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 .
In view of the Appeal Brief filed on June 6, 2025, PROSECUTION IS HEREBY REOPENED. A new ground of rejection set forth below.
To avoid abandonment of the application, appellant must exercise one of the following two options:
(1) file a reply under 37 CFR 1.111 (if this Office action is non-final) or a reply under 37 CFR 1.113 (if this Office action is final); or,
(2) initiate a new appeal by filing a notice of appeal under 37 CFR 41.31 followed by an appeal brief under 37 CFR 41.37. The previously paid notice of appeal fee and appeal brief fee can be applied to the new appeal. If, however, the appeal fees set forth in 37 CFR 41.20 have been increased since they were previously paid, then appellant must pay the difference between the increased fees and the amount previously paid.
A Supervisory Patent Examiner (SPE) has approved of reopening prosecution by signing below:
/MONICA S CARTER/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3723
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see Pages 3-8, filed 06/06/2025, with respect to the rejections under 35 U.S.C. 103 have been considered but are moot because a new grounds of rejection do not rely on the reference or combination of references applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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 16 and 17 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.
Claim 16 recites: “wherein the connection piece has a latching rim, the spring-mounted holding clip being in engagement with the latching ring”. As claimed, if the “latching ring” is referring to the previously recited “latching rim”, or an entirely different feature. For examination purposes, the limitation of “latching ring” has been construed as the “latching rim”.
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 13-23, 25, 26, and 28-33 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Jacek et al. (U.S. Patent No. 4,220,360 A).
Referring to Claim 13: Jacek et al. discloses a hose coupling system (10 and 14 Figs. 1-4) comprising: an inlet (inlet of 21 on right shown in Fig. 4) fitting to be arranged or arranged on a vacuum cleaner (10 is capable of being arranged on a vacuum cleaner); a connection piece (10 Figs. 1-4) to be connected or connected to a suction hose (“coupling means 14 to which are secured the end of a hose (not shown).” Col. 2, lines 39-40), the connection piece (10 Figs. 1-4) to be inserted into (inserted into 21 shown in Figs. 3 and 4) the inlet fitting (inlet of 21 on right shown in Fig. 4) in a coaxial direction (show in Figs. 3 and 4); and an actuable latch element (15, 16, 17, and 22 Figs. 3 and 4), the connection piece (10 Figs. 1-4) holdable in the inlet fitting (inlet of 21 on right shown in Fig. 4) in a form- fitting manner (shown in a form- fitting manner in Figs. 3 and 4) and releasable as required via the actuable latch element (15, 16, 17, and 22 Figs. 3 and 4); the actuable latch element being in the form of a spring-mounted holding clip (15 and 17 Figs. 3 and 4).
Referring to Claim 14: Jacek et al. discloses the hose coupling system as recited in claim 13 wherein the connection piece (10 Figs. 1-4) is held in the inlet fitting (inlet of 21 on right shown in Fig. 4) in a form-fitting manner (shown in Figs. 3 and 4) when the latch element (15, 16, 17, and 22 Figs. 3 and 4) is unactuated (shown in unactuated in Fig. 3).
Referring to Claim 15: Jacek et al. discloses the hose coupling system as recited in claim 13 wherein the spring-mounted holding clip (15 and 17 Figs. 3 and 4) has an outer actuating surface (OAS Fig. 1-A inserted below).
PNG
media_image1.png
350
750
media_image1.png
Greyscale
Referring to Claim 16: Jacek et al. discloses the hose coupling system as recited in claim 15 wherein the connection piece (10 Figs. 1-4) has a latching rim (latching rim LR which surrounds and accommodates end of 21 Fig. 1-A inserted above), the spring-mounted holding clip (15 and 17 Figs. 3 and 4) being in engagement with the latching ring (LR Fig. 1-A inserted above) in a form-fitting manner when the holding clip (15 and 17 Figs. 3 and 4) is in an unactuated state (unactuated state shown in Fig. 3).
Referring to Claim 17: Jacek et al. discloses the hose coupling system as recited in claim 16 wherein the latching rim (latching rim LR which surrounds and accommodates end of 21 Fig. 1-A inserted above) is an encircling (LR encircles end of 21) latching rim.
Referring to Claim 18: Jacek et al. discloses the hose coupling system as recited in claim 15 wherein the spring-mounted holding clip (15 and 17 Figs. 3 and 4) has two holding lugs (22 Figs. 3 and 4) to hold the holding clip (15 and 17 Figs. 3 and 4) in a housing of the vacuum cleaner (The holding clips of Jacek et al. are capable of being held in a housing of a vacuum cleaner).
Referring to Claim 19: Jacek et al. discloses the hose coupling system as recited in claim 15 wherein the latching rim (LR Fig. 1-A inserted above) has an oblique flank (OF Fig. 1-A inserted above) to facilitate latching-in of the spring-mounted holding clip (15 and 17 Figs. 3 and 4).
Referring to Claim 20: Jacek et al. discloses the hose coupling system as recited in claim 13 wherein the connection piece (10 Figs. 1-4) has at least one encircling support ring (12 Figs. 1, 3, and 4) to align the connection piece (10 Figs. 1-4) in the inlet fitting (inlet of 21 on right shown in Fig. 4) in a manner free from play.
Referring to Claim 21: Jacek et al. discloses the hose coupling system as recited in claim 20 wherein the at least one encircling support ring (12 Figs. 1, 3, and 4) is two encircling support rings (IR and OR Fig. 1-A inserted above).
Referring to Claim 22: Jacek et al. discloses the hose coupling system as recited in claim 13 wherein the connection piece (10 Figs. 1-4) has a ring end surface (OR Fig. 1-A inserted above), the ring end surface, when the connection piece (10 Figs. 1-4) is accommodated in the inlet fitting (inlet of 21 on right shown in Fig. 4) and latched therein, resting on a corresponding ring (CR Fig. 1-A inserted above) end surface of the inlet fitting (inlet of 21 on right shown in Fig. 4).
Referring to Claim 23: Jacek et al. discloses the hose coupling system as recited in claim 13 wherein the connection piece (10 Figs. 1-4) has a cylindrical sealing surface (OR Fig. 1-A inserted above), the cylindrical sealing surface, when the connection piece (10 Figs. 1-4) is accommodated in the inlet fitting (inlet of 21 on right shown in Fig. 4) and latched therein, resting on a corresponding cylindrical sealing surface (CR Fig. 1-A inserted above) of the inlet fitting.
Referring to Claim 25: Jacek et al. discloses the hose coupling system as recited in claim 13 wherein the connection piece (10 Figs. 1-4) is held in the inlet fitting exclusively (shown in Fig. 4) in a form-fitting manner.
Referring to Claim 26: Jacek et al. discloses the hose coupling system as recited in claim 25 wherein the connection piece (10 Figs. 1-4) is held in the inlet fitting (inlet of 21 on right shown in Fig. 4) in a manner free from a conical pairing (due to the sizing of 12 and end of 21, 10 holds the end of 21 before being fully seated inside of 10).
Referring to Claim 28: Jacek et al. discloses the hose coupling system as recited in claim 13 wherein the spring-mounted holding clip (15 and 17 Figs. 3 and 4) has two holding lugs (22 Figs. 3 and 4).
Referring to Claim 29: Jacek et al. discloses the hose coupling system as recited in claim 13 wherein the spring-mounted holding clip (15 and 17 Figs. 3 and 4) is mounted to a compression spring (18 Figs. 3 and 4).
Referring to Claim 30: Jacek et al. discloses the hose coupling system as recited in claim 29 wherein the compression spring (18 Figs. 3 and 4) is in a maximally expanded state (shown in Fig. 3) in an unactuated state of the latch element (15, 16, 17, and 22 Figs. 3 and 4) and compressed when the latch element (15, 16, 17, and 22 Figs. 3 and 4) is actuated (shown in Fig. 3).
Referring to Claim 31: Jacek et al. discloses the hose coupling system as recited in claim 13 wherein the spring-mounted holding clip (15 and 17 Figs. 3 and 4) is connected to a spring (18 Figs. 3 and 4).
Referring to Claim 32: Jacek et al. discloses the hose coupling system as recited in claim 13 wherein the spring-mounted holding clip (15 and 17 Figs. 3 and 4) has an outer actuating surface (17 Figs. 3 and 4) in the form of a trough (trough 17 which accommodates spring 18).
Referring to Claim 33: Jacek et al. discloses the hose coupling system as recited in claim 13 wherein the connection piece (10 Figs. 1-4) has a radially outward facing cylindrical sealing surface (CR Fig. 1-A inserted above).
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 24 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jacek et al. (U.S. Patent No. 4,220,360 A).
Referring to Claim 24: Jacek et al. discloses the hose coupling system as recited in claim 23 but is silent on wherein the corresponding cylindrical sealing surface of the inlet fitting extends over at most one third of a total length of the inlet fitting.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the inlet fitting extending over at most one third of a total length of the inlet fitting because it appears to extend over approximately that distance, since an extension of at most one third of the total length would be beneficial for the purpose of making the connection relatively easy to quickly connect and disconnect, and since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable involves only routine skill in the art. (see MPEP 2144.05 (II)(A))
Claim 27 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jacek et al. (U.S. Patent No. 4,220,360 A) and Hult et al. (U.S. Patent No. 6,115,881 A).
Referring to Claim 27: Jacek et al. teaches a suction hose (“coupling means 14 to which are secured the end of a hose (not shown).” Col. 2, lines 39-40); an inlet fitting (inlet of 21 on right shown in Fig. 4); a connection piece (10 Figs. 1-4) connected to the suction hose (“coupling means 14 to which are secured the end of a hose (not shown).” Col. 2, lines 39-40), the connection piece (10 Figs. 1-4) to be inserted into (inserted into 21 shown in Figs. 3 and 4) the inlet fitting (inlet of 21 on right shown in Fig. 4) in a coaxial direction (show in Figs. 3 and 4); and an actuable latch element (15, 16, 17, and 22 Figs. 3 and 4), the connection piece (10 Figs. 1-4) holdable in the inlet fitting in a form- fitting manner and releasable as required via the actuable latch element (15, 16, 17, and 22 Figs. 3 and 4); the actuable latch element being in the form of a spring-mounted holding clip (15 and 17 Figs. 3 and 4), and the connection piece (10 Figs. 1-4) is connected to the suction hose (“coupling means 14 to which are secured the end of a hose (not shown).” Col. 2, lines 39-40).
But is silent on specifically teaching a vacuum cleaner.
Hult et al. teaches a vacuum cleaner (1 Fig. 1) comprising a similar configuration connection piece (10 Fig. 1) and a similar configuration suction hose (202 Fig. 1).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Jacek et al. with the vacuum cleaner as taught by Hult et al. for the purpose of, as it is well known in the art, having the necessary components to achieve the suction for use with the hoses and couplings.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRISTOPHER SOTO whose telephone number is (571)272-8172. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8a.m. - 5 p.m..
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, Monica Carter can be reached at 571-272-4475. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
CHRISTOPHER SOTO
Examiner
Art Unit 3723
/CHRISTOPHER SOTO/Examiner, Art Unit 3723
/MONICA S CARTER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3723