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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I (claim 1 and 3-21) in the reply filed on 08/18/2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 22-24 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Group II, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 08/18/2026.
Claim Objections
Claim 2 objected to because of the following informalities:
(1) Currently, there is no claim 2 in the claim set.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 a1 as being anticipated by Burton (CN 112656241 A) [first interpretation with respect to an exhaust duct].
Regarding claim 1, Burton discloses “a cooking appliance” (fig.1) comprising:
“a cooking compartment” (130 is capable of using as a cooking chamber. Examiner is able to place food items with heat source (i.e., charcoal for example) located inside or above the chamber for heating) that defines a cooking cavity;
“an exhaust system” (annotated fig.1) comprising:
“a cooling duct” (annotated fig.1) for delivering ambient air to “the cooking cavity” (as explained above 130 can be used as a cooking cavity),
“an exhaust duct” (annotated fig.1 show the channels collectively forms the exhaust duct) for receiving exhaust gas from the cooking cavity and discharging the exhaust gas to an ambient atmosphere, and
“a fan” (500) that is operable to motivate ambient air from the ambient atmosphere through “the exhaust system” (annotated fig.1) such that “a first portion of ambient air flows into the cooling duct” (annotated fig.1), and “a second portion of ambient air different from the first portion flows into the exhaust duct” (annotated fig.1).
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Claim(s) 1 and 3-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 a1 as being anticipated by Yamauchi et al. (US 6,974,936).
Regarding claim 1, Burton discloses “a cooking appliance” (abstract and fig.11) comprising:
“a cooking compartment” (205) that defines a cooking cavity;
“an exhaust system” (202, 204 and an exhaust duct extend from 211 to 203 including the wall between 211 and 203. See fig.12A shows duct includes 211 to 203 including the wall between 211 and 203) comprising:
“a cooling duct” (204) for delivering ambient air to the cooking cavity,
“an exhaust duct” (an exhaust duct includes channel from 211 to 203 including wall between 211 and 203. See fig.12A, exhaust duct extend in L-shape from 211 to 203 including L-shaped wall) for receiving exhaust gas from “the cooking cavity” (205) and “discharging the exhaust gas to an ambient atmosphere” (outside 203), and
“a fan” (202) that is operable to motivate ambient air from the ambient atmosphere through “the exhaust system” (202, 204 and an exhaust duct) such that “a first portion of ambient air flows into the cooling duct” (the arrow flows into the cooling duct 204), and “a second portion of ambient air different from the first portion flows into the exhaust duct” (another arrows flows into the exhaust duct 211).
Regarding claim 3, Burton discloses “the cooling duct and exhaust duct are vertically stacked such that one of the cooling duct and exhaust duct is arranged above the other” (at least a portion of cooling duct 204 overlap at least a portion of exhaust duct 211).
Regarding claim 4, Burton discloses “the cooling duct” (204) and “the exhaust duct” (an exhaust duct includes channel from 211 to 203 including wall between 211 and 203.) share “a common partition wall” (the bottom wall of 211) that separates “an interior of the cooling duct from an interior of the exhaust duct” (the bottom wall of 211 separate the interior of cooling duct from the interior of the exhaust duct).
Regarding claim 5, Burton discloses “an electronic device” (215) located along “the cooling duct” (211), such that air within “the cooling duct” (211) will fluidly contact and be effective to cool “the electronic device” (215) via convection heat transfer.
Regarding claim 6, Burton discloses “the exhaust duct” (an exhaust duct includes channel from 211 to 203 including wall between 211 and 203.) includes: “an air inlet for receiving the second portion of ambient air” (annotated fig.11), “an exhaust inlet for receiving the exhaust gas from the cooking cavity” (annotated fig.11), and “an exhaust outlet for discharging the exhaust gas to the ambient atmosphere outside of the cooking appliance” (203 pointed at an exhaust outlet for discharging the exhaust gas to the ambient atmosphere outside of the cooking appliance).
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Examiner’s Comment
(1) Another closest prior art is Kang (US 6864472).
Kang discloses “a cooking appliance” (abstract and embodiment fig.4 (which is the same as embodiment fig.1 except for air through the discharge air opening 24). Examiner noted that figs.1-3 can be used to explain the features not related to air through the discharge opening 24) comprising: “a cooking compartment” (fig.4, 11 pointed at a cooking compartment) that defines “a cooking cavity” (fig.4, 11 pointed at a cooking compartment having a cooking cavity); “an exhaust system” (fig.4 shows structures for air flow paths refer to an exhaust system including fans 41 and 42) comprising: “a cooling duct” (fig.4 structures for “white arrows” forms the cooling duct) “for delivering ambient air to the cooking cavity” (col.6 at lines 10-17, i.e., Subsequently, the air in the machine room 12 is introduced into the cooking chamber 11 through the second communicating holes 33), “an exhaust duct” (fig.4, structures for “black arrows” forms exhaust duct) “ and “discharging the exhaust gas to an ambient atmosphere” (col.5 at lines 41-49, i.e., FIG. 4, the blower fan assembly 40 is rotated such that the exhaust port 24 is positioned at the front of the fan casing 44, and a front exhaust port is provided at the front face of the cabinet 10. Consequently, contaminated air, which is discharged from the exhaust fan 41 is discharged out of the front exhaust port 16 from the cabinet 10), and “a fan” (41 and 42 collectively forms a fan assembly) that is operable to motivate ambient air from the ambient atmosphere through the exhaust system such that “a first portion of ambient air flows into the cooling duct” (fig.4 shows a first portion of ambient air flow through 30), and “a second portion of ambient air” (a second portion of ambient air (see fig.3 for example) from the bottom housing hole 20) “different from the first portion flows into the exhaust duct” (fig.4 shows a first portion of ambient air flow through 30. The second portion of ambient from the bottom housing hole 20 is different from the first portion of ambient air flow into the exhaust duct (from 30)).
However, Kang is silent regarding an exhaust duct for receiving exhaust gas from the cooking cavity. Kang’s exhaust duct is configured to only deliver outside containment air (i.e., smoke) passes through the exhaust duct. The device has a separate exhaust channel for cooking chamber. Thus, there is no reason to further modify Kang’s exhaust duct to connect to cooking chamber.
Allowable Subject Matter
As allowable subject matter has been indicated, applicant's reply must either comply with all formal requirements or specifically traverse each requirement not complied with. See 37 CFR 1.111(b) and MPEP § 707.07(a).
Claims 7-21 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JIMMY CHOU whose telephone number is (571)270-7107. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Friday.
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/JIMMY CHOU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3761
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