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 § 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 1-3 and 6-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Conrad (US 2017/0215664).
As to claim 1, Conrad includes a cleaner (Embodiment of Fig. 25-31), comprising: a housing (The outer casing of the cleaner); a suction unit (114) disposed in one side of the housing and configured to allow air including dust to be suctioned; a suction motor (124) disposed inside the housing and configured to generate an air flow for allowing the air to be introduced into the suction unit (para 421); a cyclone unit (126) coupled to the housing, disposed between the suction unit and the suction motor (126 is in the space separating 114 and 124, therefore, 126 is between them), and configured to communicate with the suction unit (See flow arrows in Fig. 27) to separate dust from the air (para 423); a pre-filter (136) disposed upstream of the suction motor, disposed insertably in an insertion axis direction (A horizontal direction) into the housing, and configured to filter dust from the air suctioned through the suction unit (para 425 and Fig. 28); and a handle (110) disposed in one side of the housing, the handle extending in one direction, wherein, based on the pre-filter being mounted to the cleaner, an extension line (A horizontal line extending through 136) of an insertion axis along which the pre-filter is inserted into the housing crosses a longitudinal axis (A line parallel to and extending through 110) of the handle (The extension line would intersect the longitudinal axis), and
wherein the cyclone unit is disposed about an axis of a cyclone flow (132) and configured to separate the dust based on the air rotating about the axis of the cyclone flow (para 423), and the axis of the cyclone flow crosses a center axis (A vertical line intersecting the horizontal center of 114) of the suction unit (The center axis, which is a vertical line, would intersect the axis of cyclone flow, which is a horizontal line; Fig. 27).
As to claim 2, wherein the insertion axis of the pre-filter and the longitudinal axis of the handle form an obtuse angle (Fig. 27-28).
As to claim 3, wherein the pre-filter is disposed insertably in the housing from a forward position (Interpreted as 120; Fig. 27) of the housing in the insertion axis direction, and wherein a forward end (The end toward 120) of the insertion axis of the pre-filter is disposed to position upper than a rear end (The end toward 118) of the insertion axis of the pre-filter (The forward end can be above the rear end when the cleaner is oriented sloped).
As to claim 6, wherein the pre-filter extends in the insertion axis direction (The horizontal direction), and has a tubular shape with a space defined therein (136 has a hole through it making it a tube; Fig. 28).
As to claim 7, further comprising: a diffusion space (The space between 136 and the wall of the housing 272 extends out of) formed between an outer circumferential surface of the pre-filter and the housing (Fig. 27-28).
As to claim 8, wherein the suction motor is disposed on an extension line (A line extending through the entire insertion axis and beyond it) of the insertion axis of the pre-filter (Fig. 27).
As to claim 9, wherein the air passes through the pre-filter on a radially outer side of the insertion axis of the pre-filter to be introduced into an inside (Air flows through the entire outer side of 136 before going inside it; Fig. 27), and wherein the air inside the pre-filter is discharged in the insertion axis direction of the pre-filter (Fig. 27-28).
As to claim 10, wherein the pre-filter is disposed at an upper (top) part of the cyclone unit (Fig. 27).
As to claim 11, wherein the axis of the cyclone flow passes through the pre-filter (Fig. 27).
As to claim 12, wherein a flow direction (horizontal) of the air introduced into the HEPA filter is parallel to a flow direction (horizontal) of the air discharged from the suction motor (See flow arrows in Fig. 27).
As to claim 13, further comprising: a battery (174) spaced apart from the suction motor below the suction motor, wherein a lower surface of the handle is coupled to an upper end of the battery and an upper surface thereof is spaced apart from a lower end of the suction motor (Fig. 27).
As to claim 14, wherein the handle protrudes forward between a lower surface of the handle and an upper surface of the handle, and a forward end of the handle is connected to the housing (The housing is understood as not including 110) [Fig. 27].
As to claim 15, further comprising a handle support member (One of the segments of 110 that connect hand grip portion 310 to 250) that is disposed at an upper position than a middle point between the upper surface and the lower surface of the handle (Fig. 27).
As to claim 16, wherein a forward end of an upper surface of the handle is disposed at an upper position than a rear end of the upper surface of the handle (The forward end can be above the rear end when the cleaner is oriented sloped), and wherein an operating part (318; para 574) is disposed on the upper surface of the handle (Fig. 27).
As to claim 17, wherein the longitudinal axis of the handle crosses a center axis (A horizontal line passing through the vertical center of 124) of the suction motor (Fig. 27).
As to claim 18, wherein the axis of the cyclonic flow (A horizontal line) is perpendicular to the center axis of the suction unit (A vertical line) [Fig. 27].
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.
Claims 4-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Conrad (US 2017/0215664) in view of the Fig. 47-49 embodiment of Conrad.
As to claim 4, further comprising: a HEPA filter (142) disposed downstream of the suction motor (para 426).
Conrad does not include the HEPA filter coupled to the suction motor in an opposite direction to a direction into which the pre-filter is inserted.
The Fig. 47-49 embodiment of Conrad includes a HEPA filter (142; para 633-635) and coupled to the suction motor in a direction toward it (Fig. 47-49) by way of a wall (138) the filter faces.
It would have been obvious to modify Conrad so that the HEPA filter is coupled to the suction motor in a direction toward it by way of a wall the filter faces (and that provides the feature of the HEPA filter coupled to the suction motor in an opposite direction to a direction into which the pre-filter is inserted), as taught by the Fig. 47-49 embodiment of Conrad, in order to provide insertability of the HEPA filter in the horizontal direction, which has the lowest amount of filter motion as compared to vertical insertion of the filter.
As to claim 5, wherein a coupling axis (A horizontal line extending through 142) of the HEPA filter and the longitudinal axis of the handle form an obtuse angle (Fig. 27).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 1/28/26 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
On pages 9-10, Applicant argues that Conrad does not include a pre-filter disposed insertably in an insertion axis direction into the housing.
In response to applicant's argument that the references fail to show certain features of the invention, it is noted that the features upon which applicant relies (i.e., a pre-filter disposed insertably in an insertion axis direction into the housing) are not recited in the rejected claim(s). Although the claims are interpreted in light of the specification, limitations from the specification are not read into the claims. See In re Van Geuns, 988 F.2d 1181, 26 USPQ2d 1057 (Fed. Cir. 1993). The claim does not recite what direction, such as horizontal or vertical, the insertion axis direction has, and therefore, the broadest reasonable interpretation of the insertion axis direction would be any direction that the pre-filter is inserted in. Fig. 28 illustrates the pre-filter 136 able to be inserted into the housing, which gives evidence of an insertion axis direction.
On pages 10-11, Applicant argues that Conrad does not include wherein the cyclone unit is disposed about an axis of a cyclone flow and configured to separate the dust based on the air rotating about the axis of the cyclone flow, and the axis of the cyclone flow crosses a center axis of the suction unit.
Conrad includes wherein the cyclone unit is disposed about an axis of a cyclone flow (132) and configured to separate the dust based on the air rotating about the axis of the cyclone flow (para 423), and the axis of the cyclone flow crosses a center axis (A vertical line intersecting the horizontal center of 114) of the suction unit (The center axis, which is a vertical line, would intersect the axis of cyclone flow, which is a horizontal line; Fig. 27). The claim does not recite any feature of the center axis, and therefore, the broadest reasonable interpretation of the center axis would be a line intersecting the suction unit.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 ANDREW A. HORTON whose telephone number is (571)270-5039. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM.
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/ANDREW A HORTON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3723