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 § 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.
Claim(s) 1-2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Biffignandi, US 2022/0288740 in view of Burhoe, US 4,783,872
Regarding claim 1, Biffignandi discloses a floor cleaning machine having a base (3), at least one wheel supporting the base on a support surface (20, Figures 1-2), a handle coupled to the base (4, 18; Figures 1-2), a motor (6); a low profile extension arm extending from the base (3a, Figure 1); a head carried by a distal end of the extension arm (2), the head having a cavity with a rail therein (7, 7a, 7b; cavity unlabeled, see paragraph [0054] and Figures 3-4) and a downward facing opening (unlabeled, Figure 3); a shuttle (5) carried by the head and reciprocally positioned in the cavity and on the rail and configured to reciprocate along a linear axis (see Figures, reciprocal motion indicated by arrow C), the shuttle operatively coupled to the motor (paragraph [0057]); a scrub pad coupled to the shuttle through the opening in the head and configured to reciprocate with the shuttle (30, paragraph [0069], Figure 3), the scrub pad positioned to bear against the support surface (see Figures 1-3).
Biffignandi does not describe how the motor is powered and fails to specifically disclose a power source carried by the base and coupled to the motor. Biffignandi also does not disclose that the extension arm has a vertical height less than 4 ¾ inches or that the head is pivotally coupled to the distal end of the extension arm and selectively pivotal in a horizontal plane about a vertical axis, including a lock selectively locking the head in one of at least two different rotational orientations.
Regarding claim 1, Burhoe teaches a floor treating machine that has a base (12), a wheel (48), a motor (26), a power source carried by the base and coupled to the motor in order to provide electricity to the motor (column 4 lines 16-30), a low-profile extension arm (42) that is less than 4 ¾” in height (column 5 lines 47-50), a head carried by a distal end of the extension arm (112, at 40), the head is pivotally coupled to the distal end of the extension arm and is selectively pivotal in a horizontal plane about a vertical axis (Figure 2), the head has at least two different rotational orientations with respect to the extension arm to selectively orient the linear axis with respect to the extension arm (Figure 2), and a lock selectively locking the head in at least one of the at least two different rotational orientations (column 3 lines 56-61). Burhoe teaches that the head is pivotally coupled to the distal end of the extension arm and is selectively pivotal in a horizontal plane so that the operator is able to position the pad in a desired location that may be difficult to reach or clean (column 2 lines 37-49, column 3 lines 38-61). Regarding claim 2, the lock comprises a pair of slots associated with the head and corresponding to the at least two different rotational orientations (22, 24); and a slide slidably coupled to the extension arm and selectively positionable in one of the pair of slots (28).
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the base of Biffignandi so that it carrier a power source that is coupled to the motor, as taught by Burhoe, in order to provide electricity to the motor, and it also would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the height of the low-profile extension arm of Biffignandi so that it is less than 4 ¾”, as also taught by Burhoe, so that it can clean a wall baseboard, and in addition it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the head and distal end of the extension arm connection of Biffignandi so that they are pivotally coupled and selectively pivotal in a horizontal plane abut a vertical axis, the head having at least two different rotational orientations with respect to the extension arm, and a lock to selectively lock the head in one of the at least two different rotational directions as also taught by Burhoe, so that a user is able to position the head relative to the base as needed so as to clean difficult to reach areas.
Claim(s) 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Biffignandi, US 2022/0288740 in view of Walker, US 7,140,060 and Gwilliam et al., WO 99/37198.
Regarding claim 19, Biffignandi discloses a floor cleaning machine having a base (3), at least one wheel supporting the base on a support surface (20, Figures 1-2), a handle coupled to the base (4, 18; Figures 1-2), a motor (6); a low profile extension arm extending from the base (3a, Figure 1); a head carried by a distal end of the extension arm (2), the head having a cavity with a rail therein (7, 7a, 7b; cavity unlabeled, see paragraph [0054] and Figures 3-4) and a downward facing opening (unlabeled, Figure 3); a shuttle (5) carried by the head and reciprocally positioned in the cavity and on the rail and configured to reciprocate along a linear axis (see Figures, reciprocal motion indicated by arrow C), the shuttle operatively coupled to the motor (paragraph [0057]); a scrub pad coupled to the shuttle through the opening in the head and configured to reciprocate with the shuttle (30, paragraph [0069], Figure 3), the scrub pad positioned to bear against the support surface (see Figures 1-3); and wherein the motor is located at a distal end of the extension arm and over the shuttle (see Figures).
Biffignandi does not describe how the motor is powered and fails to specifically disclose a power source carried by the base and coupled to the motor. Biffignandi also does not disclose that the extension arm has a vertical height less than 4 ¾ inches.
Walker teaches a similar type of floor cleaning or buffing tool that comprises a base (2) having at least one wheel supporting the base on a support surface (50), a handle coupled to the base (4), a motor (26), and a power source carried by the base and coupled to the motor, the power being standard household current (power source includes power via cord 46 that is transmitted to the control box 38 that is carried by the base via the handle, Figure 1 and column 3 lines 23-34).
Gwilliam et al. teach a floor cleaning unit having a base (12) and handle (16) and in particular teach that the base has a low profile of less than five inches so that it can operate under furniture or equipment (page 4 lines 13-16).
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the base of Biffignandi so that it carrier a power source that is coupled to the motor, as taught by Walker, in order to provide standard household current to provide electricity to the motor and further it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the height of the low-profile extension arm to have a vertical height less than 4 ¾ inches as Gwilliam et al. teach that having a low profile height of less than 5 inches is suitable for cleaning underneath furniture or other equipment.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 20 is allowed.
Claims 3-18 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.
None of the prior art made of record disclose, teach, or suggest the invention of claims 3-18 and 20. In particular, none of Biffignandi, Burhoe, Walker, nor Gwilliam et al. disclose that the claimed quick-release coupling; a crank carried by the head and coupled between the motor and shuttle; shuttle structure including lateral and bottom walls of polymer; a splash guard carried by the head on opposite ends of the head; a shroud carried by the head with a port, hose and vacuum source; a nozzle, solution tank, tube, and valve; a squeegee carried by the extension arm; a transport wheel carried by the extension arm and pivotal between a deployed position, retracted position, and including a lever arm coupled to the wheel opposite the pivot; the scrub pad coupleable to the shuttle and comprising a snap-fit connection, pins each with a groove, a pair of bores in the shuttle each having a detent to engage with a respective pin; where the motor comprises at least one linear actuator, coil, and plunger; where the motor comprises a linear permanent magnet comprising a forcer and shaft; where the motor comprises a reciprocating linear actuator comprising a pair of spaced-apart electromagnets an da ferromagnetic tab; or where the motor is located at a distal end of the extension arm and over the shuttle. With regards to claim 18, the motor of Biffignandi is at a proximal end opposite the distal end. With regards to claim 20, none of Biffignandi, Burhoe, Walker, nor Gwilliam et al. disclose that the motor is carried by the head and has a profile with an uppermost top at an elevation at least as low as an uppermost top of the extension arm (see applicant’s Figure 30).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Laura C Guidotti whose telephone number is (571)272-1272. The examiner can normally be reached typically M-F, 6am-9am, 10am-4:30pm.
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/LAURA C GUIDOTTI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3723
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