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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 12/03/2025 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see Page 8, filed 12/03/2025, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1-14 under 103 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Sernecki (DE 102014119191 A1) in view of Meyer (DE 102010016263 A1) and Yu (US 20220061614 A1).
Applicant's remaining arguments filed 12/03/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Firstly, regarding applicants’ arguments pointed towards claim 16, specifically that the “The POSITA would not modify Sernecki as modified in view of Duggan, in view of Horst as asserted by examiner”
Applicant argues that modifying the filter system of Duggan in view of Horst as proposed by examiner goes beyond a rearrangement of parts as relocating the inlet such that dirt travels downward into the filter liner would result in eliminating the tangential inlet responsible for forming the cyclone and would eliminate the elbow 212 which function as a barrier to prevent debris from being re-entrained in the air. Examiner respectfully disagrees, the test for obviousness is not whether the features of a secondary reference may be bodily incorporated into the structure of the primary reference; nor is it that the claimed invention must be expressly suggested in any one or all of the references. Rather, the test is what the combined teachings of the references would have suggested to those of ordinary skill in the art. See In re Keller, 642 F.2d 413, 208 USPQ 871 (CCPA 1981). Specifically in this case, air entering the filter liner from the top opening or utilizing the elbow to form a tangential inlet are not mutually exclusive options, modifying the impermeable bag of Duggan such that the elbow 212 extends downwards from an opening in the horizontal plane at the topmost end of the impermeable bag and then having an elbow that bends to have the air enter in a tangential direction to the cyclone axis, forming a cyclone, would not disrupt the operation of the device as stated by the applicant and would be a simple matter of rearrangement of parts. As such Examiner does not find this argument persuasive.
Secondly regarding Applicants argument that “The proposed modifications od not and cannot arrive at the claimed invention” Applicant first argues that the filter line 200 of Duggan does not meet the requirements of air impermeable bag, as Duggan states in Para [0072] “the filter liner is also made of a non-collapsible material that resists deformation during the operation of the vacuum cleaner. Typically, the liner is made from a blow-molded plastic.” Examiner respectfully disagrees, in the sentence preceding the above citation, Duggan also discloses “the filter line is formed of a substantially air impermeable material such as a plastic material; however, other materials can be used” Applicant argues that as such, filter liner 200 does not meet the material requirement of a bag. Examiner respectfully disagrees, Merriam-Webster gives the definition of “bag” as “a usually flexible container that may be closed for holding, storing, or carrying something: such as a purse (especially: Handbag), a bag for a game, or a suitcase” (emphasis added) or “something resembling a bag” As such examiner does not agree that the term bag requires a flexible material.
Additionally applicant argues that the filter liner 200 is closed by the housing support 148, sealing the filter and filter liner together, and further argues that otherwise such an opening would be provided in filter 80 Examiner respectfully disagrees, the claim requires “an uppermost end of the air impermeable bag has an opening which lies in a horizontal plane” An item can have an opening that can be closed by another object, the presence of 148 or filter 80 does not mean liner 200 no longer has an opening on the top, and additionally, in Para [0087] Duggan described removing said housing 148 as part of the filter and filter liner changing process “The lifting of upper section 22 causes the motor housing to be lifted off filter support 90 and off of filter 80 and filter liner 200”.
As such Examiner does not find these arguments persuasive.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
Claim 4 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 4, Claim 4 cites “wherein the air treatment unit is removably mounted as part of the assembly” this is unclear, as it is unclear what “the assembly” is referring too, as the only previously cited assembly was the motor and fan assembly in claim 1. As such this lacks antecedent basis in the claims. For the purpose of examination this will be interpreted as “wherein the air treatment member is removable from the removable from the base vacuum cleaner, the air treatment unit has an openable door and, when the door is opened, dirt is emptyable from the air treatment unit, and the air treatment unit is removable from the base vacuum cleaner with the door closed.”
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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(s) 1-3, 10-14, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sernecki (DE 102014119191 A1) in view of Meyer (DE 102010016263 A1) and Yu (US 20220061614 A1).
Regarding Claim 1, Sernecki discloses
A portable vacuum cleaner comprising:
(a) a base vacuum cleaner (1), the base vacuum cleaner comprising:
(i) a first dirty air inlet (12) and a second dirty air inlet (7);
(ii) an air treatment unit (2) downstream from the first dirty air inlet (12);
(iii) a first docking unit (7 and 8) positioned downstream from the air treatment unit (bag 2) and having a clean air outlet (8, see figure 8 showing 8 being downstream from air treatment unit 2); and,
(b) an auxiliary vacuum cleaner (3) which is removably docked to the first docking unit (See Para [0037] “Fig. 3 shows the base station 1 with a first vacuum cleaner 3 connected to it. The first vacuum cleaner 3 has a suction nozzle 28 on the side that usually rests on the floor to be cleaned, which is connected here to the first air inlet 7 of the base station 1.”), the auxiliary vacuum cleaner comprising an auxiliary air flow path (See Fig. 8) extending from an inlet port (9) of the auxiliary vacuum cleaner (3) to an outlet port of the auxiliary vacuum cleaner (See Exhaust air exiting axillary cleaner 3 via an outlet port in figure 8) with a dirt collection unit (5) and a motor and fan (11) assembly provided in the auxiliary air flow path;
wherein, with the auxiliary vacuum cleaner docked at the first docking unit (See Cleaner 3 docked in Fig. 8), the second dirty air inlet (7) is connected in flow communication with the outlet port of the auxiliary vacuum cleaner (See arrows showing airflow in Fig. 8), which outlet port (Exhaust seen in Fig. 11 and 8) is downstream from the dirt collection unit of the auxiliary vacuum cleaner (See Airflow arrows in Fig. 11 and 8), and the clean air outlet is connected in flow communication with the inlet port of the auxiliary vacuum cleaner (See Fig. 8), which inlet port is upstream of the motor and fan assembly of the auxiliary vacuum cleaner (See airflow in Fig. 8);
wherein, with the auxiliary vacuum cleaner docked at the first docking unit (See Cleaner 3 docked in Fig. 8 and 11), and the portable vacuum cleaner in a first docking mode (Cleaner 3 is docked), the motor and fan assembly (See Airflow arrows, 11) of the auxiliary vacuum cleaner (3) generates a first airflow path through the air treatment unit (2) of the base vacuum cleaner from the dirt collection unit (5) of the auxiliary vacuum cleaner (3) to the motor and fan assembly of the auxiliary vacuum cleaner, whereby the portable vacuum cleaner is operated using the first air flow path to withdraw dirt from the auxiliary vacuum cleaner and collect withdrawn dirt in the air treatment unit (See airflow arrows in Fig. 8 where airflow arrows extend from inlet 9, through dirt collection unit 5, into air treatment unit 2 of the base cleaner), and
wherein, with the auxiliary vacuum cleaner docked at the first docking unit (See Figs. 8 and 11) and the portable vacuum cleaner in a cleaning mode (Air inlet 12 opened and valve 14 switched, see Fig. 11), the motor and fan assembly (11) of the auxiliary vacuum cleaner generates a second airflow path (See airflow path shown in Fig. 11) through the air treatment unit (2) from the first dirty air inlet (12) to the motor and fan assembly (11) of the auxiliary vacuum cleaner (3) with the air treatment unit (2) of the base vacuum cleaner positioned in the second airflow path (See Fig. 11),
wherein the auxiliary vacuum cleaner (3) is operable to clean a surface when removed from the base vacuum cleaner, the auxiliary vacuum cleaner is operable to clean a surface using a third dirty air inlet (28, See Para [0041] “In a typical vacuuming operation of the first vacuum cleaner 3, material 15 is sucked from a floor to be cleaned into the suction nozzle 28 by means of the blower 11, flows through the air duct 9 and passes through an air filter 27, which filters the sucked-in air, so that the material 15 contained therein adheres to the filter material of the air filter 27 and only air free of material 15 can flow further towards the blower 11.”).
but does not explicitly disclose, wherein the base vacuum cleaner comprises:
(iv) a carry handle;
whereby the base vacuum cleaner is carried together with the auxiliary vacuum cleaner by a user using the carry handle and is concurrently operated using the second air flow path to clean a surface.
However, Meyer discloses a similar vacuum cleaning base station (3, see Fig. 1) with a suction tube (14) attached as a secondary dirty air inlet.
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the invention to modify the base station of Sernecki to utilize a cleaner hose through the suction port (12 of Sernecki), as doing so would allow for an operator to perform easy spot cleaning around the vicinity of the suction cleaner (See Para [0004] “Accordingly, in such a configuration the base station can be used as a normal, albeit stationary, vacuum cleaner, even while the robot is performing its cleaning cycle across the floor. In suction hose operation, a suction channel docking section for the robot is preferably deactivated, so that the suction airflow flows solely through the suction hose located at the base station.”).
And Yu discloses a docking station for a vacuum cleaner similar to the portable vacuum cleaner further comprising a carry handle (1402, See Para [0154] “As shown, the docking station dust cup 1312 includes a handle 1402 that extends over a portion of the base 1302. For example, the handle 1402 may extend over a portion of the suction housing 1301 that defines the pre-motor filter chamber 1304, the motor chamber 1306, and the post-motor filter chamber 1308. In some instances, the handle 1402 may include a latch which couples the handle 1402 to the base 1302 such that the docking station dust cup 1312 doesn't inadvertently become decoupled from the base 1302.”).
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the invention to modify the base station to include a handle to in order to allow for a user to easily move and reposition the docking station.
Examiner notes that modifying Sernecki in view of Yu and Meyer would result in the Sernecki as modified being capable of performing the function of whereby the base vacuum cleaner is carried together with the auxiliary vacuum cleaner by a user using the carry handle and is concurrently operated using the second air flow path to clean a surface (an operator could utilize the hose (14 of Meyer) to perform a spot clean near the docking station, and use the handle to move the station to extend the range an operator would be able to spot clean).
Regarding Claim 2, Sernecki as modified discloses all the limitations of claim 1 and in addition discloses wherein the base vacuum cleaner (1 of Sernecki) has an absence of a motor and fan assembly (See Fig. 8, motor and fan assembly 11 is supplied by cleaner 3).
Regarding Claim 3, Sernecki as modified discloses all the limitations of claim 1 and in addition discloses when the auxiliary vacuum cleaner is docked at the first docking unit, the motor and fan assembly of the auxiliary vacuum cleaner is the sole air moving member of a portable vacuum cleaner (See Fig. 8 of Sernecki showing the airflow path driven via motor 11 of the auxiliary vacuum cleaner 3).
Regarding Claim 10, Sernecki as modified discloses all the limitations of claim 1 and in addition discloses comprising a flexible hose (14 of Meyer) which, in the cleaning mode (Fig. 11 of Sernecki), is positioned upstream of the first dirty air inlet (hose 14 of Meyer extends from 12 and would be where air enters 12 through).
Regarding Claim 11, Sernecki as modified discloses all the limitations of claim 1 but does not explicitly disclose further comprising a second docking unit for an additional vacuum cleaner, the second docking unit comprising a fourth dirty air inlet wherein, when the auxiliary vacuum cleaner is docked at the first docking unit and the additional vacuum cleaner is docked at the second docking unit, a third air flow path extends from the fourth dirty air inlet to the clean air outlet, whereby the portable vacuum cleaner is operable in a second docking mode using the third air flow path to withdraw dirt from the additional vacuum cleaner.
However, Sernecki discloses a cleaning unit with two docking units (See Fig. 11) for auxiliary vacuum cleaners (3 and 4).
And Meyer discloses a docking unit for a robotic cleaner (1) with a secondary airflow path (14).
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the invention to further modify the station of Sernecki such that maintains two docking stations (as shown in Fig. 11 of Sernecki) and to include an additional airflow path connected to a flexible hose as doing so would allow for claiming the benefits of having a docking unit for a hand cleaner for manual cleaning, an automatic cleaner for an automatic cleaner, and a flexible hose for spot cleaning in the vicinity of the station.
Examiner notes that Sernecki as modified would result in the cleaner with a first docking unit (7 and 8 of Sernecki), downstream from the air treatment unit and having a clean air outlet and a first dirty air inlet (at 7)
A second dirty air inlet and a second airflow path (hose 14 of Meyer)
A third dirty air inlet (inlet 7 of cleaner 3)
further comprising a second docking unit (16) for an additional vacuum cleaner (4), the second docking unit comprising a fourth dirty air inlet (16) wherein, when the auxiliary vacuum cleaner is docked at the first docking unit (See Fig .11) and the additional vacuum cleaner is docked at the second docking unit (See Fig. 11), a third air flow path (See airflow in Fig. 11) extends from the fourth dirty air inlet to the clean air outlet (See Airflow in Fig. 11), whereby the portable vacuum cleaner is operable in a second docking mode using the third air flow path to withdraw dirt from the additional vacuum cleaner (See Sernecki Para [0050] “The adapter module 16 is designed to provide a flow connection between the base station 1 and a second vacuum cleaner 4, e.g. a cleaning robot. For this purpose, the adapter module 16 has an air duct which connects the adapter air outlet 17 with the adapter air inlet 18. The swiveling suction arm 23 allows the position of the adapter air inlet 18 to be varied, so that differently shaped and/or differently high second vacuum cleaners 4 can be connected.”).
Regarding Claim 12, Sernecki as modified discloses all the limitations of claim 11 and in addition discloses wherein the third airflow path (See the airflow in Fig. 11) extends through the air treatment unit (2) and, in the second docking mode the portable vacuum cleaner is operable using the third air flow path to withdraw dirt from the additional vacuum cleaner and collect withdrawn dirt in the air treatment unit (See Sernecki Para [0050] as cited above in the rejection of claim 11).
Regarding Claim 13, Sernecki as modified discloses all the limitations of claim 1 and in addition discloses wherein the additional vacuum cleaner is an autonomous vacuum cleaner (4 of Sernecki is an autonomous vacuum cleaner).
Regarding Claim 14, Sernecki as modified discloses all the limitations of claim 1 but does not explicitly disclose wherein the auxiliary vacuum cleaner has an on-board energy storage member and the first docking unit further comprises a first charging unit whereby the auxiliary vacuum cleaner is rechargeable when docked at the first docking unit.
Sernecki does teach however, electrical contacts (20) on the docking unit.
However, Meyer discloses a similar cleaning apparatus wherein the auxiliary vacuum cleaner (1) has an on—board energy storage member and the first docking unit (9 and 8) comprises a first charging unit whereby the auxiliary vacuum cleaner is rechargeable when docked at the first docking unit (See Para [0009] “The base station has electronics for charging the vacuum and/or sweeping robot in the docking position, and may also include a transformer and electrical coupling means for electrical contact with the corresponding robot's counterparts”).
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the invention to modify the auxiliary cleaner to include on-board energy storage as doing so would allow for a user to use the cleaner without worrying about an electrical cord, and it would additionally be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the invention to modify the electrical contacts of the base station to charge the on-board energy of the cleaner, ensuring the cleaner is always charged and ready to be used by the user.
Regarding Claim 20, Sernecki as modified discloses all the limitations of claim 1 and in addition discloses wherein the third dirty air inlet is the inlet port of the auxiliary vacuum cleaner (28, See Para [0041] “In a typical vacuuming operation of the first vacuum cleaner 3, material 15 is sucked from a floor to be cleaned into the suction nozzle 28 by means of the blower 11, flows through the air duct 9 and passes through an air filter 27, which filters the sucked-in air, so that the material 15 contained therein adheres to the filter material of the air filter 27 and only air free of material 15 can flow further towards the blower 11.”).
Claim(s) 4-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sernecki (DE 102014119191 A1) in view of Meyer (DE 102010016263 A1) and Yu (US 20220061614 A1) as modified in claim 1 and in further view of Maclean (US 20170209875 A1).
Regarding Claim 4, Sernecki as modified discloses all the limitations of claim 1 but does not explicitly disclose wherein the air treatment unit is removably mounted as part of the assembly, the air treatment unit has an openable door and, when the door is opened, dirt is emptyable from the air treatment unit, and the air treatment unit is removable from the assembly with the door closed.
However, Maclean discloses a cleaner wherein the air treatment unit (see Figure 4 showing the dual cyclone and dirt cup of the cleaner of Maclean) has an openable door (24) and, when the door is opened, dirt is emptyable from the air treatment unit (See Para [0023] “Although closed during normal operation to collect dust and debris, the base 24 is openable to release the dust by being pivotally connected to the outer wall 12 via a hinge or pivot joint and locks to an opposing part of the outer wall 12 via a catch 25.”), and the air treatment unit is removable from the assembly with the door closed (See Para [0027] “Once the capacity of the dirt collection chamber 11 is reached, the cyclonic separation apparatus 3 can be detached from the main body for emptying. The dirt collection chamber 11 of the cyclonic separation apparatus 3 can be emptied by the user pushing the push rod 26 downwardly and releasing the catch 25.”).
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the invention to modify the air treatment unit or the cleaner to be removable and openable via a door as doing so would allow for the user to easily empty the cleaning station of accumulated dirt and debris by taking it directly to a disposal spot before opening the door and allowing the debris to fall out.
Regarding claim 5, Sernecki as modified discloses all the limitations of claim 1 but does not explicitly disclose wherein the air treatment unit comprises a first stage air treatment member, which comprises a first dirt collection region, and a downstream second stage comprising a second stage air treatment member.
However, Maclean discloses a similar cleaner with an air treatment unit that comprises a first stage air treatment member (first cyclone 7), which comprises a first dirt collection region (9), and a downstream second stage comprising a second stage air treatment member (second cyclone 8).
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the invention to modify the cleaner to modify the air treatment unit to be a two-stage cyclonic separator as taught by Maclean doing so would result in a high separation efficiency from the dirt laden air, increasing the efficiency of the cleaner. See Maclean Para [0025] “During use of the vacuum cleaner 1, dirt laden fluid is drawn through the hose assembly 4 and into the cyclonic separation apparatus 3 via the inlet duct 5. The fluid is drawn through the cyclonic separation apparatus 3 and introduced into the first cyclone stage 7 via the fluid inlet 14 of the cyclonic chamber 11. The fluid travels in a cyclonic pathway following the limits of the outer wall 12 and the inner wall 13. The fluid inlet 14 is positioned at an end of the flattened section 19 of the inner wall 13, such that the fluid is drawn around the curved section 18 of the inner wall 13 (as shown by arrow 20 in FIG. 5). High initial separation efficiency is achieved by creating a fluid flow path that first travels around the curved section 18 of the inner wall 13 before reaching the flattened section 19 of the inner wall 13.”
Regarding Claim 6, Sernecki as modified discloses all the limitations of claim 5 and in addition discloses wherein the first dirt collection region comprises a first stage cyclone (cyclone 7) and the second stage air treatment member comprises a second cyclone (cyclone 8).
Regarding Claim 7, Sernecki as modified discloses all the limitations of claim 5 and in addition discloses wherein the first dirt collection region comprises a first stage air treatment chamber (7) having a dirt collection region at a lower end thereof (See Para [0023] “The dirt collection chamber 9 is formed at the bottom of the cyclonic separation apparatus 3 and is therefore located beneath both the first and second cyclone stages 7,8.”) and the second stage air treatment member comprises a cyclone (8 is a second cyclone).
Claim(s) 8-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sernecki (DE 102014119191 A1) in view of Meyer (DE 102010016263 A1) and Yu (US 20220061614 A1), and Maclean (US 20170209875 A1) as modified in claim 5 and in further view of Duggan (US 20030182756 A1).
Regarding Claim 8, Sernecki as modified discloses all the limitations of claim 5 but does not explicitly disclose wherein an air impermeable bag is removably receivable in the first dirt collection region whereby, in operation dirt is collected in the bag and the first dirt collection region is openable and, when the first dirt collection region is opened, the bag is removable.
However, Duggan discloses a cleaner wherein an air impermeable bag (filter liner 200) is removably receivable in the first dirt collection region whereby (50), in operation dirt is collected in the bag and the first dirt collection region is openable and, when the first dirt collection region is opened, the bag is removable (See Para [0087] “Once the upper section 22 has been pivoted into the open position, the user grasps handle 66 on the canister and slides the canister off base 30. The canister is then moved to a location to remove dirt D from the base of the filter liner and to replace filter 80 and filter liner 200. During the replacement of the filters and the filter liner, filter 80 and filter liner 200 are lifted out of the canister and disposed of. The adhesive between the filter and the filter liner is typically designed to prevent the separation of the filter from the filter liner so as to minimize the amount of particles that escape during the disposal of the filter and the filter liner. The use of the filter liner also eliminates the need to carry the canister to a disposal site. As a result, the changing of the filter is made simpler and more convenient by the use of the filter liner.”).
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the invention to modify the cleaner to include an air impermeable bag to allow for effective emptying of the cleaner without bringing the entire air treatment member to the where the debris is meant to be disposed of, while preventing any undesirable leakage of debris out of the dust cup container See Duggan Para [0029] “In accordance with another and/or alternative aspect of the present invention, the filter arrangement includes a filter liner to enable more convenient disposal of particles that have fallen to the base or bottom of the low velocity chamber.”
Regarding Claim 9, Sernecki as modified discloses all the limitations of claim 8 and in addition discloses wherein the first dirt collection region has an openable lid when the lid is opened, the bag is removable upwardly (See Para [0087] of Duggan cited in the rejection of claim 8, describing the opening of lid (22), removing the canister upwardly, removing the bag 200 from the canister upwardly).
Claims 16-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sernecki (DE 102014119191 A1) in view of Duggan (US 20030182756 A1) and Johnson (US 20200069139 A1) and Horst (GB 2550041 A).
Regarding Claim 16, Sernecki discloses: A docking unit comprising:
(a) an air treatment unit (2) comprising a first dirty air inlet (at 7) and
(b) a first docking unit (7 and 8) for a first vacuum cleaner (3) wherein, when the first vacuum cleaner is docked at the first docking unit (See Fig, 8), the first dirty air inlet is connected in flow communication with an outlet port of the first vacuum cleaner (nozzle 28 which mates with 7), which outlet port (28) is downstream from a dirt collection unit (5) of the first vacuum cleaner (3); and,
(c) a first air flow path (air flow path seen in Fig. 8) extending from the first dirty air inlet (7) to a clean air outlet (where air exhausts out of the cleaner 3 after passing through the docking station 1 in Fig. 8), wherein the air treatment unit (2) is provided in the first air flow path (See Fig. 8) and,
wherein the docking unit is operable in a first docking mode in which the first vacuum cleaner is docked at the first docking unit and is connected in air flow communication with the first dirty air inlet (See Fig. 8 of Sernecki), and
wherein, in the first docking mode, the docking unit is operable using the first air flow path to withdraw dirt from the first vacuum cleaner into the air treatment unit through the first dirty air inlet (See airflow in Fig. 8).
But does not explicitly disclose, the air treatment unit being openable whereby an air impermeable bag is removably receivable in the air treatment unit and, when the docking unit is positioned on a floor and the air impermeable bag is positioned in the air treatment unit, an interior surface of the air impermeable bag surrounds and defines an inner dirt collection volume of the air impermeable bag;
when the docking unit is positioned on the floor and the air impermeable bag is positioned in the air treatment unit, an uppermost end of the air impermeable bag has an opening which lies in a horizontal plane,
whereby withdrawn dirt travels downwardly from the first dirty air inlet through the horizontal plane into the air impermeable bag and collects in the inner dirt collection volume of the air impermeable bag, and wherein, when the air treatment unit is opened, the bag is removable, and wherein the docking unit is inoperable when the air treatment unit is open.
However, Duggan discloses
a first stage air treatment member (filter 80), the air treatment unit being openable (22) whereby an air impermeable bag (200) is removably receivable in the air treatment unit and an interior surface of the air impermeable bag surrounds and defines an inner dirt collection volume of the air impermeable bag (See Para [0079] “Once the filter and filter liner are inserted in the low velocity chamber, seal rings 70 and 154 on canister 50 and motor housing support 148 will cause the filter and filter liner to be pressed together, thereby resulting in an adhesive bond between the filter and filter liner. The adhesive can be selected such that the bond between the filter and filter liner cannot be easily broken once formed. Alternatively, the adhesive can be selected such that the bond between the filter and filter liner can be easily broken once formed. Typically, the adhesive is selected such that the bond between the filter and filter liner cannot be easily broken once formed. One potential advantage of not having a filter preconnected to the filter liner is that the operator may more easily insert the filter liner into the low velocity chamber.”); an uppermost end of the air impermeable bag has an opening which lies in a horizontal plane (See Duggan Fig. 1 horizontal plane along 150),
whereby withdrawn dirt travels downwardly from the first dirty air inlet into the air impermeable bag and collects in the inner dirt collection volume of the air impermeable bag, and wherein, when the air treatment unit is opened, the bag is removable (See Para [0072] “Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5, filter liner 200 includes a side wall 202 and a base 204. Base 204 includes a generally conical portion 206 in the center of the base that is designed to fit in a filter support 60 of the low velocity chamber. The filter liner also includes a side opening 210 and an elbow 212 which are designed to receive elbow section 78 of inlet nozzle 72. Elbow 212 of the filter liner, like the elbow section of inlet nozzle 72, functions as a barrier to at least partially inhibit or prevent the particles from continuing to circulate about the base of the low velocity chamber.”),
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the invention to modify the air treatment unit of the docking station of Sernecki to include an air impermeable bag such that the air treatment unit (2 of Sernecki) being openable whereby an air impermeable bag (200 of Duggan) is removably receivable in the air treatment unit (removable as taught by Duggan in Para [0079] cited above) and, when the docking unit is positioned on a floor (fig. 8) and the air impermeable bag is positioned in the air treatment unit (See 200 in Duggan Fig. 1), an interior surface of the air impermeable bag surrounds and defines an inner dirt collection volume of the air impermeable bag (See citation of Para [0072] above);
when the docking unit is positioned on the floor (See Fig. 8 of Sernecki) and the air impermeable bag is positioned in the air treatment unit (As modified by Duggan), an uppermost end of the air impermeable bag has an opening which lies in a horizontal plane (See 200 of Duggan in fig. 1 of Duggan),
whereby withdrawn dirt travels downwardly from the first dirty air inlet into the air impermeable bag and collects in the inner dirt collection volume of the air impermeable bag, and wherein, when the air treatment unit is opened, the bag is removable (See Para [0072] “As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, a filter liner 200 is inserted in the base of the low velocity chamber. The use of the liner simplifies the disposal of dirt in the canister and reduces the amount of time and effort needed to clean the interior of the low velocity chamber after each filter replacement. The filter liner is formed of a substantially air impermeable material such as a plastic material; however, other materials can be used.”). As doing so would allow for a user to have an easy and convenient way of emptying out the docking station by opening the air treatment unit, removing the air impermeable bag and filter, dispose of or clean the bag and filter, and replace them in the cleaner. Without requiring the operator to carry the docking station or even the entire air treatment unit to the place where the debris is to be disposed of.
But does not explicitly disclose, wherein the whereby withdrawn dirt travels downwardly from the first dirty air inlet through the horizontal plane into the air impermeable bag and wherein the docking unit is inoperable when the air treatment unit is open.
Further, Johnson does teach a similar docking station that monitors the status of the filter bag and prevents different operations of the station depending on the status of the filter bag (See Johnson Para [0072] “The interface 600 also presents an unelectable empty bin button 608 (e.g., the button 608 is greyed out) indicating that the bin 124 of the robot 102 cannot be evacuated because the filter bag 304 of the evacuation station 200 is full.” And [0073] “In the interface 620, a clean button 622 is also unelectable (e.g., the clean button 602 is greyed out) to indicate that the robot 102 cannot be instructed to execute a cleaning mission when the bin 124 of the robot is full and cannot be emptied (because the filter bag 304 of the evacuation station 200 is also full).”).
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the docking unit of FOR1 to monitor the status of the filter bag and adjacent opening and enable or disable the operation of the cleaner based on the status of the monitored components, such as the first dirt collection region being open.
Finally, Horst discloses a cleaner with a dust collection bag (9), wherein the upper end of the dust collection bag has an opening which lies in a horizontal plane, and wherein the first airflow path to withdraw dirt from the first vacuum cleaner into the air treatment unit through the first dirty air inlet whereby withdrawn dirt travels downwardly from the first dirty air inlet through the horizontal plane into the dust collection bag (See Figure 1 of Horst) and collects in the inner dirt collection volume of the air impermeable bag (See Horst Page 7 Lines 20-25 “A suction air current which can be generated by an electrically driven fan 8 arranged in the vacuum cleaner housing, conveys dirt particles entering into the floor part 1 and guides these via the suction pipe 5 and the suction hose 6 into a dirt collection chamber 9 arranged in the vacuum cleaner housing 7.”).
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the invention to modify the air flow path of FOR1 such that the first air flow path to withdraw dirt from the first vacuum cleaner into the air treatment unit through the first dirty air inlet whereby withdrawn dirt travels downwardly from the first travels downwardly from the first dirty air inlet through the horizontal plane into the air impermeable bag as the dust collection portion and airflow of Horst and FOR1 are similar and modifying the airflow path of FOR1 in such a manner would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art as a rearrangement of parts as doing so would not modify the function of the docking unit. See MPEP 2144.04 VI C.
Regarding Claim 17, Sernecki as modified teaches all the limitations of claim 16 and in addition teaches wherein the docking unit is inoperable when a bag is absent from the air treatment unit (See Johnson Para [0072] “The interface 600 also presents an unelectable empty bin button 608 (e.g., the button 608 is greyed out) indicating that the bin 124 of the robot 102 cannot be evacuated because the filter bag 304 of the evacuation station 200 is full.” And [0073] “In the interface 620, a clean button 622 is also unselectable (e.g., the clean button 602 is greyed out) to indicate that the robot 102 cannot be instructed to execute a cleaning mission when the bin 124 of the robot is full and cannot be emptied (because the filter bag 304 of the evacuation station 200 is also full).”).
Regarding Claim 18, Sernecki as modified discloses all the limitations of claim 16 and in addition discloses wherein the air treatment unit has an openable lid and, when the lid is opened, the bag is removable upwardly (See Duggan Para [0087] “Once the upper section 22 has been pivoted into the open position, the user grasps handle 66 on the canister and slides the canister off base 30. The canister is then moved to a location to remove dirt D from the base of the filter liner and to replace filter 80 and filter liner 200. During the replacement of the filters and the filter liner, filter 80 and filter liner 200 are lifted out of the canister and disposed of. The adhesive between the filter and the filter liner is typically designed to prevent the separation of the filter from the filter liner so as to minimize the amount of particles that escape during the disposal of the filter and the filter liner. The use of the filter liner also eliminates the need to carry the canister to a disposal site. As a result, the changing of the filter is made simpler and more convenient by the use of the filter liner.”).
Claim 19 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over FOR1 (DE 102014119191 A1) in view of Duggan (US 20030182756 A1)) and Johnson (US 20200069139 A1) and Horst (GB 2550041 A) as modified in claim 16 and in further view of Morin (US 20160183752 A1).
Regarding Claim 19 Sernecki teaches all the limitations of claim 16 and but does not explicitly teach wherein the air treatment unit comprises a second stage air treatment member comprising a second stage dirt collection region and dirt collected in the second stage dirt collection region is emptiable into the bag.
However, Morin does teach a similar docking station for a similar cleaner that teaches a two-stage air treatment member (see figure 8a and 8b of Morin, 860 filter, 852 first cyclone and 854 second cyclone).
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the docking station of Song to include a secondary air treatment member as doing so would allow for more efficient separation of the dust from the air, ensuring it is removed from the air stream, and is not reintroduced to the environment through the exhaust and to allow for one air treatment member stage to focus on one type of debris while the second focuses on another (See Para [0068] “In some examples, coarse and fine debris are separated during two stages of air particle separation using an air-particle separator device 750c (FIGS. 9A and 9B) and to have debris separated via the second stage air treatment member be emptiable into the air impermeable bag as doing so would prevent an operator from having to empty two different sections instead of removing and replacing a single bag.
Conclusion
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/T.J.M./Examiner, Art Unit 3723
/DAVID S POSIGIAN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3723