DETAILED ACTION
Claim Interpretation
Claims 8-11 are directed to “a filter assembly installed in a washing machine.” The claims are interpreted such that the washing machine is a required component of the claimed invention since the claims require the filter assembly to be installed in the washing machine and the claims recite further limitations of the washing machine. The claims are not interpreted to encompass a filter assembly per se since a filter assembly may be detached from and not installed in a washing machine, or may be provided as a separate component than a washing machine itself.
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.
Claims 1-3 and 6-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Patent Application Publication 20150082658 by Contarini et al. in view of U.S. Patent Application Publication 20140360040 by Sartor et al.
As to claim 1, Contarini teaches a washing machine comprising a main body (fig. 1); a tub 205 inside the main body (fig. 2); an inlet duct through which air discharged from the tub is introduced (inlet portion of recirculation path 245, fig. 2, which directs air to inlet 1205 of base element 705, fig. 12); a heat exchange duct connected with the inlet duct so that the introduced air flows through the heat exchange duct (heat exchange duct comprising portions 1220, 1225 that accommodate an evaporator and condenser, fig. 12, para. 100); a discharge duct connecting the heat exchange duct with the tub so that air is discharged to the tub (duct connected to outlet 1210, figs. 2 and 12); and a filter assembly 710 between the inlet duct and the heat exchange duct (figs. 7, 9, 12).
Contarini does not teach the particular structure of its filter assembly 710; it merely depicts and describes its location (see figs. 7, 12; paras. 94, 96). Thus, Contarini does not teach that its filter assembly includes a housing formed as a polyhedron, filters on at least three different surfaces forming faces of the housing, and a handle connected with the housing to be exposed to an outside of the main body. However, one of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized as obvious to have a filter assembly with the claimed structure in the washing machine of Contarini.
Contarini teaches that air enters an elongated space to accommodate a filter assembly, the air entering at a short end of the space (from inlet 1205, see fig. 12) and exiting the space at long sides of the space. Sartor teaches a washing machine having a filter assembly 510 (fig. 13) installed within an elongated space within a recirculation path (fig. 12), the space configured such that air enters the space at a short end of the space, the air being directed into an open end 1304 of the filter assembly (fig. 13), through filter material 1310, and out lateral sides of the filter to continue flowing within the recirculation path (para. 49). Sartor’s filter assembly includes a housing 1308 formed as a polyhedron, filters 1310 on at least three different surfaces forming faces of the housing, and a handle 1302 connected with the housing (fig. 13).
One of ordinary skill in the art having knowledge of the filter assembly of Sartor would have recognized as obvious to incorporate a filter assembly as claimed into the washing machine of Contarini. The general shape and configuration of the filter taught by Sartor would be suitable to accommodate in the filter space upon routine design modifications to accommodate the particular size and shape of the filter space. Sartor teaches that its filter achieves the intended purpose of filtering lint and other debris from a recirculation flow path and is also structured such that debris remains on the filter during use, and the filter may be easily removed by a user and cleaned (para. 49). One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to include a filter assembly as claimed and suggested by Sartor based on its suitability and advantages demonstrated by Sartor.
Therefore, the claimed invention would have been obvious at its effective filing date.
As to claim 2, Sartor teaches that its filter assembly includes an inlet port 1304 (fig. 13) that would be at a rear of the filter housing when oriented into the filter space of the washing machine of Contarini, the inlet port through which air is received (para. 49), a first discharge port at a side facing the heat exchange duct (see Contarini, fig. 12, one side of the filter would face the heat exchange duct), a second discharge port at a top surface of the housing (an other side of the filter of Sartor), and a third discharge port at a bottom of the filter housing (an other side of the filter of Sartor).
As to claim 3, Sartor teaches that filters are disposed at the first, second, and third discharge ports (sides) (fig. 13).
As to claim 6, Contarini teaches that the filter assembly 710 is at an upper part of the tub (fig. 7).
As to claim 7, the air discharged from the filter assembly is perpendicular to a direction in which the air is introduced through the inlet port (see Sartor, fig. 13, para. 49), which would be a discharge direction to the heat exchange duct of Contarini.
As to claim 8, Contarini teaches a filter assembly 710 installed in a washing machine (fig. 7), the filter assembly comprising a housing and configured such that it is exposed to an outside of a main body of the washing machine through an opening at a front surface of the main body (fig. 7).
Contarini does not teach the particular structure of its filter assembly 710; it merely depicts and describes its location (see figs. 7, 12; paras. 94, 96). Thus, Contarini does not teach that its filter assembly includes a housing formed as a polyhedron, filters on at least three different surfaces forming faces of the housing, and a handle connected with the housing to be exposed to an outside of the main body. However, one of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized as obvious to have a filter assembly with the claimed structure in the washing machine of Contarini.
Contarini teaches that air enters an elongated space to accommodate a filter assembly, the air entering at a short end of the space (from inlet 1205, see fig. 12) and exiting the space at long sides of the space. Sartor teaches a washing machine having a filter assembly 510 (fig. 13) installed within an elongated space within a recirculation path (fig. 12), the space configured such that air enters the space at a short end of the space, the air being directed into an open end 1304 of the filter assembly (fig. 13), through filter material 1310, and out lateral sides of the filter to continue flowing within the recirculation path (para. 49). Sartor’s filter assembly includes a housing 1308 formed as a polyhedron, filters 1310 on at least three different surfaces forming faces of the housing, and a handle 1302 connected with the housing (fig. 13).
One of ordinary skill in the art having knowledge of the filter assembly of Sartor would have recognized as obvious to incorporate a filter assembly as claimed into the washing machine of Contarini. The general shape and configuration of the filter taught by Sartor would be suitable to accommodate in the filter space upon routine design modifications to accommodate the particular size and shape of the filter space. Sartor teaches that its filter achieves the intended purpose of filtering lint and other debris from a recirculation flow path and is also structured such that debris remains on the filter during use, and the filter may be easily removed by a user and cleaned (para. 49). One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to include a filter assembly as claimed and suggested by Sartor based on its suitability and advantages demonstrated by Sartor.
Therefore, the claimed invention would have been obvious at its effective filing date.
As to claim 9, Sartor teaches that its filter assembly includes a first discharge port at a side surface (see Contarini, fig. 12, one side of the filter would be in an air flow direction of the heat exchange duct), a second discharge port at a top surface of the housing (an other side of the filter of Sartor), and a third discharge port at a bottom of the filter housing (an other side of the filter of Sartor).
As to claim 10, Sartor teaches that filters are disposed at the first, second, and third discharge ports (sides) (fig. 13).
Claims 4, 5, and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Patent Application Publication 20150082658 by Contarini et al. in view of U.S. Patent Application Publication 20140360040 by Sartor et al. as applied to claims 1 and 8 above, and further in view of JP2015042216A by Kono et al. and U.S. Patent Application Publication 20100283362 by Choi.
As to claim 4, Contarini does not teach a handle and thus does not teach a handle cover, lever, hook, and engagement projection as claimed. However, one of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized as obvious to have the claimed handle and main body structures.
Kono teaches a handle structure for a washing machine filter, the handle having a cover, a lever at a back surface of the cover and rotatable based on an axis at an opposite end of the lever when one end of the lever is pressed in a front direction, a hook connected with the opposite end of the lever, and a main body that has an engagement projection fastened with the hook when the lever is not pressed, the hook being released when the lever is pressed (figs. 8 and 10). Kono teaches that its filter assembly configuration allows the filter to be taken out of the washing machine by a simple operation and also results in the washing machine having a simple configuration (para. 33).
Choi teaches a washing machine when a handle structure for opening a door, the handle structure being substantially similar in structure and function to the claimed handle and main body engagement projection (see figs. 3, 4, and 6). Choi teaches that its handle structure has a particular benefit of being opened using a small force (para. 79).
One of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized as obvious to incorporate the claimed handle structures and function into the washing machine taught by Contarini. Kono and Choi demonstrate that handles having a cover, lever, and hook, along with a respective engagement projection on a body, are known in the art for their intended purpose. One of ordinary skill in the art would have also had particular motivation to incorporate the structures taught by Kono based on Kono’s teachings of the benefits of simple operation and configuration, and would have been further motivated based on Choi’s teachings that suggest utilization of a pivoting lever, hook, and engagement projection can result in a configuration that needs only a small force to release.
Therefore, the claimed invention would have been obvious at its effective filing date.
As to claim 5, Contarini teaches that its filter assembly 710 is pulled out to the outside of the main body through an opening of the main body (fig. 7). Upon the obvious modification discussed above, the assembly would be pulled out when the lever is pressed in the front surface direction.
As to claim 11, Contarini does not teach a handle and thus does not teach a handle cover, lever, hook, and engagement projection as claimed. However, one of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized as obvious to have the claimed handle and main body structures.
Kono teaches a handle structure for a washing machine filter, the handle having a cover, a lever at a back surface of the cover and rotatable based on an axis at an opposite end of the lever when one end of the lever is pressed in a front direction, a hook connected with the opposite end of the lever, and a main body that has an engagement projection fastened with the hook when the lever is not pressed, the hook being released when the lever is pressed (figs. 8 and 10). Kono teaches that its filter assembly configuration allows the filter to be taken out of the washing machine by a simple operation and also results in the washing machine having a simple configuration (para. 33).
Choi teaches a washing machine when a handle structure for opening a door, the handle structure being substantially similar in structure and function to the claimed handle and main body engagement projection (see figs. 3, 4, and 6). Choi teaches that its handle structure has a particular benefit of being opened using a small force (para. 79).
One of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized as obvious to incorporate the claimed handle structures and function into the filter assembly taught by Contarini. Kono and Choi demonstrate that handles having a cover, lever, and hook, along with a respective engagement projection on a body, are known in the art for their intended purpose. One of ordinary skill in the art would have also had particular motivation to incorporate the structures taught by Kono based on Kono’s teachings of the benefits of simple operation and configuration, and would have been further motivated based on Choi’s teachings that suggest utilization of a pivoting lever, hook, and engagement projection can result in a configuration that needs only a small force to release.
Therefore, the claimed invention would have been obvious at its effective filing date.
Conclusion
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/SPENCER E. BELL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1711