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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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, 2, 5 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by GB2001108A.
Note an assembly, comprising: a manifold () with a plurality of inlets (1, 2), and a plurality of outlets (8, 5, 6, 7) in fluid communication with the plurality of inlets, and wherein each inlet (1 and 2) from the plurality of inlets is associated with one pair of outlets (8, 5 and 6, 7) from the plurality of outlets; and a valve (11, 12, 9, 3, 4) in cooperation with the plurality of outlets and operable to a plurality of positions (see Figures 2a and 2b), wherein in each of the plurality of positions, one outlet from the one pair of outlets is open and the other outlet from the one pair of outlets is closed.
Regarding claim 2, note a system comprising: the assembly of claim 1; and a source of pressurized fluid (water supply mains) in fluid communication with the plurality of inlets of the manifold. See lines 50-52 and 73-74 on page 1.
Regarding claim 5, note a plurality of actuators (dispensers) each in fluid communication with one of the plurality of outlets of the manifold to receive a pressurized fluid distributed through the corresponding outlet of the manifold.
Regarding claim 20, note the plurality of outlets is arranged as a linear array. See Figure 1.
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) 7 and 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Flajole (US2938570) in view of Bocsanyi (US20140232155).
The primary reference shows all claimed features of the instant invention with the exception of the series of manifolds being formed within a common housing (claim 7); wherein the common housing with the series of manifolds comprises an inlet housing portion and an outlet housing portion that are secured together to provides a cavity for the series of valves (claim 8).
In the primary reference, note an assembly comprising: a series of manifolds (33 and 34), each manifold having an inlet (at the branches of 32, as shown in Figure 1), and a plurality of outlets (note at 35 and 36, as shown in Figures 1 and 3) in fluid communication with the inlet; and a series of valves (37 and 37), each in cooperation with the plurality of outlets of the manifold and operable to a plurality of positions, wherein in each of the plurality of positions, one of the plurality of outlets is open and others of the plurality of outlets are closed.
The secondary reference teaches providing an assembly as having a series of manifolds (11 and 12) being formed within a common housing (10); wherein the common housing with the series of manifolds comprises an inlet housing portion (21) and an outlet housing portion (23) that are secured together to provides a cavity for the series of valves.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the pertinent art before the effective filing date of the instant invention to modify the primary reference in view of the teachings of the secondary reference by configuring the assembly with a common housing for the series of manifolds (regarding claim 7); wherein the common housing with the series of manifolds comprises an inlet housing portion and an outlet housing portion that are secured together to provided a cavity for the series of valves (regarding claim 8).
This modification supplies a stable mounting for the series of manifolds within the footprint of an article being used therewith, while providing the advantages of the series of manifolds to the article.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3, 4, 6, 9, 10, 12 and 13 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.
Claims 14 and 21-26 are allowed.
Response to Amendment/Arguments
Applicant’s response filed November 23, 2025 has been fully considered. Remaining issues are described above. Note new grounds of rejection as necessitated by amendment.
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.
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mn /MILTON NELSON JR/February 10, 2026 Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3636