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
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I (claims 1-11) in the reply filed on 3/6/26 is acknowledged.
Claims 12-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 3/6/26.
Claim Objections
Claim 9 is objected to because of the following informalities: Grammatical error in line 2: “..one or pins extending..” The suggested change is: “..one or more pins extending..”. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 1, 3, 4, 6-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Viero et al. (EP2843119A1).
Regarding claims 1, 3, 4 and 8, Viero et al. teaches a laundry appliance defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction (see abstract), the laundry appliance comprising: an apron 505F, 505S extending between a bottom end and a top end along the vertical direction (see figure 5A, paragraphs [0045]-[0046]); a tub positioned within the apron 505F, 505S (see paragraph [0032]); a wash basket (see laundry drum) rotatably mounted within the tub, the wash basket defining a chamber for receipt of articles for washing and drying (see paragraph [0032]); an apron extension 505T positioned on the top end of the apron 505F, 505S and defining a mechanical compartment (see paragraphs [0046]-[0050], figures 5A-5F), wherein a rear wall of the apron extension 505T extends past a rear wall of the apron 505F, 505S along the transverse direction to define an overhang space under the apron extension 505T and an opening 540/545 into the mechanical compartment (see paragraph [0057], figures 5A-5F); a shield element (see portion of 515 that projects rearward, as shown in figures 5A, 5B) mounted to the apron 505F, 505S and the apron extension 505T and being positioned at least partially over the opening 540/545 (see paragraphs [0056]-[0057], figures 5A-5F), wherein the shield element is an L-shaped (reads on claim 4) piece of sheet material comprising structural ribs (reads on claim 8) and bent to form an angle (see figures 5A, 5C-5F, paragraphs [0048]-[0051]) (reads on claim 3); and a conditioning system positioned within the mechanical compartment and configured to heat and remove moisture from air flowing therethrough, the conditioning system comprising a compressor, an evaporator HE1, and a condenser HE2 (see paragraphs [0033], [0049]-[0057], figures 5A-5F).
Regarding claims 6 and 7, Viero et al. teaches the limitations of claim 1. Viero et al. also teaches in figures 5A-5B that the shield element (see portion of 515 that projects rearward, as shown in figures 5A, 5B) defines a shield depth measured along the transverse direction (see rearward direction), the shield depth being equal to an overhang depth of the overhang space (reads on claim 6); and the shield element defines a shield width measured along the lateral direction, the shield width being equal to a width of the apron (reads on claim 7).
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 text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 2, 5 and 9-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Viero et al. (EP2843119A1) as applied to claim 1 in view of Wang et al. (CN218812720U).
Regarding claim 2, Viero et al. teaches the limitations of claim 1. Viero et al. also teaches that the shield element is mechanically mounted to the rear wall of the apron 505F, 505S (see figures 5A, 5B, paragraphs [0048]-[0049], [0057]). Viero et al. does not explicitly teach that the shield element is mounted to the rear wall of the apron using a plurality of mechanical fasteners. Wang et al. teaches a laundry treatment system (see abstract) and that a plurality of mechanical fasteners 4, 7 may be used in order to provide mechanical attachment as well as proper installation (see figures 4-5 and pages 4-5 of the translation). Since both Viero et al. and Wang et al. teach laundry treatment systems it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant invention that a plurality of mechanical fasteners may be used to mount the shield element to the rear wall of the apron in the system by Viero et al. so as to provide the expected mechanical attachment as well as proper mounting, as shown to be known and conventional by Wang et al.
Regarding claims 5 and 9-11, Viero et al. teaches the limitations of claim 1. Viero et al. teaches that the shield element is connected to the apron extension 505T (see figures 5A-5F, paragraphs [0048]-[0060]). Viero et al. does not explicitly teach one or more mechanical fasteners connecting the shield element to the apron extension to provide a grounding path for the apron extension or that the shield element is formed from metal. Wang et al. teaches a top section 1 that may be formed of a conductive metal material and one or more mechanical fasteners 6 connecting a bottom portion of the top section 1 to an upper portion of the top section 1 to provide a grounding path for the top section 1 and reducing disturbance power; the mechanical fasteners 6 comprising screws (reads on pins) that are spaced apart along the lateral direction (reads on claim 10) and extend through the bottom portion of the top section 1 along the vertical direction for engaging the rear wall of the upper portion of the top section 1 to prevent movement of the rear wall in the transverse direction (reads on claim 9) (see figures 1, 5, 6 and page 4 of the translation). Since both Viero et al. and Wang et al. teach laundry treatment systems it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant invention that the shield element in the system by Viero et al. may be constructed of a metal material and one or more mechanical screws spaced apart along the lateral direction may be used to connect the shield element to the apron extension by extending through the shield element along the vertical direction and engaging the rear wall of the apron extension, so as to provide a grounding path for the apron extension and reduce disturbance power, as shown to be known and conventional by Wang et al.
Conclusion
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/TINSAE B AYALEW/EXAMINER, Art Unit 1711