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 .
Status of the Claims
Claims 1-18 are pending and are subject to this Office Action. This is the first Office Action on the merits of the claims.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I, claims 1-17, in the reply filed on 08/31/2026 is acknowledged.
Claim 18 is withdrawn as being directed to a non-elected invention.
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 1-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yuan (CN 110574969, hereinafter referring to the English Translation provided).
Regarding claim 1, Yuan teaches a vaporizer (cartridge 100A; Figs. 2-3; page 3, last ¶), comprising:
a housing (flare housing 3; page 5, ¶ 2), wherein the housing has a liquid storage cavity (cabin 30; page 5, ¶ 2) configured to store a liquid substrate (page 7, ¶ 1) and a first air outlet channel (air outlet channel 32; page 5, ¶ 3) for outputting an aerosol; and
a fixing bracket (heating assembly cover 4 in combination with heating assembly base 8; page 4, ¶ 3), mounted inside the housing, wherein the fixing bracket has a liquid guide portion (upper portion of heating assembly cover 4; see Annotated Fig. 1) extending toward the liquid storage cavity, wherein:
at least a part of a surface of the liquid guide portion that faces toward the first air outlet channel is recessed to form a first recessed portion (see Annotated Fig. 2, which depicts a recessed portion on the right side of liquid guide portion 4 for connection to compartment structure 34); and
a vaporization assembly (heating component or assembly 6; page 4, ¶ 3), fixedly mounted on the fixing bracket, and being in fluid communication with the liquid storage cavity through the liquid guide portion, wherein the vaporization assembly is configured to vaporize the liquid substrate to form the aerosol (page 4, ¶ 4).
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Annotated Figure 1 (annotated from Yuan Fig. 6B)
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Annotated Figure 2 (annotated from Yuan Fig. 3)
Regarding claim 2, Yuan teaches that the liquid guide portion has a liquid guide cavity (channels 4c1 and 4c2; page 7, ¶ 2-3), and the liquid guide cavity is in communication with the liquid storage cavity in a longitudinal direction of the housing (Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 3, Yuan teaches that a cross-sectional shape of the liquid guide portion in a direction perpendicular to an axial direction of the housing is the same as a cross-sectional shape of the liquid storage cavity in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the housing, and the cross-sectional shape comprises an irregular ring shape (Fig. 6A depicts an irregular ring shape of the liquid guide portion; Fig. 3 depicts that the liquid guide portion fits within the liquid storage cavity, which is depicted to conform to the outside of the liquid guide portion to have the same axial cross sectional shape).
Regarding claim 4, Yuan teaches that the fixing bracket further comprises an accommodating portion (lower portion of cover 4 and side walls of 8; see Annotated Fig. 1), and the accommodating portion is capable of accommodating at least a part of a surface of the vaporization assembly (Fig. 3; page 10, ¶ 5); the fixing bracket further comprises a separation portion (seal 5; Fig. 3; page 4, ¶ 5) configured to separate the accommodating portion from the liquid guide portion; and at least one first liquid guide hole (openings 5h1, 5h2; page 4, ¶ 4) in communication with the liquid guide cavity is provided on the separation portion.
Regarding claim 5, Yuan teaches that the accommodating portion comprises a first side wall (supporting member 82; page 10, ¶ 5; see Annotated Fig. 3) that is arranged at least partially around the vaporization assembly (see Fig. 3), at least a part of a surface of the first side wall is arranged at intervals, to form an air outlet (page 10, ¶ 5; see Annotated Fig. 3) in communication with the first air outlet channel, and the air outlet is in communication with the first air outlet channel in the longitudinal direction of the housing (see Annotated Fig. 2 and Annotated Fig. 3).
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Annotated Figure 3 (annotated from Yuan Fig. 9)
Regarding claim 6, Yuan teaches that the liquid guide portion is accommodated in the liquid storage cavity 30 (Fig. 3 depicts that the liquid guide portion fits within the liquid storage cavity), and the accommodating portion is located outside the liquid storage cavity (Fig. 3 depicts that the accommodating portion is located outside the liquid storage cavity defined by wall 34).
Regarding claim 7, Yuan teaches that the housing 3 comprises a housing front-surface and a housing rear-surface that are arranged opposite to each other, and a housing side-surface that is formed between the housing front-surface and the housing rear- surface (Fig. 2 depicts that housing 3 comprises four sides, which are interpreted as front, rear, and side surfaces); and the first air outlet channel 32 is close to the housing front-surface or the housing rear- surface (channel 32 may be described as being "close" to either the front or rear surfaces as it is formed between the two; see Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 8, Yuan teaches that a wall (compartment structure 34; Fig. 3; page 5, ¶ 3) configured to separate the liquid storage cavity from the first air outlet channel is arranged in the housing, and the wall 34 comprises a first curved surface at least partially extending in a longitudinal direction of the housing (upper, curved portion of wall 34 depicted in Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 9, Yuan teaches that the housing 3 further comprises a second curved surface (see Annotated Fig. 2) arranged opposite to the first curved surface, and a curvature of the second curved surface is less than a curvature of the first curved surface (first curved surface is depicted to curve more than second curved surface); and the second curved surface and the first curved surface jointly define and form the first air outlet channel 32 (see Annotated Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 10, Yuan teaches that at least a part of the wall 34 is transversely abutted against the first recessed portion (see Annotated Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 11, Yuan teaches a mouthpiece (cigarette holder cover or mouthpiece 1; Fig. 2; page 4, ¶ 2), wherein the mouthpiece covers at least a part of a surface of the housing (Fig. 3); and the mouthpiece and the wall jointly define and form a second air outlet channel (see Annotated Fig. 2) for outputting the aerosol, and the second air outlet channel is in communication with the first air outlet channel longitudinally; and a mouthpiece opening (air outlet 32h; page 5, ¶ 3; Fig. 3) for outputting the aerosol is provided on the mouthpiece, and the mouthpiece opening is in communication with the second air outlet channel (see Annotated Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 12, Yuan teaches that the first curved surface comprises a first section that is at least partially arranged inclined, and a second section that at least partially extends in the longitudinal direction of the housing, wherein the first section is configured to define the second air outlet channel; and the second section is configured to define the first air outlet channel (see annotated Fig. 4).
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Annotated Figure 4 (annotated from Yuan Fig. 3)
Regarding claim 13, Yuan teaches the first section comprises an inclined section, and an angle between the inclined section and a longitudinal axis of the housing is an acute angle (see Annotated Fig. 4, in which the angle between the longitudinal axis and the first section is marked with the character x).
Regarding claim 14, Yuan teaches a sealing sleeve (see Annotated Fig. 5, in which the indicated component creates a seal between the recessed portion and the wall 34), wherein: the sealing sleeve is arranged on the liquid guide portion, and a second recessed portion matching the first recessed portion is arranged on the sealing sleeve (see Annotated Fig. 5).
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Annotated Figure 5 (annotated from Yuan Fig. 7C)
Regarding claim 15, Yuan teaches that the second recessed portion is located between the wall and the first recessed portion (see Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 16, Yuan teaches a sealing member (assembly seal or sealing member 5; page 4, ¶ 3), wherein: the sealing member is arranged between the fixing bracket 4 and the vaporization assembly 6 (page 4, ¶ 3-5; Fig. 3); and several convex ribs are arranged on a surface of the sealing member facing toward the vaporization assembly (see Annotated Fig. 6).
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Annotated Figure 6 (annotated from Yuan Fig. 7C)
Regarding claim 17, Yuan teaches an air inlet member (air inlet channel 31; Fig. 3; page 5, ¶ 3) for external air to enter, wherein at least a part of the air inlet member extends in a longitudinal direction of the housing, and at least a part of a surface of the air inlet member is abutted against the sealing member (side wall of 8 forms at least part of a surface of the air inlet member, as it comprises through hole 81h (Fig. 9; page 11, ¶ 1). This same side wall contacts the sealing member 5 (Fig. 3).).
Conclusion
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/C.D./Examiner, Art Unit 1755 /PHILIP Y LOUIE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1755
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