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 § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 7 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claims 7 and 16 recite the following limitations: “…disposed on a side of the water inlet facing a direction of the water flow”. It is unclear what structural configuration is being claimed since the direction of water flow is not necessarily fixed but may vary depending on the particular manner in which the apparatus is used and the direction in which fluid is inserted into the detergent container, as well as depending on process parameters such as fluid pressures, flow rates, viscosity, etc.
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.
Claims 1, 8-10 and 17-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yao et al. (CN204570288U).
Regarding claims 1 and 10, Yao et al. teaches a laundry processing device (see abstract) comprising a drum (see washing bucket) and a detergent compartment 1, 2 (see pages 2-3 of the translation, figure 1), wherein the detergent compartment 1, 2 comprises a first receiving cavity 21, wherein a top of the first receiving cavity 21 is provided with at least one water inlet (see water inlet associated with 132, as shown in figure 4), and a water inlet assembly 12, 13 is disposed at a water inlet among the at least one water inlet and capable of pressurizing (see enhanced impact strength of water flow) a water flow passing through the water inlet and directing the water flow onto a sidewall (see direction of water flow as shown in figure 4) of the first receiving cavity 21 (see page 3 of the translation, figures 1-4).
Regarding claims 8 and 17, Yao et al. teaches the limitations of claims 1 and 10. Yao et al. also teaches in figures 1, 3, 4 and page 3 of the translation that the detergent compartment 1, 2 comprises a compartment body 2 and a main component 1 connected to the compartment body 2, wherein the main component 1 and the compartment body 2 form the first receiving cavity 21, and the at least one water inlet is disposed on the main component 1.
Regarding claims 9 and 18, Yao et al. teaches the limitations of claims 8 and 17. Yao et al. also teaches in figures 1, 3, 4 and page 3 of the translation a first flow channel (see channel formed by space between 2 and 1 as shown in figure 4) is disposed around the first receiving cavity 21 and on the main component 1, and the at least one water inlet is disposed in the first flow channel (see fluidic connection between 132 and 2 as shown in figure 4).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-6 and 11-15 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.
Claims 7 and 16 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The closest prior art of record is Yao et al. (CN204570288U). Yao et al. fails to teach/disclose all of the limitations of claims 2, 6, 11 and 15. Furthermore, no other prior art was located that fairly suggested the claimed invention in whole or in part along with the requisite motivation for combination to anticipate or render the claimed invention obvious.
Conclusion
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/TINSAE B AYALEW/EXAMINER, Art Unit 1711