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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Santinato (US 2009/0118848 cited in IDS).
Regarding claim 1, Santinato figures 1-4 teach a front facade structure of a front door of a dishwasher appliance, having the structure comprising:
a wall (12 door) for sealed closure of the washing tank (10 cavity),
a facing panel (14 panel), and
at least one housing (5 casing) enclosing electronic means (30 resonant circuit,33 electric circuit, 34 high charge capacity capacitor) for controlling monitoring and managing operation of the appliance,
wherein the abovementioned facing panel (14 panel) is mounted on an outer face of the abovementioned wall, at a distance from the wall so that a space that separates the facing panel from the wall can receive the at least one housing enclosing the electronic means for controlling, monitoring and managing the operation of the appliance.[0019-27]
Santinato teaches a casing 5 to be coupled (fixed or removable) by usual means (for example magnetic, glue or mechanical such as clips, screws or the like) to a housing 6 of a household electrical appliance 7 thereby reading on the at least one housing is fastened to the facing panel by fastening means fasteners that are accessible and removable from a front face of the latter facing panel.[0019]
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claim(s) 2-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Santinato (US 2009/0118848 cited in IDS), as applied to claim 1.
Regarding claim 2, Santinato figure 2 teaches resonant circuit 30 of the interface 1 is located within an electric circuit 33 comprising a high charge capacity capacitor 34 (supercapacitor) able to accumulate energy and enable correct operation of the interface 1. This energy is therefore received by the electromagnetic or radio connection with the circuit 31.[0027] Santinato further teaches the interface 1 comprises an electromagnetically resonant circuit 30 (or via radio) coupled to another oscillating circuit 31 associated with the interior of the appliance housing 12, which is forced into oscillation. This circuit 31, which can also be positioned on a wall defining the appliance internal cavity 10 in proximity to the aperture 27 in the housing side 11, is connected to the control unit 21 for the appliance operation so as to receive therefrom the information to be transmitted, remotely or without wires, to the interface 1 thereby suggesting electronic means arriving at and coming from the electronic means situated in the housing through a wall of the housing, the flat cable of conductors being housed in the space. [0024]
However, Santinato is silent to the electronic means are connected to a flat cable of conductors.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present invention to provide a flat cable of conductors as they serve the same purpose as the resonant circuit 30 and electric circuit 33 of Santinato of controlling the electrical appliance operation and therefore art recognized suitability for an intended purpose.(MPEP 2144.07)
Regarding claim 3, Santinato teaches a casing 5 to be coupled (fixed or removable) by usual means (for example magnetic, glue or mechanical such as clips, screws or the like) to a housing 6 of a household electrical appliance 7 thereby suggesting said fastening means are constituted by the fasteners include screws that pass through an external peripheral edge of the housing, which are the screws being adapted to a material of the facing panel to be an obvious modification as figure 1 teaches one or more pushbuttons and/or display elements (such as LEDs or the like) 4 provided on the display panel 3.[0019]
Regarding claim 4, Santinato teaches the structure comprises a decorative cover (3 display panel) that fits over the peripheral edge so as to conceal the fastening screws. [0019]
Regarding claim 5, Santinato teaches coupling means for example magnetic, glue or mechanical such as clips, screws or the like thereby suggesting the cover has magnetized pegs facing heads of the screws to be an obvious modification.
Regarding claim 6, Santinato teaches the invention is directed towards a household electrical appliance such as a dishwasher thereby reading on a dishwasher having a front door and electronic means for controlling, monitoring and managing the operation of the appliance that are housed in a front facade structure of a front door that is in accordance with any one of the preceding claims comprising the structure as claimed in claim 1.[0018]
Regarding claim 7, Santinato teaches a casing 5 to be coupled (fixed or removable) by usual means (for example magnetic, glue or mechanical such as clips, screws or the like) to a housing 6 of a household electrical appliance 7 thereby suggesting the fasteners include screws that pass through an external peripheral edge of the housing, the screws being adapted to a material of the facing panel to be an obvious modification as figure 1 teaches one or more pushbuttons and/or display elements (such as LEDs or the like) 4 provided on the display panel 3.[0019]
Regarding claim 8, Santinato teaches the structure comprises a decorative cover (3 panel) that fits over the peripheral edge so as to conceal the screws.
Regarding claim 9, Santinato teaches coupling means for example magnetic, glue or mechanical such as clips, screws or the like thereby suggesting the cover has magnetized pegs facing heads of the screws to be an obvious modification.
Regarding claims 10-16, Santinato teaches the invention is directed towards a household electrical appliance such as a dishwasher thereby reading on a dishwasher having a front door comprising the structure as claimed in claims 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, and 9. [0018]
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Masciovecchio (US 12,000,074) directed towards an appliance utilizing a magnet coupled to the panel and configured to magnetically engage the front wall when in the second position.
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CRISTI J. TATE-SIMS
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1711
/CRISTI J TATE-SIMS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1711
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