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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 11/15/2023 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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 grill recited in claim 6 must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). There is no assigned reference number for the grill, thus it is unclear whether the grill is shown in the figures. 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 Objections
Claims 1 and 5 are objected to because of the following informalities:
In claim 1, the terms may be amended as “[[a ]]first filtering” in line 4, “[[the ]]sucked water” in line 6, and “[[a ]]second filtering” in line 7.
In claim 5, the term may be amended as “[[the]]an axis of the main body” in lines 2-3.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1 and 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Erlich et al (US 2020/0061502, cited on 11/15/2023 IDS, hereinafter Erlich), in view of Hui et al. (US 9982452, hereinafter Hui) and Borg et al. (US 2020/0332546, hereinafter Borg).
Regarding claim 1, Erlich discloses, in figs. 1, 2, 12, a submersible vacuum cleaner for cleaning an artificial basin such as a swimming pool (submersible pool cleaner 100), comprising a main body (housing 220), a suction turbine or impeller coupled to an electric motor (¶ 0037, an impeller 230 is coupled to a motor 235), a battery (battery 240), a suction mouth (vacuum head inlet 210), a pre-filter ensuring a first filtering (¶ 0036, water drawn into the inlet 210 enters one or more filters 225 of a filter unit 105), and a discharge outlet (outlet 125),
said vacuum cleaner being characterised in that it includes a connector, allowing connecting any hose to the discharge outlet (fig. 12, the outlet 125 [corresponds to the recited discharge outlet] connects with a conduit 1220 [corresponds to the recited hose], therefore, an end of the outlet 125 is considered as the connector for connecting the hose), and
a removable filtering element which can be attached on the discharge outlet (fig. 1, a filter bag 110 [corresponds to the recited removable filtering element] can be attached to the outlet 125), and in that said discharge outlet is designed so as to receive, one at a time, the hose or the filtering element (figs. 2 and 12 and ¶ 0055, the conduit 1220 is connected to the outlet 125 in place of the filter bag 110. Thus, either the conduit 1220 or the filter bag 110 is connected to the outlet 125 at a time), but does not disclose the second filtering is finer than the first filtering.
Hui teaches, in an analogous pool vacuum device field of endeavor, the second filtering is finer than the first filtering (col. 3:43-56, a portable pool cleaner comprises a pair of filters including a coarse filter and a fine filter; col. 13:29-33, a mesh 705 filters large pieces of dirt from water prior to the water passing to the fine filter. Therefore, Hui teaches water passes through the coarse filter first and then it passes through the fine filter).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the vacuum cleaner of Erlich to provide the second finer filter as taught by Hui for effective filtering. Because the first filter filters large pieces, the second filter does not have to filter the entire contents in the water.
Erlich as modified by Hui does not disclose the hose evacuates sucked water out of the basin.
Erlich teaches the water is discharged out of the outlet 125, but the water is recirculated instead of being evacuated out of the basin (see Erlich figs. 12-13).
Borg teaches, in an analogous pool vacuum device field of endeavor, the hose evacuates sucked water out of the basin (fig. 2 and ¶ 0040, an outlet port 78 of the cleaner can be connected to a hose. Borg does not disclose the water evacuated out of the outlet port 78 through the hose is recirculated. Therefore, the water can be evacuated out of the basin. Examiner notes that the evacuating the water out of the basin through the hose in an intended use).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the vacuum cleaner of Erlich as modified by Hui to provide the hose to evacuate the sucked water out of the basin as taught by Borg. It may help filling a pool with fresh water while the vacuum cleaner of Borg removes the dirty water out of the pool.
Regarding claim 5, Erlich as modified by Hui and Borg teaches the submersible vacuum cleaner as in the rejection of claim 1, wherein the discharge outlet is eccentric with respect to the axis of the main body (annotated Erlich fig. 2 below, the outlet 125 [corresponds to the recited discharge outlet] is eccentric with respect to the axis of the main body).
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Annotated Erlich Fig. 2
Claims 2 and 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Erlich in view of Hui and Borg, as applied to claim 1 above, and in further view of Saito (US 2020/0271440).
Regarding claim 2, Erlich as modified by Hui and Borg teaches the submersible vacuum cleaner as in the rejection of claim 1, but does not disclose the connector is removable.
Saito teaches, in a filtering device field of endeavor and capable of solving primary problem, the connector is removable (figs. 1-2, Saito discloses a connector fitting 10 [corresponds to the recited connector] for connecting a hose. The fitting 10 is connected to shaft member 48 [equivalent to the recited discharge outlet] through a nut 26. Thus, the fitting 10 is removable).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the connector of Erlich as modified by Hui and Borg to make it removable as taught by Saito for simple and convenient connection of a hose.
Erlich as modified by Hui, Borg, and Saito teaches the discharge outlet is designed so as to receive, one at a time, said connector or the filtering element (figs. 2 and 12 and ¶ 0055, the conduit 1220 is connected to the outlet 125 in place of the filter bag 110. Thus, either the conduit 1220 or the filter bag 110 is connected to the outlet 125 at a time. Therefore, by combining with Erlich, the fitting 10 of Saito can be used when connecting the hose to the outlet of Erlich. Then, the outlet receives either the connector of the filtering element).
Regarding claim 4, Erlich as modified by Hui and Borg teaches the submersible vacuum cleaner as in the rejection of claim 1, but does not disclose the connector includes a base, which can be attached on a neck of a discharge pipe crossing the discharge outlet, and a fitting allowing connecting the hose.
Saito teaches, in a hose connecting device field of endeavor and capable of solving primary problem, the connector includes a base, which can be attached on a neck of a discharge pipe crossing the discharge outlet, and a fitting allowing connecting the hose (figs. 1-2, ¶ 0047, 0051, 0060, a hose 30 is connected to a shaft member 48 [equivalent to the recited discharge outlet] through a connector fitting 10 [corresponds to the recited connector]. The connector fitting includes a base portion 16 [corresponds to the recited base] attached to a neck of a pipe. An interior of the shaft member 48 is the pipe. Nipples 12 [correspond to the recited fitting] of the connector fitting 10 allows connecting with the hose 30. The connector fitting of Saito can be applied to the outlet of Erlich to provide the base and the fitting).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the connector of Erlich as modified by Hui and Borg to provide the base and the fitting as taught by Saito for secure attachment of the hose.
Claims 3 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Erlich in view of Hui and Borg, as applied to claim 1 above, and in further view of Roumagnac et al. (US 2020/0353390, cited on 11/15/2023 IDS, hereinafter Roumagnac).
Regarding claim 3, Erlich as modified by Hui and Borg teaches the submersible vacuum cleaner as in the rejection of claim 1, but does not disclose the filtering element is a pleated cartridge.
Roumagnac teaches, in an analogous pool vacuum device field of endeavor, the filtering element is a pleated cartridge (¶ 0071, a pool cleaning vacuum comprises a downstream filter 50 in a form of a pleated cartridge).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the filtering element of Erlich as modified by Hui and Borg to be the pleated cartridge as taught by Roumagnac in order to achieve great filtering effect.
Regarding claim 8, Erlich as modified by Hui and Borg teaches the submersible vacuum cleaner as in the rejection of claim 1, but does not disclose the filtering element is placed in a protective grill or cage.
Roumagnac teaches, in an analogous pool vacuum device field of endeavor, the filtering element is placed in a protective grill or cage (fig. 7 and ¶ 0072, the filter 50 is placed inside a double-wall protective cassette 54 [corresponds to the recited protective cage]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the filtering element of Erlich as modified by Hui and Borg to provide the protective cage as taught by Roumagnac in order to keep the structure of the filter so that the filter can be used for a long period.
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Erlich in view of Hui and Borg, as applied to claim 1 above, and in further view of Bruneel (US 2016/0326763, cited on 11/15/2023 IDS).
Regarding claim 6, Erlich as modified by Hui and Borg teaches the submersible vacuum cleaner as in the rejection of claim 1, but does not disclose a grill for protecting the suction turbine or impeller.
Bruneel teaches, in an analogous underwater vacuum device field of endeavor, a grill for protecting the suction turbine or impeller (fig. 2, a vacuum device comprises an impeller 50. A sealing plate 40 is disposed in front of the impeller 50 wherein the sealing plate 40 includes a grid hole 44 [corresponds to the recited grill]. Thus, the grill is disposed in front of the impeller and it protects the impeller).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the vacuum cleaner of Erlich as modified by Hui and Borg to provide the grill as taught by Bruneel. The grid hole maximizes suction force when a filter cone becomes full of debris (Bruneel ¶ 0065).
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Erlich in view of Hui and Borg, as applied to claim 1 above, and in further view of Sato (JP 2022066023A).
Regarding claim 7, Erlich as modified by Hui and Borg teaches the submersible vacuum cleaner as in the rejection of claim 1, but does not disclose a locking lever to rigidly hold the filtering element on the discharge outlet.
Erlich teaches the filter 225 [corresponds to the recited pre-filter] is locked in the filter housing 220 by a locking mechanism (¶ 0049), but does not disclose it is done by the locking lever.
Sato teaches, in an analogous filter device field of endeavor and capable of solving primary problem, a locking lever to rigidly hold the filtering element on the discharge outlet (Sato English translation, p. 4:10-28 and fig. 2, a filter holder 12 of an external filter unit 11 is coupled to a body of a device through a lock lever 25).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the vacuum cleaner of Erlich as modified by Hui and Borg to provide the locking lever as taught by Sato for secure attachment of the filter to the device.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Sebor et al. (US 2021/0254359) discloses an automatic pool cleaner comprising a discharge outlet.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SUKWOO JAMES CHANG whose telephone number is (571)272-7402. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:00a-5:00p.
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/SUKWOO JAMES CHANG/Examiner, Art Unit 3723
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