DETAILED ACTION
Surface Cleaning Head and Surface Cleaning Device
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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 02-24-2026 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments filed 02-24-2026, with respect to the
rejection(s) of claim(s) 1 and 24 their dependent claims under 35 U.S.C.102 have been fully considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection (as necessitated by
amendment) relies on a different combination of prior art references, not applied in the
prior rejection of record to teach the amendments.
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) 24-25,27-28,31 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Seo et al. (KR20080000187A) in view of Kress (EP3287061B1), Carden (US 3733635 A 1).
Regarding claim 24, Seo teaches
a pair of lateral sides set opposite each other on the left and right (figure 3) ;
a driving device (Seo discloses “The cleaning member 200 may be rotatable by an external driving source, and the external driving source may be a transmission belt for transmitting a motor (not shown) and rotational power of the motor to the cleaning member 200..a transmission belt for transmitting the rotational force of the rotating member (not shown) to the cleaning member 200. At the same time, the cleaning member 200 is rotated by an external drive source. Then, the main brush 210 and the auxiliary brush 250 is rotated to shake off the foreign matter on the surface to be cleaned”)
at least one side brush (250, figures 2-5) arranged on at least one of the lateral sides and configured (“ At the same time, the auxiliary brush 250 coupled to the coupling shaft 224 of the holder member 220 is rotated, and the side cleaning of the suction nozzle 10 is possible by the rotation of the auxiliary brush 250.”) to be capable of being driven by the driving device to rotate around a transverse axis of a cleaning roller through the lateral sides, and wherein at least a portion of each of the at least one side brush is exposed outwardly from a corresponding portion of the lateral sides (figures 2-5), wherein one of the lateral sides comprises a first sidewall (see figures 3-5) and a connecting wall (260,230 and 220, figures 2-5) removably coupled (“the user can easily repair or replace the cleaning member”) to a front side of the first sidewall, the connecting wall having an inside surface and an outside surface, and wherein one of at least one side brush (250, figure 4) is mounted on the outside surface and an end of the cleaning roller is supported on the inside surface (connection between 210 to 220, figures 4-5).
Seo fails to teach a portion of each of the at least one side brush is exposed outwardly along the transverse axis wherein the surface cleaning head comprises a mudguard mounted on the outside surface of the connecting wall, the mudguard surrounding at least an upper portion of the side brush, and wherein at least a portion of the mudguard has projecting laterally from the outside surface of the connecting wall; and the mudguard and the side brush are adhered to a vertical surface to realize brushing of a portion of the vertical surface in contact with the side brush during operation.
Kress teaches a cleaning device where the cleaning device includes a roller, and a side brush where portions of the side brush can be adjusted with respect to transverse axis of the roller (figure 9 “Different arrangements of bristle bundles of the brush attachment 200 are shown in FIGS Figures 9 to 11 shown. The outwardly directed rows of bristle bundles 210.1, 210.2, 210.3 change the angle between the roller brush axis 220 and the bristle bundles with each further row facing outwards to smaller values. The angle range of the angle α of the bristle bundles is between 0 ° and 120 °, as in Figure 9 shown. With the help of the laterally arranged side brush attachment 200, not only the corners between the floor and the wall can be cleaned, but also the wall itself at the height of the roller diameter.”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Seo to have a portion of each of the at least one side brush is exposed outwardly along the transverse axis based on teachings of Kress. This modification would help improve the efficiency of cleaning corners and walls (see Kress)
Carden teaches a splash guard for floor scrubbing machine (abstract) where the brush assembly (14, figure 4) comprises a mudguard (18, figure 3) mounted on outside surface.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Xia to have a mudguard mounted on the outside surface of the connecting wall, the mudguard surrounding at least an upper portion of the side brush, and wherein at least a portion of the mudguard has projecting laterally from the outside surface of the connecting wall based on teachings of Carden. This modification would ensure that reduce splashback of dirty liquid. (see col 1 lines 15-23)
Further, Seo as modified by Carden and Kress would teach the mudguard surrounding at least an upper portion of the side brush (See Carden, col 1 lines 26-35; figures 1-4) , and the mudguard and the side brush are adhered to a vertical surface to realize brushing of a portion of the vertical surface in contact with the side brush during operation (see Kress, The angle range of the angle α of the bristle bundles is between 0 ° and 120 °, as in Figure 9 shown. With the help of the laterally arranged side brush attachment 200, not only the corners between the floor and the wall can be cleaned, but also the wall itself at the height of the roller diameter)
Regarding claim 25, modified Seo teaches a cleaning roller (200, figure 3) driven by the drive device (“Seo discloses “The cleaning member 200 may be rotatable by an external driving source, and the external driving source may be a transmission belt for transmitting a motor (not shown) and rotational power of the motor to the cleaning member 200..a transmission belt for transmitting the rotational force of the rotating member (not shown) to the cleaning member 200. At the same time, the cleaning member 200 is rotated by an external drive source. Then, the main brush 210 and the auxiliary brush 250 is rotated to shake off the foreign matter on the surface to be cleaned”) to rotate around the transverse axis and disposed between the lateral sides, and wherein each of the at least one side brush is disposed to the left or to the right of the cleaning roller (Seo figure 2).
Regarding claim 27, modified Seo teaches wherein the connecting wall, the cleaning roller, and the at least one side brush (Seo 250, figure 4) mounted on the connecting wall form together at least a portion of a brush assembly removable (“the user can easily repair or replace the cleaning member”) from the surface cleaning head.
Regarding claim 28, modified Seo teaches a housing (Seo 100, figures 1-5) defining the first sidewall and a second sidewall (Seo figure 3), a brush chamber (Seo 106, figure 3) disposed in a front portion of the housing, the brush chamber having a lower opening (Seo 102, figures 105) facing the surface to be cleaned and a laterally outward side opening (Seo see figures 3-5), and wherein the brush assembly is removably mounted(“the user can easily repair or replace the cleaning member”) in the brush chamber and the connecting wall (Seo 260,230 and 220, figures 2-5) is removably attached to the housing and covers at least a portion of the side opening ( Seo figures 3-5)
Regarding claim 31, modified Seo teaches wherein the brush assembly (Seo 106, figure 3) comprises a connector (Seo 260, figure 4) provided on the connecting wall, the connector having a bearing (Seo 260, figure 4) fixedly provided on the connecting wall and a shaft (Seo 224, figure 4) rotatably supported on the bearing, and wherein one end of the shaft is connected to an end of the cleaning roller (Seo 210, figure 4) and the other end of the shaft is connected (Seo see 212, figure 5) to the side brush (Seo 224, figure 5).
Claim(s) 1,3-4-11,15-16,21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Xia (US20180110388A1) in view Seo et al. (KR20080000187A), Kress (EP3287061B1) and Carden (US 3733635 A1).
Regarding claim 1,
Xia teaches a surface cleaning apparatus (10, figure 1) including a surface cleaning head (14, figure 1) movable along a surface to be cleaned, a cleaning liquid delivery system (para 0043) having a cleaning liquid tank (300, figure 1), and a dirty liquid recovery system (para 0043,0058) having a suction source (para 0087) and a recovery tank (401, figure 16b), wherein the surface cleaning head comprises:
a housing (551, figure 10);
a suction pathway (para 0062,0075-0080) located within the housing;
a brush chamber (565, figure 10) provided at a forward portion of the housing (551, figure 10) in fluid communication with the suction pathway (para 0062,0075-0080) and having a lower opening (564, figure 8) facing the surface to be cleaned ; and
a brush assembly (para 0052, figure 10) removably mounted (para 0066) in the brush chamber (565, figure 10) and comprising, a cleaning roller (546, figure 10), the cleaning roller (546, figure 10) driven by a drive device to rotate around a transverse axis.
Xia fails to teach the surface cleaning head that comprises a brush chamber having a laterally outward side opening; a brush assembly comprising a connecting wall and a side brush, the connecting wall removably connected to the housing and covering at least a portion of the side opening, the connecting wall having an inside surface and an outside surface, an end of the cleaning roller mounted on the inside surface and the side brush mounted on the outside surface, wherein the side brush is mechanically coupled to the cleaning roller to follow the cleaning roller around a transverse axis of cleaning roller, the at least one side brush is exposed outwardly along the transverse axis the brush assembly comprises a mudguard mounted on the outside surface of the connecting wall, the mudguard surrounding at least an upper portion of the side brush, and wherein at least a portion of the mudguard has projecting laterally from the outside surface of the connecting wall; and the mudguard and the side brush are adhered to a vertical surface to realize brushing of a portion of the vertical surface in contact with the side brush during operation.
Seo discloses a surface cleaning head (10, figure 1) comprises a housing (100, figures 1-5);
a suction pathway (104, figure 3) located within the housing;
a brush chamber (figure 3) provided at a forward portion of the housing in fluid communication with the suction pathway and having a lower opening (102, figure 3) facing the surface to be cleaned and a laterally outward side opening (figure 11); and
a brush assembly(200, figure 4) removably mounted (“the user can easily repair or replace the cleaning member” in the brush chamber and comprising a connecting wall (220 and 230, 260 figure 4), a cleaning roller (210, figure 4)and a side brush (250, figure 4), the connecting wall removably connected (“the user can easily repair or replace the cleaning member”) to the housing and covering at least a portion of the side opening, the connecting wall having an inside surface and an outside surface (figures 3-5), an end of the cleaning roller (212, figure 4) mounted on the inside surface and the side brush (250, figure 4) mounted on the outside surface, the cleaning roller driven by a drive device (“ an external drive source’)to rotate around a transverse axis, wherein the side brush is mechanically coupled (see 224, figure 5) to the cleaning roller to follow the cleaning roller around a transverse axis of the cleaning roller (At the same time, the auxiliary brush 250 coupled to the coupling shaft 224 of the holder member 220 is rotated, and the side cleaning of the suction nozzle 10 is possible by the rotation of the auxiliary brush 250).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Xia to have a brush chamber having a laterally outward side opening; brush assembly comprising a connecting wall, and a side brush, the connecting wall removably connected to the housing and covering at least a portion of the side opening, the connecting wall having an inside surface and an outside surface, an end of the cleaning roller mounted on the inside surface and the side brush mounted on the outside surface, wherein the side brush is mechanically coupled to the cleaning roller to follow the cleaning roller around the transverse axis based on teachings of Seo. This modification would allow the surface cleaning apparatus clean interior conners and where the floor and the wall meet. (see Seo pages 2-5)
Kress teaches a cleaning device where the cleaning device includes a roller, and a side brush where portions of the side brush can be adjusted with respect to transverse axis of the roller (figure 9 “Different arrangements of bristle bundles of the brush attachment 200 are shown in FIGS Figures 9 to 11 shown. The outwardly directed rows of bristle bundles 210.1, 210.2, 210.3 change the angle between the roller brush axis 220 and the bristle bundles with each further row facing outwards to smaller values. The angle range of the angle α of the bristle bundles is between 0 ° and 120 °, as in Figure 9 shown. With the help of the laterally arranged side brush attachment 200, not only the corners between the floor and the wall can be cleaned, but also the wall itself at the height of the roller diameter.”);
Based on the teachings of Seo and Kress, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before effective filing date of the claimed invention to have further modified Xia to have of the side brush is exposed outwardly along the transverse axis. This modification would help improve the efficiency of cleaning corners and walls (see Kress)
Carden teaches a splash guard for floor scrubbing machine (abstract) where the brush assembly (14, figure 4) comprises a mudguard (18, figure 3) mounted on outside surface.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Xia to have a mudguard mounted on the outside surface of the connecting wall, the mudguard surrounding at least an upper portion of the ,and wherein at least a portion of the mudguard has projecting laterally from the outside surface of the connecting wall based on teachings of Carden. This modification would ensure that reduce splashback of dirty liquid. (see col 1 lines 15-23).
Further, Xia as modified by Seo, Kress and Carden would teach the mudguard surrounding at least an upper portion of the side brush (See Carden, col 1 lines 26-35; figures 1-4) , and the mudguard and the side brush are adhered to a vertical surface to realize brushing of a portion of the vertical surface in contact with the side brush during operation (see “Different arrangements of bristle bundles of the brush attachment 200 are shown in FIGS Figures 9 to 11 shown. The outwardly directed rows of bristle bundles 210.1, 210.2, 210.3 change the angle between the roller brush axis 220 and the bristle bundles with each further row facing outwards to smaller values. The angle range of the angle α of the bristle bundles is between 0 ° and 120 °, as in Figure 9 shown. With the help of the laterally arranged side brush attachment 200, not only the corners between the floor and the wall can be cleaned, but also the wall itself at the height of the roller diameter.”)
Regarding claim 3, modified Xia teaches wherein at least a portion of the mudguard is made of a flexible material (see Carden col 1 lines 26-35).
Regarding claim 4, modified Xia taches wherein the side brush (Seo’s 250, figure 4) comprises a brush holder (Seo’s 252, figure 4) and one or more cleaning elements (see Seo’s 254, figure 4) disposed on the brush holder.
Regarding claim 5, modified Xia teaches wherein at least a portion of the one or more cleaning elements (see Seo’s 254, figure 4) are distributed along a circumference around the transverse axis.
Regarding claim 6, modified Xia teaches wherein the outside surface of the connecting wall has a recessed portion (see Seo outside surface 232, figures 4-5 and annotated figure below) intersected with the lower opening, and wherein the recessed portion is adapted to receive the side brush (see Seo figures 4- 5).
Regarding claim 7, modified Xia teaches wherein a forward portion of the connecting wall has a front opening (see Seo 262, figure 4) located directly in front of and in communication with the recessed portion, and wherein a portion of the one or more cleaning elements (see Seo 254, figures 4-5) are exposed outwardly through the front opening (see Seo figures 4-5).
Regarding claim 8, modified Xia teaches wherein a lower portion of the connecting wall has a bottom opening (see Seo 260, figures 4-5), and wherein a portion of the one or more cleaning elements (see Seo 254, figures 4-5) are inclined in an inward direction and pass through the bottom opening.
Regarding claim 9, modified Xia teaches wherein the one or more cleaning elements (see Seo 254, figures 4-5) comprise bristle tufts (see Seo discloses “brush bristle”).
Regarding claim 10, modified Xia teaches wherein the cleaning roller (see Seo 210, figure 4) and the side brush (see Seo 250, figure 4) are removable (Seo discloses “the user can easily repair or replace the cleaning member”) from the connecting wall.
Regarding claim 11, modified Xia teaches wherein the side brush (see Seo 250, figure 4) is configured (capable of performing this action) to be individually removable from the connecting wall when the brush assembly is mounted in the brush chamber.
Regarding claim 15, modified Xia teaches wherein at least a portion of the one or more cleaning elements (see Seo 250, figure 4)protrude laterally from the outside surface of the connecting wall.
Regarding claim 16, modified Xia teaches wherein the surface cleaning head comprises an upper cover removably disposed on the top of the housing (see Xia 542, para 0061), and wherein the brush assembly is configured ( Seo discloses “the user can easily repair or replace the cleaning member”) to be removed from the brush chamber only after the upper cover is removed from the housing.
Claim(s) 21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Xia (US20180110388A1) in view Seo et al. (KR20080000187A), Kress (EP3287061B1), Carden (US 3733635 A 1) as applied to claim 1 further in view of Parr (US20050132524A1)
Regarding claim 21, modified Xia teaches all the limitations stated above and wherein the cleaning liquid delivery system comprises a first liquid spray nozzle for the cleaning roller (see Xia 554, figure 23) , and wherein the first liquid spray nozzle is fluidly connected to cleaning liquid tank (300, figures 2-16a)but fails to teach a second liquid spray nozzle for the side brush, and second liquid spray nozzle are fluidly connected to the cleaning liquid tank.
Parr teaches a cleaning apparatus that includes a cleaning liquid delivery system (para 0020-0028) comprises a first liquid spray nozzle (792, figure 2) for the cleaning roller (201, figure 2) ,and a second liquid spray nozzle (221L, figure 2) for the side brush (para 0019), and wherein the first liquid spray nozzle and second liquid spray nozzle are fluidly connected to the cleaning liquid tank (620, figure 2).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Xia to have a second liquid spray nozzle for the side brush, and second liquid spray nozzle are fluidly connected to the cleaning liquid tank based on teachings of Parr. This modification would ensure that liquid cascades down to the side portions of the brush assembly (see Parr para 0019).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SARAH AKYAA FORDJOUR whose telephone number is (571)272-0390. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday 9:30am - 5:30pm and Friday 6:00am-3:00pm.
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/SARAH AKYAA FORDJOUR/ Examiner, Art Unit 3723
/MONICA S CARTER/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3723
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