DETAILED ACTION
This detailed action is in response to the application filed on November 28, 2023, and any subsequent filings.
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 .
Specification
A substitute specification in proper idiomatic English and in compliance with 37 CFR 1.52(a) and (b) is required. The substitute specification filed must be accompanied by a statement that it contains no new matter.
35 U.S.C. 112(a) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, requires the specification to be written in “full, clear, concise, and exact terms.” The specification is replete with terms which are not clear, concise and exact. The specification should be revised carefully in order to comply with 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112. Examples of some unclear, inexact or verbose terms used in the specification are: “accommodating member 2,” “flow guide plate 4a,” “flow guide plate 4,” and “cavity 4a.”
Claim Objections
Claims 1 and 3 are objected to because of the following informalities:
In Claim 1, references a driver in line 7 yet line 4 indicates two drivers; and,
In Claim 3, two references are made to the driver yet Claim 1 from which the claim depends recites two drivers.
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.
Claims 1-7 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 1 recites a flow guide plate covering the driver yet what constitutes the flow guide plate is not clear from the claim, the drawings, or the specification which recites two structures that may constitute the flow drive plate, namely reference characters 4 and 4a.
Claim 1 recites a cavity penetrating through back and front portions only but does not indicate what structure has back and front portions.
In Claim 1, the last line references the groove wall of the through groove yet line 5 indicates two side walls of the through groove such that the structure being claimed is not clear.
The dependent claims not specifically detailed above contain the limitations of the recited claims and thus are rejected for the same reasons.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 1-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wu, et al., U.S. Publication No. 2021/0197932 (“Wu”).
Applicant’s claims are directed towards a device.
Regarding Claims 1-7, Wu discloses a water surface cleaning robot, comprising a machine body (Figs. 1, 2, item 1, Paragraph 135 (“Pr”)), the machine body being provided with a through groove (Figs. 1, 2 (note central lower opening interpreted as through groove)); an accommodating member located at a front end of the through groove (Figs. 1, 2, 5, 7, 9, item 3, Pr135); and two symmetrically arranged drivers arranged in the through groove, and the two drivers being both fixedly connected with two side walls of the through groove or a groove bottom of the through groove (Fig. 1, item 6, Pr129,151), wherein a flow guide plate is covered below the driver at a rear end of the through groove (Fig. 1 (note plate below drivers 6); see also 112(b) analysis above); the flow guide plate cooperates with the accommodating member and the through groove to form a cavity penetrating through front and back portions only (Figs. 1, 2, 5, 11, 12; see also 112(b) analysis above regarding flow guide plate); a rear end of the flow guide plate is connected with the machine body through a partition plate located between the two drivers (Figs. 1, 5, 10 (note horizontal plate connecting driver flow channels); see also 112(b) analysis above regarding flow guide plate); and the two drivers are respectively located in two flow channels formed by cooperation of the partition plate, the flow guide plate and the groove wall of the through groove (Fig. 1, 10; see also 112(b) analysis above).
Additional Disclosures Included: Claim 2: wherein each driver is provided with an impeller, the impeller is located in a straight pipe on the flow channel, and the straight pipe is parallel to an axis of the impeller (Figs. 1, 10, item 6, Pr129,151). Claim 3: wherein an electric control assembly is arranged between the accommodating member and the driver, and the flow guide plate covers the electric control assembly and the driver (Figs. 1, 10 (note electric solar panel 23 interpreted as control assembly and location uncertain due to indefiniteness of flow guide plate as discussed above in 112(b) analysis). Claim 4: wherein the accommodating member is located at a front end of the machine body, and the accommodating member, the electric control assembly and the driver are sequentially arranged in the through groove from front to back (Figs. 1, 2, 10). Claim 5: wherein when the driver drives the machine body to move forward (Pr151), the side walls at the front end of the through groove cooperate to form a negative pressure zone (Figs. 5, 11, 12 (note angled forward sidewalls create negative pressure zone)). Claim 6: wherein the two side walls at the front end of the through groove are symmetrically arranged inclined guide planes, and the negative pressure zone comprises a water inlet formed by cooperation of the inclined guide planes and a front end of the accommodating member and an inner cavity of the accommodating member (Figs. 5, 11, 12). Claim 7: wherein the accommodating member is inserted into the through groove from a front end of the machine body (Fig. 2 (note insertion from top from end)), and a pull handle for facilitating taking is arranged at a front end of the accommodating member (Fig. 6, item 31, Pr145).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PATRICK ORME whose telephone number is (408)918-7585. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday, 7:30 am - 6:00 pm Pacific Time.
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/PATRICK ORME/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1779
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