DETAILED ACTION
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1, 3, and 6-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Chen (CN113142673A).
Claim 1: Chen teaches a vaporization assembly (Abstract Lns1-2), comprising:
●a ferrule body (comprising at least air duct 400; oil cup 200; first sealing element 320)
having an inner cavity (para30 para36 Fig2 Fig3)
●vaporization body 500 adapted into the inner cavity and provided with liquid inlet holes
(those within oil-absorbing cotton 510) (para52 Fig3)
●a blocking portion protruding from a cavity wall of the inner cavity and arranged to
surround a periphery of vaporization body 500, the blocking portion being provided with at least one liquid-through clearance 310 (para30; Fig3 annotated below)
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●wherein the ferrule body (item 320 of the ferrule body) is movable in a preset direction
(vertically) relative to vaporization body 500 – illustrated when viewing Figure 3 followed by Figure 4 – and comprises a pre-loading position (Fig3) and a conduction position (Fig4), wherein, when the ferrule body is located at the pre-loading position, the blocking portion partitions the inner cavity into liquid storage cavity 210 and a mounting cavity (comprising at least oil reserve 340 and cavity 610) in the preset direction, the liquid inlet holes are located in the mounting cavity and isolated from liquid storage cavity 210 (para30 paras36-38; Fig3).
With respect to the new limitation of claim 1: in Figure 4 the ferrule body is in the conduction position wherein a volume of the mounting cavity is reduced to zero. Specifically, the mounting cavity (comprising at least oil reserve 340 and cavity 610) has a zero volume (cavity 610 is filled with 230) (para44). In Figure 4 it is seen that inlet holes are located in liquid storage cavity 210.
Other locations within reference may be included in the above recited locations (paragraphs, drawing, abstract, claims) to demonstrate further the features in the reference as claimed in the instant claims.
Claim 3: the at least one liquid-through clearance 310 comprises at least two liquid-through clearances 310, the at least two liquid-through clearances 310 being uniformly arranged in a circumferential direction of the blocking portion (para38).
Claim 6: vaporization body 500 comprises a vaporization base, a surface of the vaporization base (heating wire 520) protrudes to form a limiting flange (portion of Fig2 annotated below; Fig3 annotated below). With respect to the claim limitation of “and the ferrule body abuts against the limiting flange in a limiting manner upon movement from the pre-loading position to the conduction position.”, this limitation refers to a use of the claimed structure and is not considered to provide a structural limitation to the structure (vaporization assembly).
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Claim 7: the ferrule body is configured to move between the pre-loading position and the conduction position relative to the vaporization body 500 along an axis of the ferrule body – illustrated when viewing Figure 3 followed by Figure 4.
Claim 8: Chen teaches a vaporizer, comprising: the vaporization assembly of claim 1; and mouthpiece assembly 100 movably adapted onto the ferrule body (para30; Fig3).
Claim 9: with respect to the claim limitation of “the mouthpiece assembly is separated from the ferrule body when the ferrule body is located at the pre-loading position, and is configured to press the ferrule body in the preset direction when assembled on the ferrule body to provide a downward pressure for the ferrule body to move from the pre-loading position to the conduction position.” this limitation refers to a use of the claimed structure and is not considered to provide a structural limitation to the structure (vaporization assembly).
Claim 10: Chen teaches an electronic vaporization device, comprising: a power supply assembly; and the vaporizer of claim 8, wherein the power supply assembly is electrically connected to the vaporizer (para56).
With respect to claimed power assembly, because this/these claim limitation(s) is/are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, it/they is/are being interpreted to cover the corresponding structure described in the specification as performing the claimed function, and equivalents thereof. Chen teaches a structure for the power assembly to
perform the same claimed function. Chen is thus considered to meet this limitation of the claim.
Remarks Section
The amendments and comments filed 9-2-26 have been entered and fully considered.
Applicant indicates that Chen does not teach claim 1 at lines 10-13. In response, Chen teaches that the ferrule body (item 320 of the ferrule body) is movable in a preset direction (vertically) relative to vaporization body 500 – illustrated when viewing Figure 3 followed by Figure 4 – and comprises a pre-loading position (Fig3) and a conduction position (Fig4), wherein, when the ferrule body is located at the pre-loading position, the blocking portion partitions the inner cavity into liquid storage cavity 210 and a mounting cavity (comprising at least oil reserve 340 and cavity 610) in the preset direction, the liquid inlet holes are located in the mounting cavity and isolated from liquid storage cavity 210 (para30 paras36-38; Fig3).
Applicant indicates that Chen does not teach the new limitation to claim 1 at lines 14-18. In response, in Figure 4 the ferrule body is in the conduction position wherein a volume of the mounting cavity is reduced to zero. Specifically, the mounting cavity (comprising at least oil reserve 340 and cavity 610) has a zero volume (cavity 610 is filled with 230) (para44). In Figure 4 it is seen that inlet holes are located in liquid storage cavity 210.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 LINDA GRAY whose telephone number is (571) 272-5778. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 9 AM to 5:30 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Phil Tucker can be reached at (571) 272-1095. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/LINDA L GRAY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1745
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