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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because the label for the hob body (1) is unclear. Figure 1 appears to show the hob body as the back of the cabinet whereas Figures 2-6 appear to label the hob body as the bottom part of the cabinet. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1 and 2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhou (CN 217358715 U) in view of Qian (CN 212738210 U).
Regarding claim 1, Zhou discloses in figures 1-5 a gas cylinder weighing type hob (a gas bottle cabinet with weighing function), comprising: a hob body (101), and a support carrier (102) mounted on the hob body (101), the support carrier (102) being configured to bear a gas cylinder (gas bottle); and wherein the support carrier (102) is hinged on one side thereof to the hob body (101) by at least one hinging position (113, 114) and is supported on an opposite side (see Fig. 2) by a weighing position (see Fig. 2); a weight sensor (103) is provided at the weighing position (see Fig. 2), so that the support carriage (102) is supported on the hob body (101) by the hinging position together with the weight sensor (103); and the number of the weight sensor (103) is one, and the weight sensor (103). Zhou fails to explicitly disclose measures and outputs a bearing weight value thereof and outputs a residual amount of gas (Abstract) in the gas cylinder by conversion.
Qian teaches measures and outputs a bearing weight value (para [0039], claim 1) thereof and outputs a residual amount of gas (the residual amount of the gas) in the gas cylinder (gas cylinder) by conversion (para [0044]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill, in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to use Zhou’s gas bottle cabinet with weighing function with Qian’s capability to measure and output a gas cylinder weight value because will allow a better monitoring of gas level in the gas cylinder.
Regarding claim 2, Zhou discloses in figures 1-5 a gas cylinder weighing type hob (a gas bottle cabinet with weighing function), wherein two hinging positions (113 and 114) are provided, the two hinging positions (113 and 114) are adjacent to one side edge (See Fig. 5) of the support carrier (102), the weight sensor (103) is located at an opposite side edge, and the hinging positions (113 and 114) are at a height close to the weight sensor (103), so that the support carrier (102) is horizontally arranged (Fig.2).
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhou in view of Qian in further view of Aoyama (US 20180084945 A1).
Regarding claim 12, Zhou discloses in figures 1-5 a gas cylinder weighing type hob (a gas bottle cabinet with weighing function); hob body (101). Zhou and Qian fail to explicitly disclose a grill, a grill body and a gas device; the gas device and the grill body are arranged above; and the gas device is configured to burn gas to heat an inside of the grill body.
Aoyama teaches a grill (barbecue grill), a grill body (61) and a gas device (burner); the gas device (burner) and the grill body (61) are arranged above; and the gas device (burner) is configured to burn gas (para [0128]) to heat an inside of the grill body (61).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill, in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to use Zhou’s gas bottle cabinet with weighing function for a Aoyama’s barbecue grill because this will more precise readings for gas level and eliminates guesswork.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-11 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claim.
Regarding claim 3-11, the prior art alone or in combination fails to explicitly disclose a weight sensor located on a bottom surface of the support carrier, a placing position is provided at an upper surface of the support carrier. A travel assembly provided between the support carrier and the hob body, and the travel assembly comprises a travel guide rail and a limiting member; a travel guide rail and a limiting member cooperate to limit a rotational travel of the support carrier relative to the hob body.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MIREILLE SANDRA SADATE-MOUALEU whose telephone number is (571)272-2862. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 0730-1700.
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/MIREILLE S SADATE-MOUALEU/Examiner, Art Unit 2855
/PETER J MACCHIAROLO/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2855