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 § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 3-6 and 16-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claims 3 and 16 recite “a difference between a resistance-temperature curve and a linear relationship between a first resistance and a second resistance of the first and second thermistors.” This recitation is not accurate. According to the specification, the Office understands that the resistance-temperature curve of the thermistor is linear. However, the claim recitation describe that the thermistor has two operation curve one is a resistance-temperature and the other one is a linear relationship which is not accurate. A correction is required.
In Reference to Claim 4
Claim 4 recites positioning the thermistor. Does this mean that the position of the thermistor keeps changing during the operation of the dryer? Or is the position of the thermistor fixed? It is not clear whether this is an assembly step or an operational step.
Claims 5-6 are rejected by their virtue dependency to Claim 3
Claims 17 and 18 are rejected by their virtue dependency to Claim 16.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1, 7-10, 12-14, 19 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US Patent 3,526,968 to Triplett.
Regarding Claim 1
Triplett discloses a method for cycle control at a dryer appliance (Fig. 1, 10), the method comprising: positioning a first thermistor (Fig. 4, 90) to receive a first temperature signal relative to an inlet flow of air to a heater assembly (Since the thermistor is for ambient, therefore, it is before the heater) and positioning a second thermistor (Fig. 4, 91) to receive a second temperature signal relative to a heated flow of air heated from the heater assembly (Since the thermistor is at the exhaust, therefore, the signal is measured after the air passed the heater), wherein the first thermistor and the second thermistor comprise a substantially similar resistance-temperature curve (the resistance-temperature is obvious by thermistor) as one another; determining an output voltage based on an input voltage (Col. 4, Line 15-20), the first thermistor, and the second thermistor in a voltage divider circuit; comparing the output voltage to a reference voltage (Col. 4, Line 35-45, the resistance value measured by the Thermistor 90 and 91 will determine the voltage across the resistor 74, this new voltage will compared with a preset voltage which the Office considers as a reference voltage) corresponding to a control pulsing, a timer adjustment, or a cycle termination; and adjusting (The output will be obviously adjusted by the slider 82 due to response from the Thermistor 90 and 91) a dryer cycle based on the output voltage relative to the reference voltage. (Col. 3, Line 25-35, Triplett discloses the drying operation is determined by the output from the control circuit 61.)
In Reference to Claim 7
Triplett discloses the first thermistor (Fig. 4, 90) is positioned in thermal communication with an inlet duct upstream of a chamber of the dryer appliance at which laundry articles are positioned for drying.
In Reference to Claim 8
Triplett discloses the second thermistor (Fig. 4, 91) is positioned in thermal communication with the heater assembly (Since the thermistor 91 is positioned at the exhaust, obviously, it is in thermal communication with heater).
In Reference to Claim 9
Triplett discloses a controller for a dryer appliance, the controller comprising: a voltage divider circuit (Fig. 4, 61) comprising a first thermistor configured to receive a first temperature signal (Fig. 4, 90) corresponding to an inlet flow of air to a heater assembly, the voltage divider circuit comprising a second thermistor (Fig. 4, 91) configured to receive a second temperature signal corresponding to a heated flow of air heated from the heater assembly, wherein the first thermistor and the second thermistor comprise a substantially similar resistance-temperature curve (Since both item 90 and 91 are thermistor, obviously items 90 and 91 show a resistance-temperature curve) as one another; and a heater control relay configured to compare an output voltage of the voltage divider circuit to a reference voltage. (Triplett teaches the thermistor 91 detects a resistance valve at the exhaust, and compared with a preset voltage to terminate the operation of the dryer, obviously, it terminates the operation of the heater)
In Reference to Claim 10
Triplett teaches the reference voltage corresponds to a cycle termination (Triplett teaches comparing the voltage generated by the circuit 61 and a preset voltage, the terminate the operation of the dryer. Therefore, obviously, the reference voltage corresponds to a cycle termination), the heater control relay configured to adjust one the cycle termination based on comparing the reference voltage to output voltage. (The termination of the operation of the dryer, obviously, it will terminate the operation of heater)
In Reference to Claim 12
Triplett discloses a dryer appliance, the dryer appliance comprising: a drum (Fig. 1, 20) rotatably mounted within a cabinet (Fig. 1, 14), the drum defining a chamber for receipt of articles for drying; a heater assembly (Fig. 2, 53) configured to selectively generate, from an inlet flow of air, a heated flow of air for fluid communication with the chamber; a duct (Fig. 1, 50) positioned to flow the inlet flow of air into thermal communication with the heater assembly to generate the heated flow of air; a voltage divider circuit (Fig. 4, 61) comprising a first thermistor (Fig. 4, 90) configured to receive a first temperature signal corresponding to the inlet flow of air to the heater assembly (Since item 90 is for ambient, obviously, this thermistor is corresponding to the inlet air), the voltage divider circuit comprising a second thermistor (Fig. 4, 91, since item 91 is for the exhaust temperature, this thermistor is obviously corresponding to the air flow after the heater) configured to receive a second temperature signal corresponding to the heated flow of air heated from the heater assembly, wherein the first thermistor and the second thermistor comprise a substantially similar resistance-temperature curve as one another; and a heater control relay configured to compare an output voltage of the voltage divider circuit to a reference voltage. (Triplett teaches the thermistor 91 detects a resistance valve at the exhaust, and compared with a preset voltage to terminate the operation of the dryer, obviously, it terminates the operation of the heater)
In Reference to Claim 13
Triplett discloses the voltage divider circuit (Fig. 4, 61) is configured to generate an output voltage based on an input voltage, the first thermistor, and the second thermistor. (Col. 4, Line 35-45, the thermistor 90 and 91 will generate operational voltage, the voltage will be compared to a preset voltage to set the operation point by the slider 82)
In Reference to Claim 14
Triplett discloses the heater control relay is configured to adjust a dryer cycle based on the output voltage relative to the reference voltage. (Triplett teaches the thermistor 91 detects a resistance valve at the exhaust, and compared with a preset voltage to terminate the operation of the dryer, obviously, it terminates the operation of the heater)
In Reference to Claim 19
Triplett discloses the first thermistor (Fig. 4, 90) is positioned in thermal communication with the inlet flow of air at the duct, and wherein the second thermistor (Fig. 4, 91) is positioned in thermal communication with the heated flow of air at heater assembly or an outlet duct downstream of the chamber.
In Reference to Claim 20
Triplett discloses the inlet flow of air comprises a substantially ambient temperature (Fig. 4, 90).
Claims 2, 3, 11 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Triplett in view of WO9003605 to Majda (The art rejection is made based on the respective English translation by PE2E).
In Reference to Claims 2, 11 and 15
Triplett discloses the thermistor.
Triplett does not the performance curve of the thermistor.
Majda teaches a power regulation circuit having Thermistor with almost linear curve.
It would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate teachings from Majda into the design of Triplett. Doing so, would result in a linear curve thermistor being used in the system of Triplett. Both inventions of Triplett and Majda having a power regulation circuit for a laundry device, Majda teaches that a linear curve thermistor allowing a benefit from proportional regulation.
In Reference to Claim 3
Triplett discloses an operating threshold to a difference between a resistance-temperature curve between a first resistance and a second resistance of the first and second thermistors. (Col. 4, Line 35-50, the position of the slider 82 is determined by the response from thermistor 90 and 91, therefore, there is a comparison)
Triplett does not the performance curve of the thermistor.
Majda teaches a power regulation circuit having Thermistor with almost linear curve.
It would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate teachings from Majda into the design of Triplett. Doing so, would result in a linear curve thermistor being used in the system of Triplett. Both inventions of Triplett and Majda having a power regulation circuit for a laundry device, Majda teaches that a linear curve thermistor allowing a benefit from proportional regulation.
Conclusion
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DEMING . WAN
Examiner
Art Unit 3762
/DEMING WAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3762 9/8/26
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