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
1. Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority based on an application filed in Korea on 9/26/2023. It is noted, however, that applicant has not filed a certified copy of the Korean application as required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
2. 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.
3. Claims 1, 2, 5, 6, 8-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by EP3690127 A1 (EP ‘127).
With respect to claim 1, EP ‘127 shows a laundry treating apparatus (Fig.1) comprising: a cabinet (10, FIg.1) including a front (101) having an inlet (106, Fig.10) defined therein; an accommodation portion (tub) disposed inside the cabinet to accommodate laundry input via the inlet (106) therein; a door seating portion (103, FIg.10) defined in the front panel (101), surrounding the inlet (106), and recessed rearward (Fig.10); and a door (12, Fig.1, Fig.3) disposed on the front panel to open and close the inlet (106), wherein at least a portion of the door (12) is accommodated in the door seating portion (103, Fig.10) in a state of closing the inlet (106), wherein the door includes: a door frame (13, FIg.3) pivotably coupled to the front panel (via hinge unit 24) and accommodated in the door seating portion (103); and a door cover (20) covering a front surface of the door frame (13, FIg.3, FIg.1, Fig.10) and exposed forward, wherein the door frame includes: an inner frame (19, Fig.3) accommodated in the door seating portion (103, Fig.13) and facing the inlet (106); and an outer frame (14, Fig.3) coupled to the inner frame (19) from the front and having the door cover (20) disposed on a front surface thereof, wherein at least a portion (at 16, FIg.13, FIg.14) of the outer frame (14) is configured to be accommodated in the door seating portion (103, Fig.13, Fig.14).
With respect to claim 2, EP ‘127 shows wherein a portion (16) of the outer frame (14) is configured to be positioned rearward of a front surface of the front panel (101, Fig.13, Fig.14), and a remainder thereof (15, FIg.13) is configured to be positioned forward of the front surface of the front panel (101).
With respect to claim 5, wherein an edge of the door frame (13) includes a frame circumferential portion (34, FIg.15, Fig.16) protruding forward and extending along an edge of the door cover (20), wherein a front end of the frame circumferential portion (34) is configured to be positioned forward of a front end of the front panel (101, Fig.13, Fig.14).
With respect to claim 6, wherein a frame coupling portion (coupling portion at the rear ends of 19 and 16, at 232 in FIg.13 and at 231 in FIg.14) where the inner frame (19) and the outer frame (at 16) are coupled to each other is configured to be located at the rear of a front surface of the front panel (101, Fig.13, FIg.14).
With respect to claim 8, wherein an edge (at 201, Fig.14) of a front surface of the door cover (20) is configured to be positioned forward of the front end (at 34, FIg.14) of the door frame (14, Fig.13).
With respect to claim 9, wherein the door cover (20) includes a connecting curved surface (201, FIg.16/FIg.14) connecting an edge of a front surface of the door cover (20) with a front end of a circumferential surface of the door cover (Fig.16), wherein at least a portion of the connecting curved surface (201) is configured to be protrude forward of a front end of the door frame (FIg.14/Fig.16).
With respect to claim 10, wherein a front end of the connecting curved surface (201, Fig.14) is configured to be positioned forward of the front end of the door frame (at 34, FIg.16/Fig.14), wherein a rear end (at 202, Fig.14/Fig.16) of the connecting curved surface (201) is configured to be positioned rearward of the front end (at 34, Fig.14/Fig.16) of the door frame.
With respect to claim 11, wherein the circumferential surface (202/203, Fig.14, Fig.16) of the door cover (20) is configured to be positioned rearward of the front end (at 34) of the door frame (14).
With respect to claim 12, wherein an edge of the door frame (top edge of 15, Fig.13) includes a frame circumferential portion (at opposite side of arrow pointing at 36 in Fig.13 connected to cover 20) protruding forward and extending along a circumferential surface of the door cover, wherein an edge of a front surface of the door cover (top edge of 20) and a front end of the frame circumferential portion are configured to be positioned together on one surface perpendicular to the ground (Fig.13).
With respect to claim 13, wherein an edge of the door frame includes a frame circumferential portion (34, FIg.14) protruding forward and extending along a circumferential surface of the door cover (20, Fig.3, FIg.15), wherein an edge (201, Fig.14 exploded figure) of a front surface of the door cover (20) is configured to be positioned forward of a front end of the frame circumferential portion (34, Fig.14 exploded figure).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
4. 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.
5. Claims 3 and 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over EP3690127 A1 (EP ‘127) in further in view of CN 208917544 U (CN ‘544).
With respect to claim 3, EP ‘127 doesn’t show the front surface of the outer frame is positioned rearward of a front surface of the front panel. CN ‘544 shows a door seating portion (86, FIg.1) defined in the front panel (9, Fig.1, FIg.6), a door (6, Fig.1) disposed on the front panel to open and close the inlet, wherein at least a portion of the door (6) is accommodated in the door seating portion (86) in a state of closing the inlet (Fig.6), wherein the door includes: a door frame (63, 64, Fig.2) accommodated in the door seating portion (86); and a door cover (61, FIg.1, Fig.7) covering a front surface of the door frame and exposed forward, wherein the door frame (63, 64) includes: an inner frame (63) accommodated in the door seating portion and facing the inlet (Fig.2); and an outer frame (64, Fig.2, Fig.7) coupled to the inner frame from the front and having the door cover (61) disposed on a front surface thereof (Fig.6), wherein at least a portion of the outer frame (64) is configured to be accommodated in the door seating portion (86, Fig.6); wherein the front surface of the outer frame (64) is configured to be positioned rearward of a front surface of the front panel (9, Fig.6). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to modify the door seating portion and the door frame of EP ‘127, such that the front surface of the outer frame is positioned rearward of a front surface of the front panel, such as taught by CN ‘544, in order to provide a flush front surface on the laundry treatment apparatus to provide aesthetically pleasing outer appearance of the apparatus and make it easier to clean the apparatus and prevent debris from entering space between the door and the cabinet.
With respect to claim 4, the combination (CN ‘544) teaches wherein the outer frame (64) includes a cover seating portion (at 62, Fig.6) recessed rearward to provide a space where at least a portion of the door cover (61) is configured to be inserted, wherein a recessed surface of the cover seating portion (62) is positioned rearward of a front surface of the front panel (9, Fig.6).
6. Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over EP3690127 A1 (EP ‘127) in further in view of US 2007/0113421 A1 (Uhara).
With respect to claim 7, EP ‘127 shows wherein an edge of a front surface of the door cover (20) is configured to be positioned forward of the front surface of the front panel (101, FIg.10) but doesn’t show a portion of the door cover is positioned rearward of a front surface of the front panel. Uhara shows wherein a portion of the door cover (72, Fig.1) is configured to be positioned rearward of a front surface of the front (front panel of main body 1, Fig.1) , wherein an edge of a front surface of the door cover (72) is configured to be positioned forward of the front surface of the front panel (Fig.1). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to make a portion of the door cover rearward of a front surface of the front panel, such as taught by Uhara, in order to provide aesthetically pleasing outer appearance of the door that is not protruded out too much and thus prevent debris from entering the edges of the door.
Conclusion
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/HIWOT E TEFERA/Examiner, Art Unit 3637