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 .
Election/Restrictions
Claim 6 and 7 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected species A2 and A3, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on August 26, 2026. In response to the restriction requirement mailed on May 27, 2026, the applicant has canceled claims 9-13.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention. This claim recites the limitation “the solid-heat conductive object is external to the heater” which presents an issue of unclear scope as the solid heat-conductive object does not appear to be positively recited in the claim. Further, the heat comprises a temperature sensing device, which comprises a sensing plate mounted on the solid heat-conducting object. Since the heater is connected to the solid heat-conducting objection, it is unclear what constitutes being “external” to the heat, since no other structure of the heater is recited. It is unclear what “external to the heater” means in the scope of the claims. This issue continues into Claim 2 which recites the limitation “the solid heat conductive component attached external to the heater” where the intended scope of “external to the heater” is further obfuscated.
Claim 2 recites “a solid heat-conductive component attached external to the heater.” It is unclear what the component is attached to.
Claim 3 recites “the solid heat-conductive object in the environment to be heated is metallic.” Since the solid heat-conductive object appears to not be positively recited, it is unclear how this affects the claimed structure, apart from the sensing plate must be capable of being attached to metal.
The remaining claims are rejected due to their dependence on Claim 1
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.
Claims 1-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Huang (CN102980790B ):
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Regarding Claim 1: Huang teaches a heater (high-pressure air heating gun” [0011] Figure 1 Element 11) comprising a temperature sensing device (“temperature sensing system [0023] Figure 1 Element 25), the temperature sensing device comprising: a sensing plate (Figure 2 Element 5 “Temperature Probe” [0025]) mounted on a solid heat-conductive object (“magnesium alloy sample” [Abstract] Figure 2 Element 1) “in the environment to be heated, wherein the solid heat-conductive object is external to the heater (Shown in Huang Figure 1); and an electrical contact (“sensor wire” [0025] Figure 2 Element 30) connected to the sensing plate(The electrical contact is connected to the sensing plate (Figure 2 Element 5 “Temperature Probe” [0025]) via intermediary components), wherein the electrical contact is thermally coupled (Shown in Figure 2) with the heat-conductive object (“magnesium alloy sample” [Abstract] Figure 2 Element 1) via the sensing plate (Figure 2 Element 5 “Temperature Probe” [0025]).
Regarding Claim 2: Huang further teaches that the solid heat-conductive object (“magnesium alloy sample” [Abstract] Figure 2 Element 1) in the environment to be heated comprises a solid heat-conductive component (“magnesium alloy sample” [Abstract] Figure 2 Element 1) attached external to the heater ((high-pressure air heating gun” [0011] Figure 1 Element 11, the sample is attached to chuck 4, which is external to the heater).
Regarding Claim 3: Huang further teaches that the solid heat-conductive object (Figure 2 Element 1) in the environment to be heated is metallic (“magnesium alloy sample” [Abstract] Figure 2 Element 1).
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.
Claims 4-5 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huang (CN102980790B) in view of Gao (2008/0124060 A1):
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Regarding Claim 4: Huang further teaches that the heater (“high-pressure air heating gun” [0011] Figure 1 Element 11) comprises a heating element (“Resistance Heating Coil” [0025] Figure 3 Element 12); and an air mover (“Air Compressor” [0025] Figure 1 Element 19)
Huang does not teach that the heater comprises a heat sink mounted on the heating element or that the air mover directs air towards the heat sink such that the directed air provides impinged airflow on the heat sink.
However, Gao does teach a heater (“airflow heater” Abstract) with a heating element (“Heat Column” [0037] Figure 1 Element 11), an air mover (“fan” [0033] Figure 2 Element 60) and a heat sink (“Heat Dissipating Unit” Figure 1 Elemen1 121) mounted on the heating element (Shown in Figure 1) where the air mover directs air towards the heat sink such that the directed air provides impinged airflow on the heat sink (“the heat dissipating channels are aligned with the fan 60 such that…air is adapted to pass through the heating dissipating channels” [0033]).
Therefore, it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the invention of Huang with the heating element and mounted heat sinks as disclosed by Gao in order to enable enhanced means for “dissipating air” [0033] to the surroundings and avoid system overheat.
Regarding Claim 5: Huang as modified by Gao further teaches that the heat sink (Gao- “Heat Dissipating Unit” Figure 1 Elemen1 121) has at least one extended surface (Gao-See Figure 1 As annotated “Extended Surface of Heat Sink” shown also as a part of Figure 2 Element 10) extending approximately in the direction of the air directed from the air mover (Shown in Figure 2)
Regarding Claim 8: Huang as modified by Gao further teaches that the heating element is a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) heating element (Gao: “heat column is made of PTC (Positive temperature Coefficient) material adapted for generating heat” [0030]).
Claims 14 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huang (CN102980790B) in view of Makita (JP 3354562 B1):
Regarding Claim 14: Huang teaches that one end of the electrical contact, wire 30 is inside a space formed by chuck 4 and shaft 6, and enters the space by a “small hole 6” ([0028])
Huang does not teach that the electrical contact is sealed such that the electrical contact is not exposed to the surrounding environment.
However, Makita does teach a heater (“apparatus…for heating” [0016]) comprising a temperature sensing device (“Thermocouple 7 includes a temperature detecting Portion 7a” [0026]) with an electrical contact (“the lead portion 7b of the thermocouple 7” [0037]) which is sealed (“thermocouple [which includes the lead] is hermetically sealed” [0013] by means of “heat insulating case pair 40” [0026]) such that it is not exposed to the surrounding environment (enabled by the insulating case pair).
Therefore, it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the invention of Huang such that the electrical contact is sealed as disclosed by Makita in order to allow for a structure that allows the temperature sensing device to “perform the operation with increase stability]” [0006]) stably” and mitigates losses in operational efficiency.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SOLAN OLIVA whose telephone number is (571-)272-2518. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 7:00-3:00.
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/SOLAN OLIVA/Examiner, Art Unit 3761
/TOPAZ L. ELLIOTT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3761
