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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Claims 1-9, and 13-20 in the reply filed on April 23rd, 2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 10-12 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected Group II, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.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 April 23rd, 2026.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claims 1-7, and 13-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Oehninger (US Patent No. 20070012194) in view of Fischer (US Patent No. 8991304).
Regarding Claim 1, Oehninger teaches an anti-residue device comprising: a brewing compartment provided with a brewing chamber (Figure 4 and Paragraph 36, Espresso Machine 1a with a Chamber Cylinder 3 and a Brew Chamber 2 that can remove residue), the brewing chamber being provided with a brewing port (Figure 4, Brew Chamber 2 has a Brew Chamber Cylinder with an opening on the top that reads as a brewing port); the brewing member being provided with a first guide channel and a second guide channel (Figure 4, The top section of Espresso Machine 1a reads as the brewing member and has a first guide with crema valve 15 and a second guide with valve 32), and both the first guide channel and the second guide channel communicating with the brewing chamber (Figure 4, Both guide channels communicate with Brew Chamber 2); and a guide member communicating with the first guide channel and the second guide channel (Figure 4, First guide channel with crema valve 15 and a second guide channel with valve 32 communicate with a horizontal channel that reads as a guide member); wherein: when the brewing member and the brewing compartment move towards each other (Paragraph 35-36, The top sections of the Espresso Machine 1a and the Brew Chamber Cylinder 3 move toward each other), the first guide channel is open and the second guide channel is closed (Paragraph 35-36, First guide channel with crema valve 15 is open while second guide channel with valve 32 is closed), to guide fluid in the brewing compartment to the guide member via the first guide channel (Paragraph 35-36, the coffee is guided through the crema valve 15 to the horizontal channel); and when the brewing member and the brewing compartment move away from each other (Paragraph 35-36, The top sections of the Espresso Machine 1a and the Brew Chamber Cylinder 3 separate), the first guide channel is closed and the second guide channel is open (Paragraph 35-36, First guide channel with crema valve 15 is closed while second guide channel with valve 32 is open), to guide residual fluid in the first guide channel and the guide member to the brewing compartment via the second guide channel, and the residual fluid is discharged via the brewing port (Paragraph 35-36, the coffee is guided from the horizontal channel through the valve 32 to with Brew Chamber 2 where it can be discarded from the opening of the Brew Chamber Cylinder 3).
Oehninger fails to teach a brewing member configured to movably pass through the brewing port, and to move back and forth relative to the brewing compartment.
Fischer teaches an espresso coffee machine (Abstract, Espresso coffee machine) where a brewing member configured to movably pass through the brewing port (Figure 1-4 and Col 5 Line 25-32, Brewing plunger 3 passes through opening of Brewing chamber 25) and to move back and forth relative to the brewing compartment (Figure 1-4, Brewing plunger 3 can move back and forth through opening of Brewing chamber 25).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have substituted Oehninger's method where the brewing chamber moves up with Fischer's method where the plunger moves down during the brewing process, as both achieve the same result of applying pressure (MPEP 2144.06 II).
Regarding Claim 2, Oehninger in view of Fischer teaches a first switch member is provided in the first guide channel to control the first guide channel to be open and closed (Oehninger: Figure 4 and Paragraph 35-36, Crema Valve 15 in the first guide channel opens and closes based on pressure); a second switch member is provided in the second guide channel to control the second guide channel to be open and closed (Oehninger: Figure 4 and Paragraph 35-36, Valve 32 in the first guide channel opens and closes based on pressure); and each of the first switch member and the second switch member includes a pressure control valve (Oehninger: Figure 4 and Paragraph 35-36, Both Crema Valve 15 and Valve 32 opens and closes based on pressure).
Regarding Claim 3, Oehninger in view of Fischer teaches that the first switch member includes: a valve core movably provided in the first guide channel (Oehninger: Figure 4, Crema Valve 15 includes a ball that is movable), a top of the valve core facing the brewing compartment and blocking the first guide channel (Oehninger: Figure 4, Crema Valve 15 includes a ball that is facing the Brew Chamber Cylinder 3 and opens and closes the First Guide channel), a whole body of the valve core being provided in the first guide channel in a clearance fit and a projection of the top of the valve core falling within the whole body of the valve core (Oehninger: Figure 4 Modified, Crema Valve 15 includes a ball that is in the First Guide channel and is smaller than the liquid expansion channel therefore it’s a clearance fit), and an elastic member (Oehninger: Figure 4 Modified, Crema Valve 15 includes Spring as an Elastic member), two ends of the elastic member being connected to a back of the valve core and an inner wall of the first guide channel, respectively (Oehninger: Figure 4 Modified, Crema Valve 15 includes Spring that has one end attached to the ball and another to the wall of the First Channel Guide).
Regarding Claim 4, Oehninger in view of Fischer teaches the first guide channel includes a liquid inlet channel (Oehninger: Figure 4 Modified, Showcases a liquid inlet channel) and a liquid expansion channel (Oehninger: Figure 4 Modified, Showcases a liquid expansion channel) provided along a movement direction of the brewing member (Oehninger: Figure 4 Modified, Showcases a liquid expansion channel provided in the vertical direction); the brewing chamber, the liquid inlet channel, and the liquid expansion channel communicate with each other in sequence (Oehninger: Figure 4 and 4 Modified, Showcases that the brewing chamber, the liquid inlet channel, and the liquid expansion channel communicate with each other in sequence); a cross-sectional area of the liquid expansion channel gradually increases along a direction away from the brewing chamber (Oehninger: Figure 4 and 4 Modified, Showcases that the liquid expansion channel cross-sectional area gradually increases along a direction away from brewing chamber); and the top of the valve core is movably provided in the liquid expansion channel (Oehninger: Figure 4 Modified, Crema Valve 15 is within the liquid expansion channel and that the ball of the Crema Valve 15 is movable to open and close the valve).
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Figure 4 Modified, First and Second Guide Channel
Regarding Claim 5, Oehninger in view of Fischer teaches that the second switch member includes: a valve core movably provided in the second guide channel (Oehninger: Figure 4, Valve 32 includes a ball 33 that is movable), a top of the valve core facing away from the brewing compartment and blocking the second guide channel (Oehninger: Figure 4, Valve 32 includes a ball 33 that is facing away from the Brew Chamber Cylinder 3 and opens and closes the Second Guide channel), a whole body of the valve core being provided in the second guide channel in a clearance fit, and a projection of the top of the valve core falling within the whole body of the valve core (Oehninger: Figure 4 Modified, Valve 32 includes a ball 33 that is in the Second Guide channel and is smaller than the liquid expansion channel therefore it’s a clearance fit); and an elastic member (Oehninger: Figure 4 Modified, Valve 32 includes Spring as an Elastic member), two ends of the elastic member being connected to a back of the valve core and an inner wall of the second guide channel, respectively (Oehninger: Figure 4 Modified, Valve 32 includes Spring that has one end attached to the ball and another to the wall of the Second Channel Guide).
Regarding Claim 6, Oehninger in view of Fischer teaches the second guide channel includes a liquid inlet channel (Oehninger: Figure 4 Modified, Showcases a liquid inlet channel) and a liquid expansion channel (Oehninger: Figure 4 Modified, Showcases a liquid expansion channel) provided along a movement direction of the brewing member (Oehninger: Figure 4 Modified, Showcases a liquid expansion channel provided in the vertical direction); the liquid inlet channel, the liquid expansion channel, and the brewing chamber communicates with each other in sequence (Oehninger: Figure 4 and 4 Modified, Showcases that the liquid inlet channel, the liquid expansion channel, and the brewing chamber communicate with each other in sequence); a cross-sectional area of the liquid expansion channel gradually increases in a direction towards the brewing chamber (Oehninger: Figure 4 and 4 Modified, Showcases that the liquid expansion channel cross-sectional area gradually increases along a direction toward the brewing chamber); and the top of the valve core is movably provided in the liquid expansion channel (Oehninger: Figure 4 Modified, Valve 32 is within the liquid expansion channel and that the ball 33 of the Valve 32 is movable to open and close the valve).
Regarding Claim 7, Oehninger in view of Fischer teaches that the guide member includes: a main pipe provided with a liquid inlet (Oehninger: Figure 4, Horizontal pipe that leads to coffee outflow duct that reads as a liquid inlet); and a first branch pipe (Oehninger: Figure 4, Vertical pipe from the horizontal pipe that leads to the first guide channel) and a second branch pipe (Oehninger: Figure 4, Vertical pipe from the horizontal pipe that leads to the Second guide channel) connected in parallel to the main pipe (Oehninger: Figure 4, Both Vertical pipes from the horizontal pipe are parallel), the first branch pipe communicating with the first guide channel (Oehninger: Figure 4, Vertical pipe from the horizontal pipe that leads to the first guide channel), and the second branch pipe communicating with the second guide channel (Oehninger: Figure 4, Vertical pipe from the horizontal pipe that leads to the Second guide channel).
Regarding Claim 13, Oehninger teaches an electrical apparatus comprising an anti-residue device including: a brewing compartment provided with a brewing chamber (Figure 4 and Paragraph 36, Espresso Machine 1a with a Chamber Cylinder 3 and a Brew Chamber 2 that can remove residue), the brewing chamber being provided with a brewing port (Figure 4, Brew Chamber 2 has a Brew Chamber Cylinder with an opening on the top that reads as a brewing port); the brewing member being provided with a first guide channel and a second guide channel (Figure 4, The top section of Espresso Machine 1a reads as the brewing member and has a first guide with crema valve 15 and a second guide with valve 32), and both the first guide channel and the second guide channel communicating with the brewing chamber (Figure 4, Both guide channels communicate with Brew Chamber 2); and a guide member communicating with the first guide channel and the second guide channel (Figure 4, First guide channel with crema valve 15 and a second guide channel with valve 32 communicate with a horizontal channel that reads as a guide member); wherein: when the brewing member and the brewing compartment move towards each other (Paragraph 35-36, The top sections of the Espresso Machine 1a and the Brew Chamber Cylinder 3 move toward each other), the first guide channel is open and the second guide channel is closed (Paragraph 35-36, First guide channel with crema valve 15 is open while second guide channel with valve 32 is closed), to guide fluid in the brewing compartment to the guide member via the first guide channel (Paragraph 35-36, the coffee is guided through the crema valve 15 to the horizontal channel); and when the brewing member and the brewing compartment move away from each other (Paragraph 35-36, The top sections of the Espresso Machine 1a and the Brew Chamber Cylinder 3 separate), the first guide channel is closed and the second guide channel is open (Paragraph 35-36, First guide channel with crema valve 15 is closed while second guide channel with valve 32 is open), to guide residual fluid in the first guide channel and the guide member to the brewing compartment via the second guide channel, and the residual fluid is discharged via the brewing port (Paragraph 35-36, the coffee is guided from the horizontal channel through the valve 32 to with Brew Chamber 2 where it can be discarded from the opening of the Brew Chamber Cylinder 3).
Oehninger fails to teach a brewing member configured to movably pass through the brewing port, and to move back and forth relative to the brewing compartment.
Fischer teaches an espresso coffee machine (Abstract, Espresso coffee machine) where a brewing member configured to movably pass through the brewing port (Figure 1-4 and Col 5 Line 25-32, Brewing plunger 3 passes through opening of Brewing chamber 25) and to move back and forth relative to the brewing compartment (Figure 1-4, Brewing plunger 3 can move back and forth through opening of Brewing chamber 25).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have substituted Oehninger's method where the brewing chamber moves up with Fischer's method where the plunger moves down during the brewing process, as both achieve the same result of applying pressure (MPEP 2144.06 II).
Regarding Claim 14, Oehninger in view of Fischer teaches that the electrical apparatus is an automatic coffee machine. (Oehninger: Figure 4 and Paragraph 36, Espresso Machine 1a with Brew Chamber 2 that can remove residue).
Regarding Claim 15, Oehninger in view of Fischer teaches a first switch member is provided in the first guide channel to control the first guide channel to be open and closed (Oehninger: Figure 4 and Paragraph 35-36, Crema Valve 15 in the first guide channel opens and closes based on pressure); a second switch member is provided in the second guide channel to control the second guide channel to be open and closed (Oehninger: Figure 4 and Paragraph 35-36, Valve 32 in the first guide channel opens and closes based on pressure); and each of the first switch member and the second switch member includes a pressure control valve (Oehninger: Figure 4 and Paragraph 35-36, Both Crema Valve 15 and Valve 32 opens and closes based on pressure).
Regarding Claim 16, Oehninger in view of Fischer teaches that the first switch member includes: a valve core movably provided in the first guide channel (Oehninger: Figure 4, Crema Valve 15 includes a ball that is movable), a top of the valve core facing the brewing compartment and blocking the first guide channel (Oehninger: Figure 4, Crema Valve 15 includes a ball that is facing the Brew Chamber Cylinder 3 and opens and closes the First Guide channel), a whole body of the valve core being provided in the first guide channel in a clearance fit and a projection of the top of the valve core falling within the whole body of the valve core (Oehninger: Figure 4 Modified, Crema Valve 15 includes a ball that is in the First Guide channel and is smaller than the liquid expansion channel therefore it’s a clearance fit), and an elastic member (Oehninger: Figure 4 Modified, Crema Valve 15 includes Spring as an Elastic member), two ends of the elastic member being connected to a back of the valve core and an inner wall of the first guide channel, respectively (Oehninger: Figure 4 Modified, Crema Valve 15 includes Spring that has one end attached to the ball and another to the wall of the First Channel Guide).
Regarding Claim 17, Oehninger in view of Fischer teaches the first guide channel includes a liquid inlet channel (Oehninger: Figure 4 Modified, Showcases a liquid inlet channel) and a liquid expansion channel (Oehninger: Figure 4 Modified, Showcases a liquid expansion channel) provided along a movement direction of the brewing member (Oehninger: Figure 4 Modified, Showcases a liquid expansion channel provided in the vertical direction); the brewing chamber, the liquid inlet channel, and the liquid expansion channel communicate with each other in sequence (Oehninger: Figure 4 and 4 Modified, Showcases that the brewing chamber, the liquid inlet channel, and the liquid expansion channel communicate with each other in sequence); a cross-sectional area of the liquid expansion channel gradually increases along a direction away from the brewing chamber (Oehninger: Figure 4 and 4 Modified, Showcases that the liquid expansion channel cross-sectional area gradually increases along a direction away from brewing chamber); and the top of the valve core is movably provided in the liquid expansion channel (Oehninger: Figure 4 Modified, Crema Valve 15 is within the liquid expansion channel and that the ball of the Crema Valve 15 is movable to open and close the valve).
Regarding Claim 18, Oehninger in view of Fischer teaches that the second switch member includes: a valve core movably provided in the second guide channel (Oehninger: Figure 4, Valve 32 includes a ball 33 that is movable), a top of the valve core facing away from the brewing compartment and blocking the second guide channel (Oehninger: Figure 4, Valve 32 includes a ball 33 that is facing away from the Brew Chamber Cylinder 3 and opens and closes the Second Guide channel), a whole body of the valve core being provided in the second guide channel in a clearance fit, and a projection of the top of the valve core falling within the whole body of the valve core (Oehninger: Figure 4 Modified, Valve 32 includes a ball 33 that is in the Second Guide channel and is smaller than the liquid expansion channel therefore it’s a clearance fit); and an elastic member (Oehninger: Figure 4 Modified, Valve 32 includes Spring as an Elastic member), two ends of the elastic member being connected to a back of the valve core and an inner wall of the second guide channel, respectively(Oehninger: Figure 4 Modified, Valve 32 includes Spring that has one end attached to the ball and another to the wall of the Second Channel Guide).
Regarding Claim 19, Oehninger in view of Fischer teaches the second guide channel includes a liquid inlet channel (Oehninger: Figure 4 Modified, Showcases a liquid inlet channel) and a liquid expansion channel (Oehninger: Figure 4 Modified, Showcases a liquid expansion channel) provided along a movement direction of the brewing member (Oehninger: Figure 4 Modified, Showcases a liquid expansion channel provided in the vertical direction); the liquid inlet channel, the liquid expansion channel, and the brewing chamber communicates with each other in sequence (Oehninger: Figure 4 and 4 Modified, Showcases that the liquid inlet channel, the liquid expansion channel, and the brewing chamber communicate with each other in sequence); a cross-sectional area of the liquid expansion channel gradually increases in a direction towards the brewing chamber (Oehninger: Figure 4 and 4 Modified, Showcases that the liquid expansion channel cross-sectional area gradually increases along a direction toward the brewing chamber); and the top of the valve core is movably provided in the liquid expansion channel (Oehninger: Figure 4 Modified, Valve 32 is within the liquid expansion channel and that the ball 33 of the Valve 32 is movable to open and close the valve).
Regarding Claim 20, Oehninger in view of Fischer teaches that the guide member includes: a main pipe provided with a liquid inlet (Oehninger: Figure 4, Horizontal pipe that leads to coffee outflow duct that reads as a liquid inlet); and a first branch pipe (Oehninger: Figure 4, Vertical pipe from the horizontal pipe that leads to the first guide channel) and a second branch pipe (Oehninger: Figure 4, Vertical pipe from the horizontal pipe that leads to the Second guide channel) connected in parallel to the main pipe (Oehninger: Figure 4, Both Vertical pipes from the horizontal pipe are parallel), the first branch pipe communicating with the first guide channel (Oehninger: Figure 4, Vertical pipe from the horizontal pipe that leads to the first guide channel), and the second branch pipe communicating with the second guide channel (Oehninger: Figure 4, Vertical pipe from the horizontal pipe that leads to the Second guide channel).
Claims 8-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Oehninger (US Patent No. 20070012194) in view of Fischer (US Patent No. 8991304) and further in view of Liu (CN Patent No. 107510370).
Regarding Claim 8, Oehninger in view of Fischer fails to teach that a top of the brewing member is provided with a filter port, and a filter mesh is provided at the filter port.
Liu teaches a coffee brewing unit (Abstract, a coffee brewing unit) where a top of the brewing member is provided with a filter port (Figure 2, Movable part 2 has Bottom plate 2.2 reads as filter port), and a filter mesh is provided at the filter port (Figure 2, Upper filter screen 3).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Oehninger in view of Fischer to incorporate a filter as stated in Liu. The Upper Filter Screen helps with the compressing process during brewing and collects the compressed coffee grounds for disposal (Paragraph 5-6, Filter).
Regarding Claim 9, Oehninger in view of Fischer and Liu teaches a piston member arranged in the brewing chamber and movable back and forth (Oehninger: Figure 4 and Paragraph 34, Bottom ram 4 is in brew chamber 2 and is movable), the piston member being configured to receive the residual fluid in the first guide channel and the guide member and guide the residual fluid to the brewing port for discharging (Oehninger: Paragraph 36-39 and Figure 4, The residue coffee falls into Bottom ram 4 in brew chamber 2 where than its discarded).
Conclusion
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/HAMZEH HICHAM AMIN/Examiner, Art Unit 3761
/JUSTIN C DODSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3761
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