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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on January 28, 2026 has been entered.
Response to Amendment
The Amendment filed January 28, 2026 has been entered. Examiner acknowledges the cancellation of claim 20. Claims 1-19 and 21 remain pending in the application. Applicant’s amendments to the Claims have overcome each 102(a)(2) and 103 rejection previously set forth in the previous Office Action mailed October 28, 2025. Therefore, the rejections have been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new grounds of rejection is made in view of 35 U.S.C. §112(b).
Claim Objections
Claim 8 is objected to because of the following informalities: misspelled word. Specifically the word propeller is spelled as “propellor” on line 15. 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.
Claims 1-19 and 21 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.
Regarding claim 1, this claim recites “a sanitation device for cleaning a body of water in an immersion pool of a mikvah”, but the claim does not clearly set forth what structural or operational limitations render the device a “sanitation device”, how the recited structure sanitizes the body of water, or what degree or manner of “cleaning” is accomplished or required by the claim. The body of the claim recites an outer housing, a filter cartridge, internal liquid passages, a cavity, a driving member, and a bypass passageway, but it is unclear how these limitations define sanitation of the body of water in the immersion pool of the mikvah, as opposed to mere circulation, filtering, or discharge of liquid. Claims 2-7 and 21 are rejected due to their dependency upon claim 1.
Regarding claim 8, this claim recites “a sanitation device for cleaning a body of water in an immersion pool of a mikvah”. Although claim 8 further recites that the motorized propeller draws liquid from the immersion pool’s body of water into the housing and back out through the outlet, the claim still does not clearly define what makes the device a “sanitation device”, how the recited structure sanitizes the body of water, or what degree or manner of “cleaning is accomplished or required. It is therefore unclear whether the claim requires mere circulation of water through the device, filtration of water, disinfection of water, or some other sanitation operation. Claims 9-15 are rejected due to their dependency upon claim 8.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WILLIAM ADDISON GEISBERT whose telephone number is (703)756-5497. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 7:30-5:00 EDT.
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/W.A.G./Examiner, Art Unit 1779
/Bobby Ramdhanie/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1779
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