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
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) 1-3, 9-17, 19, and 22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Blaszczak et al (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0140392), hereinafter “Blaszczak” in view of English et al (U.S. Patent No. 7377289), hereinafter “English”.
With respect to Claim 1, Blaszczak, Figures 1-20, teaches a hose reel enclosure 10 for a hose 1, comprising:
a unitary housing 12 including lateral supports 40,42,44,46,50,52,54,56 and front wall, a rear wall, and a pair of side walls;
a hose reel assembly (See Figure 13) disposed within the unitary housing and configured to receive the hose 1; and
a hose guide including a guide member 302, the hose guide disposed within the unitary housing and configured to receive a free end of the hose 1.
Blaszczak teaches all the elements of the hose reel except for
a pair of travel bars, each travel bar of the pair of travel bars is free standing and removable from the unitary housing, where each travel bar of the pair of travel bars spans from one side wall to another side wall behind the front wall.
However, English, Figures 1-2 and 8-10, teaches
a pair of travel bars 102,104, each travel bar of the pair of travel bars is free standing and removable from the unitary housing (See Figure 1 where the hose reel does not have bars installed and Figure 2 where bars have been installed), where each travel bar of the pair of travel bars spans from one side wall to another side wall behind the front wall (See Figure 2).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide Blaszczak with a pair of travel bars that are free standing, as taught by English, for the purpose of giving a seller the choice to sell the hose reel with or without the accessory of a guiding element.
With respect to Claim 2, Blaszczak further teaches wherein the lateral supports 40,42,44,46,50,52,54,56 are disposed along a bottom portion of the unitary housing.
With respect to Claim 3, Blaszczak further wherein the lateral supports 40,42,44,46,50,52,54,56 are integral with the unitary housing.
With respect to Claim 9, Blaszczak further teaches wherein the unitary housing includes a front wall 30 having an opening 26 configured to receive a hose 1.
With respect to Claim 10, Blaszczak further teaches wherein unitary housing includes feet 66.
With respect to Claim 11, Blaszczak further teaches wherein the lateral supports 40,42,44,46,50,52,54,56 are disposed between a first foot 66 and a second foot 64 (See Figure 4).
With respect to Claim 12, Blaszczak further teaches wherein the unitary housing includes a groove disposed adjacent to the feet 66. See Paragraph [0066], lines 1-4.
With respect to Claim 13, Blaszczak further teaches where the lateral supports are disposed within the groove. See Paragraph [0066], lines 1-4.
With respect to Claim 14, Blaszczak further teaches wherein the lateral supports 40,42,44,46,50,52,54,56 are disposed on an exterior of the unitary housing.
With respect to Claim 15, Blaszczak further teaches further including a crank 204 configured to rotate the hose reel assembly (See Figure 13) within the unitary housing.
With respect to Claim 16, Blaszczak further teaches wherein the hose reel assembly (See Figure 13) includes a rotary union 203 configured to be coupled to the hose 1.
With respect to Claim 17, Blaszczak further teaches the hose reel enclosure further including a lid 21.
With respect to Claim 19, Blaszczak further teaches the hose reel enclosure with a hose 1 wound upon the hose reel assembly (See Figure 13).
With respect to Claim 22, Blaszczak further teaches wherein the guide member 302 is a unitary body having a contiguous and uninterrupted surface.
Claim(s) 6-8 and 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Blaszczak as applied to Claims 1-3, 9-17, 19, and 22 above, and further in view of Moon et al (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0017117), hereinafter “Moon”.
With respect to Claim 6, Blaszczak is advanced above.
Blaszczak teaches all the elements of the hose reel except for wherein the first sidewall and the second sidewall each include a pair of apertures.
However, Moon, Figures 1-15, teaches wherein the first sidewall and the second sidewall each include a pair of apertures. See Figures 4-5.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide Blaszczak with a pair of apertures, as taught by Moon, for the purpose of accommodating the guide.
With respect to Claim 7, Moon further teaches wherein each pair of apertures receives the pair of travel bars 50,56. See Figures 4-5.
With respect to Claim 8, Moon further teaches wherein a guide member 58 is slidably disposed on the pair of travel bars. See Figures 4-5.
With respect to Claim 18, Blaszczak is advanced above.
Blaszczak teaches all the elements of the hose reel but it is unclear whether the lid is hingedly connected to the unitary body.
However, Moon, teaches a lid 38 that is hingedly connected to the unitary body.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide Blaszczak with a hingedly connected lid, as taught by Moon, for the purpose of permitting the pivoting or rotating the cover between an open and a closed position. See Paragraph [0077].
Claim(s) 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Blaszczak et al (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0140392), hereinafter “Blaszczak”, in view of English et al (U.S. Patent No. 7377289), hereinafter “English” and Moon et al (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0017117), hereinafter “Moon”, and Phillips et al (U.S. Patent No. 9,574,689), hereinafter “Phillips”.
With respect to Claim 20, Blaszczak, Figures 1-20, teaches a hose reel enclosure for a hose, comprising:
a unitary housing 12 including:
a front wall 30 having an opening 26 configured to receive the hose 1,
a groove (See Paragraph [0066], lines 1-4),
a plurality of lateral supports 40,42,44,46,50,52,54,56 disposed within the groove (See Paragraph [0066], lines 1-4), the lateral supports 40,42,44,46,50,52,54,56 being integral to the unitary housing 12 and disposed on an exterior of the unitary housing 12,
feet 66 disposed on the unitary body below corners formed between the front wall and the rear wall and the pair of side walls;
a hose reel assembly (See Figure 13) disposed within the unitary housing 12, the hose reel assembly (See Figure 13) including:
a rotary union 203 configured to be coupled to the hose 1,
a crank 204 disposed adjacent to the unitary housing 12 and configured to rotate the rotary union 203;
the hose guide 302 disposed within the unitary housing 12 and configured to receive a free end of the hose 1.
Blaszczak teaches all the elements of the hose reel except for a hose guide including a pair of travel bars and a guide member.
Blaszczak teaches all the elements of the hose reel except for
a pair of travel bars, each travel bar of the pair of travel bars is free standing and removable from the unitary housing, where each travel bar of the pair of travel bars spans from one side wall to another side wall behind the front wall.
However, English, Figures 1-2 and 8-10, teaches
a pair of travel bars 102,104, each travel bar of the pair of travel bars is free standing and removable from the unitary housing (See Figure 1 where the hose reel does not have bars installed and Figure 2 where bars have been installed), where each travel bar of the pair of travel bars spans from one side wall to another side wall behind the front wall (See Figure 2).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide Blaszczak with a pair of travel bars that are free standing, as taught by English, for the purpose of giving a seller the choice to sell the hose reel with or without the accessory of a guiding element.
However, Moon, Figures 1-15, teaches a hose guide including a pair of travel bars 50,56 and a guide member 58.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide Blaszczak with a hose guide including a pair of travel bars, as taught by Moon, for the purpose isolating the guide from the front wall/frame of the hose reel.
Blaszczak teaches all the elements of the hose reel but does not include details of the rotary union such as an inlet collar disposed within the unitary housing for coupling with a fluid source.
However, Phillips, Figures 1-27, teaches an inlet collar 12,16 disposed within the unitary housing for coupling with a fluid source.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide Blaszczak with an inlet collar, as taught by Phillips, for the purpose of supplying water or gas to a rotatable reel assembly.
Claim(s) 23 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Blaszczak et al (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0140392), hereinafter “Blaszczak”, in view of English et al (U.S. Patent No. 7377289), hereinafter “English”, and Kopp et al (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0017117), hereinafter “Kopp”.
With respect to Claim 23, Blaszczak, Figures 1-20, teaches a hose reel enclosure for a hose, comprising:
a unitary housing 12 including lateral supports and a front wall 30, a rear wall 32, and a pair of side walls 34,36;
a hose reel assembly 213 disposed within the unitary housing 12 and configured to receive the hose 1.
Blaszczak teaches all the elements of the hose reel except for
a hose guide including a pair of travel bars and a guide member, the hose guide disposed within the unitary housing and configured to receive a free end of the hose, each travel bar of the pair of travel bars is free standing and removable from each of the side walls of the unitary housing, where each travel bar of the pair of travel bars spans from one side wall to another side wall behind the front wall.
However, English, Figures 1-2 and 8-10, teaches
a hose guide 100 including a pair of travel bars 104,108 and a guide member 112, the hose guide disposed within the unitary housing and configured to receive a free end of the hose, each travel bar of the pair of travel bars is free standing and removable from each of the side walls of the unitary housing, where each travel bar of the pair of travel bars spans from one side wall to another side wall behind the front wall (See Column 5, lines 45-58).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide Blaszczak with a pair of travel bars that are free standing, as taught by English, for the purpose of giving a seller the choice to sell the hose reel with or without the accessory of a guiding element.
Blaszczak in view of English are advanced above.
Blaszczak in view of English teach all the elements of the reel assembly except for
each travel bar includes a cap disposed at a terminus of each travel bar extending through the side walls of the unitary housing to support the pair of travel bars.
However, Kopp, Figures 1-9A, teaches wherein each travel bar 119 of the pair of travel bars 119 includes a cap 123 disposed at a terminus.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide Blaszczak with a cap, as taught by Kopp, for the purpose of covering the bars sharp edges.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed December 10, 2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
With respect to applicant’s remarks on Pages 10-11 regarding the combination of Blaszczak in view of English, it is the applicant’s position that English does not disclose removable travel bars. In the instant case, it is the examiner’s position that English does teach the limitation of free standing and removable travel bars. Figures 1-2 and 8-10, and Column 5, lines 45-58 teaches the limitations set forth in the independent claim. Note that Figure 1 teaches reel assembly 10 without the free standing travel bar. Figure 2 teaches the reel assembly with the free standing travel bar 100 coupled to the reel 10. Figures 8-10 teaches the travel bar being free standing. Column 5, lines 45-58, teaches that the free standing travel bar is preferably, coupled to, and extending between, the housing assembly first lateral 24 side and second lateral side 28. One of ordinary skill in the art could reasonably deduce that if the travel bar is coupled to the reel assembly, then it could also be uncoupled or “removable” from the reel assembly. Further, there is no structure set forth in the independent claim that would define “removable” in a meaningful way. Note that any element of a device can be deemed “removable” whether it is by some mechanism or by force.
With respect to applicant’s remarks on Page 11 regarding the Moon reference, it is the applicant’s position that Moon does not provide a removable pair of travel bars. In the instant case, the examiner did not use the Moon reference to teach a removable pair of travel bars. The examiner used the Moon reference to teach the pair of apertures.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WILLIAM ARAUZ RIVERA whose telephone number is (571)272-6953. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Friday 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM MDT.
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/WILLIAM A. RIVERA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3654