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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 10/16/2024 is acknowledged. The submission is in compliance with the provision of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities:
In claim 1, line 3, “a detachable air suction device” is read as “the detachable air suction device”.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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 1-4 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by CN202898840 (hereinafter CN’840).
Regarding claim 1, CN’840 teaches a steam ironing head provided with a detachable air suction device (fig. 1), comprising a head (fig. 1, brush 2) provided with an ironing surface, steam outlets being distributed in the ironing surface (fig. 1, machine translation, para. [0008]), wherein the head is provided with a detachable air suction device (fig. 1, machine translation, para. [0008], [0019], a dismountable brush 5), the air suction device is provided with a suction inlet (machine translation, para. [0019], brush 5 is provided with the air suction inlet), and the air suction device is configured to suck air via the suction inlet when the ironing surface is close to a garment, and promote the garment to be attached thereto to be close to the ironing surface (machine translation, para. [0013]).
Regarding claim 2, CN’840 teaches the suction inlet is located in a front wall of the air suction device (machine translation, para. [0019]).
Regarding claim 3, CN’840 teaches the front wall and the ironing surface are located in a same plane (machine translation, para. [0022]).
Regarding claim 4, CN’840 teaches the air suction device is configured on a lower side of the head (fig. 1).
Regarding claim 10, CN’840 teaches the air suction device is clamped on the head (machine translation, para. [0021]).
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 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CN202898840, as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Jiang (US 2013/0219758).
Regarding claim 5, CN’840 does not teach the head is provided with a power supply portion, and the air suction device is provided with a power receiving portion; when the air suction device is assembled on the head, the power supply portion is electrically connected to the power receiving portion; and when the air suction device is detached from the head, the power supply portion is electrically disconnected from the power receiving portion.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Jiang teaches the head is provided with a power supply portion (para. [0041], main power), and the air suction device is provided with a power receiving portion (para. [0041], a connection between the air suction device and the cable extending along the flexible hose to the main power); when the air suction device is assembled on the head, the power supply portion is electrically connected to the power receiving portion (para. [0041]); and when the air suction device is detached from the head, the power supply portion is electrically disconnected from the power receiving portion (when there is no connection between the air suction device and the cable, the main power is electrically disconnected from air suction device).
It would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine CN’840 with the power supply portion as taught by Jiang for the benefit of providing consistent power to the air suction device when the air suction device is in use together with the steaming head.
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CN202898840 as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Zhang (US 2020/0291568).
Regarding claim 6, CN’840 does not teach the air suction device comprises a power supply and a switch, and the switch controls the power supply to supply power to or stop supplying power to the air suction device.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Zhang teaches the air suction device comprises a power supply and a switch (fig. 3, para. [0028]), and the switch controls the power supply to supply power to or stop supplying power to the air suction device (para. [0017], [0028]).
It would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine CN’840 with an independent air suction system with a power supply and a switch as taught by Zhang for the benefit of providing suction with different strengths to appropriately iron the clothes according to different material and thicknesses of the clothes (Zhang, para. [0019]).
Claims 7-9 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CN202898840 as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of CN220555768 (hereinafter CN’768).
Regarding claim 7, CN’840 does not teach a grating is arranged at the suction inlet.
However, in the same field of endeavor, CN’768 teaches a grating (fig. 4, grille 5) is arranged at the suction inlet.
It would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine CN’840 with a grating at the suction inlet as taught by CN’768 for the benefit of providing air intake areas while providing protection from dust and debris.
Regarding claim 8, CN’840 does not teach an air suction direction of the suction inlet of the air suction device is configured to be adjustable.
However, CN’768 teaches an air suction direction of the suction inlet of the air suction device is configured to be adjustable (machine translation, para. [0011], [0057], there is a dust baffle at the suction inlet, the dust baffle is closed under normal conditions and opens the suction port 2.3 when receiving negative pressure).
It would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine CN’840 with a dust baffle as taught by CN’768 for the benefit of collecting dust from the garment when the suction power is on and preventing from dust collection when the suction power is off (CN’768, para. [0011], [0057]).
Regarding claim 9, the modified structure CN’840-CN’768 teaches a louver with an adjustable angle (CN’768, dust baffle 2.4 has adjustable angle between open and closed positions) is arranged at the suction inlet.
Regarding claim 11, CN’840 teaches the air suction device comprises a housing and the suction inlet is formed in the housing (fig. 1).
CN’840 does not teach the air suction device comprises a fan, the fan is located in the housing, and the housing is provided with air outlets.
However, CN’768 teaches the air suction device comprises a fan, the fan is located in the housing (figs. 4-5, machine translation, para. [0048], [0054]), and the housing is provided with air outlets (figs. 4-5, air outlets 1.41).
It would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine CN’840 with a fan and air outlets as taught by CN’768 for the benefit of providing an airflow from air intake to the air outlets.
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CN202898840 as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Fang (US 2025/0003141).
Regarding claim 12, CN’840 does not teach a handheld garment steamer as in the claim.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Fang teaches a handheld garment steamer (fig. 1), comprising a water tank (fig. 10, tank 120), a water pump (fig. 12, pump 130) and a steam generator (fig. 8, assembly 200), the water pump being used for transporting water from the water tank to the steam generator (para. [0024]), the steam generator being used for atomizing the water into steam (para. [0051], [0084]), wherein the steam generated by the steam generator is released via the steam outlets (fig. 1, outlets 301), and the steam ironing head, the water tank, the water pump and the steam generator are assembled together to be held for ironing (fig. 1).
It would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine CN’840 with a handheld garment steamer as taught by Fang for the benefit of providing convenient, quick and easy in removing wrinkles of garments.
Claims 13-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CN202898840, as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Lauchet (US 2019/0376230).
Regarding claims 13-14, CN’840 does not clearly teach structures of an upright garment steamer as in the claim.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Lauchet teaches an upright garment steamer (fig. 1), comprising a main body provided with a water tank (para. [0036]), a water pump (para. [0037]) and a steam generator (para. [0038]), the water pump being used for transporting water from the water tank to the steam generator (para. [0037]), the steam generator being used for atomizing the water into steam (para. [0038]), wherein the upright garment steamer further comprises the steam ironing head (fig. 1, iron 3), the steam ironing head is connected to the steam generator by means of a steam pipe (para. [0085]), and the steam generated by the steam generator is transported to the steam ironing head by means of the steam pipe and released via the steam outlets to be used for ironing (para. [0085], [0056], steam is released through holes 30A).
Lauchet also teaches a support rod, wherein the support rod is attached to the main body, extends upwards from the main body and is used for hanging garments or/and supporting an ironing board for spreading or supporting garments (figs. 1-2).
It would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art before the effective date of the invention to combine CN’840 with structures of the upright garment steamer as taught by Lauchet for the benefit of performing a vertical smoothing operation with a rigid support board (Lauchet, para. [0006]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See form PTO-892.
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/UYEN T NGUYEN/Examiner, Art Unit 3732