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
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, 5-8, 11 and 13-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by JP 2007-334518 (in English) (FUJI ELECTRIC RETAIL SYSTEMS) (“Fuji”).
Regarding claim 1, Fuji discloses a dispenser of coffee in solid form, comprising:
- a storage volume (30), to contain coffee beans,
- a dosing arrangement (12, 13), set downstream an outlet (14) of the storage volume (10) and prearranged for releasing dosed amounts of coffee beans (see para. 19) from the storage volume (10),
- a dispensing mouth (16), set downstream an outlet of the dosing arrangement (12, 13),
- a cooling arrangement (50, 60), configured for cooling the coffee beans contained in the storage volume,
wherein the storage volume comprises an inner container (10), for receiving and storing the coffee beans, and the cooling arrangement comprises a first outer casing (33) which surrounds at least partially the inner container, at least part of a first gap (gap seen between 30 and 10 in Figs. 3 and 4) being defined between the inner container and the first outer casing, the cooling arrangement further including a cooling device (50, 60) of the first gap.
Regarding claim 2, Fuji discloses that the first gap (42) has at least one first inlet (for 62) and at least one first outlet (for 61), and the cooling device has at least one first outlet (connected to 62) for a flow of cooled air, connected via at least one delivery duct (62) to the at least one first inlet of the first gap, and at least one first inlet for a flow of air to be cooled, connected via at least one first return duct (61) to the at least one first outlet of the first gap.
Regarding claim 3, Fuji discloses the first outer casing comprises a layer of thermally insulating material. (33, “a heat insulating wall member having heat insulating properties”)
Regarding claim 5, Fuji discloses that the cooling device comprises at least one electric fan (64) configured at least for forcing cooled air into the first delivery duct, and preferably for sucking air to be cooled from the first return duct.
Regarding claim 6, Fuji discloses that the cooling arrangement is further configured for cooling at least one part of the dosing arrangement (seen Figure 3).
Regarding claim 7, Fuji discloses that the first outer casing surrounds at least partially also the dosing arrangement, to define a corresponding part of the first gap that surrounds at least partially the dosing arrangement. (seen Figs. 3 and 4)
Regarding claim 8, Fuji discloses that
- the cooling arrangement comprises a second casing (33) which surrounds at least partially the dosing arrangement, the second casing delimiting at least part of a second gap having at least one respective inlet (52a) and at least one respective outlet (52a), and
- the cooling device is configured for forcing cooled air (seen Figure 3 of Fuji) to the at least one inlet of the second gap and for receiving air to be cooled from the at least one outlet of the second gap.
Regarding claim 11, Fuji discloses a control unit (80) in signal communication with at least one temperature sensor (81), the control unit being prearranged for controlling the cooling device at least as a function of a temperature detected via the at least one temperature sensor.
Regarding claim 13, Fuji discloses that the first outer casing has an open/close element (31) configured for enabling access to the inner container for the purposes of replacement or refilling thereof.
Regarding claim 14, Fuji discloses that the dosing arrangement is associated to, or integrated in, a grinding device (17) arranged upstream of the dispensing mouth.
Regarding claim 15, Fuji discloses that the cooling device (50) comprises at least one a heat-pump device (55).
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.
Claim(s) 4, 9, 10 and 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as anticipated by or, in the alternative, under 35 U.S.C. 103 as obvious over JP 2007-334518 (in English) (FUJI ELECTRIC RETAIL SYSTEMS) (“Fuji”).
Regarding claim 4, Fuji discloses a first inlet and first outlet of a first gap are part of the first outer casing but fails to specify if the locations of the first inlet or first outlet respective to the first outer casing; however, it would have been an obvious matter of design choice to one with ordinary skill in the art, prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention, since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. In re Japikse, 181 F.2d 1019, 86 USPQ 70 (CCPA 1950) MPEP 2144.04 VI. C.
Regarding claim 9, Fuji discloses that the first gap has at least one first inlet and at least one first outlet (seen in Fig. 3), and the cooling device has at least one first outlet (connected to 62) for a flow of cooled air, connected via at least one delivery duct (62) to the at least one first inlet of the first gap, and at least one first inlet (connected to 61) for a flow of air to be cooled, connected via at least one first return duct (61) to the at least one first outlet of the first gap.
Fuji is silent in regarding to a second delivery duct and a second return duct; however, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art, prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to duplicate the number of ducts, formed by respective branches, since it has been held that mere duplication of the essential working parts of a device involves only routine skill in the art. In re Harza, 274 F.2d 669, 124 USPQ 378 MPEP 2144.04 VI. B.
Regarding claim 10, Fuji’s dosing arrangement is arranged within the outer container and thus cooled.
Claim(s) 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fuji as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Ripperda, et al. (“Ripperda”) (U.S. Pub. 2020/0288905).
Regarding claim 12, Fuji discloses a cooling device but does not specifically disclose a refrigerating assembly with an electric fan associated to a condenser. Ripperda discloses (¶ [0026]) that a beverage device may include device components such as: refrigeration, fans, coils, lines, coffee grinders, condensers, etc.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art, prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to substitute Fuji’s cooling system with Ripperda’s refrigeration system, with an electric fan associated to a condenser, for sucking through a ventilation inlet air from an environment outside of a casing of the refrigerating assembly, for cooling the condenser, and for expelling in said environment air cooled by the condenser, through a ventilation outlet of the of the casing of the refrigerating assembly, since doing so would be a mere substitution of one known cooling device for another known cooling device (refrigeration) with the expected results that the substituted cooling device would provide cooling (see MPEP 2143 I B).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See form PTO-892, attached.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL J MELARAGNO whose telephone number is (571)270-7735. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Fri: 8 am - 5 pm +/- flex.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Paul Durand can be reached at (571) 272-4459. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/MICHAEL J. MELARAGNO/ Examiner, Art Unit 3754
/FREDERICK C NICOLAS/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3754