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 .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority based on an application filed in China on 12/15/2022. It is noted, however, that applicant has not filed a certified copy of the 202223365106 application as required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the “water discharge unit” (claim 8) and the “steam iron” (at least claims 8 and 9) must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Objections
Claims 6, 7 and 9 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Within the second line of claim 6, please replace “the outer sidewall” with “an outer sidewall” in order to avoid antecedent basis issues. Note that claim 6 is not dependent from claim 4 wherein “an outer sidewall” is introduced.
Within the second line of claim 7, please replace “the outer sidewall” with “an outer sidewall” in order to avoid antecedent basis issues. Note that claim 7 is not dependent from claim 4 wherein “an outer sidewall” is introduced.
Within the second line of claim 9, the term “claim” should be “claims”.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim 9 is 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.
Claim 9 is considered indefinite because it is unclear what structure of the downflow water diverter that the applicant is claiming. Note that the applicant is using multiple dependent claim language within what appears to be an independent claim directed at a “steam iron”. The examiner suggests removing the dependency statement, as it leads to confusion, and include all claim limitations of the downflow water diverter in written format within the claim.
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(s) 1-2 and 5-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by LIU et al. (CN 213896438 U).
Regarding claims 1 and 9, LIU discloses a downflow water diverter (108) included within a steam iron (refer to “Technical Field” section and throughout the Specification), comprising: a diverter body (body of 108; Fig. 6), wherein a central part of the diverter body is provided with a water collection chamber (note interior of 1082, 1087 as shown in figure 4), an inlet port (1083) interconnected with the water collection chamber is disposed at an upper end of the diverter body, and at least two outlet ports (first interpretation: openings at upper ends of pipe sections 1088, 1088 that allow water to flow into pipe sections 1088, 1088) (second interpretation: 1089, 1089) interconnected with the water collection chamber are disposed at a lower end of the diverter body (Figures 1, 4 and 6).
Regarding claim 2, LIU discloses the downflow water diverter (108) further comprises a guide tube (one of 1089; note that this is based on first interpretation of the two outlet ports as discussed in the rejection of claim 1 above), the outlet ports comprise a first outlet port and a second outlet port, the guide tube (1089) is arranged at the lower end of the diverter body and is interconnected with the second outlet port (note that each outlet port has a guide tube 1089) (Fig. 6).
Regarding claim 5, LIU discloses the inlet port (1083; Fig. 6) being formed as a gradually constricted tapered structure (note the tapered structure of the inlet port as shown in figures 4-5).
Regarding claim 6, LIU discloses an annular protrusion (1082) being provided circumferentially on the outer sidewall of the diverter body (Figures 4 and 6).
Regarding claim 7, LIU discloses a positioning groove (1084) being provided circumferentially on the outer sidewall of the diverter body (Figures 4 and 6).
Regarding claim 8, LIU discloses the diverter body (body of 108) being connectable to a water discharge unit (water tank 202) of the steam iron which discharges the water (note embodiment seven as described in specification) (Fig. 7).
Claim(s) 1-4 and 6-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by EATON et al. (US 3,881,265).
Regarding claims 1 and 9, EATON discloses a downflow water diverter (19) included within a steam iron (10), comprising: a diverter body (40), wherein a central part of the diverter body is provided with a water collection chamber (48; interpreted as including recess 48 within 47 and the recess above 47 as shown in figure 3a), an inlet port (45) interconnected with the water collection chamber is disposed at an upper end (refer to figure below) of the diverter body, and at least two outlet ports (43, 44) interconnected with the water collection chamber are disposed at a lower end (refer to figure below) of the diverter body (40) (Figures 3a and 3b) (also note figures 1, 2 and 6).
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Regarding claim 2, EATON discloses the downflow water diverter (19) further comprises a guide tube (23), the outlet ports comprise a first outlet port (44) and a second outlet port (43), the guide tube (23) is arranged (connected) at the lower end of the diverter body and is interconnected with the second outlet port (43) (Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 3, EATON discloses the guide tube (23) being configured with an L-shaped bend (Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 4, EATON discloses a guiding protrusion (either P1 or P2 as shown in the representation above) is formed on an outer sidewall of the diverter body towards a bending direction of the guide tube (note that each of the protrusions P1, P2 is “annular” around the diverter body and therefore extend in all outward directions) (Figures 2, 3a and 3b).
Regarding claim 6, EATON discloses an annular protrusion (either P1 or P2 as shown in the representation above) is provided circumferentially on the outer sidewall of the diverter body (Figures 3a and 3b).
Regarding claim 7, EATON discloses a positioning groove (G; refer to representation above) is provided circumferentially on the outer sidewall of the diverter body (Figures 3a and 3b).
Regarding claim 8, EATON discloses the diverter body (40) being connectable (through 21 or 23) to a water discharge unit (18 or 24) of the steam iron (10) (Fig. 1).
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 5,704,143 discloses a steam iron (10) comprising a water flow divider (110) that equally distributes water within a steam chamber (20) located on a soleplate (12) of the steam iron (Figures 2-5).
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