DETAILED ACTION
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) 20-24 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Ahn (US 20160177489 A1).
Regarding claim 20, Ahn discloses a laundry treatment apparatus comprising:
a cabinet (Fig. 1; 10) that defines an outer appearance of the laundry treatment apparatus;
an inner case disposed in the cabinet, the inner case having (i) a laundry treatment space (11) configured to accommodate laundry therein and (ii) an opening that is defined at a front side of the inner case and configured to introduce the laundry into the laundry treatment space and to provide access to the laundry in the laundry treatment space (Fig. 1);
a machine compartment (12) disposed in the cabinet and disposed at a lower portion of the inner case;
a heat supply disposed at the machine compartment, the heat supply comprising (i) an evaporator configured to remove moisture from air introduced from the laundry treatment space to the machine compartment, (ii) a condenser configured to heat the air, and (iii) a compressor configured to supply compressed refrigerant to the condenser (para. 36);
a controller (120) disposed at the machine compartment and configured to control the compressor (para. 52);
a circulation duct that is disposed at the machine compartment and defines a flow channel configured to circulate the air from the laundry treatment space (para. 41), the circulation duct defining a heat exchanger installation portion (Fig. 3; 110) that accommodates the evaporator and the condenser (para. 36); and
a base (Fig. 3; 400) that is disposed at the machine compartment and supports a lower portion of the circulation duct, the base including a controller installation portion (Fig. 3: support 170 defining a space for holding the controller 120) that is disposed below a lower portion of the heat exchanger installation portion and accommodates the controller.
Regarding claim 21, Ahn discloses the laundry treatment apparatus of claim 20, wherein the base and the circulation duct are portions of one body (integrated body shown in Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 22, Ahn discloses the laundry treatment apparatus of claim 21, wherein a bottom surface of the heat exchanger installation portion defines an upper surface of the controller installation portion (Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 23, Ahn discloses the laundry treatment apparatus of claim 20, wherein the controller installation portion overlaps with at least a portion of the circulation duct along a height direction of the cabinet (Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 24, Ahn discloses the laundry treatment apparatus of claim 20, further comprising a fan installation portion (140) that fluidly connects the inner case with the circulation duct and accommodates a blower fan configured to cause the air in the laundry treatment space to circulate through the circulation duct (para. 38), wherein the controller installation portion overlaps with at least a portion of the fan installation portion along a forward/backward direction of the cabinet (Fig. 2).
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 25 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ahn (US 20160177489 A1) in view of Choi (KR 20140108455 A).
Regarding claim 25, Ahn discloses the laundry treatment apparatus of claim 20, wherein the circulation duct comprises: a circulation duct bottom surface that defines a bottom surface of the flow channel (Fig. 3; bottom surface of housing 111);
EXCEPT a water reservoir depressed downward from the circulation duct bottom surface and configured to collect water condensed by operation of the evaporator, and wherein the controller installation portion overlaps with the water reservoir along a width direction of the base.
However, Choi teaches a laundry treatment apparatus comprising: a water reservoir (Fig. 8b; 7115) depressed downward from the circulation duct (Fig. 8b; E) bottom surface (7113) and configured to collect water condensed by operation of the evaporator.
It would have been obvious to a person skilled in the art at the time of effective filing of the application to modify the circulation duct (Ahn; 111) to include a water reservoir depressed downward from the circulation duct bottom surface and configured to collect water condensed by operation of the evaporator. With the modification, the controller installation portion would overlap with the water reservoir along a width direction of the base.
The motivation to combine is so that the condensate from the evaporator can be collected and cleanly disposed of from the cabinet.
Claim(s) 31-33 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ahn (US 20160177489 A1) in view of Huang (CN 214592498 U).
Regarding claims 31, 32, Ahn discloses the laundry treatment apparatus of claim 20, except wherein the controller installation portion comprises a controller rib that projects from an inner lateral wall of the controller installation portion, and wherein the controller comprises a support that is supported by the controller rib (as recited in claim 31); and wherein the controller rib and the support extend in a forward/backward direction of the cabinet (as recited in claim 32).
However, Huang teaches a drawer type electric control box (Fig. 1; 1) (controller installation portion), wherein the controller installation portion comprises a controller rib (sliding rail 2) that projects from an inner lateral wall of the controller installation portion, and wherein the controller comprises a support (3) that is supported by the controller rib; and wherein the controller rib and the support extend in a forward/backward direction.
It would have been obvious to a person skilled in the art at the time of effective filing of the application to modify Ahn wherein the controller installation portion comprises a controller rib that projects from an inner lateral wall of the controller installation portion, and wherein the controller comprises a support that is supported by the controller rib; and wherein the controller rib and the support extend in a forward/backward direction of the cabinet. With the modification, the controller (Ahn, 120) would be supported by the controller installation portion, instead of by the fixing attachments (Ahn; 121, 414). The motivation to combine is for ease of installation, repair, or removable of the controller.
Regarding claim 33, Ahn discloses the laundry treatment apparatus of claim 20, except wherein the controller installation portion comprises a guide that projects from a front surface of the controller installation portion, and wherein the controller comprises a controller-seating protrusion that is coupled to the guide and configured to restrict movement of the controller relative to the controller installation portion.
However, Huang teaches a drawer type electric control box (Fig. 1; 1) (controller installation portion), wherein the controller installation portion comprises a guide (2) that projects from a front surface of the controller installation portion, and wherein the controller comprises a controller-seating protrusion (3) that is coupled to the guide and configured to restrict movement of the controller relative to the controller installation portion.
It would have been obvious to a person skilled in the art at the time of effective filing of the application to modify Ahn wherein the controller installation portion comprises a guide that projects from a front surface of the controller installation portion, and wherein the controller comprises a controller-seating protrusion that is coupled to the guide and configured to restrict movement of the controller relative to the controller installation portion. With the modification, the controller (Ahn, 120) would be supported by the controller installation portion, instead of by the fixing attachments (Ahn; 121, 414). The motivation to combine is for ease of installation, repair, or removable of the controller.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 26-30, 34-39 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
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JASON LAU whose telephone number is (571)270-7644. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 8:00-5:00.
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/JASON LAU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3762
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