DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . Medicine
Status of Claims
This action is in reply to the communications filed on 11/28/2022.
The Examiner notes claims 1-23 are currently pending and have been examined.
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.
And/or
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-6, 8-9, 11-13, 15-20, & 23 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by BIAN, ZHAUNG (CN 205268043 U), hereinafter Bian.
Regarding claim 1 & 11. Bian discloses a nozzle [10] for a cleaner [100], the nozzle comprising:
a nozzle housing [11] having a first flow path extending in a left-right direction of the nozzle and a second flow path extending in a front-rear direction of the nozzle [Figure 1 of this action & Fig 1-2 & 5-7; 11 has a first flow path extending in a left-right direction connected to a second flow path extending in a front-rear direction as it connects to 20 and 200 as seen in Fig 7];
a first rotation cleaning unit and a second rotation cleaning unit disposed on a lower surface of the nozzle housing behind the first flow path [Figure 1 of this action & Fig 2 & 5; there are two 13s that are the first and second cleaning units disposed below the lower surface of 11], the first rotation cleaning unit being spaced apart from the second rotation cleaning unit in the left-right direction [Fig 2 & 5], the second flow path being positioned between the first rotation cleaning unit and the second rotation cleaning unit [Figure 1 of this action & Fig 2 & 5];
a first driving motor disposed on a first side of the second flow path with respect to a centerline of the second flow path, the first driving motor being configured to rotate the first rotation cleaning unit [Figure 1 of this action & Fig 2-5; Pg4:¶5 of the translation; There is a 19 for each 13 that is disposed on opposite sides of the centerline of the second flow path that is configure to rotate 13];
a second driving motor disposed on a second side of the second flow path with respect to the centerline of the second flow path, the second driving motor being configured to rotate the second rotation cleaning unit, the second side being opposite to the first side [Figure 1 of this action & Fig 2-5; see the citation of the first driving motor]; and
a first mop attached to the first rotation cleaning unit and a second mop attached to the second rotation cleaning unit to be rotated, each of the first mop and the second mop being configured to be rotated by a respective one of the first driving motor and the second driving motor [Fig 2; Pg4:¶5 of the translation; each 13 has a 15 attached to it that rotates with 13 based on the rotation of 19],
wherein an axis of rotation of the first driving motor and an axis of rotation of the second driving motor extend at a non-parallel angle with respect to the centerline of the second flow path [Figure 1 of this action & Fig 1-2].
Claim 11 further claims: “wherein an axis of rotation of the first driving motor and an axis of rotation of the second driving motor are disposed in a first direction [Figure 1 of this action & Fig 1-5; the axis of rotation of both 19 extend in a forward-rear direction], and wherein a rotation axis of the first rotation plate and a rotation axis of the second rotation plate are disposed in a second direction different from the first direction [Figure 1 of this action & Fig 1-5; the rotation axis’s of 13 are perpendicular to the front-rear direction of both 19s].”
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Figure 1
Regarding claim 2. Bian discloses the nozzle of claim 1, wherein the first flow path and the second flow path include openings provided in the lower surface of the nozzle housing [Fig 5], wherein the second flow path extends in a rearward direction from a center area of the first flow path [Figure 1 of this action & Fig 5], and wherein the centerline of the second flow path intersects a centerline of the first flow path [Figure 1 of this action & Fig 5].
Regarding claim 3. Bian discloses the nozzle of claim 1, wherein the centerline of the second flow path is disposed between a first rotation center of the first rotation cleaning unit and a second rotation center of the second rotation cleaning unit [Figure 1 of this action & Fig 2 & 5].
Regarding claim 4. Bian discloses the nozzle of claim 3, wherein the nozzle housing includes: a first driving unit cover covering the first driving motor, the first driving unit cover having a center disposed between the axis of rotation of the first driving motor and the rotation center of the first rotation cleaning unit; and a second driving unit cover covering the second driving motor, the second driving unit cover including a center disposed between the axis of rotation of the second driving motor and the rotation center of the second rotation cleaning unit [Figure 2 of this action & Fig 2-4; there is a cover for each 19 that covers the gears in 110 and covers over 19].
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Figure 2
Regarding claim 5 & 15. Bian discloses the nozzle of claim 4, wherein the axis of rotation of the first driving motor and the axis of rotation of the second driving motor are symmetrical with respect to the centerline of the second flow path [Figure 1 of this action & Fig 1-2 & 5].
Regarding claim 6 & 16. Bian discloses the nozzle of claim 1, wherein the axis of rotation of the first driving motor and the axis of rotation of the second driving motor are angled towards the centerline of the second flow path as viewed moving in a frontward direction [Figure 1 of this action & Fig 2 & 5; the rotations axis’s of both 19 extend toward the centerline of the second flow path as view in a frontward direction; the angles are non-parallel with the centerline of the second flow path and intersect with said centerline], and wherein the second flow path extends from the first flow path in a rearward direction, the rearward direction being opposite to the frontward direction [Figure 1 of this action & Fig 2 & 5-7].
Regarding claim 8. Bian discloses the nozzle of claim 1, wherein the nozzle housing includes: a nozzle base on which the first driving motor and the second driving motor are seated; and a nozzle cover coupled to an upper side of the nozzle base, the nozzle cover covering the first driving motor and the second driving motor [Figure 3 of this action & Fig 1-3; the cover is covering 19].
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Figure 3
Regarding claim 9 & 23. Bian discloses the nozzle of claim 8, wherein the first driving motor includes a first transmission shaft passing through the nozzle base, the first transmission shaft being connected to the first rotation cleaning unit, and wherein the second driving motor includes a second transmission shaft passing through the nozzle base, the second transmission shaft being connected to the second rotation cleaning unit [Fig 1-4; 110 is located between the axis of rotation of 19 and the axis of rotation of 13 (Claim 23) and passes through the nozzle base to connect to 13; 110 transmits power from 19 to 13].
Regarding claim 12. Bian discloses the nozzle of claim 11, wherein the nozzle housing includes: a nozzle base [Figure 4 of this action] through which the rotation axis of the first rotation plate and the rotation axis of the second rotation plate pass [Figure 4 of this action; the rotation axis of each 13 passes through the base]; and a nozzle cover coupled to an upper portion of the nozzle base to cover the first driving motor and the second driving motor [Figure 4 of this action].
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Figure 4
Regarding claim 13. Bian discloses the nozzle of claim 12, wherein the first driving motor and the second driving motor are seated on the nozzle base and are spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction [Figure 4 of this action], and wherein an imaginary line connecting the axis of rotation of the first driving motor and the axis of rotation of the second driving motor overlaps the second flow path in the front-rear direction [Figure 4 of this action & Fig 1-2 & 5].
Regarding claim 17. Bian discloses the nozzle of claim 11, wherein the first driving motor overlaps at least a portion of the first rotation plate in a vertical direction, wherein the second driving motor overlaps at least a portion of the second rotation plate in the vertical direction [Fig 1-3; each 19 overlaps a portion of 13 in the vertical direction], and wherein the first rotation plate and the second rotation plate are symmetrically disposed with respect to the second flow path [Figure 1 of this action & Fig 5].
Regarding claim 18. Bian discloses the nozzle of claim 17, wherein the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction [Figure 1 of this action & Fig 5].
Regarding claim 19. Bian discloses the nozzle of claim 18, wherein the first direction is defined as the front-rear direction of the nozzle housing, and wherein the second direction is defined as a vertical direction of the nozzle housing [Figure 1 of this action & Fig 5].
Regarding claim 20. Bian discloses the nozzle of claim 19, wherein at least a portion of the first driving motor overlaps the first rotation plate in the vertical direction, wherein at least a portion of the second driving motor overlaps the second rotation plate in the vertical direction [Fig 1-3; Both 19s overlap a portion of a 13], and wherein the first driving motor and the second driving motor are positioned behind the first flow path [Figure 1 of this action & Fig 2 & 5].
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(s) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over BIAN, ZHAUNG (CN 205268043 U) in view of Liscio (US 20150272412), hereinafter Liscio.
Regarding claim 7. Bian discloses the nozzle of claim 1, but may not explicitly disclose wherein a width of the second flow path is smaller than a distance between the first driving motor and the second driving motor.
However Liscio teaches wherein a width of the second flow path is smaller than a distance between the first driving motor and the second driving motor [Figure 2; ¶47; the second flow path (31) is between both 20 and their motors which are directly above 20; therefore the second flow path is smaller than a distance between the two motors].
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the second flow path as disclosed by Bian to have a width of the second flow path be smaller than a distance between the first driving motor and the second driving motor as taught by Liscio for the purpose of keeping the dirty air being sucked up in the second flow path from interacting with the motors to keep them clean and would extend the life of the motors.
Regarding claim 21. Bian discloses the nozzle of claim 11, wherein the nozzle housing further includes a flow path forming portion covering at least one of the first flow path and the second flow path [Bian: Figure 5 of this action & Fig 5; the flow path forming portion covers the agitator (111) located in the first flow path as well as the second flow path as seen below], the flow path forming portion partitioning a space in which the first driving motor and the second driving motor are positioned and a flow path space in which air flows [Bian: The flow path forming portion separates the flow path from the motor area to keep the dirty air separate from the motors as taught by Liscio].
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Figure 5
Regarding claim 22. The nozzle of claim 21, wherein the second flow path extends in a rearward direction from a central area of the first flow path [Figure 5 of this action], and wherein the flow path forming portion extends along the second flow path [Figure 5 of this action].
Claim(s) 10 & 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bian in view of KR100814507 B1, hereinafter KR1.
Regarding claim 10 & 14. Bian discloses the nozzle of claim 1, but is silent in regards to further comprising a water tank mounted on an upper portion of the nozzle housing, wherein the water tank is symmetrically disposed with respect to the centerline of the second flow path, and wherein the water tank is configured to supply water to the first mop and to the second mop.
However KR1 teaches nozzle further comprising a water tank [80] mounted on an upper portion of the nozzle housing [Fig 2; 80 is mounted on an upper portion of 1], wherein the water tank is symmetrically disposed with respect to the centerline of the second flow path [Fig 2, 4, 6a, & 7b; 80 is mounted on 30 and is symmetrical to the flow path], and wherein the water tank is configured to supply water to the first mop and to the second mop [Fig 2 & 12; the water in 80 passes to 70 via 83].
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the nozzle as disclosed by Bian to have a water tank mounted on an upper portion of the nozzle housing, wherein the water tank is symmetrically disposed with respect to the centerline of the second flow path, and wherein the water tank is configured to supply water to the first mop and to the second mop for the purpose of providing a large supply of cleaning fluid to increase both the cleaning of the mops and how long the nozzle can clean because the user does not need to replace the fluid impregnated mops with new ones once the fluid has be used to clean [Bian: Pg4:¶9 – Pg5:¶1 of the translation].
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See Notice of References Cited, PTO form 892.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AARON R MCCONNELL whose telephone number is (303)297-4608. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 0700-1600 MST [0900-1800 EST] 2nd Friday 0700-1500 MST [0900-1700 EST].
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/AARON R MCCONNELL/Examiner, Art Unit 3723
/TOM RODGERS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3723