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 .
Response to Amendment
Claims 1, 3, 7, 10-11, and 13-14 have been amended. Claim 2 has been cancelled. Claim 15 has been added. Therefore, claims 1 and 3-15 remain pending in the application. Applicant’s amendments, in view of Applicant’s Remarks filed May 27, 2026, to the Drawings, Specification, and Claims have overcome some of the objections and each and every 112(b) rejection previously set forth in the Non-Final Office Action mailed February 27, 2026. Unaddressed objections are maintained and are as set forth below.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they do not include the following reference sign(s) mentioned in the description: p. 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. 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.
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they include the following reference character(s) not mentioned in the description: P. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d), or amendment to the specification to add the reference character(s) in the description in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(b) 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. 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.
Specification
The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
In Paragraphs 0039 and 0085, “FIG. 4” should read “FIG. 6”
In Paragraph 0067, “apparatus and 2” should read “apparatus 2”
In Paragraph 00101, “t1” should read “t”
In Paragraph 00113, “125b” should read “125c”
In Paragraphs 00153 and 00155, “in FIGS. 8 and 9” and “to FIGS. 7 and 8”, respectively, are unclear
In Paragraph 00157, “225b” should read “225c”
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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 and 3-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang (KR19980077048A), hereinafter "Yang", in view of Sung (US20050260061A1), hereinafter "Sung".
Regarding claim 1, Yang teaches a cooking apparatus (see Fig 3) comprising:
a main body (Fig 3, body 100) having a cooking chamber (Fig 3, chamber 10) inside (see Fig 3) the main body; (100)
a mounting bolt (Fig 4, bolt 80) including:
a bolt head (see Fig 4, Examiner notes a head of bolt 80 as a bolt head), and
a bolt body (see Fig 4, Examiner notes a body of bolt 80 as a bolt body) extending (see Fig 4) from the bolt head (see Fig 4) and [configured to sequentially penetrate (see Fig 4) an external structure (Figs 2 and 4, shelf 2)] to which the cooking apparatus (see Fig 3) is to be mounted (see Fig 4) and then the main body (100); and
a holder (see Fig 4, Examiner notes a holder adjacent the head of bolt 80 as a holder) detachably coupleable (see Fig 4) to the mounting bolt (80) such that, when the holder (see Fig 4) is coupled (see Fig 4) to the mounting bolt (80) with the bolt body (see Fig 4) penetrating (see Fig 4) [the external structure] (2) and the main body (100), the holder (see Fig 4) is outside (see Fig 4) of the main body (100) and supports (see Fig 4) the mounting bolt (80),
wherein the holder (see Fig 4) includes:
a holder body (see Fig 4, Examiner notes a body of the holder adjacent the head of bolt 80 as a holder body) configured to, when the holder (see Fig 4) is coupled (see Fig 4) to the mounting bolt (80) with the bolt body (see Fig 4) penetrating (see Fig 4) [the external structure] (2) and the main body (100), separate (see Fig 4) the bolt head (see Fig 4) and [the external structure] (2).
Yang fails to teach an elastic support part including: an elastic support part body inside the holder body having surfaces forming a hollow portion inside the elastic support part body to accommodate the mounting bolt when the holder is coupled to the mounting bolt, wherein the surfaces of the elastic support part body forming the hollow portion are spaced apart from the holder body by an open space, and a plurality of elastic pieces that protrude from the elastic support part body toward an inside of the hollow portion and configured to, when the holder is coupled to the mounting bolt, press an outer circumferential surface of the bolt body.
However, Sung teaches it is known to provide an elastic support part (Fig 2A, part 214) including: an elastic support part body (Fig 2A, portion 217) inside (see Figs 2A-2B) the holder body (see Figs 2A-2B, Examiner notes a body of washer 210 as the holder body) having surfaces (see Figs 2A-2B, Examiner notes interior surfaces of portion 217 as having surfaces) forming a hollow portion (Fig 2A, opening 213) inside (see Figs 2A-2B) the elastic support part body (217) to accommodate (see Fig 2A) the mounting bolt (Fig 2A, screw 200) when the holder (Fig 2A, washer 210) is coupled (see Fig 2A) to the mounting bolt (200), wherein the surfaces (see Figs 2A-2B) of the elastic support part body (217) forming the hollow portion (213) are spaced apart (see Figs 2A-2B, Examiner notes gaps between each portion 217 as are spaced apart) from the holder body (see Figs 2A-2B) by an open space (see Figs 2A-2B, Examiner notes the gaps between each portion 217 as by an open space), and a plurality of elastic pieces (Fig 2A, part 215) that protrude (see Figs 2A-2B) from the elastic support part body (217) toward an inside (see Figs 2A-2B) of the hollow portion (213) and configured to, when the holder (210) is coupled (see Fig 2A) to the mounting bolt (200), press (see Fig 2A, Paragraph 0021, Examiner notes projection part 215 clasps a thread 216 of the screw 200 as press) an outer circumferential surface (see Fig 2A, Examiner notes an outer surface of screw 200 having threads 216 as an outer circumferential surface) of the bolt body (see Fig 2A, Examiner notes a body of screw 200 as the bolt body).
Therefore, as evidenced by Sung, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine an adequately sized and shaped elastic support part including: an elastic support part body inside the holder body having surfaces forming a hollow portion inside the elastic support part body to accommodate the mounting bolt when the holder is coupled to the mounting bolt, wherein the surfaces of the elastic support part body forming the hollow portion are spaced apart from the holder body by an open space, and a plurality of elastic pieces that protrude from the elastic support part body toward an inside of the hollow portion and configured to, when the holder is coupled to the mounting bolt, press an outer circumferential surface of the bolt body as taught by Sung to the holder of Yang. The rationale for supporting this conclusion of obviousness is to mitigate loss of the holder, i.e. preventing the holder from falling down or from being lost, when the fastener is loosened (Sung, Paragraph 0008).
Claim language set in brackets set forth above and below in this office action are considered by the Examiner to be intended use that fails to further limit the structure of the claimed invention. Since the claimed invention is directed solely to that of a cooking apparatus, the prior art must only be capable of performing the functional recitations in order to be applicable, and in the instant case, the Examiner maintains that the combination of Yang and Sung, is indeed capable of the intended use statements. Note that it has been held that a recitation with respect to the manner in which a claimed apparatus is intended to be employed does not differentiate the claimed apparatus from a prior art apparatus satisfying the claimed structural limitations.
Regarding claim 3, modified Yang teaches the cooking apparatus (see Fig 3) according to claim 1 and further teaches wherein each of the plurality of elastic pieces (215) includes:
a pressing surface (Sung, see Figs 2A-2B, Examiner notes a central surface of portion 215 as a pressing surface) configured to press (Sung, see Fig 2A, Paragraph 0021) the outer circumferential surface (see Fig 4) of the bolt body (see Fig 4) when the holder (see Fig 4) is coupled (see Fig 4) to the mounting bolt (80),
a first inclined surface (Sung, see Figs 2A-2B, Examiner notes a left circumferential end surface of part 215 as a first inclined surface) formed to be away (Sung, see Fig 2B) from the bolt body (see Fig 4) from one end (Sung, see Fig 2B) of the pressing surface (Sung, see Figs 2A-2B) when the holder (see Fig 4) is coupled (see Fig 4) to the mounting bolt (80), and
a second inclined surface (Sung, see Figs 2A-2B, Examiner notes a right circumferential end surface of part 215 as a second inclined surface) formed to be away (Sung, see Fig 2B) from the bolt body (see Fig 4) from an other end (Sung, see Fig 2B) of the pressing surface (Sung, see Figs 2A-2B) when the holder (see Fig 4) is coupled (see Fig 4) to the mounting bolt (80).
Regarding claim 4, modified Yang teaches the cooking apparatus (see Fig 3) according to claim 1 and further teaches wherein
the holder body (see Fig 4) is a first holder body (see Fig 4, Examiner notes the body of the holder adjacent the head of bolt 80 as a first holder body), and
the holder (see Fig 4) further comprises a second holder body (Sung, Fig 2A, part 214) extending (Sung, see Fig 2A) from the first holder body (see Fig 4) and having an accommodation portion (Sung, see Fig 2A, Examiner notes a portion between part 214 as having an accommodation portion) therein to accommodate (see Fig 4) the mounting bolt (80) when the holder (see Fig 4) is coupled (see Fig 4) to the mounting bolt (80).
Regarding claim 5, modified Yang teaches the cooking apparatus (see Fig 3) according to claim 1 and further teaches wherein
the holder (see Fig 4) is configured to be detachably coupleable (capable of being detachably coupleable, i.e. this is a functional recitation; see Fig 4) to the mounting bolt (80) by passing through a lower end (see Fig 4) of the bolt body (see Fig 4) and being pushed up toward the bolt head (see Fig 4).
Regarding claim 6, modified Yang teaches the cooking apparatus (see Fig 3) according to claim 4 and further teaches wherein
the holder (see Fig 4) is coupleable (see Fig 4) to the mounting bolt (80) in a first state (see Fig 4, Examiner notes bolt 80 prior to tightening as in a first state) or a second state (see Fig 4, Examiner notes bolt 80 after tightening as a second state),
the first holder body (see Fig 4) is adjacent (see Fig 4) to the bolt head (see Fig 4) while the holder (see Fig 4) is coupled (see Fig 4; Sung, see Fig 2A) to the mounting bolt (80) in the first state (see Fig 4), and
the bolt head (see Fig 4) is accommodated (see Fig 4) in the accommodation portion (Sung, see Fig 2A) of the second holder body (214) while the holder (see Fig 4) is coupled (see Fig 4) to the mounting bolt (80) in the second state (see Fig 4).
Regarding claim 7, modified Yang teaches the cooking apparatus (see Fig 3) according to claim 6 and further teaches wherein
a protruding length (see Fig 4) of the bolt body (see Fig 4) into the main body (100) while the holder (see Fig 4) is coupled (see Fig 4) to the mounting bolt (80) in the first state (see Fig 4) is smaller (see Fig 4, Examiner notes a length of bolt 80 prior to tightening is less than the length of bolt 80 after tightening) than the protruding length (see Fig 4) of the bolt body (see Fig 4) into the main body (100) while the holder (see Fig 4) is coupled (see Fig 4) to the mounting bolt (80) in the second state (see Fig 4).
Regarding claim 8, modified Yang teaches the cooking apparatus (see Fig 3) according to claim 6 and further teaches wherein
the bolt head (see Fig 4) is configured to be supported (see Fig 4) by an upper surface (see Fig 4) of the first holder body (see Fig 4) while the holder (see Fig 4) is coupled (see Fig 4) to the mounting bolt (80) in the first state (see Fig 4), and
the bolt head (see Fig 4) is configured to be accommodated (Sung, see Fig 2A) in the accommodation portion (Sung, see Fig 2A) of the second holder body (214) while the holder (see Fig 4) is coupled (see Fig 4) to the mounting bolt (80) in the second state (see Fig 4).
Regarding claim 9, modified Yang teaches the cooking apparatus (see Fig 3) according to claim 3 and further teaches wherein
the bolt body (see Fig 4) has screw threads (see Fig 4, Examiner notes bolt 80 threaded to nut 70 as has screw threads), and
a length (Sung, see Figs 2A-2B) of the pressing surface (Sung, see Figs 2A-2B) is longer (Sung, see Figs 2A-2B) than a pitch (see Fig 4; Sung, see Figs 2A-2B) of the screw threads (see Fig 4) of the bolt body (see Fig 4).
Regarding claim 10, modified Yang teaches the cooking apparatus (see Fig 3) according to claim 1 and further teaches wherein
the bolt body (see Fig 4) includes a portion (see Fig 4, Examiner notes a portion of the body of bolt 80 having threads adjacent the head of bolt 80 as a portion) having screw threads (see Fig 4, Examiner notes bolt 80 threaded to nut 70 as having screw threads), and
the mounting bolt (80) further includes an unthreaded portion (see Fig 4, Examiner notes an unthreaded portion of bolt 80 distal the head of bolt 80 as an unthreaded portion) extending (see Fig 4) from a lower end (see Fig 4) of the bolt body (see Fig 4), having a diameter (see Fig 4) that is smaller (see Fig 4) than a diameter (see Fig 4) of the portion (see Fig 4) of the screw threads (see Fig 4).
Regarding claim 11, modified Yang teaches the cooking apparatus (see Fig 3) according to claim 1 and further teaches wherein
a bottom surface (see Fig 4) of the holder body (see Fig 4) and a bottom surface (Sung, see Fig 2A) of the elastic support part (214) are on a same plane (see Fig 4; Sung, see Fig 2A) such that, when the holder (see Fig 4) is coupled (see Fig 4) to the mounting bolt (80) with the bolt body (see Fig 4) penetrating (see Fig 4) [the external structure] (2) and the main body (100), the holder (see Fig 4) stably supports (see Fig 4; Sung, see Fig 2A) the mounting bolt (80) with respect to [the external structure] (2).
Regarding claim 12, modified Yang teaches the cooking apparatus (see Fig 3) according to claim 1 and further teaches comprising:
a base plate (see Fig 3, Pg 6-2, Examiner notes a plate in which filter 45 is attached to as a base plate) configured to draw air (see Fig 3, Pg 6-2, Examiner notes air of the kitchen space is opened and supposed to flow in as configured to draw air) from a lower portion (see Fig 3) of the main body (100); and
a filter (Fig 3, filter 45) configured to filter out foreign substances (see Fig 3, Pg 6-2, Examiner notes air can be filtered as configured to filter out foreign substances) in the air (see Fig 3, Pg 6-2) drawn (see Fig 3, Pg 6-2) from the base plate (see Fig 3).
Regarding claim 13, modified Yang teaches the cooking apparatus (see Fig 3) according to claim 1 and further teaches wherein
the hollow portion (213) includes a section (Sung, see Fig 2A, Examiner notes a section of part 214 having part 215 as includes a section) in which, when the holder (see Fig 4) is coupled (see Fig 4) to the mounting bolt (80), a diameter (Sung, see Fig 2A, Examiner notes a diameter including part 215 of washer 210 as a diameter) of the hollow portion (213) decreases (Sung, see Fig 2A, Examiner notes a diameter excluding part 215 of washer 210 as decreases) from a first side (Sung, see Fig 2A, Examiner notes a side of washer 210 facing head 202 as from a first side) adjacent (see Fig 4) to the bolt head (see Fig 4) toward (Sung, see Fig 2A) a second side (Sung, see Fig 2A, Examiner notes a side of washer 210 opposite of the side of washer 210 facing head 202 as a second side) adjacent (see Fig 4) to a lower end (see Fig 4) of the bolt body (see Fig 4).
Regarding claim 14, modified Yang teaches the cooking apparatus (see Fig 3) according to claim 1 and further teaches comprising:
a support bracket (Fig 4, plate 60) positionable adjacent (see Fig 4) to an inner surface (Fig 4, case 30) of the main body (100) such that, when the support bracket (60) is positioned adjacent (see Fig 4) to the inner surface (30) of the main body (100) and the bolt body (see Fig 4) penetrates (see Fig 4) the main body (100), the bolt body (see Fig 4) penetrates (see Fig 4) through the support bracket (60);
a mounting nut (Fig 4, nut 70) coupleable (see Fig 4) with the bolt body (see Fig 4) penetrated (see Fig 4) through the support bracket (60); and
a spring holder (Fig 4, portion 61) coupled (see Fig 4) to the support bracket (60) to support (see Fig 4) the mounting nut (70).
Regarding claim 15, modified Yang teaches the cooking apparatus (see Fig 3) according to claim 1 and further teaches wherein the holder (see Fig 4) further includes:
a connection rib (Sung, see Figs 2A-2B, Examiner notes portions of a body of washer 210 connecting the gaps between each portion 217 as a connection rib) connecting the holder body (see Fig 4) and the elastic support part (214).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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 JOCK WONG whose telephone number is (571)270-1349. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 7:30am - 5:00pm (ET).
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Kristina Fulton can be reached at (571)272-7376. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/J.W./Examiner, Art Unit 3675 /KRISTINA R FULTON/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3675
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