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
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, 2, 4-6, 9-12, 14 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hosszu et al. (DE 3919773A1).
Regarding claim 1, Hosszu et al. teaches a dishwasher (“housing 10 of a dishwasher) comprising a tub 10 forming a washing chamber, a door 11 configured to open or close the tub 10, and a sealing member 13 configured to seal a gap between the tub and the door (figure 1), the sealing member 13 including a fixed body at 14 coupleable to the tub 10 and a sealing body 16, 17 extending from the fixed body toward the door 11, wherein the sealing body 16, 17 comprises a contact portion 17 configured to be in contact with the door, a support portion (between 17 and 14) to connect the fixed body 14 and the contact portion 17, and a bend portion 16 to be bent toward the fixed body while the door is pressing the contact portion (figure 1), the bend portion 16 including a bending end (between 16 and 17) connected to the support portion, and a support protrusion at 22 extending toward the fixed body (upper portion of 14), wherein the fixed body comprises a seat portion (vertically extending portion between lead lines 17 and 14) such that the support protrusion 22 extends toward the seat portion (figure 1), and the bend portion is configured to be in contact with the seat portion (16 is in contact with 22).
Regarding claim 2, the seat portion (vertically extending portion between lead lines 17 and 14) is arranged to face the support protrusion 22 (figure 1).
Regarding claim 4, the door 11 presses against the contact portion 17 along a direction (horizontally as shown in figure 1), the support protrusion 22 includes an end along the direction (horizontally as shown in figure 1), and the seat portion (vertically extending portion between lead lines 17 and 14) includes a seating surface having a shape (curved) corresponding to the end of the support protrusion (figure 1) to thereby allow the seating surface and the end of the support protrusion to be in contact with each other.
Regarding claim 5, the seating surface (curved surface of vertically extending portion between lead lines 17 and 14) is arranged to be inclined toward the direction where the seating approaches a center of the tub (towards 18).
Regarding claim 6, the end of the support protrusion 22 includes a plane (tangential line of 22).
Regarding claim 9, a thickness a of the bending end (at lead line 16) is set to be greater than a thickness of the support protrusion 22.
Regarding claim 10, a thickness a of the bending end (at lead line 16) is set to be greater than a spacing distance between the bending end and the seat portion (figure 1).
Regarding claim 11, a thickness of the support portion (vertical portion between 14 and 17) decreases from the bending end (joint between 16 and 17) toward the contact portion 17.
Regarding claim 12, the tub 10 comprises a coupling groove 15 formed by a first coupling wall adjacent to the washing chamber 18 and a second coupling wall facing the first coupling wall to allow the fixed body 14 to be coupled (figure 1), and the bend portion is arranged such that the bending end faces the second coupling wall (figure 1).
Regarding claim 14, the sealing body 16, 17 comprises a throughhole at 21, and the through hole has a closed loop shape (figure 1).
Regarding claim 15, the through hole is spaced apart from the seat portion (figure 1).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 7, 8 and 13 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.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed April 28, 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant’s arguments with respect to the claims have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument. The new primary reference of Hosszu et al. (DE 3919773A1) is applied in the rejections above for the teaching of providing a seal with a support protrusion extending toward the fixed body. Hosszu et al. teaches a support protrusion at lead line 22 in the figure. The new grounds of rejection, applied above, were necessitated by the amendment filed April 28, 2026.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NIKI MARINA ELOSHWAY whose telephone number is (571)272-4538. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Friday 7: 00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Orlando E. Avilés can be reached at 571-270-5531. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/NIKI M ELOSHWAY/Examiner, Art Unit 3736
/ORLANDO E AVILES/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3736
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