DETAILED CORRESPONDENCE
Claim Objections
Claims 8, 13 and 20 are objected to because of the following:
Claim 8, last line, “position a portion” should be “position of a portion”.
Claim 13, line 2, “producing” should be “produces”.
Claim 20, line 3, “opening of” should be “opening at”; in line 4, “one and opening” should be “one opening at”; and in line 5, “opening of” should be “opening at”.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
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 17-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b), as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which applicant regards as the invention. The claims are indefinite because of the following reasons:
The following terms lack antecedent basis: “the portion” (claim 17).
Claims 18-20 are also rejected since claims suffer the same defects as the claims from which they depend.
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 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.
(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 17-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Thomas et al. (U.S. 022/0064915 A1), hereinafter “Thomas”.
As for claim 17, Thomas teaches a hose management system comprising: a first hose1 (any one of 403, 405, 406, 410, 414); a second hose (any other one of 403, 405, 406, 410, 414); a housing 120 receiving the first hose and the second hose, the first hose and the second hose extending outwardly of said housing (the conduits extend to components outside of the housing or to other floors above); a first block (the horizontal support 422, shown in figures 3 and 4) affixed to said housing, said first block receiving the portion of said first hose therein and a portion of the second hose therein (each block includes brackets 404, 408, 412, 426 and 426); and a second block (the other horizontal support 422) affixed to said housing, said second block receiving another portion of said first hose and another portion of said second hose therein, said first and second hoses each having a length extending outwardly of said second block (as shown figure 4 reproduced on the next page).
PNG
media_image1.png
695
374
media_image1.png
Greyscale
As for claim 18, as shown in figure 4, the first block has a first channel and a second channel formed therein (the brackets create the channels), the first hose extending through the first channel, the second hose extending through the second channel, wherein said second block has a first channel and a second channel formed therein, the first hose being received in the first channel of said second block, the second hose being received in the second channel of said second block as shown in figure 4.
As for claim 19, Thomas also teaches wherein the first channel of the first block is axially aligned with the first channel of said second block, the second channel of said first block being axially aligned with the second channel of said second block, said first block being in parallel spaced relation to said second block (this is easily deduced from figure 4).
As for claim 20, Thomas also teaches wherein the first channel and the second channel of said first block are curved (the brackets have a curved crossed section around each conduit) so as to have one end opening to the housing (the tops of the channels of the brackets are open in the direction of the top member of the frame 120) and an opposite end opening at the bottom of said first block (the brackets are attached to the support member 42 and include an opening at the bottoms thereof), the first channel and the second channel of the said second block being linear so as to have one and opening the top of said second block and an opposite end opening of the bottom of said second block.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-16 are allowed upon correction of typographical errors.
The closest cited art—Yoon (U.S. 5,223,132)--fails to anticipate or render obvious, alone or in any proper combination, the housing having a filter positioned therein, first and second hoses, a container receptacle assembly affixed or formed on the housing and a pump cooperative with the receptacle assembly to pass mineral or supplement from the bottle into the drinking water prior to exiting the housing via the second hose; and spaced first and second blocks affixed to the wall of the housing each block adapted to receive respective portions of each of the first and second hoses—in combination with all the other limitations of the water mineralization system of claim 1.
Yoon fails to teach at least the limitations of spaced first and second blocks affixed to the wall of the housing each block adapted to receive respective portions of each of the first and second hoses.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Mr. TERRY K CECIL whose telephone number is (571)272-1138. The examiner can normally be reached Normally 7:30-4:00p M-F.
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 repeated attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful (including leaving a voice message), the examiner’s supervisor, Bobby Ramdhanie can be reached on (571) 270-3240. 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.
/TERRY K CECIL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1779
1 The conduits can be hoses (see paragraph 0065).