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
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 and 2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Blagotinsek (U.S. Publication 2013/0140753).
Regarding claim 1, Blagotinsek teaches a micro-puree machine (Figures 1-6 show a machine capable of producing a micro-puree, the material being worked upon is considered intended use) comprising: an automatic bowl lock (items 14, 15, and 16 are considered reading on an automatic bowl lock) for locking to a bowl (item 6) having at least one projection on an outer surface of the bowl (coupling stud item 9), the bowl rotatable relative to the micro-puree machine to rotate the at least one projection into and out of at least one slot on the micro-puree machine (paragraph 37 teaches the bowl is rotatable, paragraph 33 teaches a groove corresponding to coupling stud 9), the automatic bowl lock including: a locking pin (items 14 and 16) moveable between a first position, in which the locking pin does not prevent the at least one projection from rotating out of the at least one slot (paragraph 37 teaches a clockwise rotation releasing the plate from the mixing bowl, and a tensioned coil spring 15), to a second position, in which the locking pin prevents the at least one projection from rotating out of the at least one slot thereby locking the bowl to the micro-puree machine (paragraph 37 teaches a counterclockwise position that is used to lock the mixing bowl to coupling surface 7 using items 14, 15, and 16).
Regarding claim 2, Blagotinsek teaches further comprising a support member (item 16), and wherein a spring is disposed between a portion of the support member and the locking pin (item 15 has a portion between items 16 and the end of item 14 opposite item 16), the spring configured to bias the locking pin in the second position (see paragraph 37 the spring 15 is used along with item 14 to bias the bowl item 6 in a locked counterclockwise position).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 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.
Regarding claim 3, the prior art does not teach or fairly suggest a micro-puree machine with the combination of the automatic bowl lock, the locking pin configuration, and the driven shaft configuration.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANSHU BHATIA whose telephone number is (571)270-7628. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m..
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/ANSHU BHATIA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1774
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