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 .
Response to Amendment
Applicant's submission filed on 07/07/2026 has been entered. Claims 1-17 remain(s) pending in the application. Applicant's amendments to the Claims have overcome each and every objection and 112(b) rejections previously set forth in the Non-Final Office Action mailed 04/09/2026, hereinafter NFOA.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1 and 17 under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1), 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by LU, SHAN-YU et al. CN 114190816 A, hereinafter Lu, have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of WO 2021/129518 A1, hereinafter WO.
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 of this title, 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 1-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lu in view of WO. The references is/are considered analogous art to the claimed invention because the references is/are from the same field of endeavor as the claimed invention (cleaning water tanks); or the references is/are reasonably pertinent to the problem faced by the inventor (tank construction). MPEP2141.01(a) I.
Regarding claim 1, Lu discloses (Fig. 1-6) a cleaning water tank, comprising:
a water tank housing (5/6) comprising a water storage cavity (depicted cavity therein) therein, a water outlet (depicted outlet approximate (7-9)) in a bottom of the water tank housing (depicted as located on (6)), and a water injection port (depicted port opposite (51) and (51)) in a side of the water tank housing, and the water injection port and the water outlet being both communicated with the water storage cavity [0036, 0046]; and
a switch assembly (1) movably arranged on the water tank housing (at least a portion (3) of (1) is movably arranged to (5)), wherein the water storage cavity is configured to be isolated from an outside air, in case that the switch assembly is in a closed position [0041], and the water storage cavity is configured to be communicated with the outside air to form a pressure difference, in case that the switch assembly is in an open position [0042], to allow water in the water storage cavity to be discharged from the water tank housing via the water outlet under the action of the pressure difference [0042].
Lu fails to explicitly state that the side of the water tank housing is adjacent the bottom.
WO discloses (Fig. 3) a cleaning water tank, comprising:
a water tank housing (421) comprising a water storage cavity (“containment area” [0057]) therein, a water outlet (422) in a bottom of the water tank housing (depicted as located on the bottom), and a water injection port (“opening” [0057]) in a side of the water tank housing adjacent to the bottom (depicted as in a side adjacent the bottom) for the purpose of being convenient and quick [0057], and the water injection port and the water outlet being both communicated with the water storage cavity [0057].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time the invention was filed, to modify Lu, by providing the water injection port in a side adjacent the bottom, as taught by WO, for the purpose of being convenient and quick for injecting water.
Regarding claim 2, Lu discloses (Fig. 1-6) further comprising a water output assembly (7-9) arranged at the water outlet, wherein the water output assembly comprises a filter element (7).
Regarding claim 3, Lu discloses (Fig. 1-6) the water output assembly further comprises a first bracket part (9) and a second bracket part (the portion of (6)) depicted as projecting upwards approximate (9)), the first bracket part is hermetically connected with the water tank housing from outside of the water tank housing at a position corresponding to the water outlet ((9) is sealed to (6) via seal ring (8)), the second bracket part is hermetically connected with the water tank housing from inside of the water storage cavity at a position corresponding to the water outlet (this ‘portion of (6)’ is depicted as an integral piece of (6) and is therefore sealed to it), and the first bracket part and the second bracket part both comprise a hole corresponding to the water outlet [0046]; and
one of the first bracket part and the second bracket part comprises a mounting portion (either projecting portion of (9) is depicted as having a component that used to mount or hold (7), see Fig. 4) , the mounting portion penetrates through the water outlet, and the filter element is mounted to the mounting portion (as depicted in Fig. 4, (9) penetrates the water outlet and (7) is mounted thereon).
Regarding claim 4, Lu discloses (Fig. 1-6) the other one of the first bracket part and the second bracket part comprises a limiting portion, and the limiting portion is fitted with the mounting portion to limit the mounting portion (as depicted in Fig. 4, the ‘portion of (6)’ projects upwards and limits or abuts/holds the mounting portion of (9)).
Regarding claim 5, as far as is determinate, Lu discloses (Fig. 1-6, specifically Fig. 2) the water storage cavity comprises a first water storage cavity (depicted left cavity) and a second water storage cavity (depicted right storage cavity) communicated with each other (via the depicted center cavity), and the water output assembly comprises two water output assemblies and the water outlet comprises two water outlets, the bottom of the water tank housing comprises the two water outlets, each of the two water outlets corresponds to one of the first water storage cavity and the second water storage cavity respectively; and each of the two water output assemblies is provided and arranged at one of the two water outlets (as depicted in Fig. 1, (6) comprises two water outlets with corresponding water output assemblies, each are associated with the first and second cavities).
Regarding claim 6, Lu discloses (Fig. 1-6) further comprising a plug cover movably arranged at the water injection port (depicted port opposite (51) and (51), both of which comprise a plug cover (2), plug cover (2) associated with (1) also provides venting).
Regarding claim 7, as far as is determinate, Lu discloses (Fig. 1-6) the plug cover is hermetically connected with the water tank housing ([0041] describes the cavity as sealed, thereby indicating that the plug cover provides a seal over the water injection port (51); depicted in Fig. 3-4 and stated in [0039] is a function of (2) stating that it is ‘rotated’ to open (51), this can only be accomplished if (2) is made of a ‘soft’ or ‘rubber’ or flexible material).
Regarding claim 8, Lu discloses (Fig. 1-6) the side of the water tank housing further comprises a mounting hole adjacent to the water injection port (as depicted in Fig. 4, adjacent (51) is a mounting hole), the plug cover comprises a fixed head (the portion of (2) depicted as projecting through the mounting hole), a sealing head (the portion of (2) depicted as projecting through (51)) and an intermediate connecting part (the portion of (2) depicted as connecting the two), the fixed head and the sealing head are connected to two ends of the intermediate connecting part, respectively, the fixed head is fixed in the mounting hole, and the sealing head is movably plugged in the water injection port.
Regarding claim 9, Lu discloses (Fig. 1-6) a sealing ring is arranged between the plug cover and the water tank housing (in as much as is depicted/disclosed by the applicant, (2) is ring shaped and functions to seal (5)).
Regarding claim 10, Lu discloses (Fig. 1-6) further comprising a connecting part (10) configured to be connected to an external structure (11), wherein the connecting part is arranged to the water tank housing [0046].
Regarding claim 11, Lu discloses (Fig. 1-6) the connecting part comprises at least one of a magnetic attraction member, a fastener and an adhesive member ([0046] states (10) is an adhesive structure).
Regarding claim 12, Lu discloses (Fig. 1-6) the water tank housing comprises a water tank upper shell (5) and a water tank lower shell (6) hermetically connected with the water tank upper shell, the water tank upper shell and the water tank lower shell enclose the water storage cavity, a side of the water tank upper shell adjacent to the water tank lower shell comprises the water injection port (51), and the water tank lower shell comprises the water outlet (approximate (7-9)).
Regarding claim 13, Lu discloses (Fig. 1-6, specifically Fig. 1) the water tank housing comprises a first housing part (depicted left portion of (5)), a second housing part (depicted right portion of (5)) and an intermediate housing part (depicted middle/narrower portion of (5)) arranged side by side, the first housing part and the second housing part are connected to two ends of the intermediate housing part, respectively, the first housing part comprises a first water storage cavity therein, the second housing part comprises a second water storage cavity therein, the intermediate housing part comprises an intermediate water storage cavity therein, and the first water storage cavity, the second water storage cavity and the intermediate water storage cavity are communicated to form the water storage cavity (as depicted, all parts/portions of (5)) are connected to form the water storage cavity).
Regarding claim 14, Lu discloses (Fig. 1-6, specifically Fig. 1) one of the first housing part and the second housing part comprises the water injection port (the first/left housing part comprises a (51/2)), and the other one of the first housing part and the second housing part comprises the switch assembly (the second/right housing part comprises a (1)).
Regarding claim 15, Lu discloses (Fig. 1-6) a top of the water tank housing comprises another water injection port ((5) is depicted as having two (51’s), and each water injection port is spaced apart from the switch assembly .
Regarding claim 16, Lu discloses (Fig. 4) the water tank housing comprises a first vent (depicted hole in (1/2) approximate (3)), and the first vent is communicated with the inside of the water storage cavity and the outside of the water storage cavity; and the switch assembly is configured to block the first vent (with (3)) to isolate the water storage cavity from the outside air, in case that the switch assembly is in the closed position, and the switch assembly is configured to expose the first vent to allow the water storage cavity to be communicated with the outside air to form the pressure difference, in case that the switch assembly is in the open position [0042-0043].
Regarding claim 17, Lu discloses (Fig. 1-6) a cleaning device, comprising:
a cleaning brush [0003]; and
a cleaning water tank, comprising:
a water tank housing (5/6) comprising a water storage cavity (depicted cavity therein) therein, a water outlet (depicted outlet approximate (7-9)) in a bottom of the water tank housing (depicted as located on (6)), and a water injection port (depicted port opposite (51) and (51)) in a side of the water tank housing, and the water injection port and the water outlet being both communicated with the water storage cavity [0036, 0046]; and
a switch assembly (1) movably arranged on the water tank housing (at least a portion (3) of (1) is movably arranged to (5)), wherein the water storage cavity is configured to be isolated from an outside air, in case that the switch assembly is in a closed position [0041], and the water storage cavity is configured to be communicated with the outside air to form a pressure difference, in case that the switch assembly is in an open position [0042], to allow water in the water storage cavity to be discharged from the water tank housing via the water outlet under the action of the pressure difference [0042].
Lu fails to explicitly state that the side of the water tank housing is adjacent the bottom.
WO discloses (Fig. 3) a cleaning water tank, comprising:
a water tank housing (421) comprising a water storage cavity (“containment area” [0057]) therein, a water outlet (422) in a bottom of the water tank housing (depicted as located on the bottom), and a water injection port (“opening” [0057]) in a side of the water tank housing adjacent to the bottom (depicted as in a side adjacent the bottom) for the purpose of being convenient and quick [0057], and the water injection port and the water outlet being both communicated with the water storage cavity [0057].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time the invention was filed, to modify Lu, by providing the water injection port in a side adjacent the bottom, as taught by WO, for the purpose of being convenient and quick for injecting water.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MATTHEW WIBLIN whose telephone number is (571)272-9836. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:00 am - 4:00 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Nathaniel Wiehe can be reached at 571-272-8648. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MATTHEW WIBLIN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3745
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