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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 04/17/2024, 01/14/2025.The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Response to Election/Restriction requirement
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I (claims 18-29) in the reply filed on 06/23/2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 30-35 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every features of the invention specified in the claims. The limitations:
“lever” recited in line 3, claim 18,
“central pin” recited in line 2, claim 19
“ the proximal end having a point of rotation” in lines 2-3, claim 25
must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Objections
Claims 18, 20-21, 23, and 25-27 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 18, line 5, “liquid coffee” should be “the liquid coffee”.
Claims 20-21, “liquid coffee” should be “the liquid coffee”.
Claim 23, line 7, “liquid coffee” should be “the liquid coffee”.
Claims 25-27, “liquid coffee” should be “the liquid coffee”.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 19-22, 24-28 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as failing to set forth 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.
Claim 19, the term “fin-like structure” in line 2 renders the claim indefinite because it is unclear what structural characteristics make a structure “fin-like”. The claim does not recite any objective boundaries, dimensions, shape or other structures feature by which one of ordinary skill in the art could determine whether a given structure fall within the scope of the claim. Accordingly, the metes and bounds of the claimed invention cannot be determined with reasonable certainty.
Claim 24 recites the same term “fin-like structure” so that claim 24 is rejected by the same reason as discussed in claim 19.
Claims 20-22 and 25-28 are rejected as being dependent on, and failing to cure the deficiencies of, rejected independent claims 19 and 24.
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.
Claim(s) 18-29 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Mao (US 20160120359 A1)
Regarding claim 18, Mao discloses
A filter basket (24, see fig.3-4) for use with a coffee machine (20, see fig.3-4), the filter basket (24) comprising:
a valve (28, see fig.4-5) selectively operable by a lever (38, see fig.11-12) of the coffee machine (20) to allow liquid coffee to exit the filter basket (see para.0030: “the upward motion of the distal end 42 of the lever causes the semi-annular plate 42 to release from the arms 48 of the drip valve. The coffee pot convex top portion biasing member 66 may force the valve body 32 to a position where the coffee basket sealing ring 34 moves away from the interior surfaces of the coffee basket, thereby opening the coffee basket liquid outlet and allowing the coffee liquid mixture to flow therethrough in to the coffee pot”), wherein the valve (28) is spring biased to a closed position preventing liquid coffee from exiting the filter basket (See fig.16 para.0024: “A biasing member 36, such as a coil spring, may be fitted over the valve body 32 to bias the valve body in a manner such that the valve body and sealing ring portion 34 abut against the interior of the coffee basket 24, i.e., downward in the pictures, when the coffee pot 30 is not located under the drip valve 28.” See claim 4: “the drip valve has a biasing member that urges the drip valve to the closed position.”).
Regarding claim 19, Mao further discloses the valve (28, see fig.10) has a central pin (32 see fig.5), the pin (32) having a fin-like structure (See annotated fig.10 below), to encourage wicking of the liquid coffee, as the liquid coffee passes through the valve (28) and through a central passageway of the lever (central passageway of 38, see annotated fig.10 below).
PNG
media_image1.png
625
936
media_image1.png
Greyscale
Annotated fig.10 of Mao
Regarding claim 20, Mao further discloses the lever (38) is operable to open the valve (28) to allow liquid coffee to exit from the filter basket (24) through the central passageway of the lever (central passageway of 38, see fig.10 and para.0024, 0028).
Regarding claim 21, Mao further discloses a head (42, see fig.10) of the lever (38) is actuatable (See para.0028: “the arms 48 of the valve body of the drip valve 28 may be moved into abutment against the underside of the lever 38 (i.e., upward in the drawings).., and the coffee liquid mixture flows through the open liquid outlet of the coffee basket into the coffee pot". The plate 42 of the lever 38 is actuatable by the arms 48) to contact the valve (28) to overcome the spring bias and open the valve (See para.0028), thereby allowing liquid coffee to pass through the central passageway of the lever (central passageway of 38, see fig.10 and para.0028).
Regarding claim 22, Mao further discloses the fin-like structure (see fin-like structure in annotated fig.10 above) of the pin (28) comprises an array of fins (See fig.10) that intersect along a common axis that is central to the fins (see fig.10).
Regarding claim 23, Mao further discloses A coffee machine (20, see fig.1) having a base (see base in annotated fig.1 below), a body (see body in annotated fig.2 below) extending upwardly from the base (see base in annotated fig.2 below),
PNG
media_image2.png
10
4
media_image2.png
Greyscale
PNG
media_image3.png
829
936
media_image3.png
Greyscale
Annotated fig.2 of Mao
a platform (combo 38,46 and 50) having an upwardly facing surface (upper surface of 38, see fig.10), the platform (combo 38,46 and 50) being supported by and extending outwardly from the body (See fig.2 and para.0025: “The lever 38 may be hingedly connected to the body”), and a filter basket (24, see fig.4), wherein the filter basket (24, see fig.4) includes:
a valve (28, see fig.4-5) selectively operable to allow liquid coffee to exit the filter basket (see para.0030: “the upward motion of the distal end 42 of the lever causes the semi-annular plate 42 to release from the arms 48 of the drip valve. The coffee pot convex top portion biasing member 66 may force the valve body 32 to a position where the coffee basket sealing ring 34 moves away from the interior surfaces of the coffee basket, thereby opening the coffee basket liquid outlet and allowing the coffee liquid mixture to flow therethrough in to the coffee pot”); and the platform (combo 38,46 and 50) including a lever (combo 38 and 50), said lever (combo 38 and 50) having a central passageway (see fig.10); and wherein the lever (combo 38 and 50) is operable to open the valve (28) to allow liquid coffee to exit from the filter basket (24) through the central passageway of the lever (See fig.10 and para.0030).
Regarding claim 24, Mao further discloses the valve (28, see fig.10) has a central pin (32 see fig.5), the pin (32) having a fin-like structure (See annotated fig.10 below), to encourage wicking of the liquid coffee, as the liquid coffee passes through the valve (28) and through a central passageway of the lever (central passageway of the combo 38 and 50, see annotated fig.10 below).
PNG
media_image4.png
625
936
media_image4.png
Greyscale
Annotated fig.10 of Mao
Regarding claim 25, Mao further discloses the lever (combo 38 and 50, see fig.6-7) has a proximal end (44) and a distal end (50) relative to the coffee machine (10, see fig.1), the proximal end (44) having a point of rotation (40, see fig.10) and the distal end (50) having a toroidal shaped head (50, see fig.10) surrounding the central passageway (see central passageway in annotated fig.10 above) to allow liquid coffee to pass though the central passageway of the lever (see central passageway of the lever in annotated fig.10 above).
Regarding claim 26, Mao further discloses the valve is spring biased to a closed position preventing liquid coffee from exiting the filter basket (See fig.16 para.0024: “A biasing member 36, such as a coil spring, may be fitted over the valve body 32 to bias the valve body in a manner such that the valve body and sealing ring portion 34 abut against the interior of the coffee basket 24, i.e., downward in the pictures, when the coffee pot 30 is not located under the drip valve 28.” See claim 4: “the drip valve has a biasing member that urges the drip valve to the closed position.”).
Regarding claim 27, Mao further discloses a head (42, see fig.10) of the lever (38) is actuatable (See para.0028: “the arms 48 of the valve body of the drip valve 28 may be moved into abutment against the underside of the lever 38 (i.e., upward in the drawings).., and the coffee liquid mixture flows through the open liquid outlet of the coffee basket into the coffee pot". The plate 42 of the lever 38 is actuatable by the arms 48) to contact the valve (28) to overcome the spring bias and open the valve (See para.0028), thereby allowing liquid coffee to pass through the central passageway of the lever (central passageway of 38, see fig.10 and para.0028).
Regarding claim 28, Mao further discloses the valve has an axis (axis of 28) that is aligned with a central axis of the central passageway (central axis of the annotated central passageway, se fig.10), when the filter basket (24) is in an engaged position on the platform (combo 38,46 and 50).
Regarding claim 29, Mao further discloses the fin-like structure (see fin-like structure in annotated fig.10 above) of the pin (28) comprises an array of fins (See fig.10) that intersect along a common axis that is central to the fins (see fig.10).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
US20090074930A1 discloses a drip coffee maker is provides including a means for delaying the release of brewed coffee from the brew basket assembly position in a brew basket housing.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TIFFANY T TRAN whose telephone number is (571)272-3673. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday - Friday, 10am - 6pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Edward Landrum can be reached on (571) 272-5567. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/TIFFANY T TRAN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3761
Prosecution Insights