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 .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority based on an application filed in China on 4/19/2022, 8/31/2022, 9/5/2022. It is noted, however, that applicant has not filed a certified copy of the CN202220911928.5, CN202222327426.0, CN202222330864.2, CN202222360874.0 applications as required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 10/24/2024 was filed after the mailing date of the application on 8/20/2024. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they do not include the following reference sign(s) mentioned in the description: 711. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Specification
The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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 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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 1-4, 6, 10-11, 17, 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Leezer (US 20230194106) in view of Lu et al (CN 212805849).
Regarding claim 1, Leezer teaches a dehumidifier (100), comprising: a machine body (116, 118, 120, 122); a housing (104), the machine body being located in the housing (Fig. 3), and the housing including: a back plate (110) including an inner surface (each side 110 of Fig. 3) and an outer surface (each side 110 of Fig. 3); the inner surface being a surface of the back plate proximate to an interior of the machine body (inner side of 110, Fig. 3), and the outer surface being a surface of the back plate away from the interior of the machine body (outer side of 110, Fig. 3); and a drainage hole (opening, paragraph 0036) located in the back plate and extending through the back plate along a thickness direction of the back plate (understood the opening would extending through 110 to allow efficient removal of water); a drainage pipe (drainage pipe, paragraph 0036) located in the housing; an end of the drainage pipe being communicated with the drainage hole (paragraph 0036); the drainage pipe including an extending portion (understood the pipe would extend for efficient drainage, paragraph 0036), and the extending portion extending along a direction of the inner surface of the back plate towards the outer surface (understood the pipe would extend to the opening for efficient drainage, paragraph 0036) but fails to teach a sealing plug assembly including a sealing plug body; wherein the sealing plug assembly is configured to seal the drainage hole in a case where the dehumidifier does not require drainage; wherein the sealing plug body is detachably connected to the extending portion, and the sealing plug body includes: a first annular structure; a second annular structure; the first annular structure and the second annular structure being spaced apart along a radial direction of the sealing plug body; and a first cavity defined between the first annular structure and the second annular structure; the first cavity being located at a side of the sealing plug body proximate to the machine body, and at least a portion of the extending portion being sealingly connected to the first cavity.
However, Lu teaches a sealing plug assembly including a sealing plug body (1); wherein the sealing plug assembly is configured to seal the drainage hole in a case where the dehumidifier does not require drainage (pg. 3 last paragraph); wherein the sealing plug body is detachably connected to the extending portion (pg. 2 paragraph 3), and the sealing plug body includes: a first annular structure (11); a second annular structure (13); the first annular structure and the second annular structure being spaced apart along a radial direction of the sealing plug body (spacing illustrated in Fig. 6); and a first cavity (area between 11 and 13, Fig. 6) defined between the first annular structure and the second annular structure; the first cavity being located at a side of the sealing plug body proximate to the machine body (location of 11 in Fig. 6), and at least a portion of the extending portion being sealingly connected to the first cavity (Fig. 6) to efficiently seal the drain hole.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person skilled in the art before the effective filing date to modify the dehumidifier of Leezer to include a sealing plug assembly including a sealing plug body; wherein the sealing plug assembly is configured to seal the drainage hole in a case where the dehumidifier does not require drainage; wherein the sealing plug body is detachably connected to the extending portion, and the sealing plug body includes: a first annular structure; a second annular structure; the first annular structure and the second annular structure being spaced apart along a radial direction of the sealing plug body; and a first cavity defined between the first annular structure and the second annular structure; the first cavity being located at a side of the sealing plug body proximate to the machine body, and at least a portion of the extending portion being sealingly connected to the first cavity in view of the teachings of Lu to efficiently seal the drain hole.
Regarding claim 2, the combined teachings teach wherein the sealing plug assembly further includes a connecting member (51 of Lu), and the sealing plug body is disposed on the connecting member (Fig. 5 of Lu); the first annular structure and the second annular structure are provided by the connecting member extending towards the machine body (Fig. 5 of L); the first annular structure and the second annular structure are located at a side of the sealing plug body proximate to the machine body (Fig. 5 of Lu), and the first annular structure is located at an inner side of the second annular structure along a radial direction of the second annular structure (Fig. 6 of Lu).
Regarding claim 3, the combined teachings teach wherein a length of the first annular structure in an axial direction of the sealing plug body is greater than a length of the second annular structure in the axial direction of the sealing plug body (the overall length of 12 is greater than the length of 13, Fig. 6 of Lu).
Regarding claim 4, the combined teachings teach the first annular structure includes at least one sealing rib (17 of Lu) located on a side wall of the first annular structure proximate to the second annular structure; the at least one sealing rib extends in a circumferential direction of the first annular structure, and abuts against an inner circumferential surface of the extending portion (Fig. 6 of Lu).
Regarding claim 6, the combined teachings teach the second annular structure includes a first surface and a second surface (fig. 6 of Lu); the first surface is connected to the second surface (fig. 6 of Lu); the first surface and the second surface are located at a surface of the second annular structure proximate to an axis of the sealing plug body (Fig. 6 of Lu), and the first surface is located at a side of the second surface away from the connecting member (Figs. 5-6 of Lu); wherein the extending portion includes an outer circumferential surface (Figs. 5-6 of Lu), and the outer circumferential surface is a surface of the extending portion away from an axis of the extending portion (Figs. 5-6 of Lu); the outer circumferential surface at least abuts against the second surface of the second annular structure (Figs. 5-6 of Lu).
Regarding claim 10, the combined teachings teach but fails to explicitly teach the first annular structure is an elastic member, and the second annular structure is a plastic member. However, elastic and plastic materials are well known in the art of dehumidifiers to prevent rust from water drainage.
Regarding claim 11, the combined teachings teach the housing further includes an opening (opening unnumbered, Fig. 4 of Lu) located in the back plate; the dehumidifier further comprises a fixing structure (41 of Lu) located on the inner surface of the housing; the sealing plug body and the drainage pipe are detachably connected through the drainage hole (Fig. 4 of Lu); a first end of the connecting member is connected to the sealing plug body (Fig. 4 of Lu), and a second end of the connecting member is connected to the fixing structure through the opening (fig. 4 of Lu).
Regarding claim 17, the combined teachings teach a width of the connecting member at a portion corresponding to the fixing structure is greater than a width of a remaining portion of the connecting member (Figs. 4-6 of Lu).
Regarding claim 20, the combined teachings teach the drainage hole and the fixing structure are respectively located at both sides of the opening along a width direction of the back plate (Figs. 4-6 of Lu).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5, 7-9, 12-16, 18-19 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.
Reasons for Allowance
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Regarding claim 5, the subject matter which is considered to distinguish from the closest prior art of record, Leezer (US 20230194106) in view of Lu et al (CN 212805849). The prior art of record teaches a dehumidifier including a sealing plug assembly with a sealing rib in contrast to the claimed features of at least one sealing rib includes a plurality of sealing ribs, and the plurality of sealing ribs are disposed at intervals; at least one of the plurality of sealing ribs includes a first inclined surface and a second inclined surface; wherein the first inclined surface is connected to the second inclined surface; the first inclined surface is located at a side of the second inclined surface proximate to the drainage pipe, and an absolute value of a slope of the first inclined surface is less than an absolute value of a slope of the second inclined surface.
Regarding claims 7-8, the subject matter which is considered to distinguish from the closest prior art of record, Leezer (US 20230194106) in view of Lu et al (CN 212805849). The prior art of record teaches a dehumidifier including a sealing plug assembly with second annular structure with a first and second surface contrast to the claimed features of the first surface extends obliquely relative to the second surface in a direction away from the axis of the sealing plug body and proximate to the drainage pipe; the second surface extends obliquely in the direction away from the axis of the sealing plug body and proximate to the drainage pipe; an absolute value of a slope of the second surface is less than an absolute value of a slope of the first surface as recited in claim 7; the outer circumferential surface of the extending portion includes a first extending segment and a second extending segment; a first end of the second extending segment is connected to the first extending segment, and a second end of the second extending segment is communicated with the drainage hole; the first extending segment extends obliquely in a direction from the extending portion towards the outer surface of the back plate and in a direction towards an axis of the drainage pipe; the second extending segment extends obliquely in the direction from the extending portion towards the outer surface of the back plate and in the direction towards the axis of the drainage pipe; the second annular structure of the sealing plug body at least abuts against the first extending segment as recited in claim 8.
Regarding claims 12-15, 18-19 , the subject matter which is considered to distinguish from the closest prior art of record, Leezer (US 20230194106) in view of Lu et al (CN 212805849). The prior art of record teaches a dehumidifier including a sealing plug assembly and a housing in contrast to the claimed features of the opening extends through the back plate along the thickness direction of the back plate; the housing further includes a shielding portion, and the shielding portion includes a second cavity; an edge of the shielding portion is connected to the inner surface of the back plate, and the shielding portion is connected to at least one surface of the opening; the second cavity of the shielding portion and the opening together define a first through hole, and the second end of the connecting member is connected to the fixing structure through the first through hole as recited in claim 12; the back plate connected to a side of the opening away from the fixing structure is recessed towards the machine body to provided the shielding portion; a portion of the connecting member is accommodated in the shielding portion as recited in claim 13; a side of the opening proximate to the fixing structure is provided with a third inclined surface, and the third inclined surface extends obliquely in a direction from the inner surface of the back plate to the outer surface and away from the fixing structure as recited in claim 14; the fixing structure is a protrusion disposed on the inner surface of the back plate; the second end of the connecting member is provided with a second through hole; wherein the connecting member is connected to the fixing structure through the second through hole as recited in claim 15; the connecting member includes a connecting member body and at least one first protruding rib; wherein the first protruding rib is located at an end of the connecting member body proximate to the sealing plug body, and the first protruding rib is disposed at a side of the connecting member body away from the outer surface of the back plate as recited in claim 18; the connecting member includes a connecting member body and at least one second protruding rib; wherein the second protruding rib is located at an end of the connecting member body away from the sealing plug body, and the second protruding rib is disposed at a side of the connecting member body away from the inner surface of the back plate as recited in claim 19.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ELIZABETH J MARTIN whose telephone number is (571)270-3840. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30-3:00 CT pm M-F.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jerry-Daryl Fletcher can be reached at (571) 270-5054. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ELIZABETH J MARTIN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3763