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 is in response to the Applicant’s amendment filed on May 11, 2026. Claims 1, 2, 4, 8, and 10 have been amended. Claims 11-30 have been canceled. Claim 31 has been added.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim 31 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference to White et al. and Miller et al. applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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.
Claims 1-3, 5 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhadanov (US 2022/0184643 A1) in view of White et al. (US 4,618,100).
With regard to claim 1, Zhadanov discloses a hand shower (100) comprising :
a handle (104);
a water passageway (206) received within the handle (Fig. 2B) and defining a water inlet (Fig. 2B);
a sprayhead (102) including a body having a cavity, the sprayhead operably coupled to the handle (104) and including a sprayface (106) coupled to the body and defining a longitudinal sprayhead axis (represented by arrow A in Fig. 1B), the sprayface (106) having a plurality of water outlets (108);
a cleaning nozzle assembly (600) supported within the cavity of the body of the sprayhead (102, Fig. 1C), the cleaning nozzle assembly including a cleaning stream nozzle (120) and a cleaning spray nozzle (118a/118b);
a valve assembly (208) fluidly coupled to the water passageway (206, Fig 4B);
a user interface (116) operably coupled to the valve assembly (208) to toggle the valve assembly between a plurality of modes of operation including a normal mode of operation, a first cleaning mode of operation and a second cleaning mode of operation (“The flow selector 116 is configured to allow the user to move the flow director 208 such that water is directed through one of the plurality nozzles 108, the pair of first nozzles 118a, 118b, or the second nozzle 120” see Par. [0029]);
wherein in the normal mode of operation, the water inlet is in fluid communication with at least some of the plurality of water outlets of the sprayface (the plurality nozzles 108);
wherein in the first cleaning mode of operation, the water inlet is in fluid communication with the cleaning stream nozzle (the second nozzle 120); and
wherein in the second cleaning mode of operation, the water inlet is in fluid communication with the cleaning spray nozzle (the pair of first nozzles 118a, 118b).
Zhadanov does not disclose that the cleaning stream nozzle coaxially aligned with the cleaning spray nozzle.
However, White teaches a cleaning stream nozzle coaxially aligned with a cleaning spray nozzle (Figs. 11 and 14).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the arrangement between the cleaning stream nozzle and the spray nozzle of Zhadanov, by incorporating the coaxial arrangement as taught by White, doing it would generate a conical spray pattern (Fig. 14).
With regard to claim 2, the device of Zhadanov as modified by White discloses the invention as disclosed in the rejection of claim 1 above. Zhadanov further discloses that the cleaning nozzle assembly defines a longitudinal nozzle axis (represented by “arrow B” in Fig. 1B) oriented at an angle of between 45 degrees and 135 degrees from the first longitudinal axis of the sprayface (arrow A is in perpendicular 90 degree relation to arrow B in Fig. 1B).
With regard to claim 3, the device of Zhadanov as modified by White discloses the invention as disclosed in the rejection of claim 1 above. Zhadanov further discloses that a selector (110) operably coupled to the sprayface (106) and configured to change the water outlets in fluid communication with the water inlet when the valve assembly is in the normal mode of operation (“a lever 110 which is configured to allow a user to rotate the faceplate 106, thus selecting one of the groups of nozzles 108a-c” Par. [0026]).
With regard to claim 5, the device of Zhadanov as modified by White discloses the invention as disclosed in the rejection of claim 1 above. Zhadanov further discloses that the valve assembly (208) includes: a valve housing (Figs. 2C); a first piston (pin 254 acts as a piston to engage a corresponding one or more of a plurality of indentations 256) received within the valve housing to divert water to the cleaning spray nozzle (Fig. 3A-3B); and a second piston (the other pin 254 acts as a piston to engage a corresponding one or more of a plurality of indentations 256) received within the valve housing to divert water to the cleaning stream nozzle (Fig. 4A-4B).
With regard to claim 10, the device of Zhadanov as modified by White discloses the invention as disclosed in the rejection of claim 1 above. Zhadanov further discloses that the cleaning steam nozzle (120) in the first cleaning mode of operation discharges a focused stream of water (jet stream 402), and the cleaning spray nozzle (118a/b) in the second cleaning mode of operation discharges a fan spray of water (“fan-shaped spray pattern is formed” Par. [0035]).
Claims 6-9 and 31 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhadanov in view of White et al as applied in claim 5 above, and further in view of Miller et al. (US 2010/0237160 A1).
With regard to claims 6 and 31, the device of Zhadanov as modified by White discloses the invention as disclosed in the rejection of claim 5 above. Zhadanov does not discloses that the first piston is movable within the valve housing between a first position and a second position, the first piston is in fluid communication with the second piston when in the first position, and the first piston is in fluid communication with the cleaning spray nozzle when in the second position; and the second piston is movable within the valve housing between a first position and a second position, the second piston is in fluid communication with the sprayface when in the first position, and the second piston is in fluid communication with the cleaning stream nozzle when in the second position.
Miller teaches a hand showerhead comprising a valve assembly (24) including a valve housing (28, Fig. 2C); a first piston (one of the stem of valves 24a-c, Fig. 3) received within the valve housing to divert water to a spray nozzle (Fig. 3-8); and a second piston (one of the stem of valves 24a-c, Fig. 3) received within the valve housing to divert water to another nozzle (Fig. 4A-4B), wherein the first piston is movable within the valve housing between a first position and a second position (closed and opening positions, see Par. [0042] and Fig. 3), the first piston (24a) is in fluid communication with the second piston (24b) when in the first position (Fig. 1 shows piston of 24a is in fluid communication with piston of 24b via upstream passageways), and the first piston (24a) is in fluid communication with the spray nozzle when in the second position (when piston valve 24a is open); and the second piston (24b) is movable within the valve housing (28) between a first position and a second position (Par. [0037] and Fig. 1J), the second piston (24b) is in fluid communication with the sprayface when in the first position (flow between sub-group C and inlet, Fig. 1J), and the second piston (24b) is in fluid communication with another spray nozzle when in the second position (flow between sub-group D and inlet, Fig. 1J).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the valve assembly of Zhadanov, by replacing the sliding valve assembly with the rocker valve assembly as taught by Miller to controlling flow, since the modification is a simple substitution of one known element (rocker valves) for another (sliding valves) to obtain predictable results is one of ordinary skill in the art (MPEP 2143 B).
With regard to claim 7, the device of Zhadanov as modified by White and Miller discloses the invention as disclosed in the rejection of claim 6 above. Miller further discloses that a first spring (66) biasing the first piston (24a) toward the first position (Par. [0046]), and a second spring (66) biasing the second piston (24b) toward the first position (Par. [0046]).
With regard to claim 8, the device of Zhadanov as modified by White and Miller discloses the invention as disclosed in the rejection of claim 5 above. Miller further discloses that the user interface includes a first momentary input button (press surface of valve 24a) operably coupled to the first piston (stem of 24a), and a second momentary input button (press surface of valve 24b) operably coupled to the second piston (stem of 24b).
With regard to claim 9, the device of Zhadanov as modified by White and Miller discloses the invention as disclosed in the rejection of claim 8 above. Miller further discloses that the user interface includes a rocker switch pivotably supported by the valve housing, the rocker switch defining the first momentary input button and the second momentary input button (“rocker valves, Par. [0030]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 4 is allowed.
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 JOEL ZHOU whose telephone number is (571)270-1163. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 9AM-5PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, ARTHUR HALL can be reached at 5712701814. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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JOEL . ZHOU
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3752
/QINGZHANG ZHOU/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3752
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