DETAILED ACTION
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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, 2, 4, 5 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Zhang USPA 2023/0003402 A1.
Regarding claim 1, Zhang discloses a humidifier, comprising: a water tank that stores water (figures: tank 4); and a humidification water tank that receives water from the water tank to generate humidified air (figures: tank 7), wherein the humidification water tank comprises: a humidification water tank wall having a chamber in which water is stored (see figure 9); at least one vibrator (figures: atomization piece 8; paragraph 56) disposed at a lower side of the humidification water tank wall and having a vibration plate configured to vibrate the water stored in the chamber (paragraph 56); a humidification water tank cover disposed at an upper side of the humidification water tank wall (figures: 11), and having an air discharge hole through which the humidified air generated in the chamber is discharged (figures: 112, 113); and a lower extension wall that extends downward from the humidification water tank cover on at least one side of a circumference of the air discharge hole (figure 9: wall up and to the right of holes 113), wherein the vibration plate is inclined in a direction in which the lower extension wall is disposed (figure 9: inclined portion at the top of vibrator 8).
Regarding claim 2, Zhang discloses that an inclination angle formed between a surface of the lower extension wall, which extends downward, and an upper surface of the vibration plate is an acute angle (figure 9: angle of inclined portion at the top of vibrator 8).
Regarding claim 4, a circumferential surface of the air discharge hole can be defined as a first region, in which the lower extension wall is disposed, and a second region can be defined as the area located in a direction facing the first region, wherein the vibration plate is disposed closer to the first region than the second region (see figure 9).
Regarding claim 5, Zhang discloses that the vibration plate (figure 9: 8) is disposed below the air discharge hole (figure 9: 113).
Regarding claim 13, Zhang discloses an inner shell that defines a space in which the water tank is disposed (figures: shell 8 and 9), and having a discharge flow path at a position spaced apart from the water tank, wherein the humidification water tank cover comprises an air discharge pipe that extends upward to allow the humidified air, generated in the humidification water tank, to flow upward, and is connected to a lower end of the inner shell (figures: discharge pipe 118).
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 3, 6-12 and 16-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang USPA 2023/0003402 A1.
Zhang is relied upon as above.
Regarding claim 3, Zhang does not disclose that the vibration plate is inclined at an inclination angle of from 3° to 5° with respect to an imaginary horizontal line that extends parallel to a ground plane.
Regarding claim 6, Zhang does not disclose that the at least one vibrator comprises a plurality of vibrators, each having a vibration plate, wherein the vibration plates comprise a first vibration plate, and a second vibration plate spaced apart from the first vibration plate in a first direction, and wherein the lower extension wall comprises a first lower extension wall, and a second lower extension wall spaced apart from the first lower extension wall in the first direction. Nevertheless, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to include multiple vibration plates and extension walls, since it has been held that mere duplication of the essential working parts of a device involves only routine skill in the art. MPEP 2144.04 (VI-B). One having ordinary skill in the art would understand that additional vibrators would allow for additional excitation of water.
Regarding claim 7, in the case where Zhang is modified to include multiple vibration plates and extension walls, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art have the first lower extension wall is disposed in a direction facing the first vibration plate, and the second lower extension wall disposed in a direction facing the second vibration plate, since Zhang discloses that the extension wall faces the vibration plate (see figure 9).
Regarding claim 8, in the case where Zhang is modified to include multiple extension walls, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to include a slit in order to allow gas flow in order for the device to still operate.
Regarding claim 9, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to include any number of extension walls for the purpose of directing gas through the device, since it has been held that mere duplication of the essential working parts of a device involves only routine skill in the art. MPEP 2144.04 (VI-B).
Regarding claims 10-12, Zhang does not disclose the claimed ribs. Nevertheless, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the claimed invention to include such ribs for structural support purposes, as is well-known in the art. MPEP 2144.03 (A-E). The exact configuration and placement of such ribs would have been obvious to optimize for optimal support.
Regarding claim 16, Zhang discloses a fan disposed at a lower side of the second humidification water tank and configured to generate an air flow (paragraph 78); and a connection pipe that supplies water, stored in the first humidification water tank, to the second humidification water tank (figure 8: tanks 4 and 7 are connected) and an air supply hole through which air blown by the fan is supplied to the second chamber (see figure 9: airflow implies a supply hole), wherein inside of the second humidification water tank, a lower extension wall is disposed between the air discharge hole and the air supply hole, and extends downward from an upper surface of the second humidification water tank (figure 9: wall up and to the right of holes 113). Zhang does not disclose that the vibration plate is disposed closer to the air discharge hole than the air supply hole with respect to the lower extension wall. Nevertheless, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to have the vibration plate be disposed closer to the air discharge hole than the air supply hole with respect to the lower extension wall, since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. MPEP 2144.04 (VI-C).
Regarding claims 17 and 18, in the case where a slit is added (see rejection of claim 8), the exact orientation and size of the slit would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to optimize air flow, as is generally known in the art. MPEP 2144.03 (A-E).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 19 and 20 are allowed.
Claims 14 and 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The prior art does not disclose claims 14 and 19, in particular having the claimed groove formed in a lower portion of the air discharge pipe, and wherein the lower groove is recessed in a radially outward direction of the air discharge pipe.
Conclusion
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/CHRISTOPHER P JONES/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1776
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