DETAILED ACTION
The communication dated 9/19/2024 has been entered and fully considered.
Claims 1-20 are currently pending.
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 .
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.
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 1-6 and 16-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Jerg et al. U.S. Publication 2012/0240965 (henceforth referred to as Jerg).
As for claim 1, Jerg teaches a dish washer (Fig. 7: part 100) comprising: a tub having a washing space (Fig. 7: part 20) defined therein for accommodating therein a dish; and a moisture-absorption and drying device (Fig. 7: part 1) configured to absorb moisture from air discharged from the tub and supply moisture-free air to the tub, wherein the moisture-absorption and drying device includes: a moisture absorbent (Fig. 4: part 4) for absorbing the moisture contained in the air; a housing (Fig. 4: part 9) for accommodating therein the moisture absorbent; and a heater (Figs. 1 and 4: part 6) having at least a portion received in the housing and configured to heat the moisture absorbent (paragraphs [0034]-[0036]).
As for claim 2, Jerg further teaches that the heater includes a plurality of heaters spaced apart from each other while the moisture absorbent is disposed between adjacent ones of the plurality of heaters (paragraph [0040]; Figs. 4-5).
As for claim 3, Jerg further teaches that the housing of the moisture-absorption and drying device includes an air inlet defined therein through which air flows into the housing, and an air outlet defined therein through which air is discharged out of the housing (Fig. 7), wherein electrical powers respectively applied to the plurality of heaters are distributed so as to increase as the plurality of heaters are arranged sequentially in a direction from the heater adjacent to the air outlet to the heater adjacent to the air inlet (paragraph [0040]; Figs. 4-5).
As for claim 4, Jerg further teaches that a longitudinal direction of the heater intersects an air flow direction in the housing, wherein the heater includes heat dissipation fins arranged in the longitudinal direction of the heater and protruding from the heater in a direction parallel to the air flow direction (paragraph [0040]; Figs. 4-5 and 7).
As for claim 5, Jerg further teaches that the heater extends in a longitudinal direction thereof parallel to an air flow direction in the housing (paragraph [0040]; Figs. 4-5 and 7).
As for claim 6, Jerg further teaches that the moisture-absorption and drying device includes: an air inlet through which air flows into the moisture-absorption and drying device (Fig. 7); and an air outlet through which air is discharged out of the moisture-absorption and drying device (Fig. 7), wherein the dish washer further comprises: a first air pipe connecting the tub and the air inlet to each other; a second air pipe connecting the air outlet and the tub to each other (Fig. 7); and a blower (Fig. 4: part 2) received in the first air pipe and configured to supply the air to the moisture-absorption and drying device.
As for claim 16, Jerg teaches a dish washer (Fig. 7: part 100) comprising: a tub having a washing space (Fig. 7: part 20) defined therein for accommodating therein a dish; a moisture-absorption and drying device (Fig. 7: part 1) configured to absorb moisture from air discharged from the tub and supply moisture-free air to the tub; a duct disposed out of and on a side of the tub and constructed to accommodate therein at least a portion of the moisture-absorption and drying device (Fig. 7); a third air pipe connecting one end of the duct and the tub to each other; and a fourth air pipe connecting the other end of the duct and the tub to each other (Fig. 7), wherein the moisture-absorption and drying device includes: a moisture absorbent (Fig. 4: part 4) received in the duct and absorbing moisture contain in the air; and a heater (Figs. 1 and 4: part 6) having at least portion received in the duct and configured to heat the moisture absorbent (paragraphs [0034]-[0036]).
As for claim 17, Examiner regards the operation of the claimed dish washer as intended use of the apparatus’ structure. The dish washer would be capable of operating such that: when the dish washer performs a moisture absorption process in which the moisture absorbent of the moisture-absorption and drying device absorbs moisture in the air, or when the dish washer performs a moisture absorbent regeneration process of drying the moisture absorbent of the moisture-absorption and drying device, the air flows from the tub through the third air pipe into the moisture-absorption and drying device and is discharged from the moisture-absorption and drying device through the fourth air pipe into the tub (paragraphs [0034]-[0040]; Fig. 7). Apparatus claims cover what a device is, not what a device does. An apparatus claim may be unobvious even if it operates in the same way as the prior art, as long as there are structural differences. Hewlett-Packard Co. v. Bausch & Lomb Inc. 15 USPQ 2d 1525 (Fed. Cir. 1990).
As for claim 18, Jerg further teaches that the dish washer further comprises a blower (Fig. 4: part 2) received in the third air pipe and configured to generate air flow in the moisture-absorption and drying device.
As for claim 19, Jerg further teaches that the heater includes a plurality of heaters spaced apart from each other while the moisture absorbent is disposed between adjacent ones of the plurality of heaters, wherein the dish washer further comprises a bypass pipe having one end connected to one end of the duct, and the other end connected to the other end of the duct (paragraph [0040]; Figs. 4-5).
As for claim 20, Examiner regards the operation of the claimed dish washer as intended use of the apparatus’ structure. The dish washer would be capable of operating such that: during a moisture absorption process, air flows from the tub through the third air pipe into the moisture-absorption and drying device and is discharged from the moisture-absorption and drying device through the fourth air pipe into the tub, or during the moisture absorbent regeneration process, the air flow is inverted such that the air flows through the fourth air pipe into the moisture-absorption and drying device and is discharged from the moisture-absorption and drying device through the third air pipe into the tub (paragraphs [0034]-[0040]; Fig. 7).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7-15 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: Jerg et al. U.S. Publication 2012/0240965, the closest prior art, differs from the instant claims in failing to teach that the moisture-absorption and drying device is disposed under the tub, wherein the second air pipe extends through a lower plate constituting the tub. Furthermore, it would not have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the dish washer taught by Jerg as claimed.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LEVON J SHAHINIAN whose telephone number is (571)270-1384. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 9:30am-6:00pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Michael Barr can be reached at (571)272-1414. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/LEVON J SHAHINIAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1711
Prosecution Insights