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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I, claims 1-8 in the reply filed on November 12, 2025 is acknowledged.
Claims 9-18 have been withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Group II, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on November 12, 2025.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: Claim 1 recites “integrated cleaning module of a vehicle sensor.” It is suggested to amend to -integrated cleaning module configured to clean a vehicle sensor- for clarification. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
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.
Claim 3-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 3 recites “the air flow path and the cleaning liquid flow path are separated such that movement of the fluid is blocked.” The phrase “movement of the fluid is blocked” renders the scope of the claim unclear and indefinite. It is ambiguous which “fluid” is being referred to, as both air and cleaning liquid are fluids. Further, it is unclear which the claim intends to block:
movement of fluid within the respective flow paths,
movement of fluid between the air flow path and the cleaning liquid flow path, or
all fluid movement entirely.
As written, the claim appears inconsistent because each flow path is described as a path through which fluid “moves,” yet the claim also recites that “movement of the fluid is blocked.” One of ordinary skill in the art would not be able to reasonably determine the metes and bounds of the claimed invention. As a result, claim 3 fails to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter regarded as the invention.
Claims 4-8 are also rejected under 112(b) because of dependency on claim 3.
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 (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 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.
Claims 1-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Davies et al. (WO 2015/120866 A1).
With regard to claim 1, Davies discloses an integrated cleaning module (Fig. 3) of a vehicle sensor (1), the integrated cleaning module (Fig. 3) comprising: a washing liquid supply module configured to supply cleaning liquid (page 12 line 25); and an air supply module (12) connected to the washing liquid supply module and configured to supply air (Fig. 3), wherein the air supply module includes: a compressor (12) configured to generate compressed air (Page 15 lines 16-22); an air tank (27) in which the compressed air generated by the compressor is stored; and an integrated dispenser (3/4) configured to be in fluid connection with the washing liquid supply module (Fig. 3) and the air tank (27), wherein the integrated dispenser (3/4) is configured to distribute the cleaning liquid and the compressed air (Fig. 3).
With regard to claim 2, the device of Davies discloses the invention as disclosed in the rejection of claim 1 above. Davies further discloses that wherein the washing liquid supply module includes a cleaning liquid tank (“cleaning fluid source” page 12 line 25) configured to store the cleaning liquid and a pump (8) configured to transfer the cleaning liquid stored in the cleaning liquid tank to the integrated dispenser (Fig .3), and wherein the integrated dispenser (3/4) is configured to be in fluid connection with the pump (8) through a pipe (pipe between 5 and 9 shown in Fig. 3).
With regard to claim 3, the device of Davies discloses the invention as disclosed in the rejection of claim 2 above. Davies further discloses that wherein the integrated dispenser (3/4) includes an air flow path (16) through which the compressed air supplied from the air tank (27) moves and a cleaning liquid flow path (5) through which the cleaning liquid supplied from the pump (8) of the washing liquid supply module moves, and wherein the air flow path (16) and the cleaning liquid flow path (5) are separated such that movement of the fluid is blocked (Fig. 3).
With regard to claim 4, the device of Davies discloses the invention as disclosed in the rejection of claim 3 above. Davies further discloses that the integrated dispenser (3/4) includes an air inlet port (t-connector 6 of air path, Fig. 3) and at least one air distribution port (4) communicating with the air flow path (16), and wherein the air inlet port (6) is connected to the air tank (27) through a pipe (15).
With regard to claim 5, the device of Davies discloses the invention as disclosed in the rejection of claim 4 above. Davies further discloses that the integrated dispenser (3/4) includes a cleaning liquid inlet port (t-connector 6 of cleaning fluid path, Fig. 3) and at least one cleaning liquid distribution port (3) communicating with the cleaning liquid flow path (5), and wherein the cleaning liquid inlet port (6) is connected to the pump (8) through a pipe (7).
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.
Claims 1-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Davies et al. in view of Rachow (US 2022/0009453 A1).
With regard to claim 1, Davies discloses an integrated cleaning module of a vehicle sensor (1), the integrated cleaning module (Fig. 3) comprising: a washing liquid supply module configured to supply cleaning liquid (page 12 line 25); and an air supply module (12) connected to the washing liquid supply module and configured to supply air (Fig. 3); and an integrated dispenser (3/4) configured to be in fluid connection with the washing liquid supply module (Fig. 3) and the air tank (27), wherein the integrated dispenser (3/4) is configured to distribute the cleaning liquid and the compressed air (Fig. 3).
Davies is silent to disclose that the air supply module includes: a compressor configured to generate compressed air; an air tank in which the compressed air generated by the compressor is stored.
Rachow teaches an integrated cleaning module of a vehicle sensor comprising an air supply module includes: a compressor configured to generate compressed air; an air tank in which the compressed air generated by the compressor is stored (“compressor or air tank” , see Par. [0178]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the air supply module, by incorporating the compressor and air tank as taught by Rachow, for the purpose of providing a consistent and reliable air pressure and cost efficiency over time.
With regard to claims 2-5, the device f Davies as modified by Rachow discloses the claimed invention as disclosed in the rejections above.
With regard to claim 6, the device of Davies as modified by Rachow discloses the invention as disclosed in the rejection of claim 5 above. Davies does not disclose that the integrated dispenser includes a body in which at least one solenoid valve is disposed and an upper cover coupled to an upper portion of the body, wherein the air flow path, the air inlet port, and the at least one air distribution port are formed on one side of the upper cover, and wherein the cleaning liquid flow path, the cleaning liquid inlet port, and the at least one cleaning liquid distribution port are formed on another side of the upper cover.
Rachow teaches an integrated cleaning module of a vehicle sensor (Fig. 9), the integrated cleaning module comprising an integrated dispenser (26) includes a body (Fig. 9) in which at least one solenoid valve (28E, Par. [0208]) is disposed and an upper cover (44) coupled to an upper portion of the body (Fig. 10), wherein an air flow path (26F), an air inlet port (290), and at least one air distribution port (154) are formed on one side of the upper cover (side surface of the upper cover, see Fig. 11), and wherein a cleaning liquid flow path (26J), a cleaning liquid inlet port (288), and at least one cleaning liquid distribution port (160) are formed on another side of the upper cover (top surface of the upper cover, see Fig. 9).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the integrated cleaning module of Davies, by arranging the air flow path (26F), the air inlet port (290), and the at least one air distribution port (154) are formed on one side of the upper cover (side surface of the upper cover, see Fig. 11), and wherein the cleaning liquid flow path (26J), the cleaning liquid inlet port (288), and the at least one cleaning liquid distribution port (160) are formed on another side of the upper cover and employing the solenoid valve (28E) as taught by Rachow, for the benefit of positioning the spray nozzles at proper angles to spray cleaning fluid onto the sensor effectively (Par. [0035]).
With regard to claim 7, the device of Davies as modified by Rachow discloses the invention as disclosed in the rejection of claim 6 above. Davies further discloses that the at least one air distribution port includes a plurality of air distribution ports (4, Fig. 3), the at least one cleaning liquid distribution port includes a plurality of cleaning liquid distribution ports (3, Fig. 3), and the at least one valve includes a plurality of valves (Page 17 line 10), and wherein the plurality of valves are provided in correspondence with a number of and positions of the plurality of air distribution ports (Page 17 lines 9-10), and a number of and positions of the plurality of cleaning liquid distribution ports (Fig. 3).
Davies does not disclose the check valves are solenoid valves.
Rachow teaches that the check valve comprises a solenoid actuator (Par. [0027]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the valves of Davies, by including solenoid actuators as taught by Rachow, for the purpose of electronically controlling ingress of air and fluid (Par. [0209]).
With regard to claim 8, the device of Davies as modified by Rachow discloses the invention as disclosed in the rejection of claim 7 above. Rachow further discloses that a support plate (30) on which the air supply module and the washing liquid supply module are mounted (Fig. 1), wherein the air supply module and the washing liquid supply module are integrally assembled to the support plate (Fig. 9).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOEL ZHOU whose telephone number is (571)270-1163. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 9AM-5PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, ARTHUR HALL can be reached at 5712701814. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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JOEL . ZHOU
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3752
/QINGZHANG ZHOU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3752