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 .
Response to Amendment
This office action responds to the amendment filed on 04/29/2026. Claims 1-2, 4-10, and 12 are pending in the application. Claims 1-2 and 12 have been amended.
Rejections Withdrawn
The rejection of claims 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112, second paragraph has been withdrawn in view of the amended claims as indicated by the applicant in the reply filed on 04/29/2026.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see pages 6-9, filed on 04/29/2026, with respect to the rejection of the amended claim 1 in view of Lee et al. and Ismert et al. have been fully considered and are not persuasive. Therefore, the rejections remain.
Applicant's argument that the combination of Lee et al. and Insert is improper because they do not disclose all the limitation of claim 1 such as the snap plug and the self-closing port. The examiner respectfully disagree for the following reasons:
The combination is using the teaching of Insert disclosing the mounting of a device into the opening of the wall comprising a snap plug that elastically deform such that the nap plug extend in a radial inward direction when being inserted through the opening in the wall and snap radially outward when reaching the rear surface of the wall to prevent the device from being pulling out of the opening in the wall as an alternative mounting of the Lee et al. device.
The device of Lee et al. discloses the self-closing port including the check valve. The check valve is self-closing when the pressure difference between the upstream and downstream is less than the biasing force of the spring in the check valve.
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) 1 and 4-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al. (KR 100855304 B1), and in view of Ismert et al. (US 2015/0259891).
With regards to claim 1:
Lee et al. discloses (refer to Fig. 1 and 2 below) a device for mounting sanitary equipment (plumbing equipment 80) to a wall (30), comprising:
- a mounting body (40, 46) having a mount (46) for the sanitary equipment (80) and at least one port (52) for a liquid line (50); and
- a mounting device (46) for mounting the mounting body (40, 46) to the wall (30), and
wherein the at least one port (42) is self-closing (by check valve (45)).
Lee et al. does not disclose the mounting device has a snap element having at least one snap lug, the at least one snap lug being elastically deformable such that the snap lugs extend in a radially inward direction when being inserted through at least one opening in the wall and snap radially outward when reaching a rear surface of the wall to prevent the device from being pulled out of the at least one opening in the wall.
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Fig. 1
Ismert et al. discloses (refer to Fig. 3 below) a device for mounting sanitary equipment (plumbing equipment) to a wall (W), comprising:
a mounting body (50, 46, 44) having a mount for the sanitary equipment and at least one port for a liquid line (34); and
a mounting device (44, 50) for mounting the mounting body (40, 46, 50) to the wall (W), and
the mounting device (44, 50) has a snap element (50) having at least one snap lug (50), the at least one snap lug being elastically deformable such that the snap lugs extend in a radially inward direction when being inserted through at least one opening (26) in the wall (W) and snap radially outward when reaching a rear surface (25) of the wall to prevent the device from being pulled out of the at least one opening (26) in the wall (see [0038]-[0040]).
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Fig. 2
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Fig. 3
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention modify the sanitary installation of Lee et al. to use the wall mounting device as disclosed by Ismert et al. as an alternative design for the mounting device (46) of the sanitary installation of lee et al, since they are both sanitary installation for mounting a mounting sanitary device to an opening of the wall, to provide the fast installation/removal without having to access to the backside of the wall for turning the threaded nut (46).
Lee et al., as modified, discloses the sanitary installation according to claim 1.
With regards to claim 4:
Lee et al., as modified, discloses (refer to Fig. 1 above) the device according to claim 1, wherein the mounting device comprises a nut (81), which can be screwed to the mounting body (40).
With regards to claim 5:
Lee et al., as modified, discloses (refer to Fig. 1 above) the device according to claim 1, wherein an attachment element can be used to attach the sanitary equipment (80) in the mount (40).
With regards to claim 6:
Lee et al., as modified, discloses (refer to Fig. 7 of Ismert et al.) the device according to claim 1, wherein the mount is covered by a cover (69).
With regards to claim 7:
Lee et al., as modified, discloses (refer to Fig. 1-3 above) a sanitary installation, comprising a wall (30, W) having at least one opening (26) in which at least one device according to claim 1 is disposed,
wherein the at least one snap lug (50) is elastically deformable such that the snap lugs (50) extend in a radially inwards direction when being inserted through the at least one opening (26) in the wall (W) and snap radially outward when reaching a rear surface of the wall (W) such that the device is prevented from being pulled out of the at least one opening (26) in the wall (W).
With regards to claim 8:
Lee et al., as modified, discloses the sanitary installation according to claim 7, wherein the mount for sanitary equipment of the device is covered with a cover (69).
Claim(s) 9 and 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bloom et al. (US 6,631,730), and in view of Lee et al. (KR 100855304 B1), and in view of Ismert et al..
With regards to claim 9:
Bloom et al. discloses (refer to Fig. 4 below) a sanitary installation comprising a wall (60) having:
- a first opening (150) formed in the wall (60) having a first device (14), wherein at least one port of the first device is connected to a liquid source (not shown) via at least one first liquid line (88); and
- a second opening (62) formed in the wall (60) having a second device (10), wherein at least one further port of the second device (10) having at least one second liquid line (74) is connected to the first device (14).
Bloom et al. does not disclose the sanitary installation according to claim 7.
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Fig. 4
Lee et al., as modified, discloses (refer to Fig. 1-3 above) the sanitary installation according to claim 7 (see rejected claim 7 above) comprising an opening formed in the wall having a sanitary device disposed therein.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use the sanitary installation as disclosed by Rubesamen et al. as an alternative design for sanitary installation for the first (14) and second (10) devices to wall (60), since they are both sanitary installation for mounting a mounting sanitary device to an opening of the wall.
Bloom, as modified, discloses the sanitary installation according to claim 9.
With regards to claim 10:
Bloom, as modified, discloses (refer to Fig. 4 above) the sanitary installation according to claim 9, wherein a control element (not shown) for a liquid is disposed in a first mount of the first device (14) and a discharge (faucet (not labeled)) for the liquid is disposed in a second mount of the second device (10).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 12 is allowed.
Claim 2 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
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 nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) 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 Minh Le, whose telephone number is 571-270-3805. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday (8:30AM-5:00PM EST).
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisors can be reached by phone. Kenneth Rinehart can be reached at 571-272-4881 or Craig Schneider can be reached at 571-272-3607. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MINH Q LE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3753
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