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 Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1, 11, 14 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.
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) 1, 11-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nusser DE 4101489 A1 in view of Fu CN 109199261 A and Shinler US 2002/0170131 A1.
Re claims 1, 11, 14, Nusser discloses a device [Fig. 26], comprising a main body 11, a sweeping apparatus 5 and a lifting and lowering apparatus [A], wherein the sweeping apparatus 5 is connected to the main body 11 by means of the lifting and lowering apparatus [A];
the lifting and lowering apparatus comprises a synchronous linkage assembly 2’, a connecting rod mechanism [3, 4], the connecting rod mechanism comprises a first connecting rod 3 and a second connecting rod 4, the first connecting rod 3 and the second connecting rod 4 are rotationally connected to the main body 11 around an axis [a] in a horizontal direction, the first connecting rod 3 is rotationally connected to the second connecting rod 4 by means of the synchronous linkage assembly 2’ along a vertical direction; and
wherein a first location where the first connecting rod 3 and the main body 11 are rotationally connected and a second location where the second connecting rod 4 and the main body 11 are rotationally connected are located on the same horizontal plane [fig. 26] perpendicular to the vertical location;
controlling the first connecting rod 3 and the second connecting rod 5 to rotate in a first direction, so as to lift the sweeping apparatus along the vertical direction, and in a second direction opposite to a first direction, so as to lower the sweeping apparatus along the vertical location [implied by the four-bar linkage connection].
Nusser does not disclose the cleaning device is a self-moving cleaning device; and controlling a driving portion to drive the first connecting rod to enable the sweeping apparatus to be lifted and lowered relative to the main body.
However, Fu teaches the use of a lifting and lowering apparatus for a sweeping apparatus of a self-moving cleaning device. Shinler teaches controlling a driving potion 80 [fig. 5] configured to drive a first and second connecting rods to enable the sweeping apparatus to be lifted and lowered in a vertical direction relative to the main body.
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 driving portion of Shinler with the cleaning device of Nusser in a self-moving device, as suggested and taught by Fu, in order to yield the predictable result of a self-moving cleaning device that can lift and lower the brushes when needed.
Re claims 12, 15, Nusser further teaches wherein controlling the driving portion to drive the first connecting rod 3 and the second connecting rod 4 to rotate in the first direction, so as to lift the sweeping apparatus 5 comprises:
controlling the driving portion to drive the first connecting rod to rotate around a first rotational connection point [hinge of element 3] in the first direction, and driving, by means of the synchronous linkage assembly 2’, the second connecting rod 4 to rotate around a second rotational connection point [hinge of element 4] in the first direction, so as to lift the sweeping apparatus 5.
Re claims 13, 16, Nusser further teaches wherein controlling the driving portion 31 to drive the first connecting rod 3 and the second connecting rod 4 to rotate in the first direction, so as to lift the sweeping apparatus comprises:
controlling the driving portion to drive a second swing arm 4 of the first connecting rod to rotate around a first rotational connection point [hinge of element 4] in the first direction;
driving, by means of the second swing arm, a first swing arm 3 of the first connecting rod to rotate around the first rotational connection point in the first direction; and
driving, by means of the synchronous linkage assembly 2’, the second connecting rod 4 to rotate around a second rotational connection point [hinge of element 4] in the first direction, so as to lift the sweeping apparatus 5.
Re claim 17, Nusser further teaches wherein during rotation of the first connecting rod 322 and the second connecting rod 34, ends of the first connecting rod and the second connecting rod connected by means of the synchronous linkage assembly 321 are always located on the same horizontal plane (see figs. 2-3].
Claim(s) 6-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nusser DE 4101489 A1 in view of Fu CN 109199261 A and Shinler US 2002/0170131 A1 and in further view of Cheng CN 110215166 A.
Re claim 6, Nusser, Fu, and Shinler teach the invention as discussed above for claim 1 but fail to teach wherein a number of the connecting rod mechanisms is two sets, and the two sets of connecting rod mechanisms are symmetrically arranged on two sides of the synchronous linkage assembly, respectively.
Cheng teaches a sweeping apparatus with two sets of two connecting rod mechanisms [Fig. 6], and the two sets of connecting rod mechanisms are symmetrically arranged on two sides of the synchronous linkage assembly 12, respectively [Figs. 5-6].
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 teachings of Bian with Nusser since it has been held that duplication of parts has no patentable significance unless a new and unexpected result is produced. MPEP 2144.04 VI B.
Re claim 7, Nusser, Fu, Shinler, and Cheng teach the invention as discussed above for claim 6. Cheng further teaches wherein the synchronous linkage assembly 12 comprises a first synchronizing shaft, a second synchronizing shaft, a third synchronizing shaft [shafts between links 13 and 14] and a connector 121, wherein the connector 121 is rotationally connected to the first synchronizing shaft and the second synchronizing shaft;
first ends of the first connecting rods of the two sets of connecting rod mechanisms are rotationally connected by means of the first synchronizing shaft, and second ends of first connecting rods of the two sets of connecting rod mechanisms are rotationally connected by means of the second synchronizing shaft;
the second connecting rods of the two sets of connecting rod mechanisms are rotationally connected by means of the third synchronizing shaft; and the driving portion is rotationally connected to the first synchronizing shaft [see below].
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Claim(s) 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nusser DE 4101489 A1 in view of Fu CN 109199261 A and Shinler US 2002/0170131 A1 and Cheng CN 110215166 A and in further view of Bian CN 101057766 B.
Re claim 8, Nusser, Fu, Shinler, and Cheng teach the invention as discussed above for claim 7 but fail to teach wherein the connecting rod mechanism further comprises a position-limiting portion mounted on the main body, the position- limiting portion is configured to prevent the first connecting rod and the second connecting rod from rotating so as to limit a lowering height of the sweeping apparatus.
Bian teaches wherein the connecting rod mechanism further comprises a position-limiting portion 14 [Fig. 4] mounted on the main body, the position- limiting portion is configured to prevent the first connecting rod 322 and the second connecting rod 34 from rotating so as to limit a lowering height of the sweeping apparatus.
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 position limiting portion of Bian in the combination of Nusser in order to yield the predictable result of a self-locking when lifting.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-5, 9-10, 18-20 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The prior art of record does not show or fairly render obvious the combination set forth in the claims. In particular, for claim 3, the prior art does not show wherein the first connecting rod comprises a first swing arm, a bent portion and a second swing arm, the bent portion is respectively connected to a first end of the first swing arm and a first end of the second swing arm, the bent portion is rotationally connected to the main body, the second end of the first swing arm is rotationally connected to the second connecting rod by means of the synchronous linkage assembly, and the second end of the second swing arm is rotationally connected to the driving portion; for claim 9, the prior art does not show wherein the second connecting rod is rotationally connected to a lower portion of the position-limiting portion; and for claim 10, the prior art does not show wherein the synchronous linkage assembly further comprises mounting bases, the mounting bases are arranged at two ends of the second synchronizing shaft and two ends of the third synchronizing shaft, respectively, and the mounting bases are connected to the sweeping apparatus.
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.
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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C. A. R.
Primary Patent Examiner
Art Unit 3723
/C. A. RIVERA/Primary Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3723
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