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
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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 1-11 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Qiu et al. (US 2021/0251298 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Qui teaches a liquid storage body for a vaporizer (Fig. 2, Body 119 is pointing towards) comprising a liquid storage housing (Fig. 4, Ref. Num. 10) and a mounting structure (Fig. 4, Ref. Num. 132) arranged in the liquid storage housing and configured to mount a vaporization body (Fig. 4, Ref. Num. 20). The mounting structure divides the liquid storage housing in to a liquid storage cavity (Fig. 4, Ref. Num. 110) configured to accommodate a liquid substrate at the upper portion and a mounting cavity (Fig. 4, Ref. Num. 132) configured to accommodate the vaporization body at a lower portion. Qui also teaches a liquid discharging opening (Fig. 4, Ref. Num. 133) communicating the liquid storage cavity and the mounting cavity.
Regarding claim 2, Qui teaches that the liquid storage housing (Fig. 2, Body 119 is pointing towards) is in a cylindrical shape with two open ends and further comprises a vent tube (Fig. 4, Ref. Num. 130) arranged in the liquid storage cavity and connecting to the mounting structure.
Regarding claim 3, Qui teaches that the liquid storage housing, mounting structure, and vent tube are integrally formed (Para. [0119]).
Regarding claim 4, Qui teaches that the mounting structure comprises two mounting walls (See annotated Fig. 4 below) and that the angle between each mounting wall and the vent tube is greater than 90 degrees.
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Regarding claim 5, Qui teaches that each mounting wall has a first and a second side arranged opposite each other and are integrally formed with inner wall surface of the liquid storage housing (Annotated fig. 4 above, integrated with the wall surface of the liquid storage housing next to the mounting structure).
Regarding claim 6, Qui teaches that each mounting wall has a third and a fourth side arranged opposite each other (Annotated fig. 4 above; sides at the longitudinal end of the mounting walls) where one side is integrally formed with the vent tube and the other side extends towards the liquid storage housing and there is a cap between that end and the liquid storage housing forming the liquid discharge opening.
Regarding claim 7, Qui teaches that the liquid storage housing and the mounting structure are integrally formed (Para. [0119]) and the mounting structure has cross-section that is an inverted V-shape (mounting walls in annotated Fig. 4 above).
Regarding claim 8, Qui teaches that the cross-dimensional length of the liquid storage cavity (Fig. 4, Ref. Num. 110) is less than the cross-dimensional length of the mounting cavity (Fig. 4, Ref. Num. 132) has the mounting cavity extends past the liquid storage cavity.
Regarding claim 9, Qui teaches a vent opening (Fig. 3, Ref. Num. 117) for communicating the liquid storage cavity with external air.
Regarding claim 10, Qui teaches a vaporizer (Fig. 4) comprising the liquid storage body of claim 1 (Fig. 4, Ref. Num. 10) and a vaporization body (Fig. 4, Ref. Num. 20) accommodated in the mounting cavity (Fig. 4, Ref. Num. 132) abutting the mounting structure.
Regarding claim 11, Qui teaches that the top of the vaporization body (Fig. 4, Ref. Num. 20) is adapted to the shape of the mounting structure (Fig. 4, Ref. Num. 132).
Regarding claim 15, Qui teaches an electronic vaporization device (Fig. 1) comprising the vaporizer of claim 10 (Fig. 4).
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 12-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Qiu et al. (US 2021/0251298 A1) as applied to claim 12 above, and further in view of Lei (US 2022/0007731 A1).
Regarding claim 12, Qiu does not teach at least one communication groove for communicating two opposite side of the liquid storage cavity formed on the vaporization body.
In an analogous art, Lei teaches a vaporizer that has liquid storage grooves (Fig. 6, Ref. Num. 1520) on the outside of the vaporizer in the liquid storage cavity (Fig. 5, Ref. Num. 141).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify Qiu with Lei in order to add liquid storage grooves around the vaporizer. This modification will even out liquid distribution to prevent leakage (Lei; Para. [0062]). As the vaporizer of Qiu is in the middle of the liquid storage cavity, at least one of these grooves will communicate the two opposite sides.
Regarding claim 13, modified Qiu teaches that they are capillary grooves (Lei; Para. [0062]).
Regarding claim 14, modified Qiu teaches that the communication grooves are formed on the outer surface of the vaporizer (Lei; Fig. 6, Ref. Num. 1520).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NICHOLAS J WEILER whose telephone number is (571)272-2664. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:00am-5:30pm.
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/N.J.W./Examiner, Art Unit 1749
/KATELYN W SMITH/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1749