DETAILED ACTION
Application Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . This action is in response to Applicant’s submissions dated 06/17/2024 & 09/11/2026. Claim(s) 16–35 are pending.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I, claims 16–25 & 35 in the reply filed on 09/11/2026 is acknowledged.
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 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.
Claims 16–25 & 35 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over JP 2021-040909 to Hiroto et al (citations directed to the attached machine translation) in view of KR 2006-0085979 to Cho (citations directed to the attached machine translation).
With regard to claim 16, Hiroto discloses a shoe care device (¶ 0001) comprising: an inner cabinet (10) having an accommodation space (20 configured to accommodate shoes (Fig. 1; ¶¶ 0033–0034); a connection path defining a flow path (30) through which air in the accommodation space (20) is introduced thereinto and then discharged therefrom into the accommodation space (20) (Fig. 1; ¶ 0037); a blower (26) located in the connection path (30) (Fig. 1; 0037), the blower (36) being configured to move the air along the connection path (30) (Fig. 1; ¶¶ 0037, 0041); a dehumidifier (32) located in the connection path (30) (Fig. 1; ¶ 0037), the dehumidifier (32) being configured to dehumidify the air in the connection path (30) (¶ 0039); a door (11) configured to open and close the inner cabinet (10) (Fig. 1; ¶ 0033); and a control panel (18) located at the door (11) (Fig. 14–1; ¶ 0089), the control panel (18) being configured to input a control signal for the shoe care device (¶ 0089), the control panel (18) including: a fixed user interface (UI) section including a first control UI (Fig. 14–1; ¶ 0089).
Hiroto fails to disclose a variable UI section inclined with respect to the fixed UI section, the variable UI section being configured to display a second control UI. Cho teaches a variable UI section (64) inclined with respect to the fixed UI section (71–74) (Fig. 3; ¶ 0023), the variable UI section (64) being configured to display a second control UI (64) (Fig. 3; ¶ 0023). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to combine the shoe care apparatus of Hiroto with dual UIs of Cho because such a combination would have had the added benefit of allowing the user to see and enter additional information and select available options.
With regard to claim 17, Hiroto further discloses the fixed UI section (18) is parallel to a front surface of the door (11) (Fig. 14–1; ¶ 0089).
With regard to claim 18, Hiroto as previously combined with Cho further discloses variable UI section (Cho: 64) is located above the fixed UI section (Hiroto: 18; Cho: 71–74) (Hiroto: Fig. 14–1; ¶ 0089; Cho: Fig. 3; ¶ 0023).
With regard to claim 19, Hiroto as previously combined with Cho further discloses the variable UI section (Cho: 64) is inclined to be spaced further away from the front surface of the door (Cho: 22) in an upward direction (Cho: Fig. 3; ¶ 0023).
With regard to claim 20, Hiroto as previously combined with Cho further discloses the fixed UI section (Cho: 71–74) and the variable UI section (Cho: 64) are connected by a bent connection portion (Cho: 60) (Cho: Fig. 3; ¶ 0023).
With regard to claim 21, Hiroto fails to disclose the fixed UI section and the variable UI section are integrally formed. It would have been obvious at the time the application was filed to have the fixed UI section and the variable UI section integrally formed, since it has been held that forming in one piece an article which has formerly been formed in two pieces and put together involves only routine skill in the art. In re Larson, 340 F.2d 965, 968, 144 USPQ 347, 349 (CCPA 1965).
With regard to claim 22, Hiroto further discloses the first control UI comprises at least one of: a power UI configured to select whether to turn the shoe care device on or off (¶¶ 0093–0099, 0102–0109); and an operation UI configured to select whether to operate the shoe care device (¶¶ 0093–0099, 0102–0109).
With regard to claim 23, Hiroto as previously combined with Cho further discloses the second control UI (Cho: 64) comprises at least one of: a mode UI configured to select a mode type of the shoe care device (Hiroto: ¶¶ 0097, 0102; as combined, having two display units instead of one would allow some of the information to be presented on the second screen); a material UI configured to select a material type of the shoes accommodated in the shoe care device (Hiroto: ¶¶ 0097, 0102; as combined, having two display units instead of one would allow some of the information to be presented on the second screen); and a time UI configured to select an operation time of the shoe care device (Hiroto: ¶¶ 0093, 0098; as combined, having two display units instead of one would allow some of the information to be presented on the second screen).
With regard to claim 24, Hiroto further discloses the fixed UI section (18) is configured to display the first control UI in response to a touch input (¶¶ 0089–0090, 0093, 0102).
With regard to claim 25, Hiroto as previously combined with Cho further discloses the variable UI section is configured to: display the second control UI (Cho: 64) in response to a touch input (Hiroto: ¶¶ 0089–0090, 0093, 0102; Cho: Fig. 3; ¶ 0023; since Hiroto discloses a first touch screen, when adding a second screen as taught by Cho it would be obvious to use the same type of touch screen, which is merely a duplication of parts); and adjust the at least one of the mode UI, the material UI, and the time UI in response to a sliding input (Hiroto: ¶¶ 0089–0090, 0093, 0102; touch screens, such as those on a phone, are known to operate by both tapping and sliding movements).
With regard to claim 35, Hiroto further discloses the control panel (18) is disposed on an upper end of the door (11) (Fig. 14).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: see PTO-892 attached. Applicant is encouraged to review the cited references prior to submitting a response to this office action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAVID J LAUX whose telephone number is (571)270-7619. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30-5:30 M-F.
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/DAVID J LAUX/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3762
October 6, 2026
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