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 .
Receipt and entry of Applicant’s Preliminary Amendment dated November 16, 2023 is acknowledged.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.84( l) because figures 1 and 3-4 contain faint lines for the various elements, which are not provided with satisfactory reproduction characteristics. Note that “All drawings must be made by a process which will give them satisfactory reproduction characteristics. Every line, number, and letter must be durable, clean, black (except for color drawings), sufficiently dense and dark, and uniformly thick and well-defined. The weight of all lines and letters must be heavy enough to permit adequate reproduction. This requirement applies to all lines however fine, to shading, and to lines representing cut surfaces in sectional views. Lines and strokes of different thicknesses may be used in the same drawing where different thicknesses have a different meaning.”
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.
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 lock catch which is provided on a bottom side of the control panel, the lock catch used to control locking and releasing of the first box body (claim 10), must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). 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.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: Appropriate correction is required.
In paragraph 5, line 3, -- to be -- should be inserted after “valve”.
In paragraph 29, line 2, “is” should be changed to -- does --.
The specification is replete with incorrect reference numerals, too numerous to mention in each and every instance. The following ae several examples. The specification should be carefully reviewed for additional instances of incorrect reference numerals, and requires extensive revisions.
In paragraph 34, all occurrences of “8” should be changed to -- 11 --.
In paragraph 34, all occurrences of “7” should be changed to -- 10 --.
In paragraph 34, line 7, “9” should be changed to -- 12 --.
In paragraph 40, lines 5-8, “The certain distance between the water inflow end of the water outflow pipe in the water container and the bottom of the water container, so that the inhalation of tiny particles to block the water outflow pipe can be avoided.”, is an incomplete sentence.
Claim Objections
Claims 11-12 are objected to because of the following informalities: Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 11 should end with a period.
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.
Claims 4 and 13 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.
In claim 4, lines 3-4, “a water outflow port” is a double recitation of the water outflow port recited in claim 1, causing ambiguity.
In claim 13, line 3, “a water outflow port” is a double recitation of the water outflow port recited in claim 1, causing ambiguity.
Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure.
Zhang et al. is cited to show a floor cleaning device with a removable water container, having a water inlet at the top, an outlet opening at the bottom, external water pipes connected to a water pump and a cleaning head assembly, with a handle assembly, a control panel, a body assembly, wherein the water container is installed on the body assembly.
Gurstein is cited to show a cleaning device having two tanks which are latched together with clasps.
CN-112790680A, listed as an “X” reference in the search report filed with the present application, discloses a water container used for floor cleaning apparatus, comprising: a first box body having a hollow interior; a second box body, wherein an accommodating cavity is formed between the second box body and the first box body and used for storing clean water, and the second box body has a bottom end; a water outflow pipe located in the accommodating cavity and including a water outflow port and a water inflow end, the water outflow port being located at a top of the first box body, and the water inflow end being a predetermined distance from the bottom end of the second box body; and a water filling hole located on the first box body and used for filling water into the water container.
However, CN-112790680A does not qualify as prior art, because it has a sole inventor Wei Yang who is the same as the sole inventor of the present application, and was published less than one year before the effective filing date of the present application, thus invoking the 102(b)(1)(A) exception.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-3, 5-10, and 14-16 are allowed.
Claims 11-12 contain allowable subject matter; the informality in claim 11 should be corrected.
Claims 4 and 13 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
With regard to independent claim 1, the closest art of record is CN 108498021-A, which discloses a water container used for floor cleaning apparatus, comprising: a second box body shown generally at 16, with an accommodating cavity 16, used for storing clean water, a water outflow pipe 21 located in the accommodating cavity and including a water outflow port and a water inflow end, the water inflow end being a predetermined distance from the bottom end of the second box body.
However, CN 108498021-A does not disclose or suggest the water container comprising a first box body having a hollow interior, the accommodating cavity formed between the second box body and the first box body, the water outflow port being located at a top of the first box body, and a water filling hole located on the first box body.
Claims 2-16 contain allowable subject matter by virtue of dependency, either directly or indirectly, on independent claim 1.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Christopher Verdier whose telephone number is (571)272-4824. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 7:00-3:30.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Courtney Heinle can be reached at 571-270-3508. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Christopher Verdier/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3745