`
`UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`
`UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`United States Patent and Trademark Office
`Address: COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
`P.O. Box 1450
`Alexandria1 Virginia 22313- 1450
`www.uspto.gov
`
`APPLICATION NO.
`
`
`
`
`
` F ING DATE
`
`FIRST NAMED INVENTOR
`
`ATTORNEY DOCKET NO.
`
`
`
`
`
`CONF {MATION NO.
`
`12/279,002
`
`08/1 1/2008
`
`Hiroyasu Kitamura
`
`P34998
`
`6863
`
`7055
`7590
`11/07/2012
`GREENBLUM & BERNSTEIN, P.L.C.
`1950 ROLAND CLARKE PLACE
`RESTON, VA 20191
`
`EXAMINER
`MCCORMACK, JOHN PATRICK
`
`ART UNIT
`
`3743
`
`PAPER NUMBER
`
`
`
`
`NOT *ICATION DATE
`
`DELIVERY MODE
`
`11/07/2012
`
`ELECTRONIC
`
`Please find below and/or attached an Office communication concerning this application or proceeding.
`
`The time period for reply, if any, is set in the attached communication.
`
`Notice of the Office communication was sent electronically on above—indicated "Notification Date" to the
`following e—mail address(es):
`
`gbpatent @ gbpatent.c0m
`greenblumbernsteinplc @ gmail.c0m
`
`PTOL—90A (Rev. 04/07)
`
`

`

`
`
`Office Action Summary
`
`Application No.
`
`Applicant(s)
`
`12/279,002
`
`KITAMURA, HIROYASU
`
`Examiner
`JOHN MCCORMACK
`
`Art Unit
`3743
`
`-- The MAILING DA TE of this communication appears on the cover sheet with the correspondence address --
`Period for Reply
`
`A SHORTENED STATUTORY PERIOD FOR REPLY IS SET TO EXPIRE 3 MONTH(S) OR THIRTY (30) DAYS,
`WHICHEVER IS LONGER, FROM THE MAILING DATE OF THIS COMMUNICATION.
`Extensions of time may be available under the provisions of 37 CFR1. 136( a).
`In no event however may a reply be timely filed
`after SIX () MONTHS from the mailing date of this communication.
`If NO period for reply is specified above, the maximum statutory period will apply and will expire SIX (6) MONTHS from the mailing date of this communication.
`-
`- Failure to reply within the set or extended period for reply will, by statute, cause the application to become ABANDONED (35 U.S.C. § 133).
`Any reply received by the Office later than three months after the mailing date of this communication, even if timely filed, may reduce any
`earned patent term adjustment. See 37 CFR 1.704(b).
`
`Status
`
`1)IZI Responsive to communication(s) filed on 17Ju/z 2012.
`
`2a)IZ| This action is FINAL.
`
`2b)I:l This action is non-final.
`
`3)I:I An election was made by the applicant in response to a restriction requirement set forth during the interview on
`
`
`; the restriction requirement and election have been incorporated into this action.
`
`4)|:l Since this application is in condition for allowance except for formal matters, prosecution as to the merits is
`
`closed in accordance with the practice under Exparte Quay/e, 1935 CD. 11, 453 O.G. 213.
`
`Disposition of Claims
`
`5)IZI Claim(s) 1,2 and 8-10 is/are pending in the application.
`
`5a) Of the above claim(s) _ is/are withdrawn from consideration.
`
`6)I:I Claim(s) _ is/are allowed.
`
`7)|Zl Claim(s) 1,2 and8-10is/are rejected.
`
`8)I:I Claim(s) _ is/are objected to.
`
`9)I:l Claim(s) _ are subject to restriction and/or election requirement.
`
`Application Papers
`
`10)I:I The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
`
`11)|X| The drawing(s) filed on 11 August 2008 is/are: a)IX| accepted or b)|:l objected to by the Examiner.
`
`Applicant may not request that any objection to the drawing(s) be held in abeyance. See 37 CFR 1.85(a).
`
`Replacement drawing sheet(s) including the correction is required if the drawing(s) is objected to. See 37 CFR 1.121 (d).
`
`12)I:I The oath or declaration is objected to by the Examiner. Note the attached Office Action or form PTO-152.
`
`Priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119
`
`13)IZI Acknowledgment is made of a claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d) or (f).
`
`a)lX| AII
`
`b)I:I Some * c)|:l None of:
`
`1.I:I Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
`
`2.I:I Certified copies of the priority documents have been received in Application No. _
`
`3.IZI Copies of the certified copies of the priority documents have been received in this National Stage
`
`application from the International Bureau (PCT Rule 17.2(a)).
`
`* See the attached detailed Office action for a list of the certified copies not received.
`
`Attachment(s)
`
`1) I] Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
`2) D Notice of Draftsperson‘s Patent Drawing Review (PTO-948)
`3) El Information Disclosure Statement(s) (PTO/SB/OS)
`Paper No(s)/Mai| Date _.
`US. Patent and Trademark Office
`
`4) D Interview Summary (PTO-413)
`Paper N°(5 )/Mai| Date. _
`5)I:I Notice of Informal Patent Application
`)6|:| Other:
`
`PTOL-326 (Rev. 03-11)
`
`Office Action Summary
`
`Part of Paper No./Mai| Date 20121101
`
`
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 12/279,002
`
`Page 2
`
`Art Unit: 3743
`
`DETAILED ACTION
`
`Response to Arguments
`
`1.
`
`Applicant’s arguments filed 7/17/2012 with respect to the rejection of claims 4
`
`and 5 under 35 USC 112 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The rejection
`
`of cancelled claims 4 and 5 under 35 USC 112 has been withdrawn.
`
`2.
`
`Applicant's arguments filed with respect to the rejections under 35 USC 103 have
`
`been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
`
`3.
`
`Applicant's First Argument: Examiner does not specifically identify which feature
`
`in Fujii is considered to be the purported "member," and none of elements 11-16 of Fujii
`
`are disclosed as a member that accommodates both a heated member and a heating
`
`coil in a common space, and thus Fujii fails to disclose such a member.
`
`4.
`
`Examiner’s Response: Examiner identifies “member” (Figure 1, space inside the
`
`largest box shape which is shown including 11, 14, 15). This same member anticipates
`
`the core member recited in the amended claims.
`
`5.
`
`Applicant’s Second Argument: Lawton is not analogous art, and therefor one
`
`skilled in the art would not look to Lawton to supply the deficiencies of Fujii.
`
`6.
`
`Examiner’s Response: In response to applicant's argument that Lawton is
`
`nonanalogous art, it has been held that a prior art reference must either be in the field of
`
`applicant’s endeavor or, if not, then be reasonably pertinent to the particular problem
`
`with which the applicant was concerned, in order to be relied upon as a basis for
`
`rejection of the claimed invention. See In re Oetiker, 977 F.2d 1443, 24 USPQ2d 1443
`
`(Fed. Cir. 1992).
`
`In this case, the primary reference Fujii discloses a heating device
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 12/279,002
`
`Page 3
`
`Art Unit: 3743
`
`using electromagnetic induction heating. Lawton heats a device using electromagnetic
`
`induction. Thus Lawton and Fujii are analogous art as electromagnetic induction heaters
`
`or at least in the alternative solve the same problem of providing heat to the apparatus
`
`using induction.
`
`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
`
`7.
`
`The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103(a) which forms the basis for all
`
`obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
`
`(a) A patent may not be obtained though the invention is not identically disclosed or described as set
`forth in section 102 of this title, if the differences between the subject matter sought to be patented and
`the prior art are such that the subject matter as a whole would have been obvious at the time the
`invention was made to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which said subject matter pertains.
`Patentability shall not be negatived by the manner in which the invention was made.
`
`8.
`
`Claims 1, 2, 8-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable
`
`over Fujii et al. (JP 2003308955) in view of Braun (US Pat. 5,711,328). Fujii et al.
`
`discloses a drying device comprising: a heating coil (11, Fig. 1, [0016]) that heats a
`
`material
`
`to be dried (12, Fig. 1, [0016]) by electromagnetic induction [0016], the
`
`material being placed on a dried material-placement part (13, Fig. 1, [0016]); .
`
`.
`
`.; a
`
`heated member (14, Fig. 1, [0016]) heated by the electromagnetic induction of the
`
`heating coil (11, Fig. 1, [0016]); a temperature detector (15, Fig. 1, [0016]) that detects
`
`temperature of the heated member (14, Fig. 1, [0016]), and a core member (Figure 1,
`
`space inside the largest box shape which is shown including 11, 14, 15, an induction
`
`coil would need to be insulated by the boundary such as is disclosed in Drawings 1, 3 of
`
`Fujii) that accommodates both the heated member (14, Fig. 1, [0016]) and the heating
`
`coil (11, Fig. 1, [0016]) within a common space provided within the core member (Figure
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 12/279,002
`
`Page 4
`
`Art Unit: 3743
`
`1, space inside the largest box shape which is shown including 11, 14, 15), and an
`
`upper surface of the core member abutting a bottom surface of the dried material-
`
`placement part (13, Fig. 1, [0016]) to enclose both the heated member (14, Fig. 1,
`
`[0016]) and the heating coil (11, Fig. 1, [0016]) within a common space (Figure 1, space
`
`inside the largest box shape which is shown including 11, 14, 15); wherein the heated
`
`member (14, Fig. 1, [0016]) is disposed between the heating coil (11, Fig. 1, [0016]) and
`
`the dried material placement part (13, Fig. 1, [0016]); wherein the heating coil (11, Fig.
`
`1, [0016]) is provided beneath the bottom surface of the .
`
`.
`
`.. However, Fujii et al. does
`
`not disclose the use of a fan blowing on the object to be dried placed on the material-
`
`placement part or a recessed storage portion. Braun teaches the use of an air blower
`
`that sends air to the material (16, 3, Fig. 1col. 13, lines 13-18); a storage recessed
`
`portion which opens upward and is formed on an upper face part of a housing that
`
`forms a casing of the drying device (7, Fig. 1, col. 6, lines 22-27), the storage recessed
`
`portion being configured to receive the material (7, 3, Fig. 1, col. 6, lines 28-34), the
`
`storage recessed portion being configured to be capable of storing the cleaning liquid
`
`(col. 6, lines 28-43, outlet port 27 remains closed until washing is completed storing
`
`cleaning fluid in recessed portion 7); wherein the air blower is provided on one of the
`
`side surfaces of the storage recessed portion (16, Fig. 1, fan shown to the side of the
`
`storage recessed portion).
`
`It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill
`
`in the art at the time of invention to modify the electromagnetic induction unit as
`
`disclosed by Fujii et al. with the fan and storage recessed portion as taught by Braun to
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 12/279,002
`
`Page 5
`
`Art Unit: 3743
`
`provide a means to wash an electric razor for greater utility and customer satisfaction,
`
`and to provide a fan to accelerate drying of the razor for a more expedient result.
`
`Conclusion
`
`9.
`
`THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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
`
`extension fee 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 JOHN MCCORMACK whose telephone number is
`
`(571 )270-7472. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F; 7:30-4:00 PST.
`
`If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s
`
`supervisor, Ken Rinehart can be reached on (571)272-4881. The fax phone number for
`
`the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571 -273-8300.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 12/279,002
`
`Page 6
`
`Art Unit: 3743
`
`Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the
`
`Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for
`
`published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR.
`
`Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only.
`
`For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should
`
`you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic
`
`Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a
`
`USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information
`
`system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
`
`JPM
`
`/Kenneth B Rinehart/
`
`Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3743
`
`