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 .
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 32-37 are allowed.
Regarding claim 32, Lee figures 1-4 teach a dishwasher comprising:
a tub (12) that defines a washing space;
a sump (100) disposed below the tub and configured to store washing water received from the tub;
a pump (150 wash pump) configured to supply the washing water stored in the sump to the washing space; and
a spray arm (13)rotatably disposed in the tub or the sump and configured to discharge the washing water from the pump into the washing space,
wherein the spray arm comprises:
a first blade that defines a spray channel configured to carry the washing water, the first blade being configured to spray the washing water into the washing space,
a second blade, and
a hub (180 wash water supply channel) that defines a supply channel configured to supply the washing water discharged from the pump to the spray channel or the bubble generating channel.[0032]
Although Lee teaches bubble nozzles 160a and 160b, which eject wash water containing microbubbles to the bottom 12a of the tub 12, Lee is silent to the second blade that defines a bubble generating channel configured to generate microbubbles in the washing water, the second blade being configured to supply the washing water including the microbubbles to the washing space.
Xu 529 is directed towards a dishwasher where figure 6 teaches the gas extending in the direction of the water outlet hole 211 is guided to the channel 201, and the guiding channel 201 can guide the added gas, so that the added gas can be quickly ejected from the water outlet hole after cavitation with the water flow and generating bubbles in the water flow.[page 5]
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present invention to provide a bubble generating configuration as taught in Xu 529 to ensure stubborn dirt breaks away and achieve better cleaning results.[page 5]
Lee and Xu 529 fail to explicitly teach the second blade comprises: an upper wall that faces upward, a lower wall that faces downward, and a side wall that connects the upper wall and the lower wall to each other.
Xu 393 is directed towards a rotary spray arm for a dishwasher where figures 3-5 teaches 6 includes an upper cover 62 and a lower cover 63. Figure 3 further teaches a portion of the upper cover 62 extends downward thereby reading on a side wall.[0037]
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present invention to provide a rotary arm configuration as taught in Xu 393 for form the flow channel which provide water to water outlets.[0036-37]
As to the side wall defining a first discharge hole configured to discharge the washing water including the microbubbles to the washing space, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present invention to provide discharge holes on the side wall as a rearrangement of parts is an obvious design choice.(MPEP 2144.04)
Xu 529 figures 4-6 teach a connection channel (32 air guiding tube) disposed at an upstream end portion of the inner side wall and connected to the supply channel, a buffer chamber (22 flow guiding seat) connected to the connection channel, the buffer chamber defining a first channel width that increases toward the upstream end portion of the inner side wall, a pair of air intake channels (215 throat portion) that are connected to the buffer chamber and arranged along the inner side wall, a discharge channel (214 flow passage) connected to each of the pair of air intake channels, the discharge channel defining a second channel width that increases toward a downstream end portion of the inner side wall, and a first discharge hole defined at the downstream end portion of the inner side wall and configured to discharge the washing water including the microbubbles from the discharge channel to an outside of the spray arm.[page 4]
Lee in view of Xu 529 and Xu 393 fails to teach or suggest the spray arm defines a vertical hole that is opened in an up-down direction, wherein the second blade comprises an inner side wall that surrounds the vertical hole.
Claim Objections
Claims 20-26 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.
Regarding claim 20, Lee in view of Xu 529 and Xu 393 fails to teach or suggest the second blade defines a vertical hole that is recessed downward from the upper wall and opened in an up-down direction, wherein the side wall comprises: an outer side wall that defines an outer perimeter of the second blade, and an inner side wall that surrounds the vertical hole, and wherein the first discharge hole is defined at the outer side wall or the inner side wall.
Claims 21-26 are dependent upon claim 20.
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) 18-19 and 27-31 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee (US 2020/0113409 cited in IDS), and in further view of Xu 529 (CN 208243529 machine translation) and Xu 393 (US 2016/0324393).
Regarding claim 18, Lee figures 1-4 teach a dishwasher comprising:
a tub (12) that defines a washing space;
a sump (100) disposed below the tub and configured to store washing water received from the tub;
a pump (150 wash pump) configured to supply the washing water stored in the sump to the washing space; and
a spray arm (13) rotatably disposed in the tub or the sump and configured to discharge the washing water from the pump into the washing space,
wherein the spray arm comprises:
a first blade that defines a spray channel configured to carry the washing water, the first blade being configured to spray the washing water into the washing space, and
a second blade.[0032]
Although Lee teaches bubble nozzles 160a and 160b, which eject wash water containing microbubbles to the bottom 12a of the tub 12, Lee is silent to the second blade that defines a bubble generating channel configured to generate microbubbles in the washing water, the second blade being configured to supply the washing water including the microbubbles to the washing space.
Xu 529 is directed towards a dishwasher where figure 6 teaches the gas extending in the direction of the water outlet hole 211 is guided to the channel 201, and the guiding channel 201 can guide the added gas, so that the added gas can be quickly ejected from the water outlet hole after cavitation with the water flow and generating bubbles in the water flow.[page 5]
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present invention to provide a bubble generating configuration as taught in Xu 529 to ensure stubborn dirt breaks away and achieve better cleaning results.[page 5]
Lee and Xu 529 fail to explicitly teach the second blade comprises: an upper wall that faces upward, a lower wall that faces downward, and a side wall that connects the upper wall and the lower wall to each other.
Xu 393 is directed towards a rotary spray arm for a dishwasher where figures 3-5 teaches 6 includes an upper cover 62 and a lower cover 63. Figure 3 further teaches a portion of the upper cover 62 extends downward thereby reading on a side wall.[0037]
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present invention to provide a rotary arm configuration as taught in Xu 393 for form the flow channel which provide water to water outlets.[0036-37]
As to the side wall defining a first discharge hole configured to discharge the washing water including the microbubbles to the washing space, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present invention to provide discharge holes on the side wall as a rearrangement of parts is an obvious design choice.(MPEP 2144.04)
Regarding claim 19, Lee figure 3 in view of Xu 529 and Xu 393 teaches the spray arm is configured to rotate about a rotation center axis, and wherein the side wall defines (i) a vertical surface that is parallel to the rotation center axis of the spray arm or (ii) an inclined or curved surface that faces upward relative to the vertical surface.
Regarding claim 27, Xu 529 figures 4-6 teach the spray arm defines (i) an intake hole (20 air collection chamber) that is in fluid communication with an outside of the spray arm and configured to provide air to the bubble generating channel (201 gas guiding channel) and (ii) a supply channel (210 water storage chamber) configured to supply the washing water discharged from the pump to at least one of the spray channel or the bubble generating channel, and
wherein the bubble generating channel comprises:
a connection channel (32 air guiding tube) connected to the supply channel, a buffer chamber (22 flow guiding seat) connected to the connection channel and the intake hole (20 air collection chamber), the buffer chamber having a channel cross-sectional area that increases and then decreases along a direction away from the connection channel, an air intake channel (215 throat portion) configured to receive the air from the intake hole via the buffer chamber, and a discharge channel (214 flow passage) connected to the air intake channel and configured to discharge the washing water including the microbubbles to the outside of the spray arm through the first discharge hole (211 water outlet hole).[page4]
Regarding claim 28, Xu 529 teaches the water storage chamber 210 of the spray arm 21 is provided with a flow passage 214 extending from the middle portion to the both ends, and the annular chamber at the middle portion of the water storage chamber 210 constitutes the throat portion 215 of the flow passage 214 thereby suggesting the discharge channel comprises: a pressurized portion having a cross-sectional area that increases in a flow direction of the washing water; and a discharge portion disposed downstream relative to the pressurized portion and configured to discharge the washing water including the microbubbles to the outside of the spray arm through the first discharge hole to be an obvious modification.[page 4]
Regarding claim 29, Xu 529 figure 6 teaches a pair of flow passages 214, a pair of gas guiding channels 201, a throat portion 215 provided at each pair of gas guiding channels 201 thereby suggesting a pair of extension channels that extends in a direction in which the second blade extends; a branch channel that is connected to the pressurized portion and branches to each of the pair of extension channels; and a combined channel to which the pair of extension channels are combined, and wherein the first discharge hole is defined in at least one of the branch channel or the combined channel to be an obvious modification.
Regarding claim 30, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present invention to provide a configuration where each of the branch channel and the combined channel defines a second discharge hole that is opened to a lower side of the spray arm as a rearrangement of parts of the water outlet holes is an obvious design choice.(MPEP 2144.04)
Regarding claim 31, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present invention to provide a configuration where the lower wall defines a second discharge hole configured to discharge the washing water from the discharge channel as a rearrangement of parts of the water outlet holes is an obvious design choice.(MPEP 2144.04)
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CRISTI J TATE-SIMS whose telephone number is (571)272-1722. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am-6pm.
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CRISTI J. TATE-SIMS
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1711
/CRISTI J TATE-SIMS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1711