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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments in view of the amendment filed 03 August 2026 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejections have been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made as indicated below.
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) 1-5 and 19-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over WO 2021/184613 to Ren et al. (“Ren”).
Regarding claims 1-2, Ren (in Figs. 1-7, 11, and associated text) discloses a laundry treating apparatus (clothing care device in Fig. 1) comprising:
a cabinet (1) including a first inlet defined in a front surface thereof (see Fig. 1);
a first chamber (cavity 11) located inside the cabinet and configured to accommodate laundry therein via the first inlet;
a second chamber (see Fig. 1 below chamber 11) located at a lower side inside the cabinet and defining therein an installation space separated from the first chamber;
an air supply (fan 22) disposed inside the second chamber and configured to circulate air in the first chamber;
a steam supply (steam generator 52) disposed inside the second chamber and configured to generate steam and supply steam to the first chamber; and
a door assembly (door body 3) coupled to the cabinet and configured to open and close the first inlet,
wherein the door assembly includes:
an accommodating body (middle door 32) including a second inlet defined in a front surface thereof (see Fig. 5),
an accommodating space (cavity 31) defined inside the accommodating body to accommodate goods including the laundry (see Fig. 5),
an air circulator (second fan and heating component 41) located inside the accommodating body and configured to circulate air in the accommodating space and supply hot air to the accommodating space, the air circulator comprising a heater configured to generate hot air, and
an air treater configured to circulate and dehumidify air, the air treater comprising a dehumidifier spaced apart from the heater (see first care component including medium care component 21 with dehumidifying means), and
wherein the air circulator and the air treater operate independently of the air supply and the steam supply (see p. 6, para. 3 of translation: “the working mode of the first care component and the second care component 4 can be performed… independent from each other”),
wherein the air circulator and the air treater are operable even when the door assembly is opened (the air circulator and air treater of Ren are fully capable of being operated when the door is open).
Ren discloses the claimed invention including an air circulator including a heater in the door assembly (second care component 4 including heating component 41 and second fan) and an air treater configured to circulate and dehumidify air, the air treater comprising a dehumidifier spaced apart from the heater (see first care component including medium care component 21 and first fan 22 to dehumidify air), but Ren does not expressly disclose the heater and dehumidifier spaced apart and within the door assembly. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of effective filing to rearrange the dehumidifier within the door assembly to achieve the same and predictable results of dehumidifying air within the cabinet, since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. In re Japikse, 86 USPQ 70.
Regarding claim 3 Ren, supra, discloses the claimed invention including an air circulator and air treater at a surface of an accommodating space. Ren does not expressly disclose wherein the air circulator is located upwardly of a top surface of the accommodating space, wherein the air treater is located downwardly of a bottom surface of the accommodating space. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to rearrange the air circulator and air treater of Ren as desired to achieve the same and predictable air circulating and air treating results, since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. See MPEP § 2144.04(VI)(C) regarding Obviousness and Rearrangement of Parts.
Regarding claims 4-5 and 19-20 Ren, supra, discloses the claimed invention including the air circulator and air treater configured to allow air flow, as well as a heater and dehumidifier (component 21 includes an evaporator to dehumidify the air), but does not expressly disclose the configuration as claimed. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to rearrange the heater and dehumidifier of Ren as desired to achieve the same and predictable air heating and air dehumidifying results, since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. See MPEP § 2144.04(VI)(C) regarding Obviousness and Rearrangement of Parts.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-18 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.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 JOSEPH L PERRIN whose telephone number is (571)272-1305. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30-4:00.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Michael E. Barr can be reached at 571-272-1414. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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Joseph L. Perrin, Ph.D.
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1711
/Joseph L. Perrin/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1711
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