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 .
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, 7, and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Gong et al. (“Gong” hereinafter) (CN 210902629) (see attached machine translation).
Regarding claims 1 and 8, Gong discloses a water purifier (paragraph [0004]), comprising:
a main body (paragraph 0009]); and
a water dispensing unit (paragraph [0023]) installed in the main body for dispensing hot water, purified water, or cold water,
wherein the water dispensing unit includes:
a first flow pipe (item 12, figure 1) providing a first dispensing passage (figure 1) for dispensing hot water (paragraph [0031]);
a second flow pipe (item 13, figure 1) providing a second dispensing passage for dispensing purified water or cold water (paragraph [0031]); and
an outer pipe (item 11, figure 1) surrounding the first flow pipe and the second flow pipe, the outer pipe being formed integrally with at least a portion of the first flow pipe and the second flow pipe (chamber 11 includes a couple of integral walls with hot water pipe 12 and cold-water pipe 13, figure 1),
wherein a first water outlet (outlet of hot water pipe 12, figure 1) is provided at a bottom end of the first flow pipe, and a second water outlet (outlet of cold water pipe 13, figure 1) is provided at a bottom end of the second flow pipe, a diameter of the second water outlet being larger than a diameter of the first water outlet (diameter of second outlet is clearly shown as larger than the diameter of the first outlet, figure 1), and
wherein the flow pipe includes:
a hot water pipe section (upstream end of hot water pipe 12, figure 1); and
a nozzle section (bottom outlet of hot water pipe 12, figure 1) extending from a lower end of the hot water pipe section and having an inner diameter smaller than an inner diameter of the hot water pipe section in a downward direction to delay dispensing of the water (paragraphs [0035], [0045]).
Regarding claim 7, Gong discloses that the first flow pipe and the second flow pipe are formed integrally (flow pipes 12 and 13 share a wall together, figure 1).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-6 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.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 08/06/2026 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Applicant’s amendment to independent claims 1 and 8 required further consideration which resulted in a new grounds of rejections. Prior art Gong teaches each and every limitation of claims 1 and 8 and thus they remain rejected as being anticipated by Gong. Claim 7 also remains rejected under the same grounds.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to VISHAL J PANCHOLI whose telephone number is (571)272-9324. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday (9 am - 7 pm).
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/Vishal Pancholi/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3754
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