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
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
The response filed on April 15, 2026 is acknowledged.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement filed April 24,2024 fails to comply with 37 CFR 1.98(a)(2), which requires a legible copy of each cited foreign patent document; each non-patent literature publication or that portion which caused it to be listed; and all other information or that portion which caused it to be listed. It has been placed in the application file, but the information referred to therein has not been considered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
Claims 1-11 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 1 recites the limitation “at least one coupling tube and a spray nozzle which are integrated as one piece” in lines 9-10. It is uncertain how two separate elements, i.e., the coupling tube and the spray nozzle, can be integrated and be one piece. The claim fails to recite structure to turn two pieces into one. It is uncertain whether “one piece” requires a seamless contiguous form.
Claim 10 recites the limitation “at least one coupling tube and a spray nozzle which are integrated as one piece” in lines 9-10. It is uncertain how two separate elements, i.e., the coupling tube and the spray nozzle, can be integrated and be one piece. The claim fails to recite structure to turn two pieces into one. It is uncertain whether “one piece” requires a seamless contiguous form.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102/103
Claim(s) 1-3, 7, 9 (as best understood) is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as anticipated by or, in the alternative, under 35 U.S.C. 103 as obvious over Maruyama (2004/0188541).
Regarding claims 1-3 and 7, Maruyama discloses a fluid spraying device for cleaning a surface of a motor vehicle, the spraying device comprising a solenoid valve 18, 20, 22, 28 controlling a flow of a fluid passing thru the solenoid valve to a spraying member 10, the solenoid valve includes a hydraulic portion 20, 22, 28 and an electromagnetic portion 18, the hydraulic portion includes at least one fluid distribution member 20, 22, 28 which has at least one fluid inlet endpiece 20, a circulation chamber 116, 124, 128, and a fluid outlet endpiece 28 in fluidic communication with the spraying member, the electromagnetic portion includes a piston controlling the flow of the fluid passing through the circulation chamber by blocking the fluid from flowing from the circulation ;chamber to the fluid outlet endpiece, wherein the spraying member includes at least one coupling tube 32, 58 and a spray nozzle 66 which are integrated as one piece (integrated into one continuous piece), the coupling tube being directly fixed to the fluid outlet endpiece;
wherein the spraying member is fixed directly to the fluid outlet endpiece by reversible fixing means (barb at the upstream end of lower body 32 and the downstream end of hose 28);
wherein the reversible fixing means are borne respectively by the fluid outlet endpiece and by the coupling tube of the spraying member, at least one from among the fluid outlet endpiece and the coupling tube being able to take different positions by elastically deforming;
further comprising a poka-yoke device (barb at the upstream end of lower body 32).
Regarding claim 1 and 9, Maruyama discloses a fluid spraying device for cleaning a surface of a motor vehicle, the spraying device comprising a solenoid valve 18, 20, 22, 28, 32 controlling a flow of a fluid passing thru the solenoid valve to a spraying member 66, the solenoid valve includes a hydraulic portion 20, 22, 28, 32 and an electromagnetic portion 18, the hydraulic portion includes at least one fluid distribution member 20, 22, 28, 32 which has at least one fluid inlet endpiece 20, a circulation chamber 116, 124, 128, and a fluid outlet endpiece 32, 96 in fluidic communication with the spraying member, the electromagnetic portion includes a piston controlling the flow of the fluid passing through the circulation chamber by blocking the fluid from flowing from the circulation chamber to the fluid outlet endpiece, wherein the spraying member includes at least one coupling tube 58 and a spray nozzle 66 which are integrated as one piece (integrated into one continuous piece), the coupling tube being directly fixed to the fluid outlet endpiece;
wherein the spraying member has a conveying duct 74, which extends within the spraying member continuously from the coupling tube to the spray nozzle, and in which is inserted the fluid outlet end piece 32, 96, the conveying duct having a shoulder (shoulder of hole 64) arranged between two segments of the conveying duct that have different passage cross sections, the shoulder forming an end stop for an insertion of the fluid outlet endpiece in the spraying member (shoulder forms a stop for spring 88).
In figure 5, Maruyama shows a pump 18 in the shape of a piston pump. Even if pump 18 is not explicitly shown as a piston pump, a piston pump is well known in the art. It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have utilized a piston pump in the device of Maruyama to reduce cost by using known parts.
Claim(s) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as anticipated by or, in the alternative, under 35 U.S.C. 103 as obvious over Han et al. (2014/0217194).
Han et al. disclose a system for cleaning a surface of a motor vehicle, comprising a pump 128 conveying a cleaning fluid through a duct (fluid lines, paragraph 0117) to a least one solenoid valve 202, 206 of a spray device, the solenoid valve controlling a flow of a fluid onto the surface via a spraying member 116, with the solenoid valve having a hydraulic portion 202 and an electromagnetic portion 206, the hydraulic portion including at least one fluid distribution member which has at least one fluid inlet endpiece (inlet of fluid line to heating element 202), a circulation chamber (chamber of heating element 202), and a fluid outlet endpiece (fluid line to nozzles 116) in fluidic communication with the spraying member, the electromagnetic portion includes a piston (portion moved by controller sub-system 201) controlling the flow of the fluid through the circulation chamber by blocking the fluid from flowing from the circulation chamber to the fluid outlet endpiece, wherein the spraying member includes at least one coupling tube (inlet tube of nozzle 116) and a spray nozzle (outlet of nozzle 116) which are integrated as one piece (integrated into one continuous piece), the coupling tube being directly fixed to the fluid outlet endpiece.
Even if Han et al. do not explicitly disclose that the valve 206 includes a piston, a valve having a piston element is well known. For example, a spool valve has a piston. It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have utilized a valve having a piston in the device of Han et al. to reduce cost by using known parts.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed April 15, 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues that the Examiner’s assertions are entirely conclusory. The elements cited in the rejection and their construction are show in the figures of the prior art.
Regarding Applicant’s argument to “one-piece construction,” the claim recites that two elements, i.e., the coupling tube and the spray nozzle, are integrated as one piece. Two elements being one piece is a contradiction for an interpretation for a seamless one-piece construction. One-piece construction is inclusive of two elements that are assembled together to form an contiguous construction.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 CHRISTOPHER S KIM whose telephone number is (571)272-4905. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30-3:30.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Arthur O Hall can be reached at (571) 270-1814. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CHRISTOPHER S KIM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3752 CHRISTOPHER S. KIM
Examiner
Art Unit 3752
CK
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