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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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.
Claim(s) 1-5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Sanchez (US 2003/0168476).
Regarding claim 1, Sanchez discloses a cleaner, comprising a sprayer 122 (¶21), a switching assembly 12, a water storage assembly 20, a conveying assembly (pump - ¶31 and ¶32), and a housing 11, wherein both the water storage assembly and the conveying assembly are accommodated in the housing (fig 3A), the switching assembly is movably connected to the housing (figs 3A and 3B), the sprayer is fixedly connected to the switching assembly (fig 3A), the water storage assembly selectively stores a cleaning solution (capable of such), the conveying assembly is arranged between the switching assembly and the water storage assembly (¶32 – releases fluid from one end and draws up fluid from other end) and drives the cleaning solution in the water storage assembly to move (¶31 and ¶32), the switching assembly communicates with the sprayer and the water storage assembly (fig 3A), and the cleaning solution is driven by the conveying assembly to pass through the switching assembly and the sprayer from the water storage assembly and be sprayed from the sprayer (figs 3A and 3B, ¶31, ¶32).
Regarding claim 2, wherein the switching assembly is rotatably connected to the housing (figs 3A and 3B show switching assembly connected to but rotating independently of housing).
Regarding claim 3, wherein the switching assembly comprises a guide member 123a and a first outer support 125, the housing comprises a groove 117/117c, the guide member is clamped in the groove, and the first outer support is rotatably mounted on the guide member (figs 3A and 3B; first outer support is mounted on and rotates with guide member).
Regarding claim 4, wherein the switching assembly further comprises a shaft assembly, the shaft assembly comprises a fixing part (part of 123 that has orifice 124) and a rotating part (part of 123 that has 123a extending from it), the fixing part is fixedly connected to a surface of the groove that faces the first outer support (fig 3A), the rotating part is arranged between the fixing part and the first outer support (fig 3A and is rotatably connected to the fixing part (fig 3A, fixing part and rotating part rotate together), and the first outer support is fixedly connected to the rotating part (fig 3A; outer support and rotating part are part of a monolithic structure and thus fixedly connected).
Regarding claim 5, wherein the switching assembly further comprises a first inner support 120, the first outer support is fixedly connected to the first inner support (both are part of a monolithic structure), and the first inner support is fixedly connected to the rotating part (fig 3A, both are part of a monolithic structure).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-10 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 examiner did not find a teaching or suggestion for modifying closest art Sanchez such that the switching assembly further comprises a tube body, at least part of the tube body is accommodated in the tubular cavity 121a, the housing further comprises a first outlet, the first outlet is located between the housing and the tube body and is formed in the groove of the housing, and the tube body has one end communicating with the first outlet and the other end communicating with the sprayer, absent impermissible hindsight.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BRADLEY JAMES OSINSKI whose telephone number is (571)270-3640. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Thursday 9AM to 5PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Michael Tsai can be reached at (571)270-5246. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/BRADLEY J OSINSKI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3783