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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) was submitted on 1/15/2026 and 6/30/2026. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 5/5/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant argues Urata (US 10072407) does not teach the concave portion is formed in a fan shape that spreads from a front of the waste receiving surface toward the rear side in a planar view (Applicant Arguments/Remarks, p. 6-7). Examiner disagrees. Fig. 2 and 4 of Urata show the concave portion (36) formed in a fan shape that spreads from the front portion of the portion of 20 forming 36 toward the rear portion of the portion of 20 forming 36. Absent further limitation to define the fan shape, the concave portion of Urata meets the limitation of a concave portion formed in a fan shape that spreads from the front portion to the rear portion as claimed. The amended language in the claims is addressed in the rejections below.
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.
Claim(s) 1-2, 4-6, and 8-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Urata (US 10072407).
Regarding claim 1, Urata discloses a flush toilet (1) that is flushed with flush water supplied from a flush water supply source (6) to discharge waste, the flush toilet comprising:
a bowl (2) that receives waste, the bowl including:
a bowl-shaped waste receiving surface (portion of 20 forming 36),
a rim (22) formed above the waste receiving surface (see Fig. 3),
a spouting port (28, 30) that is formed in the rim and that spouts flush water, and
a well portion (26, portion of 14 excluding 36) formed below the waste receiving surface (see Fig. 3) and a pooled water surface (26) formed in the well portion (see Fig. 2-4),
wherein the spouting port includes a first spouting port (28) formed on one of a right side and a left side of a front region (front region of the portion of 20 forming 36 beginning at element 30) of the waste receiving surface (see Fig. 12), and a second spouting port (30) formed on another of the right side and the left side of the front region of the waste receiving surface (see Fig. 12);
wherein the waste receiving surface of the bowl comprises a concave portion (36) formed in a fan shape (see Fig. 2 and 4) that spreads from a front portion of the waste receiving surface toward a rear side (along 36b) in a planar view (see Fig. 2);
wherein the pooled water surface is divided into a front region (a front region of 26) and a rear region (a rear region of 26) by a front-rear center line in a planar view (see Fig. 2-3 and 12); and
wherein the flush toilet includes a configuration where a ratio of an inflow flow rate of flush water into the front region of the pooled water surface in a second half of a flushing period to a total inflow flow rate of flush water into the pooled water surface is larger than a ratio of an inflow flow rate of flush water into the front region of the pooled water surface in a first half of the flushing period to the total inflow flow rate of flush water into the pooled water surface (a ratio of F15 to the total inflow rate of flush water of 26 during the second half of a flushing period is larger than a ratio of F15 to the total inflow rate of flush water of 26 during a first half of a flushing period as the flow components towards 26 increase; col. 8, ll. 35-48; col. 10, ll. 10-30).
Regarding claim 2, Urata discloses the pooled water surface is divided into four regions (four regions of 26 when split along line C-C and a horizontal line taken at 28, Fig. 12) in a planar view by the front-rear center line (horizontal line taken at 28, Fig. 12) and a left-right center line (line C-C) that divides the pooled water surface into two regions including a right region (a right region of 26) and a left region (a left region of 26) in a left-right direction (see Fig. 12), and
in the first half of the flushing period, as seen from a front portion of the waste receiving surface, a main flow (F3) of flush water formed on the waste receiving surface flows (F9-F14) into the front region and/or the rear region of either of the right region and the left region (F9-F14 flows into F15) that is located downstream in a circulating direction (circulation direction of F1) of flush water (see Fig. 12).
Regarding claim 4, Urata discloses the pooled water surface is divided into four regions (four regions of 26 when split along line C-C and a horizontal line taken at 28, Fig. 12) by the front-rear center line (horizontal line taken at 28, Fig. 12) and a left-right center line (line C-C) that divides the pooled water surface into two regions including a right region (a right region of 26) and a left region (left region of 26) in a left-right direction (see Fig. 12), and
a ratio of an inflow flow rate of flush water into the front region (F15) in either of the right region and the left region in the second half of the flushing period to the total inflow flow rate of flush water into the pooled water surface is larger than a ratio of each of inflow flow rates of flush water into three other regions of the four regions to the total inflow flow rate of flush water into the pooled water surface (a ratio of F15 into the right or left region of 26 during a second half of a flushing period is larger than a ratio of the inflow flow rates of flush water into each of the individual regions of 26 as the flow components towards 26 increase; col. 8, ll. 35-48; col. 10, ll. 10-30; see Fig. 12).
Regarding claim 5, Urata discloses the flush toilet further comprises a discharge trap conduit (18) connected to a bottom of the well portion (see Fig. 2-4), wherein the waste receiving surface comprises a concave portion (36) formed in a region from a front portion of the waste receiving surface to a side portion (side portion of 26 and 14) of the well portion (see Fig. 2-4),
the well portion comprises a side wall (side wall of 26 and 14) that rises vertically (see Fig. 3) and a front wall (front wall of 26 extending to 26a) that rises vertically (see Fig. 3),
the side wall comprises an inclined portion (inclined portion extending from 26a along 14, see Fig. 3) inclined so that a height of a top edge (edge of the inclined portion extending from 26a along 14) decreases toward front (see Fig. 3), and
the inclined portion extends forward from a vicinity of a rear end of the concave portion (see Fig. 3-4); and
the well portion further comprises an inducing portion (a rear portion of 26 and the portion of 14 excluding 36) in which a height of a top edge of the side wall (a height of the top edge near 24 is constant) is constant behind a rear end (a rear end of 36) of the concave portion (36, see Fig. 3-4).
Regarding claim 6, Urata discloses a lowermost portion (36b extending to 26a) of the concave portion of the waste receiving surface is disposed below an uppermost portion (uppermost portion of 26 extending to 14) of an inclined portion (inclined portion extending from 26a along 14, see Fig. 3) of the well portion (see Fig. 3-4).
Regarding claim 8, Urata discloses an uppermost portion (uppermost portion of 26 rising to 14) of an inclined portion (inclined portion extending from 26a along 14, see Fig. 3) of a top edge of the well portion is formed in front of a rear wall (rear wall of 26) on a rear side of the well portion (see Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 9, Urata discloses a maximum value of a lateral width of the concave portion (36) is smaller than a maximum value of a lateral width of the well portion (26, portion of 14 excluding 36) in a planar view (a maximum lateral width of 36 is smaller than a maximum lateral width of 26 and the portion of 14 excluding 36, see Fig. 2).
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 WILLIAM R KLOTZ whose telephone number is (571)272-0274. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 11AM-5PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, David P Angwin can be reached at (571)270-3735. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/WILLIAM R KLOTZ/Examiner, Art Unit 3754
/DAVID P ANGWIN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3754
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