DETAILED ACTION
Claim Interpretation
The claimed “front body part” is interpreted to be the portion generally on the side of inner door panel 5 towards the interior of the dishwasher (see figs. 1, 6, and 8; the front body part 11” is the portion generally above panel 5 as depicted in figs. 6 and 8).
The claimed “rear body part” is interpreted to be the portion generally housed within the door (see figs. 6 and 8, the rear body part 11’ is the portion generally below panel 5 as depicted).
The claimed “upper face” is interpreted to be the face portions of the front body part distal from the inner door panel and generally in a plane parallel to the inner door panel.
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 9, 13, and 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 9 recites the limitation "the annular gasket". There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Regarding claim 13, the phrase "such as" renders the claim indefinite because it is unclear whether the limitations following the phrase are part of the claimed invention. See MPEP § 2173.05(d).
Claim 20 is rejected due to its dependency on claim 13.
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.
Claims 1, 2, 8, 12, 14, 15, and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. Patent Application Publication 20140014144 by Bennett et al.
As to claim 1, Bennett discloses a washing agent dispensing unit for mounting at a through opening of a wall of a dishwasher tank, the dispensing unit comprising a body 28 (fig. 1) in which containment volumes 32, 36 are defined to contain washing agents, wherein the body has a rear body part 108 (fig. 3) and a front body part 105 having a perimetral encumbrance greater than the rear body part, wherein the front body part has a peripheral profile and an upper face (fig. 1) where closing elements 35, 38 are mounted displaceable from open to closed positions, wherein substantially at a transition area between the rear and front body parts a seat is defined for positioning a gasket 250 (fig. 3), wherein the dispenser body has first fixing means 184 at a peripheral profile of the rear body part for fixing the body with respect to an inner side of the mounting wall 24, wherein the dispensing unit has a covering element 195 (fig. 2), 270 (fig. 3) to cover at least partially the peripheral profile of the front body part, wherein second fixing means are provided between the covering element and the peripheral profile of the front body part for fixing the covering element (para. 23).
As to claim 2, Bennett discloses that the covering element 270 has a substantially annular shape with a central passage and is shaped for covering only a part of the peripheral profile of the front body part (figs. 1 and 3).
As to claim 8, Bennett discloses that the covering element 270 (fig. 3) comprises two transverse flanks opposite to one another (fig. 1), the flanks having outer and inner sides, the flanks have outer and inner wall portions that respectively define at least part of the outer and inner sides, the outer wall portion spaced apart from the inner wall portion (fig. 3, covering element 270 has an inner portion at side 272 and outer portion at the opposite side generally near the line indicating 274).
As to claim 12, Bennett discloses that the second fixing means may comprise welds or bondings between the covering element 195 and the front body part (para. 21).
As to claim 14, Bennett discloses a washing agent dispensing unit for mounting at a through opening of a wall of a dishwasher tank, the dispensing unit comprising a body 28 (fig. 1) in which containment volumes 32, 36 are defined to contain washing agents, wherein the body has a rear body part 108 (fig. 3) and a front body part 105 having a perimetral profile and an upper face (fig. 1), wherein the dispensing unit has a covering element 195 (fig. 2), 270 (fig. 3) to cover at least partially the peripheral profile of the front body part.
As to claim 15, Bennett discloses a dishwashing machine comprising a washing agent dispensing unit according to claim 1 (fig. 1).
As to claim 19, Bennett discloses that the one or more welds or bondings comprise a continuous welding or bonding line with an annular peripheral profile that provides a sealing arrangement between the covering element 195 and the front body part (para. 21).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-7, 10, 11, and 16-18 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.
Claims 9, 13, and 20 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the claims set forth above each recite structural features of the dispensing unit that are not taught by Bennett, and no obvious rationale has been identified for one of ordinary skill in the art to have modified the dispensing unit of Bennett, in particular modifying its covering element to be as recited in the claims.
Conclusion
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/SPENCER E. BELL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1711