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 § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 1, the applicant recites, “a support holder for detachably mounting the presser to an inner surface of the accommodation space or an inner surface of the door”. If the “accommodation space” is defined as the area within the cabinet (1) to accommodate laundry as stated in the applicant’s specification, what would be an “inner surface” thereof and how would a support holder be mounted thereto? It appears that the inner surface (31a) is not an inner surface of the accommodation space (31), but is rather an inner surface of the cabinet (1) or a wall thereof. Note that dependent claims 2-4 and 12 also recite “the inner surface of the accommodation space”.
All remaining claims are also rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being dependent from a rejected base claim.
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.
Claim(s) 1-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over LIM et al. (US 2015/0159315 A1) in view of GRANT (US 2005/0072894 A1) and in further view of HOLLY (US 3,707,898).
Regarding claims 1-8, LIM discloses a laundry treatment apparatus (100) comprising: a cabinet (1) having an accommodation space (31) formed therein to accommodate laundry; a door (11) configured to open or close the accommodation space; and a presser (9; 91, 93) configured to apply pressure to laundry to remove wrinkles from laundry. Note that LIM discloses the support body (911) of the support structure (91) of the presser (9) being affixed to a surface of the door (11) (para 0054) (Figures 1, 3 and 4). However, LIM fails to disclose details of how the support body is affixed to the door.
GRANT discloses a French cleat style fastener (10a, 10b) for attaching a hung article (20) to a vertical surface of a wall (18) in order to provide a secure attachment that can be quickly attached/detached (Figures 1-5). To elaborate, GRANT discloses a support holder (10a including at least one screw 34 which is considered a “support-part-fixing protrusion”) for detachably mounting the hung article (20) to the vertical surface of the wall (18) (Figures 1-5). Note that each screw (34) creates a support-part-fixing hole formed in the vertical surface of the wall (8) and therefore, the support holder (10a; 34) is coupled to the support part fixing hole (Figures 1-5). GRANT further discloses a fixing protrusion (10b) provided at the hung article (20), wherein the support holder (10a; 34) has a support recess (around 16a) therein, and the fixing-protrusion (10b) is configured to be downwardly inserted into the support recess (Figures 3-5). Accordingly, it would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to have provided the attachment between the support body and the surface of the door with the mounting configuration as taught by GRANT, in order to provide a secure attachment that can be quickly attached/detached.
However, GRANT fails to disclose an extension portion extending inwardly from the support-part-fixing hole. The use of an anchor in combination with a screw is considered old and known in the art in order to prevent disengagement of the screw from a wall. HOLLY discloses an anchor comprising an extension portion (11) extending inwardly from a support fixing hole (20) to prevent disengagement of a screw (27) from a wallboard (24) (Figures 1-2). Note that the extension portion (11) of GRANT is configured to support both the top and bottom of the screw (27) (i.e., support-part-fixing protrusion) (Figures 1-2). Additionally, GRANT discloses the extension portion (11) being configured to prevent the screw (i.e., support-part-fixing protrusion) from being withdrawn out of the support-part-fixing hole (20) (Figures 1-2). Accordingly, it would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to have provided the mounting configuration of LIM in view of GRANT with an extension portion extending inwardly from a support fixing hole, in order to prevent disengagement of the screw with the door.
Regarding claims 9-11, LIM in view of GRANT and in further view of HOLLY teaches a laundry treatment apparatus as discussed above wherein GRANT specifically teaches a French cleat style fastener comprising a support holder (10a; 34) having a support recess (around 16a) therein and a fixing protrusion (10b) being configured to be downwardly inserted into the support recess. However, GRANT (nor LIM or HOLLY) fails to disclose the support holder being two support holders and the fixing-protrusion being two fixing protrusions. It is considered old and known in the art for a French cleat style fastener to comprise two support holders vertically spaced apart from one another and two corresponding fixing protrusions in order to more securely hold heavier and or longer objects. Accordingly, it would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to have provided the laundry treatment apparatus pf LIM in view of GRANRT and in further view of HOLLY with two support holders vertically spaced form one another and two corresponding fixing protrusions because such is considered old and known in the art in order more securely hold heavier and or longer objects and therefore more securely hold the presser.
Regarding claim 12, LIM discloses a laundry support member (5), for supporting laundry provided the inner surface of the door (11), and wherein the presser (9) comprises: a support part (91; 911) configured to provide a supporting surface for laundry, the support part (91; 911) being located below the laundry support member (5); and a press part (93) configured to apply pressure to laundry placed in the support part, the press part (93) having one side hingedly connected to one side of the support part (91; 911) and an opposite side detachably coupled to the opposite side of the support part (91; 911) (Figures 1 and 3-4).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record, as cited on attached PTO-892, and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Note that US 2,070,174 discloses a laundry treatment apparatus comprising a cabinet (10) wherein a presser (25) is mounted to a door (11) thereof (Fig. 1) (appears to be mounted using screws).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NATHAN E DURHAM whose telephone number is (571)272-8642. The examiner can normally be reached 8:00 am - 4:00 pm, Monday - Friday.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Alissa J Tompkins can be reached at 571-272-3425. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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NED
/NATHAN E DURHAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3732
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