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 Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Line 6 recites “the stator (35)”. The element number should be after “a stator” in line 5, which is where that element was first recited.
Appropriate correction is required.
Drawings
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 two or more workheads each having a direct drive motor (claim 15) must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). 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 Interpretation
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(f):
(f) Element in Claim for a Combination. – An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
This application includes one or more claim limitations that do not use the word “means,” but are nonetheless being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, because the claim limitation(s) uses a generic placeholder that is coupled with functional language without reciting sufficient structure to perform the recited function and the generic placeholder is not preceded by a structural modifier. Such claim limitation(s) is/are:
“an actuation mechanism” in claim 13, line 3.
Because this/these claim limitation(s) is/are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, it/they is/are being interpreted to cover the corresponding structure described in the specification as performing the claimed function, and equivalents thereof.
If applicant does not intend to have this/these limitation(s) interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, applicant may: (1) amend the claim limitation(s) to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph (e.g., by reciting sufficient structure to perform the claimed function); or (2) present a sufficient showing that the claim limitation(s) recite(s) sufficient structure to perform the claimed function so as to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph.
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 1-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 1, line 6 recites a magnet disposed at “a spaced location” around the stator, but it is unclear what element(s) the magnet is spaced from.
Claim 1, last line recites “according to the application”. It is unclear what “the application” is.
Claim 4, lines 2-3 recite “the required parameters”. It is important to specify what the parameters are.
Claim 9 recites “high-density” magnets. It is unclear what density would be “high”.
Claim 11 recites “copper windings” but claim 1 seems to recite the same element (“an annular coil” in line 5) having a different name, which is improper.
Claim 12 recites “a fractional slot winding” but claim 1 seems to recite the same element (“an annular coil” in line 5) having a different name, which is improper.
Claim 15 recites elements named a “direct drive motor” while claim 1, line 4 recites that element as “a motor”. It is not proper for the motor to be given two different names.
The rest of the claims are rejected for depending on claim 1.
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 and 4-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yoo (KR 2014/0138433 A).
As to claim 1, Yoo includes a floor treatment machine for cleaning and/or treating a floor surface, the floor treatment machine comprising:
a body portion provided with a rotatable floor-engaging treatment workhead (40) and a motor (30) [machine translation (MT), para 37] comprising a centrally disposed rotatable drive shaft (31) connected to the floor engaging workhead (31 is connected to 40 via belt 24, as seen in Fig. 3 and discussed in MT, paragraph 57), a stator (33) comprising an annular coil (320) disposed around the drive shaft (320 is wound all the way around 33 on the cores 300, forming a circular ring; MT, para 58), and a rotatable magnet assembly (32) disposed at a spaced location (spaced from the stator axis of rotation) around the stator (32 rotates and has north and south pole magnets; MT, para 53-54), wherein the magnet assembly is coupled to the drive shaft and rotatable therewith (32 and its shaft 31 are rotatable as one; MT, para 53).
Yoo does not include: wherein the dimensions of the motor are selected such that the magnet assembly, drive shaft and floor treatment workhead are selectively rotatable at speeds in the range between 100 and 250 revolutions per minute and provide a predetermined torque selected according to the application.
It would have a matter of routine optimization to modify the rotation speed of the magnet assembly, drive shaft and floor treatment workhead to be in said range, which inherently provides a predetermined torque required, in order to select the right workhead rotation speed while bringing into consideration the cost of making a motor having said range, the needs of the customer, and the amount of work required to treat the floor at hand.
As to claim 2, wherein the motor comprises a motor housing (29) connected to the drive shaft (29 covers motor 30, which has a drive shaft 31, therefore, 29 is connected to 31; Fig. 1) and the magnet assembly is attached to an internal surface of the motor housing (magnet assembly 32 is attached to the interior of 29 via an element linking them) such that the magnet assembly is coaxial with and surrounds the internal stator (Fig. 5b).
As to claim 4, wherein the dimensions of the motor that are pre-selected to selectively drive the workhead within the required parameters include: flux area; diameter of the magnet assembly and internal stator; and/or depth of the magnet assembly and/or internal stator (The above dimensions given yield the workhead rotation speed range seen in claim 1).
As to claim 5, Yoo does not include: wherein the dimensions of the motor are selected such that the magnetic surface area is between around 90 and 140 cm2.
It would have a matter of routine optimization to modify the magnetic surface area to be in said range by changing the motor dimensions, in order to select the right workhead rotation speed while bringing into consideration the cost of making a motor having said range, the needs of the customer, and the amount of work required to treat the floor at hand.
As to claim 6, Yoo does not include: wherein the diameter of the motor is between around 120 and 160 mm.
It would have a matter of routine optimization to modify the diameter of the motor to be in said range, in order to select the right workhead rotation speed while bringing into consideration the cost of making a motor having said range, the needs of the customer, and the amount of work required to treat the floor at hand.
As to claim 7, Yoo does not include: wherein the depth of the magnet assembly and/or internal stator is between around 20 and 80 mm.
It would have a matter of routine optimization to modify the depth of the magnet assembly and/or internal stator to be in said range, in order to select the right workhead rotation speed while bringing into consideration the cost of making a motor having said range, the needs of the customer, and the amount of work required to treat the floor at hand.
As to claim 8, Yoo does not include: wherein the dimensions of the motor are selected to provide a torque of up to 12 Nm.
It would have a matter of routine optimization to modify the dimensions to provide said torque in order to select the right workhead rotation speed while bringing into consideration the cost of making a motor having said range, the needs of the customer, and the amount of work required to treat the floor at hand.
As to claim 9, wherein the annular magnet assembly comprises a plurality of high-density magnets (Multiple magnets are included. The magnets would be made of a metal, which is inherently high density; MT, para 54).
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yoo (KR 2014/0138433 A) in view of Fukuzaki (US 2022/0278567).
As to claim 10, the annular magnet assembly comprises a magnet arrangement of between eleven and seventeen alternately polarized magnets (16 alternately polarized magnets are illustrated in Fig. 5c).
Yoo does not include: the magnets as rare earth neodymium magnets.
Fukuzaki includes a motor (100) used in a vacuum cleaner having a rotatable magnet assembly (140), the rotatable magnet assembly made of rare earth neodymium (para 48-49 and Fig. 4)
It would have been obvious to modify the annular magnet assembly to include rare earth neodymium magnets, as taught by Fukuzaki, in order to reduce eddy current loss, improve motor efficiency, and permit the motor to be downsized (para 49).
Claims 11-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yoo (KR 2014/0138433 A) in view of Neumann (US 3,587,939).
As to claim 11, the stator is substantially annular (circular) and coaxial with its drive shaft (Fig. 5c). Yoo does not include: wherein the stator comprises a laminated iron core with copper windings around the iron core.
Neumann includes a motor for cleaning, comprising a stator with a laminated iron core (23; column 3, lines 30-33) with copper windings (The “copper wire”; column 4, lines 1-5) around the iron core.
It would have been obvious to modify the stator to have a laminated iron core with copper windings around the iron core, as taught by Neumann, iron being a standard affordable core material, the lamination inhibiting corrosion (column 3, lines 30-33), and the windings as copper also being a standard affordable option.
As to claim 12, the stator has a fractional slot winding (Fig. 5c shows a winding 320 wound around several slots that each makes up a fraction of the circumference of the stator).
Yoo does not include: wherein the stator comprises a lamination stack with twelve cores with a fractional slot winding to achieve ten poles with three phases.
Neumann includes a motor for cleaning, comprising a stator with a laminated iron core (23; column 3, lines 30-33), which is a lamination stack.
It would have a matter of routine optimization to modify the motor to have said core number, said pole number, and said phase number, in order to select the right workhead rotation speed while bringing into consideration the cost of making a motor having said range, the needs of the customer, and the amount of work required to treat the floor at hand.
It would have been obvious to modify the stator to have a lamination stack, as taught by Neumann, the lamination inhibiting corrosion (column 3, lines 30-33).
Claim 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yoo (KR 2014/0138433 A) in view of Lee (US 2017/0042401).
As to claim 13, Yoo does not include: the machine configured for the selective delivery of cleaning fluid to a floor surface in use, wherein the machine comprises a cleaning fluid reservoir and an actuation mechanism for the selective delivery of cleaning fluid to the floor surface via a cleaning fluid delivery line, and wherein the drive shaft comprises a throughbore through which cleaning fluid is deliverable to a floor surface in use via the cleaning fluid delivery line.
Lee includes a similar floor treatment machine, the machine configured for the selective delivery of cleaning fluid to a floor surface in use, wherein the machine comprises a cleaning fluid reservoir (30; para 41) and an actuation mechanism (The “input unit”; para 45) for the selective delivery of cleaning fluid to the floor surface via a cleaning fluid delivery line (51; para 47), and wherein the drive shaft (15) comprises a throughbore (16) through which cleaning fluid is deliverable to a floor surface in use via the cleaning fluid delivery line (para 50).
It would have been obvious to modify the machine to have: the machine configured for the selective delivery of cleaning fluid to a floor surface in use, wherein the machine comprises a cleaning fluid reservoir and an actuation mechanism for the selective delivery of cleaning fluid to the floor surface via a cleaning fluid delivery line, and wherein the drive shaft comprises a throughbore through which cleaning fluid is deliverable to a floor surface in use via the cleaning fluid delivery line, as taught by Lee, in order to permit liquid to reach the area being cleaned by the workhead via a path into the workhead irrespective of the rotation speed of it, which allows clean fluid dispersion and floor treatment using the same to occur at the same time.
Claim 14 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yoo (KR 2014/0138433 A) in view of Legatt (US 5,706,549).
As to claim 14, Yoo does not include: the machine configured as a floor scrubber drier, comprising a cleaning fluid reservoir, a waste fluid tank, a source of suction and a squeegee collector which is fluidly connected to the waste fluid tank and disposed behind the body portion with respect to a forward direction of travel in use, wherein the suction source is coupled to the squeegee collector, which collects waste fluid from the floor surface and feeds it into the waste fluid tank.
Legatt includes a similar floor treatment machine, the machine configured as a floor scrubber drier (Cleaning fluid is sucked from the surface cleaned; column 4, lines 51-67), comprising a cleaning fluid reservoir (18), a waste fluid tank (19), a source of suction (22) [column 4, lines 51-67] and a squeegee collector (166, 168) which is fluidly connected to the waste fluid tank (column 7, lines 27-44) and disposed behind the body portion with respect to a forward direction of travel in use (Fig. 1 and 4), wherein the suction source is coupled to the squeegee collector, which collects waste fluid from the floor surface and feeds it into the waste fluid tank.
It would have been obvious to modify the machine to have: the machine configured as a floor scrubber drier, comprising a cleaning fluid reservoir, a waste fluid tank, a source of suction and a squeegee collector which is fluidly connected to the waste fluid tank and disposed behind the body portion with respect to a forward direction of travel in use, wherein the suction source is coupled to the squeegee collector, which collects waste fluid from the floor surface and feeds it into the waste fluid tank, as taught by Legatt, the squeegee plus cleaning fluid spraying onto the surface being cleaned allowing the cleaning ability of the machine to be improved.
Claim 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yoo (KR 2014/0138433 A) in view of Park (US 2015/0182090).
As to claim 15, Yoo does not include: wherein the machine comprises two or more workheads, each workhead provided with a respective direct drive motor.
Park includes a similar floor treatment machine (Fig. 7), the machine having two or more workheads (2a-2d; para 45), each workhead provided with a respective direct drive motor (121-124; para 58).
It would have been obvious to modify the machine to have: two or more workheads, each workhead provided with a respective direct drive motor, as taught by Park, in order the extra workhead providing higher cleaning ability and the additional motor providing rotation to the new workhead and the benefit of a redundant motor.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 3 would be allowable if rewritten 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 and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANDREW A. HORTON whose telephone number is (571)270-5039. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Monica S. 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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/ANDREW A HORTON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3723