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 .
Election/Restrictions
Claims 2-8 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Group I, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 9/17/2025. Claims 1, 9-15 are currently pending examination.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1, 9-15 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 "the second scraping device", “the bottom”, “its length direction”, “the adjacent bumps”, “the suction inlet”. There is insufficient antecedent basis for these limitations in the claim.
Claim 9 recites the limitation "the first scraping device". There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 11 recites the limitation "the first and auxiliary rollers". There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
The term “natural state” in claim 11 is a relative term which renders the claim indefinite. The term “natural state” is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention.
Claim 12 recites the limitation "the main base and the detachable roller brush cover", “the sealing element” and “the sealing performance. There is insufficient antecedent basis for these limitations in the claim.
The term “sealing performance” in claim 12 is a relative term which renders the claim indefinite. The term “sealing performance” is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention.
Claim 13 recites the limitation "the sealing to improve the vacuum degree”. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
The term “vacuum degree” in claim 13 is a relative term which renders the claim indefinite. The term “sealing performance” is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention.
In claim 13, the limitation of “a seal structure being formed jointly by the first scraping piece, the second scraping piece and the sealing to improve the vacuum degree” is not understood.
Claim 14 recites the limitations "the sealing component”, “the inner side”, and “the end of the roller”. There is insufficient antecedent basis for these limitations in the claim.
In claim 15, the limitation of “an insertion part being arranged on the inner side of the roller brush cover to match with the second mounting part and the second scraping piece being installed on the inner side of the roller brush cover by the second mounting part matching with the abutting part” is not understood.
The claim(s) are replete with indefinite language which has made it difficult for the Examiner to formulate a complete search. Specifically for claims 11-15. The structure which goes to make up the device must be clearly and positively specified. The structure must be organized and correlated in such a manner as to present a complete operative device. In view of the above, the Examiner has been unable to apply prior art to the claims.
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, 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Waldhauser US 4,817,233.
Re claim 1, Waldehauser discloses a floor brush assembly for cleaning surfaces to be cleaned, with the forward direction of the floor brush assembly being the front and the opposite direction being the back; comprising:
a floor brush base 16;
a roller brush 22 with a roller being arranged on the floor brush base; and
the second scraping piece 36 which is arranged on the bottom of the floor brush base 16 and in front of the roller brush 22 and has at least two second bumps [bumps between channels 56, fig. 9] distributed at intervals along its length direction;
wherein at least the roller brush abuts on the surface to be cleaned when the floor brush assembly moves forward, with a second channel 56 for dirt passing through being formed between the adjacent second bumps to make dirt reach the suction inlet 46 of the floor brush base.
Re claim 9, Waldhauser further teaches wherein the first scraping assembly 42 is arranged on the bottom of the floor brush base and behind the roller brush, with a suction inlet 46 being formed between the first scraping piece 42 and the roller brush 22;
wherein the first scraping piece 42 abuts on the surface to be cleaned to scrape off dirt when the floor brush assembly moves forward and/or backward [figs. 3-4].
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) 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Waldhauser US 4,817,233 in view of Van der kooi US 20015/0297047 A1.
Re claim 10, Waldhauser further teaches wherein the first scraping assembly 42 is arranged on the bottom of the floor brush base and behind the roller brush, with a suction inlet 46 being formed between the first scraping piece 42 and the roller brush 22; wherein the second scraping piece 36 abuts on the surface to be cleaned when the floor brush assembly moves backward {fig. 4],
Waldhauser does not explicitly teach at least two first bumps being arranged on the face away from the roller brush and distributed at intervals on the length direction of the first scraping piece; wherein the first bump abuts on the surface to be cleaned when the floor brush assembly moves backward, with a first channel for dirt passing through being formed between the adjacent first bumps to make dirt reach the suction inlet.
However, Van der kooi teaches at least two first bumps 50 being arranged on the face away from the roller brush 26 and distributed at intervals [fig. 8a] on the length direction of the first scraping piece; wherein the first bump abuts on the surface to be cleaned when the floor brush assembly moves backward [fig. 1], with a first channel 44 for dirt passing through being formed between the adjacent first bumps to make dirt reach the suction inlet 31.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the bumps of with the scraper of Waldhauser in order to yield the predictable result of scraping clean the floor behind the roller brush.
Correspondence
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Carlos A. Rivera whose telephone number is (571)270-5697. The examiner can normally be reached 9AM -4PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Brian Keller can be reached at (571) 272-8548. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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C. A. R.
Primary Patent Examiner
Art Unit 3723
/C. A. RIVERA/ Primary Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3723