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 .
Priority
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.
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 1-20 are 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.
Claim 1, line 3 recites “the range”; claim 12, line 3 recites “the range”; claim 19, line 3 recites “the range”. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claims 2-11, 13-18 and 20 are also rejected because they are dependent upon claims 1, 12 and 19.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being obvious over Ida (US 2018/0242407) in view of Wang (CN207560374) and Suga (US 2020/0008272). An English machine translation of Wang (CN207560374) is included with the Notice of Reference Cited (PTO-892).
With respect to the limitations of claim 1, Ida teaches an induction cooktop (title, abstract), comprising: a cooking surface (Fig 1, top plate 4, 0029) operable to support cookware (heated object 5, 0029); a resonant circuit having a resonant frequency in the range of 40 kHz to 60 kHz (0043, 20 kilohertz to 80 kilohertz) and including: a capacitor (Fig 2, resonant capacitor 24, 0043) having capacitance; and a coil (first heating unit 11, 0043) disposed under the cooking surface and an induction control circuit (control unit 45, 0037) configured to power the resonant circuit at the working frequency. Ida discloses the claimed invention except for the capacitor having capacitance of between 0.1 micro-Farads and 0.6 micro-Farads; the coil is configured to operate at a working frequency of between 50 kHz and 150 kHz.
However, Wang discloses the capacitor having capacitance of between 0.1 micro-Farads and 0.6 micro-Farads (Fig 1, resonant capacitor C, 0008, 0009, 0028, capacitance value of the resonant capacitor is in the range of 0.1µF to 0.15µF) is known in the art. It would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to adapt the induction cooktop of Ida having a resonant capacitor silent to the capacitance with the capacitor having capacitance of between 0.1 micro-Farads and 0.6 micro-Farads of Wang for the purpose of providing a resonant capacitor with a known capacitance that allows for the induction heating device provide continuous heating over a wide power range (0009).
Additionally, Suga discloses the coil is configured to operate at a working frequency of between 50 kHz and 150 kHz (Fig 1-4, heating coil 112, 0079, frequency set according to the non-magnetic material, for example, 90 kHz) is known in the art. It would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to adapt the induction cooktop of Ida having a coil silent to the working frequency with the coil is configured to operate at a working frequency of between 50 kHz and 150 kHz of Suga in view of Wang for the purpose of operating the coil at a working frequency when a non-magnetic material of the heated object is determined, thereby improving the overall versatility of the device.
With respect to the limitations of claim 2, Ida in view of Wang and Suga discloses the induction control circuit includes a full-bridge inverter (Suga, Fig 9, 0104-0111, full-bridge inverter) that controls current through the coil.
With respect to the limitations of claim 12, Ida teaches an induction coil assembly (Figs 1, 2, first heating unit 11, 0043) for an induction cooktop (title, abstract), comprising: a cooking surface (Fig 1, top plate 4, 0029) operable to support cookware (heated object 5, 0029); a resonant circuit having a resonant frequency in the range of 40 kHz to 60 kHz (0043, 20 kilohertz to 80 kilohertz) and including: a capacitor (Fig 2, resonant capacitor 24, 0043) having capacitance; and a coil (first heating unit 11) disposed under the cooking surface and configured to operate at a working frequency; and an induction control circuit (control unit 45, 0037) configured to power the resonant circuit at the working frequency. Ida discloses the claimed invention except for the capacitor having capacitance of between 0.1 micro-Farads and 0.6 micro-Farads; the coil is configured to operate at a working frequency of between 50 kHz and 150 kHz; powering the resonant circuit via a full-bridge inverter.
However, Wang discloses the capacitor having capacitance of between 0.1 micro-Farads and 0.6 micro-Farads (Fig 1, resonant capacitor C, 0008, 0009, 0028, capacitance value of the resonant capacitor is in the range of 0.1µF to 0.15µF) is known in the art. It would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to adapt the induction cooktop of Ida having a resonant capacitor silent to the capacitance with the capacitor having capacitance of between 0.1 micro-Farads and 0.6 micro-Farads of Wang for the purpose of providing a resonant capacitor with a known capacitance that allows for the induction heating device provide continuous heating over a wide power range (0009).
Additionally, Suga discloses the coil is configured to operate at a working frequency of between 50 kHz and 150 kHz (Fig 1-4, heating coil 112, 0079, frequency set according to the non-magnetic material, for example, 90 kHz) and powering the resonant circuit via a full-bridge inverter (Fig 9, 0104-0111, full-bridge inverter) is known in the art. It would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to adapt the induction cooktop of Ida in view of Wang having a coil silent to the working frequency with the coil is configured to operate at a working frequency of between 50 kHz and 150 kHz of Suga for the purpose of operating the coil at a working frequency when a non-magnetic material of the heated object is determined, thereby improving the overall versatility of the device. It would have also been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to adapt the induction cooktop of Ida in view of Wang silent to a full-bridge inverter with powering the resonant circuit via a full-bridge inverter of Suga for the purpose of forming a known inverter configuration that performs the induction heating suitable for the material of the heating object and suppress unevenness in heating temperature (0009).
With respect to the limitations of claim 19, Ida teaches an induction cooktop (title, abstract), comprising: a cooking surface (Fig 1, top plate 4, 0029) operable to support cookware (heated object 5, 0029); a resonant circuit having a resonant frequency in the range of 40 kHz to 60 kHz (0043, 20 kilohertz to 80 kilohertz) and including: a capacitor (Fig 2, resonant capacitor 24, 0043) having capacitance; and a coil (first heating unit 11, 0043) disposed under the cooking surface and configured to operate at a working frequency; and an induction control circuit (control unit 45, 0037) configured to power the resonant circuit at the working frequency. Ida discloses the claimed invention except for the capacitor having capacitance of between 0.1 micro-Farads and 0.6 micro-Farads; the resonant circuit is configured to have an equivalent alternating-current (AC) resistance of between 8 ohms and 15 ohms at the working frequency when cookware overlays the coil and includes a bottom made of AISI 430; the coil is configured to operate at a working frequency of between 50 kHz and 150 kHz; powering the resonant circuit via a full-bridge inverter.
However, Wang discloses the capacitor having capacitance of between 0.1 micro-Farads and 0.6 micro-Farads (Fig 1, resonant capacitor C, 0008, 0009, 0028, capacitance value of the resonant capacitor is in the range of 0.1µF to 0.15µF) is known in the art. It would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to adapt the induction cooktop of Ida having a resonant capacitor silent to the capacitance with the capacitor having capacitance of between 0.1 micro-Farads and 0.6 micro-Farads of Wang for the purpose of providing a resonant capacitor with a known capacitance that allows for the induction heating device provide continuous heating over a wide power range (0009).
Additionally, Suga discloses the coil is configured to operate at a working frequency of between 50 kHz and 150 kHz (Fig 1-4, heating coil 112, 0079, frequency set according to the non-magnetic material, for example, 90 kHz) and powering the resonant circuit via a full-bridge inverter (Fig 9, 0104-0111, full-bridge inverter) is known in the art. It would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to adapt the induction cooktop of Ida in view of Wang having a coil silent to the working frequency with the coil is configured to operate at a working frequency of between 50 kHz and 150 kHz of Suga for the purpose of operating the coil at a working frequency when a non-magnetic material of the heated object is determined, thereby improving the overall versatility of the device. It would have also been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to adapt the induction cooktop of Ida in view of Wang silent to a full-bridge inverter with powering the resonant circuit via a full-bridge inverter of Suga for the purpose of forming a known inverter configuration that performs the induction heating suitable for the material of the heating object and suppress unevenness in heating temperature (0009).
Moreover, it would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention was made to have the resonant circuit is configured to have an equivalent alternating-current (AC) resistance of between 8 ohms and 15 ohms at the working frequency when cookware overlays the coil and includes a bottom made of AISI 430, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable equivalent alternating-current (AC) resistance ranges involves only routine skill in the art (see MPEP 2144.04).
With respect to the limitations of claims 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 20, Ida in view of Wang and Suga discloses the claimed invention except for the resonant circuit is configured to have an equivalent alternating-current (AC) resistance of between 8 ohms and 15 ohms at the working frequency when cookware overlays the coil and includes a bottom made of AISI 430;
the inductance of the coil is between 45 micro-Henries and 60 micro-Henries when the equivalent resistance is between 8 and 15 ohms at the working frequency;
the coil includes wire forming a plurality of windings and having a height in a direction orthogonal to the cooking surface of between 1.5 millimeters and 2.5 millimeters;
the wire has a width in a direction parallel to the cooking surface of between 1.5 millimeters and 3 millimeters;
a cross-sectional area of the wire is between 1.8 square millimeters and 3.0 square millimeters;
a total weight of the coil is less than 300 grams;
the coil is spaced below the cooking surface by at most 7 millimeters;
the coil is part of an induction coil assembly that includes a ferrite layer spaced from and below the coil, wherein the ferrite layer includes a plurality of ferrites having a height in a direction orthogonal to the cooking surface of between 3 millimeters and 5 millimeters;
the induction coil assembly has a stack height in a direction orthogonal to the cooking surface between a bottom surface of the induction coil assembly and a top surface of the of the induction coil assembly between 7 millimeters and 10 millimeters.
However, it would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention was made to have the resonant circuit configuration operating at the recited inductances with the coil wire dimensions, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable operation and dimension ranges involves only routine skill in the art (see MPEP 2144.04).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THIEN S TRAN whose telephone number is (571)270-7745. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday [8:00-4:00].
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/THIEN S TRAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3761 7/23/2026
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