DETAILED CORRESPONDENCE
Acknowledgements
This office action is in response to the application filed 7/31/2024.
Claims 1-20 are pending and have been examined.
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 § 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 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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yang et al. (US 2012/0204607 A1).
Re claim 1, Yang discloses a bubble generator (ref. 70, see figs. 2-4), comprising:
a housing (ref. 71) comprising a first port (ref. 71a) connected to a pump (ref. 61 via ref. 64, see fig. 1), a second port (ref. 71e) connected to a drum (ref. 30), and a third port (ref. 71d) connected to a tub (ref. 20); a valve device (ref. 72) comprising a valve (ref. 72a opening/closing port to open and close the switching passage 71 c) rotatably installed inside the housing (see figs. 2-4), and configured to form an orifice portion whose passage width decreases from the first port toward the third port inside the housing based on an opening between the first port and the third port (see figs. 3-4 movement of ref. 72a changes effective width of ref. 71c) and forming an air inlet between the second port and the third port (¶ [0040]-[0041] air is sucked into 71 c from tub 20); and an actuator (ref. 731) configured to adjust a rotation angle of the valve device.
Re claims 2-7, wherein the second port is connected to the drum by a first connection pipe (ref. 13), and wherein one end of the first connection pipe is connected to the second port, and another end thereof is connected to an upper side of the drum (see fig. 1). wherein the first port is configured to provide washing water from the pump into the housing (¶ [0032]). wherein the third port is installed under the tub (see fig. 1). wherein the valve device is configured to form a wall for interrupting flow of washing water from the first port toward the second port based on an opening between the first port and the third port (see figs. 3-4 arrows indicating flow). wherein the valve device is configured to guide air introduced through the air inlet toward the orifice portion based on an opening between the first port and the third port (¶ [0040]-[0041] air in the water tub 20 is sucked into orifice portion). wherein based on an opening between the first port and the third port (see fig. 3), the passage width of the orifice portion is greater than or equal to a passage width of the air inlet (see fig. 3 opening to the third port enables formation of the air inlet at ref. 71c thus having an equal passage width). wherein based on an opening between the first port and the third port, the bubble generator is configured to mix washing water introduced through the first port with air introduced through the air inlet in the orifice portion to be converted into a bubble, and configured to discharge the bubble through the third port (¶ [0040]-[0041]).
Re claims 8-16, wherein the valve device is configured to form a circulation flow path portion instead of the orifice portion based on closing between the first port and the third port, and wherein the bubble generator is configured to discharge washing water introduced through the first port through the circulation flow path portion and then the second port (see fig. 4 circulation flow path portion to ref. 71e). wherein two opposite ends of the valve device contact an inner wall of the housing based on the first port and the third port being closed (see fig. 4), and one end of the valve device contacts the inner wall of the housing based on the first port and the third port being opened (see fig. 3). wherein the valve device includes a rotation shaft (ref. 72b) configured to be rotated by an actuator (ref. 731) and a plate (ref. 72a) connected to the rotation shaft, and wherein the plate has a specified included angle with respect to the rotation shaft (see fig. 2 ref. 72a appearing flat with a portion with a raised rim). wherein the included angle is obtuse angle or equal to 180 degrees (180 degrees flat). wherein the included angle has a value greater than an obtuse angle formed by an axial line of the first port and an axial line of the second port (see figs. 2-3 180 degrees is greater than angle between axial lines of ref. 71a and 71e). wherein the housing includes one or more engaging protrusions provided inside the housing to contact the plate (see fig. figs. 3-4 left portion of ref. 71c having a protrusion type shape to match the curvature of ref. 72a). wherein the engaging protrusions include a front protrusion the plate may contact the front protrusion based on opening between the first port and the third port (see figs. 2-3 left portion of ref. 71c) and regarding “a rear protrusion” the mere duplication and/or change in shape of the right-wall of ref. 71c to similarly match the curvature of the plate 72a is prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art. wherein the housing may include one or more embossed surfaces provided inside the housing to contact an edge of the plate (see figs. 3-4 left wall of ref .71c is embossed to curvature of plate 72a).
Re claim 17, Independent claim 17 defines over claim 1 only in the recitation of a washer. Yang further discloses the washer (¶ [0025], see fig. 1).
Re claims 18-20, wherein the first port is configured to provide washing water introduced from the pump into the housing (see fig. 1 via ref. 64), wherein the second port is connected to the drum by a first connection pipe (ref. 13), and wherein one end of the first connection pipe is connected to the second port, and another end of the first connection pipe is connected to an upper side of the drum, and wherein the third port is installed under the tub (see fig. 1). wherein the valve device is configured to form a wall for interrupting flow of washing water from the first port toward the second port based on an opening between the first port and the third port (see fig. 3). wherein the valve device is configured to guide air introduced through the air inlet toward the orifice portion based on an opening between the first port and the third port (¶ [0040]-[0041] air in the water tub 20 is sucked into orifice portion).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US20160153134A1 note electromagnetic valve control for air inlet.
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KEVIN G. LEE
Examiner
Art Unit 1711
/KEVIN G LEE/Examiner, Art Unit 1711