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 Objections
Claims 1, 3, 16-17, & 22 are objected to because of the following informalities:
In claims 1 & 16, “the appliance” should be “the drawer-style washing appliance”.
In claims 3, 17, & 22, “having plural substantially straight sections” should be “having a plurality of substantially straight sections”.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 1-9 & 15-25 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.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "the upper edge" in line 3. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "the seal-attachment side" in lines 8 & 10. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
In claim 2, applicant states “picture frame-shaped”, it is unclear as to what the metes and bounds of “picture frame-shaped” are as a picture frame does not have a finite and definite shape. For examination purposes, the limitation will be ignored and understood as “the tub flange member has corners”. Similar issue is taken with claim 24.
In claim 3, applicant states “rectangular-“, it is unclear as to what applicant meant by the phrase as it appears to be missing text after the hyphen. For examination purposes, the limitation will be understood as “rectangular-shaped”. Similar issue is taken with claims 17 & 22.
Claim 4 recites the limitation "a corner region" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Is applicant referring to a different corner region than that recited in claim 3 or the same? For examination purposes, the limitation will be understood to refer to one of the corner regions recited in claim 3. Similar issue is taken with claims 18 & 23
Claim 9 recites the limitation "the upper edges" in line 3. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 9 recites “which support a tub flange member according to claim 1…” the phrasing of the limitation makes it unclear as to whether the upper edges merely need to be able to support the flange member of claim 1 (i.e., intended use), or if the flange member is provided on the upper edges (i.e., positively recited). Based on the disclosure, and the fact that applicant attempts to further define the flange member (see claim 22), the flange member will be understood to be a required limitation of the claim. Examiner suggests revision of the claim to clearly identify that the flange member of claim 1 is a required element.
The remaining claims are rejected for their dependence on a previously recited claim.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 1 would be allowable if rewritten or amended 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.
Claims 2-9 & 15-25 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 term ridge is understood to refer to its common definition, i.e., an elevated body part or structure or a raised strip. The closest prior art of record is as follows:
Seo (US20150376828A1) discloses a flange unit ref 43 has attachment side (see bottom of ref 431) to tub body ref 41 and a seal contacting side (see upper surface of ref 431) on opposite side of the attachment side with a planar region (see Fig.3B) for contact with a lid seal (ref 495) and a peripheral wall extending from attachment side to seal side (e.g., side wall defining thickness of tub cover) and forming an opening (ref 435) and a drainage channel (ref 47) extending through the flanged member. However, Seo does not disclose the drainage channel being provided in or on the peripheral wall and/or seal contacting side in the region of the peripheral edge to channel liquid from the seal contacting side to the peripheral wall. Specifically, the location of the drainage channel is provided in order to interface with a water supply hole provided in the drawer cover (ref 355) for heat exchange purposes [0097]. Further, the cited recovery channel is actually a component of a moisture condensing element in order to condense moisture on the outside of the tub body [0177]. Thus, a skilled artisan would not find it reasonable to provide such a channel in the claimed location as a door seal would separate the environment outside of the tub body from which moisture is to be condensed from. It is noted that the angled portion of the peripheral wall (see Fig.3B) does not read on a ridge or channel, as it is shown to not have any protruding/elevated element that could read on a ridge and provides no defined element which reads on a channel.
Lee (US20170002494A1) discloses a flange ref 43 having an attachment side (portion of ref 43 that contacts ref 41), a seal contacting side (portion of ref 43 contacting ref 49), and a peripheral wall (i.e. thickness portion extending between upper and lower side to connect the two) form opening of tub (ref 431). Lee doe does not make mention of a drainage ridge or channel. However, Lee showcases a locking protrusion (ref 473) which has a channel like shape in the region of the peripheral edge on the seal-contacting side of the flange. Although a door locking protrusions is provided in a region of the peripheral wall on the seal contacting side of the flange, a skilled artisan would not reasonably believe such an element to read on “for channeling liquid from the seal-contacting side to the peripheral wall. As such a limitation would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to define a ridge or channel which extends on the seal contacting side to the peripheral edge, whereas the locking member merely protrudes from the flange element to catch a corresponding element of the door. Liquid which contacts the locking protrusion may deflect from thereon to any location including the peripheral wall, however a skilled artisan would not correspond such an action to “channeling” of the liquid as channeling of the liquid implies directionality. Thus, the protrusion does not channel liquid from the seal-contacting side to the peripheral wall.
Lee (US20200221919A1) discloses a flange member (ref 510; the word “may” indicates that it does not require ref 520), an attachment side (bottom side of ref 510 that mounts to tub ref 110; see [0160]), a sealing side (ref 511); a peripheral wall (ref 513). Lee does not explicitly disclose a drainage ridge or channel in the cited embodiment. However, Lee does showcase an embodiment (see Figs.4-9) where a drainage channel is present (see refs 410/420/430) which channels water towards a peripheral wall from a seal-contacting side (best seen by Figs.8-9). However, such a channel is not provided in a region of the peripheral edge. Specifically, because the claim recites that seal-contacting side is adapted to contacted by a lid seal for closing the washing tub and that the peripheral edge of the peripheral wall defines the opening for the washing tub, one of ordinary skill in the art would understand that a region of the peripheral edge refers to a region between the area where the lid seal will contact the flange member and the peripheral wall. However, the embodiment of Lee appears to disclose the opposite, where the channel is provided in a region beyond the area where the seal will contact the flange member, thereby channeling liquid which is beyond the seal. Further, in the cited channel of the embodiment, the peripheral wall would be defined as ref 153. Thus, the cited channel does not channel liquid from the seal-contacting side “to” the peripheral wall, but rather towards. It is also noted that in the second cited embodiment of Lee, a connection member (ref 170) is provided in order to fix the flanged element (ref 150) to a tub body upper wall (ref 110)
Lee (US20220120022A1) discloses a flange (ref 33) having an attachment side (underside portion which attaches to ref 31) and a seal-contacting side (top portion which contacts ref 4, see Fig.14), a peripheral wall connecting the two and having an edge defining the tub opening (i.e., vertical thickness portion between the two sides that defines ref 331) with a channel like member (refs 51/52) disclosed in proximity to the peripheral edge. However, such a member does not read on a drainage ridge/channel for two reasons. First, in a closed that of the lid, such a member cannot channel liquid from the seal-contacting side to the peripheral wall as it is disposed outside the seal (ref 35). Secondly, in an open state of the lid, liquid which contacts the member may deflect from thereon to any location including the peripheral wall, however a skilled artisan would not correspond such an action to “channeling” of the liquid as channeling of the liquid implies directionality. Thus, the protrusion does not channel liquid from the seal-contacting side to the peripheral wall.
Maunsell (US20060151011A1) discloses the use of labyrinth passage between tub wall and lid (see ref 22 & [0092]), which appears as though it can read on a drain ridge/channel as it would direct fluid back into the tub. However, Maunsell appears to indicate that such a feature is in place a door with a lid seal. Even in the instance where Maunsell can read on the presence of a door seal (e.g. Fig.36) the seal-contacting surface would not be provided opposite to the attachment side. Further, as the claim indicates that the ridge/channel is distinct from the peripheral wall, the labyrinth passage of Maunsell cannot read on a ridge as it is not distinct from the peripheral wall as an elevated or raised part from the peripheral wall.
Sargeant (US6447081B1) discloses the use of drain slots (ref 42) to drain water which has escaped past the door gasket (Col.8 line 65 to Col.9 line 10). However, such water is not channeled from a seal contacting side to a peripheral wall, but rather into a separate duct and directed towards a rear of the chamber.
McInerney (US20210235962A1) discloses that a lid may have a drip rail (ref 63) to drain into tank [0065 & 0082]. However, such a reference would suggest the presence of a channeling member on a lid to direct liquid into the chamber, not on the flange and even less so at the specific claimed location.
Kim (US20200024786A1) discloses a door frame structure (Fig.6), wherein it is showcases that a door frame construction is a flanged member (ref 113/114) can have a peripheral wall (ref 115) and a seal-contacting side (portion which contacts ref 131). The peripheral wall is provided with a channel (ref 117) for draining water which collects in a water collecting space (ref 111) of the door. Kim does not disclose the presence of an attachment side which attaches to upper walls of the tub. Rather, the door construction mounts to a tub cover and not the upper edge of the tub wall. However, the construction of Kim is a door construction to remove water from a water containing area within the door and the construction is implemented between two seals (refs 131 & 132) for attachment to a tub cover. Kim does not provide any rationale as to why such a feature would be desirable beyond the door construction and implementing the feature of a drain hole would also require the implementation of water collecting space. The other references mentioned do not indicate a need for such a feature. Thus, one of ordinary skill in the art would not be motivated to implement such a feature without the use of impermissible hindsight.
Accordingly, the art of record fails to teach or suggest the invention of claims 1 & 15. Thus, claims 1 & 15, along with their dependents are considered to contain allowable subject matter.
Conclusion
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/OMAIR CHAUDHRI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1711