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 .
Status of Claims
This Office Action is in response to the remarks and amendments filed on 1/19/2026. Claims 1-5 are pending for consideration in this Office Action.
Response to Amendment
The objections to the abstract have been withdrawn in light of the amendments filed.
Specification
The MPEP states in part that (a) Papers that are to become a part of the permanent United States Patent and Trademark Office records in the file of a patent application, or a reexamination or supplemental examination proceeding.
(1) All papers, other than drawings, that are submitted on paper or by facsimile transmission, and are to become a part of the permanent United States Patent and Trademark Office records in the file of a patent application or reexamination or supplemental examination proceeding, must be on sheets of paper that are the same size, not permanently bound together, and:
(i) Flexible, strong, smooth, non-shiny, durable, and white;
(ii) Either 21.0 cm by 29.7 cm (DIN size A4) or 21.6 cm by 27.9 cm (8 1/2 by 11 inches), with each sheet including a top margin of at least 2.0 cm (3/4 inch), a left side margin of at least 2.5 cm (1 inch), a right-side margin of at least 2.0 cm (3/4 inch), and a bottom margin of at least 2.0 cm (3/4 inch). MPEP 608.01
The application papers are objected to because the claims and amendments to the abstract has track changes lines in the left margin.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s)1- 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Matsumoto et al. (US2021/0381783) in view of Kiyoshi (JP2019196878A).
Regarding Claim 1, Matsumoto teaches a constant-temperature liquid supply system for supplying liquid from a liquid supply source to a processing machine after controlling the liquid to a constant temperature [fig 1], comprising:
a housing [at 20; fig 1];
an inlet [at least the portion of pipe 12b that supplies fluid to the temperature control device] disposed in the housing such that the liquid is allowed to flow from the liquid supply source [12] into the housing [0019; fig 1];
an outlet [at least the portion of pipe 12a that supplies fluid from the temperature control device] disposed in the housing such that the liquid is allowed flow out of the housing to the processing machine [1; 0019; fig 1];
a communication path [at least the pathway formed by 12a, 12b] that is enclosed in the housing and that allows communication between the inlet and the outlet [0019; fig 1]; and
a heating unit [21] arranged in the communication path to heat the liquid to the constant temperature, wherein the heating unit includes: a heater casing, a first heater that is attached to the heater casing and that has at least one heater portion to heat the liquid [0023; fig 1],
Matsumoto does not explicitly teach “…wherein the heating unit includes: a heater casing having a first end wall and a second end wall, a first heater that is attached to the first end wall of the heater casing and that has at least one heater portion to heat the liquid, and
a lid body that is detachably attached to the second end wall of the heater casing and that is detached from the second end wall when a second heater that has at least one heater portion to heat the liquid is detachably attached to the second end wall of the heater casing,
the heater casing has a space accommodating the at least one heater portion of the first heater, and when the second heater is detachably attached to the second end wall of the heater casing, also allowing accommodation of the at least one heater portion of the second heater, and
the second heater is allowed to be additionally detachably attached to the second end wall of the heater casing when the first heater alone is insufficient to heat the liquid to the constant temperature.”
However, Kiyoshi teaches a fluid heating device [fig 1] having wherein the heating unit includes: a heater casing [20] having a first end wall [at 3] and a second end wall [at 4], a first heater [3] that is attached to the first end wall of the heater casing and that has at least one heater portion to heat the liquid [0015-0016; fig 1], and
a lid body [26] that is detachably attached to the second end wall of the heater casing and that is detached from the second end wall when a second heater [4] that has at least one heater portion to heat the liquid is detachably attached to the second end wall of the heater casing [0015-0016; fig 1],
the heater casing has a space [S1, S2] accommodating the at least one heater portion of the first heater, and when the second heater is detachably attached to the second end wall of the heater casing, also allowing accommodation of the at least one heater portion of the second heater [0034-0035; fig 1], and
the second heater [4] is allowed to be additionally detachably attached to the second end wall of the heater casing when the first heater alone is insufficient to heat the liquid to the constant temperature [0033-0042; where the second heater is attached and used to heat water to a higher set temperature] where one of ordinary skill in the art could have combined the elements as claimed by known methods and that in combination, each element would perform the same function as it did separately and one of ordinary skills would have recognized that the results of the combination were predictable i.e. provide a fluid heating device that can efficiently generate a fluid at a target temperature while downsizing the device [0006].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the assembly of Matsumoto to have wherein the heating unit includes: a heater casing having a first end wall and a second end wall, a first heater that is attached to the first end wall of the heater casing and that has at least one heater portion to heat the liquid, and
a lid body that is detachably attached to the second end wall of the heater casing and that is detached from the second end wall when a second heater that has at least one heater portion to heat the liquid is detachably attached to the second end wall of the heater casing,
the heater casing has a space accommodating the at least one heater portion of the first heater, and when the second heater is detachably attached to the second end wall of the heater casing, also allowing accommodation of the at least one heater portion of the second heater, and
the second heater is allowed to be additionally detachably attached to the second end wall of the heater casing when the first heater alone is insufficient to heat the liquid to the constant temperature in view of the teachings of Kiyoshi where the elements could have been combined by known methods with no change in their respective functions, and the combination would have yielded predictable results i.e. provide a fluid heating device that can efficiently generate a fluid at a target temperature while downsizing the device.
Regarding Claim 2, Matsumoto, as modified, teaches the invention of claim 1 above and Kiyoshi teaches wherein the heater casing has the first end wall [at 3], the second end wall [at 4] opposing the first end wall in a longitudinal direction of the heater casing [fig 1], and a side wall, and defines the space [see fig 1].
Regarding Claim 3, Matsumoto, as modified, teaches the invention of claim 2 above and Kiyoshi teaches wherein the first end wall [at 3] is located lower than the second end wall [at 4; fig 1].
Regarding Claim 4, Matsumoto, as modified, teaches the invention of claim 2 above and Kiyoshi teaches wherein the heater casing has an inlet opening [10] for the liquid, the inlet opening being disposed in the side wall on a side of the first end wall, and an outlet opening [11] for the liquid, the outlet opening being disposed in the side wall on a side of the second end wall [0016].
Claim(s) 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Matsumoto et al. (US2021/0381783) in view of Sato et al. (JP3122494U).
Regarding Claim 5, Matsumoto, as modified, teaches the invention of claim 1 above but does not teach a thermometer disposed in the communication path on a downstream side of the heating unit to measure the temperature of the liquid.
However, Sato teaches a temperature control device [0001] having a thermometer [12] disposed in the communication path on a downstream side of the heating unit [10] to measure the temperature of the liquid [0016] where one of ordinary skill in the art could have combined the elements as claimed by known methods and that in combination, each element would perform the same function as it did separately and one of ordinary skills would have recognized that the results of the combination were predictable i.e. provide whereby based on the coolant temperature detected by the temperature sensors the cooling liquid is controlled to be heated so that the cooling liquid having the optimum temperature can be supplied to the cooling unit [0016].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the assembly of Matsumoto to have a thermometer disposed in the communication path on a downstream side of the heating unit to measure the temperature of the liquid in view of the teachings of Sato where the elements could have been combined by known methods with no change in their respective functions, and the combination would have yielded predictable results i.e. provide whereby based on the coolant temperature detected by the temperature sensors the cooling liquid is controlled to be heated so that the cooling liquid having the optimum temperature can be supplied to the cooling unit.
Response to Arguments
On pages 6-7 of the remarks, Applicant argues with respect to claim 1 that Matsumoto et al. (US2021/0381783) as modified by Kiyoshi (JP2019196878A) does not teach “…a lid body that is detachably attached to the second end wall of the heater casing and that is detached from the second end wall when a second heater that has at least one heater portion to heat the liquid is detachably attached to the second end wall of the heater casing.” In particular, Applicant argues that Kiyoshi does not teach “…a lid body that can be detachably attached to either the upper or lower end of body 20.” Applicant's arguments filed have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
In response to Applicant’s argument, Kiyoshi teaches a lid body [at least fixing member [at least the assembly of 26a, 26b, 26c] that can be detachably attached to the upper end of body 20 [See 0019; fig 4; where the components provide where the heater can be disposed in the body 20]. Accordingly, the rejection is maintained.
For at least the reasons above, claims 1-5 remain rejected.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LARRY L FURDGE whose telephone number is (313)446-4895. The examiner can normally be reached M-R 6a-3p; F 6a-10a.
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/LARRY L FURDGE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3763
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