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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I, claims 1-10, in the reply filed on 6/29/2026 is acknowledged.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 3-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claims 3-6 recite the limitation “normal state” in reference to the state of the water supply valve and/or the drain line. The term “normal” renders the claims indefinite because it is a subjective term without a standard meaning and its interpretation would depend on the subjective opinion of a particular individual. MPEP 2173.05(b).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1, 2, 9 and 10 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the prior art does not disclose, or render obvious, a clothes care apparatus as defined by claim 1. There is no apparent teaching, suggestion, or motivation to modify the closest prior art, Ryoo et al. (US 2023/0175194; cited by Applicant) or Lee et al. (US 2022/0396911), to have a clothes care apparatus, comprising: a tub; a water level sensor configured to detect a water level in the tub; a heat exchanger disposed above the tub; a nozzle configured to spray water to the heat exchanger; a water supply valve configured to open or close a water supply flow path for supplying water to the nozzle; a drain line configured to guide condensate water generated by the heat exchanger or the water sprayed by the nozzle to the tub; and a controller configured to: detect a change in the water level in the tub based on a signal transmitted from the water level sensor, and sequentially determine a state of each of the water supply valve, the drain line, and the nozzle based on the change in the water level in the tub. In contrast to the claimed invention, Ryoo discloses a clothes treating apparatus having a first clothes treating apparatus (1000) above a second clothes treating apparatus (2000), a control panel (910) provided between front panels of the cabinets, the first clothes treating apparatus having a first heat exchanger (510) and a second heat exchanger (530), a plurality of injection nozzles (651) are provided to spray water to clean the first heat exchanger (510) and are connected to a first water supply (251), and a drain valve connection pipe (682) is connected to a water collection body (671). In contrast to the claimed invention, Lee discloses a washing drying machine (110) having a heat pump (140), including an evaporator (141) and a condenser (143), and a cleaner (200) to clean the condenser (143), wherein a cleaning nozzle (21) is connected to a condensate water storage tank (221) and the condenser can drain to the water to a washing drum discharge flow path (240).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAVID G CORMIER whose telephone number is (571)270-7386. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 9:30 - 6:00.
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DAVID G. CORMIER
Examiner
Art Unit 1711
/DAVID G CORMIER/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1711
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