DETAILED ACTION
The communication dated 12/12/2024 has been entered and fully considered.
Claims 1-13 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.
Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by LV et al. U.S. Publication 2020/0048815 (henceforth referred to as LV).
LV teaches a laundry treating apparatus comprising: a cabinet (paragraph [0068]); a tub disposed inside the cabinet (paragraph [0068]); a drum rotatably disposed inside the tub (paragraph [0132]); a detergent reservoir (1) located inside the cabinet, the detergent reservoir including an storage space where detergent is stored and a detergent injection hole (14) communicating with the storage space (paragraphs [0069] and [0097]; Figs. 1-5 and 15-17); a cap body (2’), at least a part of the cap body being configured to be inserted into the detergent injection hole (paragraph [0097]; Figs. 15-17); a cap flange portion (221’) protruding from the cap body in a radial direction and extending along a circumferential surface of the cap body to be located above the detergent injection hole; a leg engaging portion protruding from the cap body in the radial direction and located beneath the detergent injection hole to couple the cap body with the detergent reservoir; and a flow channel (211’) recessed in a surface of the cap flange portion facing the detergent injection hole and communicate the storage space of the detergent reservoir to an outside of the detergent reservoir, wherein the flow channel comprises a first channel and a second channel provided at symmetrical positions with the cap body interposed therebetween (paragraph [0097]; Figs. 16-17).
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.
Claims 2 and 12-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over LV et al. U.S. Publication 2020/0048815 (henceforth referred to as LV).
LV teaches the features as per above.
As for claim 2, LV differs from the instant claims in failing to teach that the first channel is provided in a symmetrical shape with respect to a reference line passing through a center of the cap body, and the second channel is provided in a symmetrical shape with respect to the reference line. However, absent the demonstration of any new or unobvious results, the claimed shape is considered by Examiner to be prima facie obvious as a change in shape. It is old and well known to change shapes, with no change in their respective functions, as a matter of choice which a person of ordinary skill in the art would have found obvious. See MPEP § 2144.04, IV, B. Changes in Shape.
As for claim 12, LV differs from the instant claims in failing to teach that an inlet of the flow channel is provided on the circumferential surface of the cap flange portion to communicate the storage space with an outside of the detergent reservoir. However, absent the demonstration of any new or unobvious results, the claimed configuration is considered by Examiner to be prima facie obvious as a rearrangement of parts. It is old and well known to rearrange parts, with no change in their respective functions, due to size/space design criteria, the manufacturing expense thereof or purely for aesthetics. See MPEP § 2144.04, VI, C. Rearrangement of Parts.
As for claim 13, LV differs from the instant claims in failing to teach that the flow channel extends from the circumferential surface of the cap flange portion toward the cap body along the radial direction of the cap flange portion. However, absent the demonstration of any new or unobvious results, the claimed configuration is considered by Examiner to be prima facie obvious as a rearrangement of parts. It is old and well known to rearrange parts, with no change in their respective functions, due to size/space design criteria, the manufacturing expense thereof or purely for aesthetics. See MPEP § 2144.04, VI, C. Rearrangement of Parts.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-11 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: LV et al. U.S. Publication 2020/0048815, the closest prior art, differs from the instant claims in failing to teach an open groove provided in the cap body to be recessed towards a center of the cap body to communicate the storage space of the detergent reservoir to the flow channel. 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 laundry treating apparatus taught by LV 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.
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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.
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/LEVON J SHAHINIAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1711
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