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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they do not include the following reference sign(s) mentioned in the description: 20 (page, 3 and 4), 33 (page 3 and 4), 351 (page 3) and 36 (page 4 and 5). Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, “the wastewater outlet” must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). There is no reference number in the specification for this element. No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-6 are rejected as failing to define the invention in the manner required by 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, second paragraph.
The claim(s) are narrative in form and replete with indefinite language. The structure which goes to make up the device must be clearly and positively specified. The structure must be organized and correlated in such a manner as to present a complete operative device. The claim(s) must be in one sentence form only. Note the format of the claims in the patent(s) cited. Please amend claim 1 and 3 so that they are only one sentence.
Claim 3 and 4 recites the limitation "the side wall" in line 2 in both claims. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. It should read ---a side wall---.
Claim 6 recites the limitation "the inner edge" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. It should read ---an inner edge---.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-6 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Claim 1 includes the limitation of a button structure comprising a water-changing button, a reset spring, a power arm, a resistance arm, and a pool plug used to open or close the wastewater outlet, wherein the pool plug is set on the underside of a wastewater outlet, one end of the power arm is connected to the water-changing button, the other end is connected to the pool plug; one end of the resistance arm is connected to the outside bottom of the brush washing pool, the other end is connected to the pool plug. The claim further states that a base has a water flow channel connecting a water inlet and a brush washing pool. The water flow channel is equipped with a water-changing button installation hole; one side of the bottom of the water-changing button is equipped with a baffle, the water-changing button is movably installed in the installation hole and is used to open or close the water flow channel, the reset spring is set at the bottom of the water-changing button.
The closest prior art of Wu (CN 202320966150), Zhu (CN 218750033) and Dai (CN 219769490) teach several of the claimed features, however all the references fail to teach a water changing button installation hole located in the water flow channel to open and close the water flow channel. Further, the references fail to teach a baffle on the water changing button. Wu also fails to teach that the both the power arm and the resistance arm have one end connected to the pool plug and Dai fails to teach a spring located in the water changing button.
It would not have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the prior art to achieve the claimed invention since there is no motivation or teaching to do so. For these reasons, the claims are indicated as allowable.
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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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Monica Carter can be reached at 571-272-4475. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SHAY KARLS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3723