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 .
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) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Farley US 2013/0319929 in view of Carosi et al. US 2024/0025765.
Claims 1 and 11, Farley teaches a showerhead comprising a manifold (11) having an external inlet (19) connectable to a fluid source, an internal outlet (33) defined by an internal cylindrical wall and in fluid communication with the external inlet, an internal inlet annularly disposed radially outward of, and concentric with, the internal outlet (see below) and an outlet (20), and a filter cartridge (15) selectively engageable with the manifold, the filter cartridge having, a housing (21, 23, 25) having a filter inlet (53) and a filter outlet (61), the housing being connectable with the manifold to place the filter inlet in fluid communication with the internal outlet on the manifold, and the filter outlet in fluid communication with the internal inlet on the manifold, a filtration element (filtering media, abstract) located within the housing, and a first seal (59) coupled to the housing and engageable with the manifold when the housing is engaged with the manifold to create a water tight connection between the internal outlet and the filter inlet, and a second seal (65) coupled to the housing and engageable with the manifold when the housing is engaged with the manifold to create a water tight connection between the filter outlet and the internal inlet, the filter cartridge having a flow path from the filter inlet, through the filtration element and then through the filter outlet (fig. 1-10). Farley does not teach a second outlet or a valve connected to the manifold.
Carosi teaches a dual zone showerhead comprising: a manifold (12) having an external inlet (26) connectable to a fluid source (2), an internal outlet (36) in fluid communication with the external inlet, an internal inlet (39), a first outlet (28) and a second outlet (30), a valve (52) connected to the manifold and operatively positioned downstream of the internal inlet, the valve being configured to be selectively transitional between a first and second position, in the first position the valve facilitating fluid communication between the internal inlet and the first outlet and in the second position the valve facilitating fluid communication between the internal inlet and the second outlet and a filter cartridge (65) selectively engageable with the manifold, the filter cartridge having: a housing having a filter inlet (70) and a filter outlet (74), the housing being connectable with the manifold to place the filter inlet in fluid communication with the internal outlet on the manifold and the filter outlet in fluid communication with the internal inlet on the manifold and a filtration element (76) located within the housing, the filter cartridge having a flow path from the filter inlet, through the filtration element an then through the filter outlet (fig. 1-7). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to use the second outlet and valve of Carosi because it allows for diverting filtered water to multiple plumbing features such as a showerhead and a hand shower (abstract).
Claim 17, Farley teaches a filter assembly for use with a showerhead comprising: a manifold (11) having: a manifold inlet (19) connectable to an inlet conduit, an outlet segment including a first outlet (17) fluidly connectable to the showerhead, an internal outlet (33) defined by an internal cylindrical wall and in fluid communication with the manifold inlet and an internal inlet annularly disposed radially outward of, and concentric with, the internal outlet (see below), the internal outlet being formed by radial spacing between the internal cylindrical wall and a radially outward manifold collar to define an annular passage disposed about the internal outlet, and a filter cartridge (15) selectively engageable with the manifold, the filter cartridge having, a housing (21, 23, 25) having a filter inlet (53) and a filter outlet (61), and a filtration element (filtering media, abstract), a first seal (59) coupled to the cartridge and engageable with the manifold to create a water tight connecting between the internal outlet and the filter inlet, and a second seal (65) coupled to the cartridge and engageable with the manifold to create a water tight connection between the filter outlet and the internal inlet, the manifold and filter cartridge collectively defining a flow path wherein water received from the inlet conduit flows sequentially through the manifold inlet, the filter inlet, the filtration element, the filter outlet and a portion of the outlet segment of the manifold, the flow path further including the internal outlet between the manifold inlet and the filter inlet, and the internal inlet between the filter outlet and the outlet segment of the manifold (fig. 1-10). Farley does not teach the outlet segment including a second outlet or a valve connected to the manifold.
Carosi teaches a filter assembly comprising: a manifold (12) having a manifold inlet (26) connectable to an inlet conduit, and outlet segment including a first outlet (28) connectable to a fixed sprayer and a second outlet (31) connectable to a handheld sprayer, a valve (52) connected to the manifold and configured to be selectively transitional between a first and second position, in the first position the valve facilitating fluid flow through the first outlet, in the second position the valve facilitating fluid flow through the second outlet and a filter cartridge (65) selectively connectable to the manifold to facilitate fluid communication therebetween, the filter including a filter inlet (70), a filter outlet (74) and a filtration element (76), the manifold and filter cartridge collectively define a flow path wherein fluid can flow sequentially through the manifold inlet, the filter inlet, the filtration element, the filter outlet and a portion of the outlet segment of the manifold (fig. 1-7). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to use the outlet segment with a second outlet and valve of Carosi because it allows for diverting filtered water to multiple plumbing features such as a showerhead and a hand shower (abstract).
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Claims 2-4, 12-14 and 18-20, Carosi further teaches the valve is configured such that when in the first position, the valve blocks fluid communication between the internal inlet and the second outlet and in the second position the valve blocks fluid communication between the internal inlet and the first outlet and a third position where the valve facilitates fluid communication between the internal inlet and the first outlet concurrently with fluid communication between the internal inlet and the second outlet (par 9-10).
Claims 5-6 and 15-16, Farley does not teach a holder coupled to the manifold.
Carosi further teaches a holder (9) coupled to the manifold and configured to detachably engage with a handheld sprayer (4), the holder being pivotable relative to the manifold (fig. 1-5, par 65). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to use the holder of Carosi to enable the use of a handheld sprayer with the device.
Claims 7-8, Farley further teaches a manifold collar (see below) extending around the internal outlet and the internal inlet, the housing being sized to at least partially extend beyond the manifold collar when the housing is connected to the manifold (fig. 8); and a cap (13) engageable with the manifold, the cap being configured to at least partially cover the housing when the cap is coupled to the manifold (fig. 1-8).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1, 11 and 17 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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 BENJAMIN M KURTZ whose telephone number is (571)272-8211. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:30-5.
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/BENJAMIN M KURTZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1779