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 .
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by BESSO et al. (WO 2020/182585).
Besso teaches an aerosol provision device comprising an aerosol generating chamber (see figure 3); one or more heating elements (118, 120) arranged to heat, in use, an aerosol generating article located within the aerosol generating chamber; a control system (106) arranged to activate the one or more heating elements at a time T0 (S3 in figure 4A); and one or more valves (122, 124) arranged to prevent the onward transmission of aerosol generated within the aerosol generating chamber until a later time T1, wherein T1> T0 (S8 in figure 4A).
Regarding claim 2, Besso teaches the one or more valves (124) are located at an exit region of the aerosol generating chamber (see figure 3) and are arranged to prevent aerosol from exiting the aerosol generating chamber until time T1 (S8 in figure 4A).
Regarding claim 3, Figure 10 shows an aerosol holding chamber (642) located downstream of the aerosol generating chamber.
Regarding claim 4, Besso teaches the one or more valves (666, 668) are located at an exit region of the aerosol holding chamber (see figure 10) and are arranged to prevent aerosol from exiting the aerosol holding chamber until time T1 (S8 in figure 4A).
Regarding claim 5, Besso teaches the control system is arranged to selectively control the one or more valves according to one or more user determined settings (page 22 lines 5-9).
Regarding claim 6, Besso teaches the aerosol provision device further comprises a mouthpiece (114).
Regarding claim 7, figure 3 shows one or more aerosol flow paths arranged between an exit of the aerosol generating chamber or an exit of an aerosol holding chamber and the mouthpiece in order to direct or transmit aerosol which has been released by the one or more valves to the mouthpiece.
Regarding claim 8, Besso teaches a plurality of aerosol generating regions (page 13 lines 24-30), wherein one or more or each aerosol generating region comprises at least one air supply hole (110) in fluid communication with an external atmosphere.
Regarding claim 9, Besso teaches an aerosol provision system comprising an aerosol provision device (100) and an aerosol generating article (1) comprising portions of aerosol generating material.
Regarding claim 10, Besso teaches at least some of the portions of aerosol generating material are substantially different (see figures 1 and 2).
Regarding claim 11, Besso teaches the aerosol generating article comprises a substantially planar aerosol generating article (page 7 lines 9-10).
Regarding claim 12, Besso teaches the planar aerosol generating article comprises a plurality of aerosol generating regions (page 10 line 7).
Regarding claim 13, Besso teaches the aerosol generating article is located adjacent a plurality of heating elements (118, 120).
Regarding claim 14, figure 10 shows in use, the aerosol generating article is located so that one or more aerosol generating regions are located adjacent a heating element, wherein the aerosol generating article is rotated or moved relative to the heating element so that one or more aerosol generating regions are moved into proximity to the heating element.
Regarding claim 15, figures 4A and 4B show a method of generating an aerosol comprising providing an aerosol provision device; and using the one or more valves to prevent the onward transmission of aerosol generated within the aerosol generating chamber until a time T1, wherein T1> TO.
Conclusion
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/CYNTHIA SZEWCZYK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1741
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