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 .
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 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.
Status of Claims
Claims 1 – 8 are pending.
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.
Claims 1 – 2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Sansotta (U.S. Patent Publication No. 6,553,598 B1).
Regarding Independent Claim 1, Sansotta teaches a golf ball cleaning device (Fig. 3) operable to clean an outer surface of a golf ball (balls, 18) wherein the golf ball cleaning device (Fig. 3) comprises: a housing (10), said housing (10) having an upper portion (cover, 24) and a lower portion (housing, 22), said upper portion (24) and said lower portion (22) being releasably secured (via hinge, 26), said housing (10) having an interior volume (as shown in Fig, 4); a golf ball receiving member (entrainment block recesses, 32 with grove, 35), said golf ball receiving member having a first section (35) and a second section (32), said first section (35) of said golf ball receiving member being disposed in said lower portion (22) of said housing (10), said first section (35) of said golf ball receiving member being half dome shaped (Fig. 4), said first section (35) of said golf ball receiving member having a first cleaning member (lower bristles, 34) disposed on an inner surface of the first section (35) of the golf ball receiving member (Fig.
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4), said golf ball receiving member having a second section (entrainment block recesses, 32; Fig. 6), said second section of said golf ball receiving member being half dome shaped (Fig, 6) and sized to mateably join the first section (35) of the golf ball receiving member to encompass a golf ball (18) placed within the golf ball receiving member (Fig. 3), said second section (32) of said golf ball receiving member being rotatably mounted within said upper portion of said housing (Claim 1), said second section (32) of the golf ball receiving member having a second cleaning member (upper bristles, 34) secured to an inner surface thereof (Fig. 3); and wherein the second section (32) of the golf ball receiving member is rotated ensuing coupling of the upper portion (24) and lower portion (22) of the housing (10) to clean an outer surface of a golf ball (18) disposed within the golf ball receiving member (Fig. 3).
Regarding Claim 2, Sansotta teaches the golf ball cleaning device (Fig. 3) further including a handle (handle, 14), said handle (14) being operably coupled to said second section (24) of the golf ball receiving member (Fig. 3), said handle (14) configured to provide rotational movement of the second section (32) of the golf ball receiving member (Claim 1).
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sansotta (U.S. Patent Publication No. 6,553,598 B1) in view of Kunold (U. S. Patent No. 4,559,662).
Regarding Claim 3, Sansotta, as modified, teaches the golf ball cleaning device of claim 2 as discussed above.
Sansotta does not teach wherein said upper portion further includes a multitude of rib members, said rib members being formed on an outer surface of said upper portion, said rib members being vertical in orientation, said rib members configured to facilitate grasping the upper portion.
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Kunold, however, teaches said upper portion (54) further includes a multitude of rib members (Annotated Fig. 1), said rib members (Annotated Fig. 1) being formed on an outer surface(Annotated Fig. 1) of said upper portion (54), said rib members (Annotated Fig. 1) being vertical in orientation (Annotated Fig. 1), said rib members configured to facilitate grasping the upper portion (54; Annotated Fig. 1).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Sansotta to further include said upper portion further includes a multitude of rib members, said rib members being formed on an outer surface of said upper portion, said rib members being vertical in orientation, said rib members configured to facilitate grasping the upper portion, as taught by Kunold, to provide a device that allows a measure of gripping so that a user can easily access the cleaner in the event of over tightening.
Claims 4 – 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sansotta (U.S. Patent Publication No. 6,553,598 B1) in view of Kunold (U. S. Patent No. 4,559,662) and Yun (U. S. Patent Publication No. 2008/0000036 A1).
Regarding Claim 4, Sansotta, as modified, teaches the golf ball cleaning device of claim 3 as discussed above.
Sansotta does not teach the golf ball cleaning device operable to clean the outer surface of a golf ball wherein the first cleaning member includes a plurality of segments, said segments having a void therebetween.
Yun, however, teaches the teach golf ball cleaning device (Fig. 5) operable to clean the outer surface of a golf ball (ball, 2) wherein the first cleaning member (31) includes a plurality of segments (bristles, 34), said segments (34) having a void therebetween (scrubbing channels, 33).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Sansotta to further include the first cleaning member includes a plurality of segments, said segments having a void therebetween, as taught by Yun, to provide a device that scrubs the ball and then allows the fluid in the channel to effectively remove the debris, thus providing a superior cleaning experience.
Regarding Claim 5, Sansotta, as modified, teaches the golf ball cleaning device of claim 4 as discussed above.
Sansotta further teaches the second cleaning member (32) includes a plurality of segments (the 2 segments as shown in Figure 6).
Sansotta does not teach the golf ball cleaning device and said segments of said second cleaning member having voids therebetween.
Yun, however, teaches the golf ball cleaning device wherein the second cleaning member (32) includes a plurality of segments (56), said segments (56) of said second cleaning member (32) having voids therebetween. (Fig. 5; spacing between rollers, 56 are voids)
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Sansotta to further include the second cleaning member includes a plurality of segments, said segments of said second cleaning member having voids therebetween, as taught by Yun, to provide a device that scrubs the ball and then allows the fluid in the channel to effectively remove the debris, thus providing a superior cleaning experience.
Claims 6 – 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sansotta (U.S. Patent Publication No. 6,553,598 B1) in view of Kunold (U. S. Patent No. 4,559,662), Yun (U. S. Patent Publication No. 2008/0000036 A1) and Persic (U. S. Patent 5,339,486).
Regarding Claim 6, Sansotta, as modified, teaches the golf ball cleaning device of claim 6 as discussed above.
Sansotta does not teach the golf ball cleaning device operable to clean the outer surface of a golf ball wherein said first cleaning member and said second cleaning member are manufactured from scouring pads.
Persic, however, teaches the golf ball cleaning device (Fig. 7) operable to clean the outer surface of a golf ball wherein said first and second cleaning members (fibrous portions, 34) are manufactured from scouring pads (Col. 2, lines 62 – 68).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Sansotta to further include said first cleaning member and said second cleaning member are manufactured from scouring pads, as taught by Persic, to provide a device that effectively scrubs the ball thus removing tuff debris and providing a superior cleaning experience.
Regarding Claim 7, Sansotta, as modified, teaches the golf ball cleaning device
wherein the segments of said second cleaning member (32) extend from a perimeter edge of the second section (24) of the golf ball receiving member (35 with 32) to a central point and are tapered in shape (as best shown in Fig. 4, the ball receiving section, 32 is identical to 35, thus is tapered on the outward and forms a central point in the middle).
Regarding Claim 8, Sansotta, as modified, teaches the golf ball cleaning device
wherein the segments of said first cleaning member (35) extend from a perimeter edge of the first section of the golf ball receiving member to a central point and are tapered in shape (as best shown in Fig. 4, the ball receiving section, 35 is tapered on the outward and forms a central point in the middle).
Conclusion
Art made of record, however, not relied upon for the current rejection is as follows: U. S. Patent No 5,524,311 to Crossley teaches an improved, hand-held, battery powered golf ball washer having a case with a ball receiving chamber and a motor containing chamber, the ball receiving chamber having therein a U-shaped brush which is rotatable within the ball receiving chamber and in relatively close relationship to the wall of the ball receiving chamber. The ball receiving chamber is provided with a curved T-shaped stationary brush mounted to its inner wall such that a golf ball may be inserted within the ball-receiving chamber, a detergent solution added, a hatch closed over the opening, with motor means within the motor containing chamber to drive the U-shaped brush about the golf ball in the ball receiving chamber, thereby causing the ball to rotate and scrub against the stationary brush while the rotatable brush scours the ball as well.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KATINA N HENSON whose telephone number is (571)272-8024. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday; 5:30am to 3:30pm.
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/KATINA N. HENSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3723