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.
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.
Claims 17-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chang et al. (US20200080254) in view of Lee et al. (KR20110103136A).
Regarding claims 17-19, Chang et al. teaches a clothing treatment apparatus (see abstract) comprising: a cabinet 10 having an opening 10a defined at a front side thereof (see figure 2, paragraphs [0047]-[0049]); an inner casing 30 disposed inside the cabinet 10 and capable of accommodating clothes therein (see figures 2, 3, paragraphs [0047]-[0049]); a door 20 pivotably coupled to the cabinet 10 and configured to open and close the opening 10a of the cabinet 10 (see figures 1-3, paragraphs [0047]-[0051]); and a machine room 40 comprising (i) a heat supply 41 configured to supply hot air to the inner casing 30 and (ii) a steam supply 70, 71, 73 configured to supply steam to the inner casing (see figures 3, 4, paragraphs [0047], [0058]-[0062], [0067], [0070]), wherein the steam supply 70, 71, 73 comprises: a water supply tank 71 detachably disposed in the machine room 40 and capable of storing water therein (see figures 2-4, paragraphs [0055]-[0058], [0070]), a steam generator 73 that accommodates a heater assembly, the heater assembly being capable of heating water to generate steam (see figure 3, paragraphs [0070]-[0071]), and a steam nozzle 100 that is in fluid in communication with the steam generator 73 and capable of supplying the steam generated by the steam generator 73 into the inner casing 30; the steam nozzle 100 is disposed above the steam generator 73 (reads on claim 18) (see figures 3, 5, 8, 10, 11, paragraphs [0070], [0071], [0093], [0094]). Chang et al. does not teach the steam nozzle being configured to receive the water from the water supply tank and to provide the water to the steam generator. Lee et al. teaches a clothing treatment apparatus (see abstract) and that the steam nozzle 730 being configured to receive water and to provide the water to the steam generator 710, the steam supply further comprises a recovery hose 7311 capable of providing the water from the steam nozzle 730 to the steam generator 710 (reads on claim 19), allowing for a system that improves the speed of conversion of water to steam and minimizes residual water (see figures, 2, 3, 5, pages 3-5 of the translation). Since both Chang et al. and Lee et al. teach clothing treatment apparatuses with steam generators it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant invention that the steam nozzle in the system by Chang et al. may be configured to receive water and to provide the water to the steam generator, so as to allow for a system that improves the speed of conversion of water to steam and minimizes residual water, as shown to be known and conventional by Lee et al.
Claims 21 and 22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chang et al. (US20200080254) in view of Lee et al. (KR20110103136A) as applied to claim 17 and further in view of Oak (US20210025108).
Regarding claims 21 and 22, Chang et al. and Lee et al. together teach the limitations of claim 17. Chang et al. also teaches that the steam supply 70, 71, 73 further comprises: a fluidic connection including a water supply pipe 72 capable of supplying the water stored in the water supply tank 71 to the steam nozzle 100. Chang et al. does not teach a water pump configured to supply the water stored in the water supply tank to the steam nozzle; and a water supply pipe that fluidly connects the water pump and the steam nozzle to each other. Oak teaches a laundry treatment apparatus (see abstract) and that a water pump 120 may be configured to supply the water stored in the water supply tank 58 to the steam nozzle 140; and a water supply pipe 142 capable of supplying the water stored in the water supply tank 58 to the steam nozzle 140, a steam hose 182 capable of transferring the steam generated from the steam generator 130 to the steam nozzle 140 (reads on claim 22), allowing for the expected pressurized direction of fluid (see figures 2-3, paragraphs [0088], [0111]-[0113]). Since both Chang et al. and Oak teach laundry treatment apparatuses with steam generators it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant invention that a water pump may be included in the system by Chang et al. so as to provide pressurized direction of fluid from the water supply tank to the steam nozzle, as shown to be known and conventional by Oak.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 20 and 23-36 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 closest prior art of record is Chang et al. (US20200080254). Chang et al. fails to teach/disclose all of the limitations of claims 20 and 23. Furthermore, no other prior art was located that fairly suggested the claimed invention in whole or in part along with the requisite motivation for combination to anticipate or render the claimed invention obvious.
Conclusion
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/TINSAE B AYALEW/EXAMINER, Art Unit 1711
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