharge the heated air into the second cooking zone;
sensing a temperature of the heated air discharged from the first fan at the outlet of the first fan and generating a first signal based on the sensed temperature of the heated air discharged from the first fan;
sensing a temperature of the heated air discharged from the second fan at the outlet of the second fan and generating a second signal based on the sensed temperature of the heated air discharged from the second fan;
controlling a speed of the first fan based on the first signal
controlling a speed of the second fan based on the second signal
Wiker (US 20070006865 A1) teaches a self-cleaning conveyor oven, comprising:
operating a conveyor of the conveyor oven to convey food through an inlet of the oven chamber and then through an outlet of the oven chamber (Paragraph 31, conveyor assembly includes a main conveyor section 30 and first and second conveyor extension sections 32,34 extending out of the cooking chamber);
sensing a temperature of the heated air discharged from the first fan and generating a first signal based on the sensed temperature of the heated air discharged from the first fan (Paragraph 63, oven is equipped with thermocouples to individually monitor and adjust these heating zones);
sensing a temperature of the heated air discharged from the second fan and generating a second signal based on the sensed temperature of the heated air discharged from the second fan (Paragraph 63, oven is equipped with thermocouples to individually monitor and adjust these heating zones);
generating a second signal based on the sensed temperature of the heated air discharged from the second fan (Paragraph 63, speed of the blower motors is separately adjusted to create heating zones and the heating zones are adjusted by their respective thermocouples to individually monitor said heating zones);
controlling a speed of the first fan based on the first signal (Paragraph 63, speed of the blower motors is separately adjusted to create heating zones and the heating zones are adjusted by their respective thermocouples to individually monitor said heating zones)
controlling a speed of the second fan based on the second signal (Paragraph 63, speed of the blower motors is separately adjusted to create heating zones and the heating zones are adjusted by their respective thermocouples to individually monitor said heating zones)
It would have thus been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Waltz with Wiker and had the conveyor belt extend through an inlet and an outlet of the conveyor oven. This would have been to allow food to automatically be transported into the inlet and out of the outlet of the conveyor oven (Wiker Paragraph 30).
It would further have thus been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Waltz with Wiker and used thermocouples to individually sensed the temperature of the individual cooking zones. This would be done such that the heating zones could be individually monitored to suit the food product (Wiker Paragraph 63).
Waltz modified with Wiker fails to teach:
operating a second fan to draw heated air from the heater compartment and discharge the heated air into the second cooking zone;
sensing a temperature of the heated air discharged from the first fan at the outlet of the first fan and generating a first signal based on the sensed temperature of the heated air discharged from the first fan;
sensing a temperature of the heated air discharged from the second fan at the outlet of the second fan and generating a second signal based on the sensed temperature of the heated air discharged from the second fan;
Van Camp (US 20140261371 A1) teaches a conveyor oven with a split flow scroll, wherein:
operating a second fan to draw heated air from the heater compartment and discharge the heated air into the second cooking zone (Figures 3-4 Paragraph 24, one of a plurality of fans outputs heated air into a distribution finger which outputs heated air onto the conveyor at one zone while another one of a plurality of fans outputs heated air into a distribution finger which outputs heated air onto the conveyor at a different zone; Paragraph 24, air is heated by heat source 130 within a central chamber wherein the blowers draw heated air from)
It would have thus been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Waltz with Van Camp and have the first and second fan both convey heated air from a central heater compartment. This would be done as use of a single heat source which heats air from which each blower draws air from is known in art to be acceptable substitute for having individual heat sources in each blower system (Van Camp Paragraph 24) and would be done to reduce the number of heat sources needed.
Waltz modified with Van Camp fails to teach:
sensing a temperature of the heated air discharged from the first fan at the outlet of the first fan and generating a first signal based on the sensed temperature of the heated air discharged from the first fan;
sensing a temperature of the heated air discharged from the second fan at the outlet of the second fan and generating a second signal based on the sensed temperature of the heated air discharged from the second fan;
Schulte (US 20100282097 A1) teaches a temperature control for cooking appliances, wherein:
temperature is sensed by second temperature sensor 77 which is placed at an outlet (discharge plenum 52) between a fan unit 57 and the cooking chamber (oven cavity 12) to control the temperature that is to be supplied into the cooking chamber (Figure 2 Paragraph 25)
It would have thus been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Van Camp with Schulte and placed a temperature sensor between each fan and the cooking chamber to sense the temperature at the outlet of each fan. This would have been done to accurately measure the temperature of the air entering the oven cavity (Schulte Paragraph 25).
The Office further notes that the MPEP teaches that the mere duplication of parts has no patentable significance unless a new and unexpected result is produced. MPEP2144.04IVB. In this case, have a temperature sensor at the outlet of each fan instead of just one has no patentable significance unless a new and unexpected result is produced.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 FRANKLIN JEFFERSON WANG whose telephone number is (571)272-7782. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 10AM-6PM (E.S.T).
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/F.J.W./Examiner, Art Unit 3761
/IBRAHIME A ABRAHAM/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3761