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
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-3, 5, 9 & 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Taboada (US 10267557). Regarding claim 1, Taboada discloses;
A drop-in jockey box system configured to be placed in an associated cooler, comprising:
a thermal spacer (Fig. 2, 202);
at least one inlet (Fig. 2, 216) and at least one outlet (Fig. 2, 210) formed in said thermal spacer (Fig. 2, 202);
and at least one cooling section (Fig. 2, 250) mounted adjacent said thermal spacer (Fig. 2, 202).
Regarding claim 2, in addition to the limitations in claim 1, Taboada discloses;
wherein the at least one cooling section (Fig. 2, 250) connects the at least one inlet to the at least one outlet (Fig. 2, cooling section 250 connects the inlet to the outlet via elements 252 & 254).
Regarding claim 3, in addition to the limitations in claim 2, Taboada discloses;
wherein a beverage may flow into the cooler via the inlet (Fig. 2, 216), through the cooling section (Fig. 2, 250), and out of the cooler via the outlet (Fig. 2, 210) (Fig. 2 depicts the flow path for a beverage, entering the cooler via inlet 216, flowing into cooling section 250 via inlet 252 and exiting the cooling section via outlet 254, and then flowing out of the cooler via outlet 210).
Regarding claim 5, in addition to the limitations in claim 1, Taboada discloses;
wherein the system is configured to fit into the cooler and to be removed from the cooler without modifications to the cooler ([13]; the adapter kit may be removed from the cooler after use, returning the cooler to its original form as purchased from the manufacturer without any “after purchase” physical modifications to the cooler that are purpose specific for use with the adapter kit).
Regarding claim 9, in addition to the limitations in claim 1, Taboada discloses;
wherein the cooling section is formed by a series of coils (Fig. 3, 204; [15]).
Regarding claim 10, in addition to the limitations in claim 1, Taboada discloses;
wherein the cooling section is formed by a cold plate (Fig. 2, 206; [15]).
Claims 1 & 5-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Van Der Meer (US 20020050496).
Regarding claim 1, Van Der Meer discloses;
A drop-in jockey box system configured to be placed in an associated cooler, comprising:
a thermal spacer (Fig. 1, elements 41 & 42 make up the thermal spacer);
at least one inlet (Fig. 1, elements 7 & 34) and at least one outlet (Fig. 2, 46) formed in said thermal spacer (Fig. 1, elements 41 & 42 make up the thermal spacer);
Regarding claim 5, in addition to the limitations in claim 1, Van Der Meer discloses;
wherein the system is configured to fit into the cooler and to be removed from the cooler without modifications to the cooler (the tapping system 6 and the beverage container 5 are capable of being fit into and removed from the cooler 1 without modifying the cooler).
Regarding claim 6, in addition to the limitations in claim 5, Van Der Meer discloses;
wherein the thermal spacer (Fig. 1, 41 & 42) is positioned on a cooler lip formed on an upper portion of a body of said cooler (Fig. 1 depicts the thermal spacer being positioned on the lip formed on the upper portion of cooler 1).
Regarding claim 7, in addition to the limitations in claim 6, Van Der Meer discloses;
wherein a cooler lid (Fig. 2, 4) is positioned onto the thermal spacer (Fig. 2 depicts the cooler lid being positioned on the thermal spacer; [0045]).
Regarding claim 8, in addition to the limitations in claim 7, Van Der Meer discloses;
wherein the thermal spacer (Fig. 1, 41 & 42) fills a gap (Fig. 1, 76) formed between the cooler body (Fig. 1, 1) and the cooler lid (Fig. 1, 4); thereby creating a thermal barrier between contents of the cooler and outside of the cooler.
Claims 1 & 11-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Nicko (US 3195779).
Regarding claim 1, Nicko discloses;
A drop-in jockey box system configured to be placed in an associated cooler, comprising:
a thermal spacer (Fig. 3, 40 & 42 form the thermal spacer);
at least one inlet (Fig. 3, 100) and at least one outlet (Fig. 3, 14) formed in said thermal spacer (Fig. 3, 40 & 42);
and at least one cooling section (Fig. 3, 52) mounted adjacent said thermal spacer (Fig. 3, 40 & 42).
Regarding claim 11, in addition to the limitations in claim 1, Nicko discloses;
wherein said thermal spacer (Fig. 3, 40 & 42) comprises a front wall (Fig. 3 depicts element 40 on the front wall) and first and second side walls which are tapered (Fig. 2 depicts element 42 on the first and second side walls which are also tapered) to accommodate partial closing of a lid of said cooler.
Regarding claim 12, in addition to the limitations in claim 11, Nicko discloses;
further comprising an extension member (Fig. 3, 102) mounted to said thermal spacer (Fig. 3 depicts the extension member 102 mounted to thermal spacer 40) to anchor said drop-in jockey box system in said cooler (element 102 anchors the system to the cooler).
Regarding claim 13, Nicko discloses;
A jockey box system used with a cooler, comprising:
a thermal spacer (Fig. 3, 40 & 42) comprising a front wall (Fig. 3, 40) and two tapered side walls (Fig. 2, 42),
wherein said thermal spacer is positioned on an upper edge of a body of said cooler (Fig. 2& 3 depicts element 40 of the thermal spacer positioned on an upper edge 42 of the cooler body 44, see annotated Fig. 2 & 3 below);
said thermal spacer (Fig. 3, 40 & 42) comprises one or more inlets (Fig. 3, 100) and one or more outlets (Fig. 3, 14) formed on said front wall (Fig. 3, 40);
and a cooling system (Fig. 3, 52) mounted below said thermal spacer (Fig. 3 depicts the cooling system 52 mounted below thermal spacer 40) for cooling contents of said cooler.
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Regarding claim 14, in addition to the limitations in claim 13, Nicko discloses;
wherein said system is configured to be installed and removed from the cooler without modifying said cooler (the system is capable of being placed in and removed from the cooler 1 without need to modify the cooler).
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 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Taboada (US 10267557) in view of Black (US 11662131). Regarding claim 4, in addition to the limitations in claim 2 Taboada discloses;
wherein the inlet and outlet are formed on the thermal spacer (inlet 216 and outlet 210 formed on the thermal spacer 202).
Taboada does not explicitly disclose the inlet and outlet being formed on the front wall of the thermal spacer. It is implied that the inlet and outlet are formed on the front wall of the thermal spacer since the inlet and outllet have to be mounted to a front wall so that they are secured to the thermal spacer.
However, Black teaches;
wherein the inlet/outlet (Fig. 1, 16) is formed on a front wall of the thermal spacer (Fig. 1, 8). The advantage of having the inlet/outlet formed on the front wall of the thermal spacer is to allow easy access to the inlet/outlet so that they can be cleaned. Therefore, it would have
been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date, to have
incorporated the teachings of Black with the invention of Taboada to provide an inlet and outlet that are formed on the face of the thermal spacer.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US Patent 20190389711 is directed to the state of the art of jockey box coolers.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BRYANT K HUYNH whose telephone number is (571)272-8630. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 7:30-5:00.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, David Angwin can be reached at (571)-270-3735. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/B.K.H./Examiner, Art Unit 3754
/DAVID P ANGWIN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3754
