DETAILED ACTION
The communication dated 2/28/2025 has been entered and fully considered.
Claims 1-15 were amended. Claims 16-18 were added. Claims 1-18 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 1-10 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kwon et al. U.S. Publication 2012/0090189 (henceforth referred to as Kwon).
As for claim 1, Kwon teaches a laundry treatment device (paragraph [0056]; Fig. 1), comprising a laundry accommodating apparatus (Fig. 2: parts 100 and 120), a drying apparatus (Fig. 2: part 40), a water supply assembly (Fig. 2: part 10), an air outlet duct (Fig. 2: part 121) and a filter screen (Fig. 4: part 52), wherein the air outlet duct is configured to direct airflow from the laundry accommodating apparatus to the drying apparatus; the filter screen is arranged between an air outlet of the laundry accommodating apparatus and an air inlet (Fig. 2: part 103) of the drying apparatus to filter the airflow; the water supply assembly at least comprises a first water supply passage (Fig. 2: part 10) and a second water supply passage (Fig. 2: part 11), the first water supply passage supplies water to the laundry accommodating apparatus by passing through a detergent box (paragraph [0120]), and the second water supply passage supplies water to the laundry accommodating apparatus by passing through the filter screen (paragraph [0109]); and the laundry treatment device is configured that in at least a same water supply process, both the first water supply passage and the second water supply passage supply water to the laundry accommodating apparatus (paragraphs [0107]-[0109] and [0120]).
As for claims 2-10 and 16, Examiner regards the operation of the claimed laundry treatment device as intended use of the apparatus’ structure. The laundry treatment device would be capable of performing as claimed during operation (paragraphs [0111]-[0129]). 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 claims 7 and 16, Kwon further teaches that the drying apparatus further comprises a diversion device arranged in the second water supply passage (paragraph [0109]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 11-15 and 17-18 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: Kwon et al. U.S. Publication 2012/0090189, the closest prior art, differs from the instant claims in failing to teach activating the first water supply passage to rinse the at least one of the detergent or the softener; and at an end of flushing by the first water supply passage or after the flushing by the first water supply passage is over, activating the second water supply passage to flush the filter screen. 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 method taught by Kwon 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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/LEVON J SHAHINIAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1711
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