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 filed 4/24/2026 have been fully considered and are addressed below.
Regarding section II of Applicant’s Remarks (Election/Restriction):
Applicant provides arguments with respect to the unelected species that are shown having a wireless network and/or a valve and control module within the control box, noting that “Fig. 8 is a schematic illustration which includes a control box whereas Figs. 10-23 depict an embodiment of the control box”, and that “data communication (e.g., with a network) is not a different embodiment as the transmission line is not limited to providing data communication” (Remarks, Page 8, second paragraph of section II).
Examiner acknowledges Applicant’s arguments, but maintains that an undue search and/or examination burden would be imposed by including the features referenced above in the elected species, as outlined in the prior Office Action dated 10/24/2025. Examiner further notes that Applicant’s arguments are not understood to be intended as evidence or a clear admission on the record that any of the unelected species are obvious variants of the elected species. Thus, no changes are made with respect to the claims to be examined on the merits.
Regarding section III of Applicant’s Remarks (Claim Rejections under 35 U.S.C. 112):
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 2 and 10 have been fully considered and are persuasive.
Examiner’s best understanding is that Applicant considers “through the flow path” and “in the flow path” to be equivalent terms, with modifiers “directly” or “indirectly” being used to indicate whether the transmission line is in contact with the water or disposed in a separate channel within the wand hose (and the absence of a modifier indicating that either condition may apply). Examiner notes that this is consistent with the interpretation applied in the Office Action dated 10/24/2025 (see the rejections of claims 2 and 10 under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) of Pages 3-4 of the Office Action). Accordingly, the rejections of claims 2 and 10 under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) have been withdrawn, and claim 2 has been objected to in order to clarify the scope of the claims with consistent terminology.
Regarding section IV of Applicant’s Remarks (Claim Rejections under 35 U.S.C. 102 & 103):
Applicant's arguments with respect to the Ye and Tseng references have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
In section IV(A), Applicant argues that “none of the applied references, taken alone or in any reasonable combination thereof, reasonably teach or suggest a transmission line extending through a flow path of a wand hose" (Remarks, Page 11, first paragraph).
Regarding the Ye reference, Applicant argues that “the electric cable 313 is not disposed in a flow path of a wand hose. In Fig. 3 of Ye, the two flow paths 314, 315 are completely separated from the portion of the wand hose containing the electric cable 313” (Remarks, Page 11, second full paragraph). Applicant refers to Paragraphs 0144 and 0156 of the specification to support this argument. Paragraph 0144 states “An inner surface of the wand hose 18 defines a flow path 108 [. . .] operable to deliver water from the upstream end to the downstream end” and Paragraph 0156 states that “the transmission lines 110 extend directly or indirectly in the flow path 108 of the wand hose 18”. In Ye, the inner surface of wand hose 316 defines the flow path through which water is delivered, and transmission line 313 extends indirectly through the flow path (i.e., not in contact with water). Thus, Ye discloses the transmission line of claim 1.
Regarding the Tseng reference, Applicant argues that “the tunnel is an additional and seprate portion of the wand hose from the flow path. If the electric wire were inserted through the flow path of the flexible pipe, there would be no need to separately specify that the electric wire is inserted through a "tunnel 13 of the flexible pipe 10," especially when the electric wire is preferably "mounted." This is further emphasized by Figs. 5 and 6 of Tseng where the electric wire does not extend entiretly to the portion where the flexible pipe is cut off” (Remarks, Page 13, first full paragraph).
Examiner considers the terminology used in Tseng et al. to be unconventional, but asserts that the drawings clearly disclose a transmission line extending directly through the flow path of the wand hose. The use of the terms “tunnel” and “mounted” would not reasonably convey to one of ordinary skill in the art an additional undescribed and unillustrated structure containing the transmission line, as Applicant suggests. Additionally, when viewed as a whole, it is apparent that Tseng et al. uses a drawing convention to cut off certain components for clarity (e.g., compare the representation of transmission line 60 in Figs. 6 and 19), not to indicate or imply that the component is covered by a separate structure. Thus, Tseng et al. clearly discloses a transmission line extending through a flow path of a wand hose.
In section IV(B), regarding the amendment to claim 15, Applicant argues that the Tseng reference does not teach or suggest a transmission line extending through an inlet fitting in line with the flow path of the wand hose because “as described in paragraphs [0080]-[0082] of Ye, Ye specifically includes an inflow member 20 such that the electric wire is inserted perpendicularly into the faucet assembly” (Remarks, Page 15; Examiner understands this to refer to the Tseng reference rather than Ye). Examiner has reviewed the written description of Tseng et al., and was not able to identify any reference to a perpendicular arrangement (only that “holder 222 extend[s] outwardly from an outer wall [of tube 22]”; Paragraph 0080). Though the embodiment illustrated in the drawings appears to show the inlet fitting perpendicular to the flow path of the wand hose, one having ordinary skill in the art would not understand this to be a required feature of the invention, especially considering that Tseng et al. provides no explanation or motivation for such an arrangement.
In response to applicant's argument that the references fail to show certain features of the invention, it is noted that the features upon which applicant relies (i.e., that the claimed “in line” arrangement is “advantageous in that may allow the transmission line to move more easily within the system” (Remarks, Page 16, first paragraph)) are not recited in the rejected claim(s). Although the claims are interpreted in light of the specification, limitations from the specification are not read into the claims. See In re Van Geuns, 988 F.2d 1181, 26 USPQ2d 1057 (Fed. Cir. 1993). Examiner further notes support for the claimed subject matter appears to be based only on Figs. 16a and 16b of the drawings, as the “in line” arrangement and the functionality described in Applicant’s Remarks was not found in the written description of the instant application. Thus, Examiner’s broadest reasonable interpretation of the claim limitation in light of the specification is applied in the below rejection of claim 15 under 35 U.S.C. 103.
Claim Objections
Claim 2 is objected to because of the following informalities: for consistency with claim 1, the phrase “in the flow path” (line 2) should read --through the flow path--. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1, 4, and 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ye et al. (WO 2021/194958).
Regarding claim 1, Ye et al. disclose a plumbing system (Fig. 1) comprising:
a body (107) operable to be mounted on a mounting surface (see Fig. 2B); a wand (104) with a discharge outlet operable to deliver water, the wand being operable to pull away from the body (Page 6, final paragraph); an electronic valve operable to control a flow of water to the wand (Page 5, first full paragraph); a wand hose (101) with a flow path operable to carry water from the electronic valve to the wand, the flow path extending through the body (Page 7, first paragraph); an activation sensor/display assembly (shown as sensor 208 in Fig. 2A) disposed on the wand; a control module in electronic communication with the activation sensor/display assembly and the electronic valve (sensor/detector, controller, and valve are in electrical communication; Page 8, last full paragraph); and a transmission line coupled with the activation sensor/display assembly (sensor/detector communicates with a power source via a wire; Page 5, third full paragraph), the transmission line extending through the flow path of the wand hose (shown as 313 in Fig. 3 and 413 in Fig. 4); wherein the activation sensor/display assembly is operable to generate an output based upon a user input (sensor/detector send information to controller; Page 5, first full paragraph); wherein the control module is operable to receive the output of the activation sensor/display assembly and generate an output command to control the electronic valve (controller receives information from sensor/detector and actuates valve; Page 5, first full paragraph); and wherein the electronic valve adjusts the flow of water delivered to the wand based upon the output generated by the control module (valve actuated by controller is associated with a water source; Page 5, first full paragraph).
Regarding claim 4, Ye et al. further disclose that the control module is in electronic communication with the activation sensor/display assembly (sensor/detector is in communication with controller; Page 5, first full paragraph) via the transmission line (communication is via the wire in the hose; Page 5, third full paragraph).
Regarding claim 6, Ye et al. further disclose that the activation sensor/display assembly includes a proximity sensor (presence sensor; Page 5, last paragraph).
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.
Claims 1-2, 4-6, 8-10, and 12-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Davidson et al. (US 2009/0039176) in view of Tseng et al. (US 2015/0354186).
Regarding claim 1, Davidson et al. disclose a plumbing system (Figs. 1-4) comprising: a body (20) operable to be mounted on a mounting surface (18, Paragraph 0020); a wand (30) with a discharge outlet operable to deliver water (32, 34), the wand being operable to pull away from the body (Paragraphs 0021, 0031); an electronic valve (38, Fig. 1) operable to control a flow of water to the wand (Paragraph 0022); a wand hose (24) with a flow path operable to carry water from the electronic valve to the wand, the flow path extending through the body (Fig. 2); an activation sensor/display assembly (50) disposed on the wand (Figs. 2 and 4); a control module (52) in electronic communication with the activation sensor/display assembly and the electronic valve (Paragraph 0022); wherein the activation sensor/display assembly is operable to generate an output based upon a user input (Paragraphs 0028-0030); wherein the control module is operable to receive the output of the activation sensor/display assembly and generate an output command to control the electronic valve (Paragraph 0025, Fig. 3); and wherein the electronic valve adjusts the flow of water delivered to the wand based upon the output generated by the control module (Paragraph 0025, Fig. 3).
Davidson et al. also disclose a transmission line coupled with the activation sensor/display assembly (50 coupled to 52 via wired connection, Paragraph 0028), but are silent regarding the transmission line extending through the flow path of the wand hose. Tseng et al. teach a similar plumbing system (Figs. 1 and 2) having a wand (30), a wand hose (10), an activation sensor/display assembly (LED elements 40) disposed on the wand (Paragraph 0068, Fig. 5), and a transmission line (60) coupled with the activation sensor/display assembly (via circuit board 50) and extending through the flow path of the wand hose (Fig. 4).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the application to provide the plumbing system of Davidson et al. with the transmission line configuration taught by Tseng et al. in order to transmit power and/or data from the activation sensor/display assembly to the control module. Since Davidson et al. is silent as to the details of a wired connection, one having ordinary skill in the art would look to the prior art for such a connection, and Tseng et al. provides a suitable example that could be incorporated into the system of Davidson et al. with a reasonable expectation of success.
Regarding claim 2, the transmission line taught by Tseng et al. extends directly in the flow path of the wand hose (Figs. 4-6; Paragraph 0107).
Regarding claim 4, Davidson et al. further discloses that the control module is in electronic communication with the activation sensor/display assembly via the transmission line (Paragraph 0028).
Regarding claim 5, Davidson et al.-Tseng et al. in combination teach the plumbing system of claim 1, as described above. Tseng et al. further teach a control box (20; Figs. 1-4 and 6) operable to direct the transmission line and the water from the electronic valve into the flow path of the wand hose (Paragraph 0080). Tseng et al. teach this feature as a means of introducing the transmission line into the flow path while preventing leakage of water (Paragraph 0110).
Having incorporated the transmission line of Tseng et al. into the plumbing system of Davidson et al., it would have further been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the application to also employ the control box taught by Tseng et al. in order to prevent water leakage where the transmission line enters the flow path.
Regarding claim 6, Davidson et al. further discloses that the activation sensor/display assembly includes a proximity sensor (70, Paragraph 0029).
Regarding claim 8, Davidson et al. further discloses that the control module is operable to generate an output command which causes the activation sensor/display assembly to generate a user-detectable output (illumination of LEDs on indicator 130; Paragraph 0051).
Regarding claim 9, Davidson et al. discloses a plumbing system (Figs. 1-4) comprising: a body (20) operable to be mounted on a mounting surface (18, Paragraph 0020); a wand (30) including a discharge outlet (32, 34) operable to deliver water and an activation sensor/display assembly (50) operable to generate an output signal based upon a user input (Paragraphs 0028-0030); a control module (52) being operable to receive the signal from the activation sensor/display assembly and generate an output command to control an operation of the plumbing system based upon the received signal from the activation sensor/display assembly (Paragraph 0025, Fig. 3); a wand hose (24) fluidly coupled with the discharge outlet of the wand, the wand hose including a flow path operable to deliver water to the discharge outlet (Fig. 2); wherein the wand is operable to be mounted in a downstream end of the body and to be pulled away from the body (Paragraphs 0021, 0031).
Davidson et al. also disclose a transmission line coupled with the activation sensor/display assembly (50 coupled to 52 via wired connection, Paragraph 0028), but are silent regarding the transmission line extending through the flow path of the wand hose. Davidson et al. are also silent regarding an inlet fitting or an outlet fitting to enable the transmission line to enter/exit the flow path.
Tseng et al. teach a similar plumbing system (Figs. 1 and 2) having a wand (30), a wand hose (10), an activation sensor/display assembly (LED elements 40) disposed on the wand (Paragraph 0068, Fig. 5), and a transmission line (60) coupled with the activation sensor/display assembly (via circuit board 50) and extending through the flow path of the wand hose (Fig. 4). Tseng further teach an inlet fitting (23, 25; Fig. 6) operable to enable the transmission line to enter the flow path of the wand hose (Paragraph 0080); and an outlet fitting (320, 329; Figs. 5, 16, and 18) operable to enable the transmission line to exit the flow path of the wand hose (Paragraph 0088). Tseng et al. teach that the inlet fitting and outlet fitting fix the transmission line in place and prevent water leakage (Paragraph 0110).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the application to provide the plumbing system of Davidson et al. with the transmission line configuration taught by Tseng et al. in order to transmit power and/or data from the activation sensor/display assembly to the control module. Since Davidson et al. is silent as to the details of a wired connection, one having ordinary skill in the art would look to the prior art for such a connection, and Tseng et al. provides a suitable example that could be incorporated into the system of Davidson et al. with a reasonable expectation of success. Having incorporated the transmission line of Tseng et al. into the plumbing system of Davidson et al., it would have further been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the application to also employ the inlet fitting and outlet fitting taught by Tseng et al. in order to fix the transmission line in place and prevent water leakage where the transmission line enters and exits the flow path.
Regarding claim 10, the transmission line taught by Tseng et al. extends directly through the flow path of the wand hose (Figs. 4-6; Paragraph 0107).
Regarding claim 12, the transmission line taught by Tseng et al. transmits power to the activation sensor/display assembly (via circuit board 50, Paragraph 0068).
Regarding claim 13, Davidson et al.-Tseng et al. in combination teach the plumbing system of claim 9, as described above. Davidson et al. disclose that the plumbing system may include a swivel coupling (36; Fig. 2; Paragraph 0021), but do not explicitly describe that the wand is operable to swivel about a downstream end of the wand hose.
Tseng et al. further teaches a wand that is operable to swivel about a downstream end of the wand hose (via coupling member 70 and angle limiter 80; Paragraph 0081; Figs. 5 and 20). Tseng et al. teach that this configuration allows a limited amount of rotation to protect the transmission line from being over extended (Paragraph 0083).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the application to further modify the combined invention of Davidson et al. and Tseng et al., as described above, with the wand coupling taught by Tseng et al. in order to allow the wand to swivel while protecting the transmission line from being over extended.
Regarding claim 14, Davidson et al.-Tseng et al. in combination teach the plumbing system of claim 9, as described above. Tseng et al. further teach a control box (20; Figs. 1-4 and 6) operable to direct the transmission line and the water from the electronic valve into the flow path of the wand (Paragraph 0080). Tseng et al. teach this feature as a means of introducing the transmission line into the flow path while preventing leakage of water (Paragraph 0110).
Having incorporated the transmission line of Tseng et al. into the plumbing system of Davidson et al., it would have further been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the application to also employ the control box taught by Tseng et al. in order to prevent water leakage where the transmission line enters the flow path.
Claims 15-16 and 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Davidson et al. (US 2009/0039176) in view of Evans et al. (US 2013/0248620) and Tseng et al. (US 2015/0354186).
Regarding claim 15, Davidson et al. discloses a plumbing system (Figs. 1-4) comprising: a body (20) operable to be mounted on a mounting surface (18, Paragraph 0020); a wand (30) including a discharge outlet (32, 34) operable to deliver water and an activation sensor/display assembly (50) operable to generate a user-detectable output (via indicator 130; Fig. 3; Paragraph 0045); a control module (52) being operable to generate an output command to the activation sensor/display assembly based upon an operation of the plumbing system (e.g., 52 causes 130 to illuminate based on user selection of temperature or flow rate; Paragraph 0051); a wand hose (24) fluidly coupled with the discharge outlet of the wand, the wand hose including a flow path operable to deliver water to the discharge outlet (Fig. 2); wherein the wand is operable to be mounted in a downstream end of the body and to be pulled away from the body (Paragraphs 0021, 0031); and wherein the activation sensor/display assembly is operable to generate a user-detectable output based upon the output command of the control module (illumination of LEDs on indicator 130; Paragraph 0051).
Davidson et al. also disclose a transmission line coupled with the activation sensor/display assembly (50 coupled to 52 via wired connection, Paragraph 0028), but are silent regarding the details of this feature or any details of the wand hose connections outside of the body, and thus do not disclose a transmission line extending through the flow path of the wand hose, an inlet fitting or an outlet fitting to enable the transmission line to enter/exit the flow path, or that the transmission line extends through the inlet fitting in line with the flow path of the wand hose.
Evans et al. teaches a similar plumbing system (Fig. 3) having a wand hose (18) and a transmission line (102) that both connect to a unit that supplies water and power/data for the system (64/66). Evans et al. teach that this unit facilitates management of flow with a reduced number of hoses (Paragraph 0041).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the application to provide the system of Davidson et al. with a wand hose and transmission line connecting to a supply unit, as taught by Evans et al., in order to facilitate management of flow with a reduced number of hoses. Since Davidson et al. is silent regarding these details, one having ordinary skill in the art would look to the prior art for solutions, of which Evans et al. provides a suitable example that would provide the mixing valve and control module components disclosed by Davidson et al. (see Fig. 1) in a single, compact supply unit.
The combined invention of Davidson-Evans still does not disclose a transmission line extending through the flow path of the wand hose or the associated inlet and outlet fittings. Tseng et al. teach a similar plumbing system (Figs. 1 and 2) having a wand hose (10), an activation sensor/display assembly (LED elements 40) disposed on the wand (Paragraph 0068, Fig. 5), and a transmission line (60) coupled with the activation sensor/display assembly (via circuit board 50) and extending through the flow path of the wand hose (Fig. 4). Tseng et al. further teach an inlet fitting (23, 25; Fig. 6) operable to enable the transmission line to enter the flow path of the wand hose (Paragraph 0080); and an outlet fitting (320, 329; Figs. 5, 16, and 18) operable to enable the transmission line to exit the flow path of the wand hose (Paragraph 0088). Tseng et al. teach that the inlet fitting and outlet fitting fix the transmission line in place and prevent water leakage (Paragraph 0110).
Tseng et al. further describe how the inlet fitting is connected to the wand hose via inflow member 20 having holder 222 (that receives the inlet fitting) built into tube 22, and connector 21 for both the transmission line and the water to be supplied to the hose (Paragraph 0080; Fig. 6). It is apparent from Fig. 1 that the water is supplied to inflow member 20 via a unit similar to that taught by Evans et al.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the application to provide the plumbing system of Davidson et al., modified as described above with the supply unit connection taught by Evans et al., with the wand hose/transmission line configuration taught by Tseng et al. in order to transmit power and/or data from the activation sensor/display assembly to the control module. Since Davidson et al. is silent as to the details of a wired connection, one having ordinary skill in the art would look to the prior art for such a connection, and Tseng et al. provides a suitable example that could be incorporated into the system of Davidson et al. with a reasonable expectation of success. Having incorporated the transmission line of Tseng et al. into the plumbing system of Davidson et al., it would have further been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the application to also employ the inlet fitting and outlet fitting taught by Tseng et al. in order to fix the transmission line in place and prevent water leakage where the transmission line enters and exits the flow path.
Tseng et al. illustrates an embodiment showing 222 (and thus the inlet fitting) extending outwardly from tube 22, with 21 being a straight connection to the wand hose, but no particular rationale or purpose for this arrangement is present in the written description. However, Examiner notes that supply unit illustrated in Fig. 1 of Tseng et al. has its outlet located on a top side. When implemented in the combined invention described above, the inlet fitting taught by Tseng et al. would be located on a bottom side of the supply unit with the wand hose first extending in a horizontal direction before looping upward in accordance with the arrangement shown by Evans et al. (see annotated Fig. 3 below). Thus, the transmission line would extend through the inlet fitting in the same direction as the flow path of the wand hose (i.e., the inlet fitting must be at least parallel, if not directly aligned with the wand hose). Since Tseng et al. teach that the inlet fitting is not a standard component (inflow member 20 is not well-known art; Paragraph 0089), one having ordinary skill in the art would recognize that the design constraints of the system would dictate its particular arrangement, and would be capable of making the necessary modifications to incorporate this feature with predictable results.
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Fig. 3 of Evans et al., annotated by Examiner with detail from Fig. 4 of Tseng et al.
According to Examiner’s best understanding of the claim (Examiner notes that no mention of the claimed alignment was found in the specification of the instant application), such an arrangement would satisfy the limitation “wherein the transmission line extends through the inlet fitting in line with the flow path of the wand hose”, thus arriving at the claimed invention.
Regarding claim 16, Davidson et al. further discloses that the activation sensor/display assembly includes an activation display (130; Paragraph 0045).
Regarding claim 18, Davidson et al. further discloses that the activation sensor/display assembly is operable to generate an output signal based upon a user input (Paragraphs 0028-0030) and the control module is operable to generate an output command to control an operation of the electronic valve based upon the received signal from the activation sensor/display assembly (Paragraph 0025, Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 19, Davidson-Evans-Tseng in combination teach the plumbing system of claim 15, as described above. Davidson et al. disclose that the plumbing system may include a swivel coupling (36; Fig. 2; Paragraph 0021), but do not explicitly describe that the wand is operable to swivel about a downstream end of the wand hose.
Tseng et al. further teaches a wand that is operable to swivel about a downstream end of the wand hose (via coupling member 70 and angle limiter 80; Paragraph 0081; Figs. 5 and 20). Tseng et al. teach that this configuration allows a limited amount of rotation to protect the transmission line from being over extended (Paragraph 0083).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the application to further modify the combined invention with the wand coupling taught by Tseng et al. in order to allow the wand to swivel while protecting the transmission line from being over extended.
Regarding claim 20, Davidson-Evans-Tseng in combination teach the plumbing system of claim 15, as described above. The inflow member taught by Tseng et al. is a control box (20; Figs. 1-4 and 6) operable to direct the transmission line and water into the flow path of the wand hose (Paragraph 0080). As described above, Tseng et al. teach this feature as a means of introducing the transmission line into the flow path while preventing leakage of water (Paragraph 0110).
Having incorporated the transmission line and inlet fitting of Tseng et al. into the plumbing system of the combined invention, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the application to employ the control box taught by Tseng et al. as a housing for the inlet fitting (in the manner described above regarding claim 15) in order to prevent water leakage where the transmission line enters the flow path.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See PTO-892 form for additional examples of systems having features relevant to the claims of the instant application.
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 MICHAEL C PATTERSON whose telephone number is (571)270-5558. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30-4:00 CST.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Paul Durand can be reached at 571-272-4459. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/MICHAEL C PATTERSON/Examiner, Art Unit 3754
/PAUL R DURAND/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3754 July 27, 2026
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