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 1-15) in the reply filed on 11/20/2025 is acknowledged. Non-elected claims 16-27 are withdrawn from consideration. Claims 1-15 are treated on the merit. The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL
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.
Claim(s) 1 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by JPH07-130463A cited by applicant. Regarding claim 1, JPH07-130463A discloses a microwave irradiation device (microwave oven) comprising a holder (see Figure 1) configured to hold an irradiated object (7); a power feeder (4) configured to conduct with an oscillator (1); and a directional antenna (2) configured to emit microwaves from an irradiation source in an irradiation surface by power feed through conduction via the power feeder (par. 0013).
Claim(s) 1, 7 and 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by JPS60-262386A cited by applicant. Regarding claim 1, JPS60-262386A discloses a microwave irradiation device (microwave oven) comprising a holder (9) configured to hold an irradiated object (11); a power feeder (5) configured to conduct with an oscillator (3); and a directional antenna (8) configured to emit microwaves from an irradiation source in an irradiation surface by power feed through conduction via the power feeder (see translation of Description). Regarding claims 7 and 11, JPS60-262386A discloses the antenna (8) is a loop antenna in which the irradiation surface is an opening surface, wherein the loop antenna (8) is arranged such that a directional irradiation axis of the microwave emitted from the irradiation source does not cross a structure that reflects the microwave and constitutes the holder (Figure 1).
Claim(s) 1, 7, 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by JPS52-016656U cited by applicant. Regarding claims 1 and 7, JPS52-016656U discloses a microwave irradiation device (microwave oven) comprising a holder (5) configured to hold an irradiated object (6); a power feeder configured to conduct with an oscillator (8); and a loop antenna (7) configured to emit microwaves from an irradiation source (8) in an irradiation surface by power feed through conduction via the power feeder (page 3, line 4). Regarding claim 11, JPS52-016656U discloses the loop antenna (7) is arranged such that a directional irradiation axis of the microwave emitted from the irradiation source (8) does not cross a structure that reflects the microwave and constitutes the holder (Figure 1).
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) 2-4 and 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over JPS52-016656U, in view of JPH58-176896A both cited by applicant. Regarding claim 2, JPS52-016656U discloses substantially all features of the claimed invention except the holder is a conveyance device that conveys the irradiated object in a conveyance direction, and the microwave irradiation device includes an antenna group including a plurality of the antennas arranged along the conveyance direction. JPH58-176896A discloses a holder is a conveyance device (2) that conveys the irradiated object in a conveyance direction, and the microwave irradiation device (3, 5) includes an antenna group including a plurality of the antennas (9) arranged along the conveyance direction. It would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the invention was made to utilize in JPS52-016656U the holder is a conveyance device that conveys the irradiated object in a conveyance direction, and the microwave irradiation device includes an antenna group including a plurality of the antennas arranged along the conveyance direction as taught by JPH58-176896A in order to evenly disperse microwaves to both side of the object to be heated. Regarding claim 3, JPS52-016656U discloses the loop antenna (7) is arranged such that a directional irradiation axis of the microwave emitted from the irradiation source (8) does not intersect a structure that reflects the microwave and constitutes the holder (Figure 1). Regarding claim 4, JPS52-016656U discloses the antenna group comprises the plurality of antenna arranged at both sides of the conveyance device in a manner sandwiching the conveyance device (The figure). Regarding claim 5, JPS52-016656U discloses the antenna is a loop antenna (7) in which the irradiation surface is an opening surface.
Claims 6, 8-10, and 12-15 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: Bickel (US 3,953,702) discloses solid state microwave oven power source.
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/QUANG T VAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3761 February 10, 2026