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.
Claim(s) 1, 3-5 and 8-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kamii (US 2012/0074124) cited by applicant. Kamii discloses heating cooking appliance comprising a heating chamber (2) configured to accommodate a heating target (Figure 1); a circulation fan (31) configured to suck air in the heating chamber (2) and blow sucked air into the heating chamber (2) to form a circulation flow passage in an inner space of the heating chamber (2); and an air passage (23, 24) disposed inside the heating chamber (2) and is configured to define a flow rate and a blowing direction of air blown from the circulation fan (31) to the heating chamber (2), wherein the air passage (23, 24) is disposed in an upper part of the heating chamber (2) and forms an upper space of the heating chamber (Figure 1), and the upper space is partitioned with a plurality of walls (22, Figure 3), and the air passage (23, 24) includes a flow guide (25b, 25, Figure 3) and an outflow port (2b) communicating with the heating chamber (Figure 3). Regarding claim 3, Kamii discloses the flow guide (25b) has a guide face that defines a path of the air blown by the circulation fan (31), and the guide face is perpendicular to the bottom wall of the air passage (Figure 3). Regarding claim 4, Kamii discloses in figure 3, (25) and (25b) are first and second flow guides respectively, wherein figure 3 (25) is disposed behind the second and third row of outflow ports counted from the top of the figure 3, and wherein figure 3 (25b) is disposed in front of the second and third row of outflow ports counted from the top of the figure 3. Regarding claim 5, Kamii discloses a grill heater disposed in the upper part of the heating chamber (2) and configured to heat inside the heating chamber (2), wherein the air passage is disposed between a top face of the heating chamber and the grill heater (32), the air passage is configured with the bottom wall and three side walls, and the three side walls are a left side wall, a right side wall, and a front side wall in a front view, and the air passage (A2) includes an inflow port on a back side of the air passage in the front view (Figure 1 and 3). Regarding claim 8, Kamii discloses the first flow guide (25) and the second flow guide (25b) interpose a center line between the first flow guide (25) and the second flow guide (25b) relative to the right-left direction of the air passage in a plan view (the features are considered to be automatically). Regarding claim 9, Kamii discloses the first flow guide (25) in the air passage forms an angle with the front wall larger than an angle formed by the second flow guide (25b) with the front side wall (figure 3 (25) forms a 900 angle with the front side wall, whereas figure 3 (25b) forms a smaller than 900 angle with the front side wall.
Claim(s) 1 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Itzkowitz et al (US 2020/0240647) cited by applicant. Itzkowitz discloses toaster oven comprising a heating chamber (13) configured to accommodate a heating target (Figure 1); a circulation fan (3) configured to suck air in the heating chamber (13) and blow sucked air into the heating chamber (13) to form a circulation flow passage in an inner space of the heating chamber (13, Figure 1); and an air passage (21, 22) disposed inside the heating chamber (13) and is configured to define a flow rate and a blowing direction of air blown from the circulation fan (3) to the heating chamber (13), wherein the air passage (21, 22) is disposed in an upper part of the heating chamber (13) and forms an upper space of the heating chamber (Figure 1), and the upper space is partitioned with a plurality of walls (63, Figure 2), and the air passage (21, 22) includes a flow guide (125, Figure 2) and an outflow port (120) communicating with the heating chamber (Figure 2).
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.
Claim(s) 2 and 6-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kamii (US 2012/0074124) cited by applicant. Regarding claim 2, Kamii discloses substantially all features of the claimed invention including Kamii, in figure 2 (2b), showing round outlet ports which are approximately at the center of the heating chamber. It would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the invention was made to have a constructional detail to provide the outlet ports at an exact center of the heating chamber in order to suit user specific application. Regarding claims 6-7, Kami discloses the rotation direction of the circulation fan is a design change which the skilled person would consider a routine implementation, since the orientation of the flow guides is not clear. As the flow guides appear to match the description of the disposition, in as far as the features may be understood these features are considered to be disclosed.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: Williams (US 4,582,047) discloses high humidity steam cooker with continuously running conveyor.
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/QUANG T VAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3761 September 3, 2026
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