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) 1-5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Yang (CN 111568325).
Yang teaches a cleaning device for cleaning a mopping cloth of a self-propelled cleaning apparatus (20), the cleaning device comprising: a clean-water tank (cleaning liquid supply tank), for storing a cleaning liquid; a waste-water tank (sewage recycling tank); a base (100); a cleaning unit (300), configured to be movable along a first direction at the base (vibration direction), the cleaning unit comprising: a water outlet (nozzle), configured to spray the cleaning liquid in a direction away from the base; at least one cleaning brush (paragraph 0036) ; and a cleaning chamber (111), exposing at least one portion of the at least one cleaning brush, for the at least one cleaning brush to clean the mopping cloth; a clean-water pipeline, communicating between the clean-water tank and the water outlet, for the cleaning liquid in the clean-water tank to pass through the clean- water pipeline and be sprayed from the water outlet; and a waste-water pipeline, communicating between the waste-water tank and the cleaning chamber of the cleaning unit, for the cleaning liquid sprayed while the cleaning unit cleans the mopping cloth to pass through the waste-water pipeline and be collected in the waste-water tank (paragraph 0048).
With regards to claim 2, a bottom and a sidewall of the cleaning chamber form a separation space (figure 4 show that the sidewalls and bottom surface of the chamber form a space to collect liquid), which is configured to block the cleaning liquid from flowing out from the bottom or the sidewall of the cleaning chamber.
With regards to claim 3, the bottom of the cleaning chamber is provided with a drainage hole (figure 4 shows several holes), which communicates with the waste-water pipeline and is configured to discharge the cleaning liquid.
With regards to claim 4, the bottom of the cleaning chamber is defined with a recessed space (sidewalls form the recesses space), and the drainage hole is located in the recessed space.
With regards to claim 5, the drainage hole is located on a lowermost position of the cleaning chamber (bottom surface), a part of the clean-water pipeline connected to the water outlet moves along with a movement of the cleaning unit, and a part of the waste-water pipeline connected to the cleaning chamber moves along with the movement of the cleaning unit.
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.
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(s) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang (‘325) in view of Fang (CN 109953701).
Yang teaches all the essential elements of the claimed invention however fails to teach that the bottom surface comprises inclined surfaces and inclined sidewalls. Fang teaches a chamber with a bottom comprising at least one side inclined surface and a bottom inclined surface (figure 6 and 7), the at least one side inclined surface and the bottom inclined surface define the recessed space, the bottom inclined surface comprises a first side and a second side opposite to the first side, the first side of the bottom inclined surface is connected to the drainage hole (figure 7; shows grooves that in the bottom surface that lead to a drainage hole), the bottom inclined surface is configured to extend downward from the second side to the first side, and a width of the second side of the bottom inclined surface is greater than a width of the first side of the bottom inclined surface.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Yang so that the chamber has inclined surfaces that lead to a single drain hole as taught by Fang to ensure all the sewage fluid is drained from the chamber.
Claim(s) 7-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang (‘325) and Fang (CN 109953701) in view of KR 10142580.
Yang and Fang teach all the essential elements of the claimed invention including Yang teaching a first drive element to move the cleaning unit in a first direction (vibration means). However the references fail to teach details regarding the cleaning brush. KR ‘580 teach at least one cleaning brush comprises at least one roller brush (804), the at least one roller brush comprises a cleaning section and a brush handle (803) for supporting the cleaning section, at least one portion of the at least one cleaning bush exposed by the cleaning chamber comprises the cleaning section, the cleaning unit further comprises a drive section (807, 810), the drive section is configured to drive the at least one roller brush to rotate around a second direction as an axis, and the second direction is different form the first direction. The ratio of a length of the cleaning section to a length of the at least one roller brush is less than 1:2 (figure 8).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Yang and Fang so that it comprise a roller brush as taught by KR ‘580 to further aid in cleaning the surface of the mop cloth.
Claim(s) 12-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang (‘325) in view of Fang (‘701).
Yang teaches all the essential elements of the claimed invention including a rack (211 on the base with a drive section (200) configured to move the cleaning unit in a first direction (vibration direction). Yang however fails to teach details regarding a waste water motor. Fang teaches a waste water motor (6) to provide a drive force for the cleaning liquid sprayed while the cleaning unit cleans the mopping cloth to pass through the waste-water pipeline and be collected in the waste-water tank and a waste-water motor (6), communicating with the waste-water tank, the waste-water motor for forming a negative pressure in the waste-water tank, such that the cleaning liquid sprayed while the cleaning unit cleans the mopping cloth passes through the waste-water pipeline and is collected in the waste-water tank.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the waste water tank of Yang with a waste water motor as taught by Fang to allow for the waste water to be passed from the chamber to the waste water tank.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 10-11 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: Claim 10 includes the limitation of at least one roller brush comprises a first roller brush and a second roller brush, the water outlet is located between the first roller brush and the second roller brush, and the first roller brush and the second roller brush rotate in opposite directions. None of the prior art teach this limitation nor would it have been obvious to modify the prior art to achieve the claimed invention since there is no teaching or motivation to do so.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SHAY LYNN KARLS whose telephone number is (571)272-1268. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th (6am-5pm).
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/SHAY KARLS/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3723