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 § 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.
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) 24-27, and 29-31 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Heo et al. (US 2011/0241501; cited by Applicant) in view of Rodo (WO 2012/149271; cited by Applicant)
Regarding claim 24, Heo discloses a laundry treating apparatus comprising: a first treating apparatus including a first cabinet and a first drum disposed inside the first cabinet to accommodate laundry therein (210; paragraph 40); and a second treating apparatus including a second cabinet disposed on top of the first cabinet, and a second drum disposed inside the second cabinet to accommodate the laundry therein (110; paragraph 40), wherein the first cabinet includes a top panel defining a top surface of the first treating apparatus and supporting the second cabinet (212), wherein the second cabinet includes a leg protruding toward the top panel and supported by the top panel (140), wherein the top panel includes a leg seating portion recessed away from the second cabinet, wherein the leg is seated in the leg seating portion (214)
Heo does not expressly disclose wherein an interior of the leg is configured to open toward the leg seating portion.
Rodo discloses an appliance leg having a threaded tube (1) terminating in a support block or base (7), wherein the base is depicted in cross-section as being hollow and having an open bottom (Figure 3).
Because it is known in the art to have an appliance leg as claimed, and the results of the modification would be predictable, namely, use of a known element for a known purpose, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have wherein an interior of the leg is configured to open toward the leg seating portion.
Claims 25-27, and 29-31 are considered to be met by modified Heo as applied above and which results in: wherein the leg is formed in a shape of a hollow column (Rodo: Figure 3: 7); wherein the leg is configured to be combinable with an additional leg having at least a portion inserted into the leg (Rodo: Figures 1-3; note that the additional is not a positively recited structure, and the leg of Rodo would be capable of such use); wherein the second cabinet includes a base defining a bottom surface of the second treating apparatus, wherein the leg is configured to extend downward from the base (Heo: bottom of 110; see 140); wherein the top panel includes a plurality of surfaces parallel to ground but having different vertical levels (Heo: see top surface of 210 and surface supporting 140); wherein the top panel includes a first surface and a second surface having a vertical level different from a vertical level of the first surface (Heo: see top surface of 210 and surface supporting 140), wherein the top panel includes a plurality of leg seating portions, and at least one of the plurality of leg seating portions is positioned on a boundary between the first surface and the second surface (214, see side walls of 214); wherein the vertical level of the second surface is higher than the vertical level of the first surface, wherein the first treating apparatus includes an internal component disposed inside the first cabinet and having at least a portion positioned below the second surface (Heo: see top surface of 210 and surface supporting 140; paragraph 40, see drum).
Claim(s) 28 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Heo et al. (US 2011/0241501; cited by Applicant), in view of Rodo (WO 2012/149271; cited by Applicant), and further in view of Kim et al. (US 2017/0096771; hereafter, “Kim ‘771) and Kim et al. (US 2007/0113596; hereafter, “Kim ‘596”).
Regarding claim 28, Heo, in view of Rodo, is relied upon as above, but does not expressly disclose wherein the base includes a leg reinforcing rib extending along a radial direction of the leg from the leg.
Kim ‘771 discloses a washing machine having support legs (16) which appear to be connected to radial ribs (Figure 3: 16, 16a). Kim ‘596 discloses a tub structure having radial ribs to strengthen a rear wall of a tub (Figure 2: 21; Figure 3: 125; paragraphs 14, 18-20).
Because Kim ‘771 appears to show a support leg connected with radial ribs, and it is also known in the art to have radial ribs for strengthening where stress is concentrated, and the results of the modification would be predictable, namely, use of a known element for a known purpose, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have wherein the base includes a leg reinforcing rib extending along a radial direction of the leg from the leg.
Claim(s) 32 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Heo et al. (US 2011/0241501; cited by Applicant), in view of Rodo (WO 2012/149271; cited by Applicant), and further in view of Sonoda et al. (US 2020/0232143).
Regarding claim 32, Heo, in view of Rodo, is relied upon as above, but does not expressly disclose wherein the first treating apparatus includes a driver configured to rotate the first drum, wherein the internal component corresponds to at least a portion of a first controller configured to control the driver and perform a laundry treatment course.
Sonoda discloses a washing machine having a body (2), a drum (4), a drive unit (5) to drive the drum, and a controller (6) controlling a drive unit (5; paragraph 125), both the controller and drive unit are inside the body (Figure 1).
Because it is known in the art to have a driver and controller as claimed, and the results of the modification would be predictable, namely, use of known elements for a known purpose, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have wherein the first treating apparatus includes a driver configured to rotate the first drum, wherein the internal component corresponds to at least a portion of a first controller configured to control the driver and perform a laundry treatment course.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 33-42 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the prior art does not disclose, or render obvious, a laundry treating apparatus as defined by the combination of claims 24 and 33; the combination of claims 24 and 34; or the combination of claims 24 and 35.
Regarding claim 33, there is no apparent teaching, suggestion, or motivation to modify the closest prior art, Heo et al. (US 2011/0241501; cited by Applicant), to further include wherein the top panel includes a grounding portion recessed downward and connected with a grounding line, wherein the grounding portion is configured to extend along an edge of the top panel and is open outward of the top panel along a direction parallel to ground, wherein the grounding portion includes a grounding surface coupled with the grounding line, and a grounding side surface extending along an edge of the grounding surface, and wherein at least a portion of the grounding side surface is configured to extend at an angle with respect to an extension direction of the grounding portion.
Regarding claim 34, there is no apparent teaching, suggestion, or motivation to modify the closest prior art, Heo et al. (US 2011/0241501; cited by Applicant), to further include wherein the top panel includes a guide surface facing the second cabinet, wherein a first guide rib protruding toward the second cabinet and extending along a first direction to suppress movement of the second cabinet is disposed on the guide surface, wherein the first treating apparatus includes a first controller disposed inside the first cabinet and configured to perform a laundry treatment course by controlling a driver configured to rotate the first drum, wherein the top panel further includes a control surface positioned higher than the guide surface, and wherein at least a portion of the first controller is disposed below the control surface.
Regarding claim 35, there is no apparent teaching, suggestion, or motivation to modify the closest prior art, Heo et al. (US 2011/0241501; cited by Applicant), to further include wherein the top panel includes a guide surface facing the second cabinet, wherein a first guide rib protruding toward the second cabinet and extending along a first direction to suppress movement of the second cabinet is disposed on the guide surface, wherein the first treating apparatus includes: a tub disposed inside the first cabinet, having the first drum disposed therein, and configured to accommodate water therein; and a detergent supply disposed inside the first cabinet, storing detergent therein, and configured to supply the detergent into the tub, wherein the top panel includes a detergent supply surface positioned higher than the guide surface and having at least a portion of the detergent supply disposed below.
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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