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 . 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 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.
DETAILED NON-FINAL ACTION
This is the initial Office Action (OA), on the merits, based on the 18/564,603 application filed on November 27, 2023. Claims 1-14 are pending and have been fully considered. All claims are directed toward an apparatus.
Information Disclosure Statement
The Examiner has considered the information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 11/28/2023 and 09/18/2024. Please refer to the signed copy of the PTO-1449 form attached herewith. The English portion of the First office action (OA) received in the priority Chinese application 202210605793.4, mailed on March 1, 2023 does not appear to relate to the original OA and there was no other there was no concise explanation submitted to ascertain the relevance of this document. However, Examiner was able to retrieve a translation of that document from the European Patent Register.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-3, 7 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Chen (CN213865496)(IDS of 08-18-2024)(using 23-page supplied translated document).
Regarding claims 1-3, 7 and 9, Chen discloses a water softening device (Title, Abstract, Figs. 3-6), comprising:
a box body 1, wherein a first accommodating chamber is formed inside the box body, and a box opening communicating with the first accommodating chamber is formed at a top of the box body (Fig. 4);
an inner frame assembly 4, provided at the box opening of the box body;
a top cover assembly 6, provided on an upper part of the inner frame assembly and connected to the inner frame assembly;
a regeneration assembly 5, 11, 111, provided inside the first accommodating chamber and detachably connected to the top cover assembly (pp. 7, 9{last ¶} – 10 {first ¶}of 23); and
a water softening assembly 2, provided inside the first accommodating chamber and detachably connected to the inner frame assembly (p. 9, 4th ¶, Fig. 5 & 6).
Additional Disclosures Included: Claim 2: The top cover assembly comprises:
a first frame body, provided with a first opening and a second opening;
a first top cover component,
wherein the first top cover component is connected to the first frame body through a flexible member, and is switchable between an open state and a closed state; and
a second top cover component, wherein the second top cover component is connected to the first frame body and covers the second opening;
wherein in the closed state, the first top cover component covers the first opening; and
in the open state, the first top cover component is located above the second top cover component, and an included angle between the first top cover component and the second top cover component is less than a predetermined angle (Fig. 3, 4); Claim 3: The flexible member is detachably connected to at least one of the first frame body and the first top cover component (Fig. 3, 4); Claim 7: An upper surface of the top cover assembly is inclined downwards in a first direction (Fig. 3, 4); and Claim 9: The water regeneration assembly is connected to the first frame body through a salt well mounting component (Fig. 5).
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 set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied 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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention. The inventive entity for a particular application is based on some contribution to at least one of the claims made by each of the named inventors. MPEP §2137.01.
Claims 4-6, 8 and 10-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen (CN213865496), as applied to claims 2 and 9 above, in view of Li et al. (CN108286166; Li) and Ling et al. (CN213037505; Ling)(IDS of 11-28-2023)(Applicant supplied translations referenced below).
Regarding claims 4-6, 8 and 10-14, Chen discloses the water softening device of claims 2 except, wherein the top cover assembly further comprises:
an ejector rod component, provided on the first frame body,
wherein the ejector rod component is switchable between a stretched state and a retracted state, wherein in the retracted state, the first top cover component covers the first opening; and
in the stretched state, the ejector rod component abuts against the first top cover component, and an opening gap exists between an opening side of the first top cover component and the first frame body.
Li discloses a washing machine with a door cover that can be automatically opened where the opening angle of the door cover can be precisely controlled, where the washing machine comprises a shell, an impeller washing drum is arranged inside the shell, the door cover is hinged to the upper portion of the drum opening of the impeller washing drum, a locking piece is arranged between the door cover and the shell, and when the door cover is closed, the locking piece can lock the door cover (Abstract). The washing machine further comprises a reset piece and a limiting structure, when the locking piece is unlocked, a recovery force of the reset piece can drive the door cover to be opened, and the limiting structure can define the opening angle of the door cover (Id.). Specifically, a latch 3 is provided between door cover 2 and housing 1, which latch 3 can latch door cover 2 when the door cover 2 is closed, with a reset member 4, which may be a torsion spring arranged on the hinge shaft 21 of the door cover 2, and a retaining structure (p. 20 of 23). When the latch 3 is unlocked, the restoring force of the reset member 4 may cause the door cover 2 to open, and the retaining structure defines the opening angle of the door cover 2 (Id.).
Ling relates to a shell and a water softener where the shell comprises a shell body, wherein a pipe passing opening is formed in the shell body, and a blocking piece is arranged on the shell body, and is used for sealing the opening of the piping, and is provided with a sealing through hole (Abstract). Ling discloses in some embodiments that the sealing hole 130a is deformable under the squeeze of an external force. The sealing perforation 130a can make its own hole wall closely fit with the pipe of a multi-way valve through its own deformation (p. 26 of 30; 2nd to last ¶).
Implementing an opening and closing of a top cover by a telescopic structure of an ejector rod is a common locking structure such that when the claimed invention was effectively filed, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to employ such a structure as one means of opening and closing the top cover, and to employ additional conventional and suitable structural accessories such as grille components, partitions, spokes, clamps, crank arms, and such, and suitable connections to such structures, as matters of design and engineering choice.
Additional Disclosures Included: Claim 5: The top cover assembly further comprises: a grille component, comprising an outer frame and a plurality of circular partitions,
wherein the outer frame is provided at the second opening, the plurality of circular partitions are sequentially provided from inside to outside at intervals, the outer frame is annularly provided outside the plurality of circular partitions, and passages through which salt particles pass are formed between each adjacent two circular partitions, as well as between the outer frame and an outermost circular partition (claim 4 analysis); Claim 6: Each of the passages is provided with a plurality of spokes, each adjacent two circular partitions are connected through the plurality of spokes and the outer frame is connected to an outermost circular partition through the plurality of spokes, and the plurality of spokes in each of the passages are uniformly spaced around a circumference of the circular partition (claims 4 and 5 analysis); Claim 8: The second top cover component is connected to the first frame body through a crank arm component, and a flip angle of the second top cover component relative to the first frame body is greater than 900 (claims 4 and 5 analyses); Claim 10: The water softening device of claim 9, wherein the salt well mounting component comprises: a clamp; a connecting arm, connected to a side of the clamp,
wherein an axial direction of the clamp is parallel to a length direction of the connecting arm, and the connecting arm is connected to the first frame body; and
a limit member, provided on the connecting arm, wherein the clamp surrounds outside the regeneration assembly, and the limit member is used to limit a movement of the regeneration assembly towards an end of the connecting arm (claims 4 and 5 analyses); Claim 11: The limit member has an adjustable position in a length direction of the connecting arm (claims 4 and 5 analyses); Claim 12: The limit member comprises a limit block and a bolt, the limit block is movable along the length direction of the connecting arm, and the bolt is connected to the limit block and abuts against the connecting arm (claims 4 and 5 analyses); Claim 13: (Currently Amended) The inner frame assembly comprises an inner frame body and a flexible fixing disc,
wherein the inner frame body is detachably connected to the box opening of the box body and the top cover assembly, respectively;
the inner frame body is provided with a third opening communicating with a receiving cavity, and the flexible fixing disc is provided at the third opening and detachably connected to the inner frame body; and
the flexible fixing disc is sleeved on the water softening assembly (claims 4 and 5 analyses); and Claim 14: The flexible fixing disc is provided with a central hole and a plurality of notches,
wherein the water softening assembly comprises a resin tank, and an upper end of the resin tank is sleeved on the central hole, the plurality of notches are provided along a circumference of the central hole, and an opening end of the notch is formed on a wall of the central hole (claims 4 and 5 analyses).
Conclusion
Examiner recommends that Applicant carefully review each identified reference and all objections/rejections before responding to this office action to properly advance the case in light of the pertinent objections/rejections and the prior art. With respect to the patentability analysis, Examiner has attempted to claim map to one or more of the most suitable structures or portions of a reference. However, with respect to all OAs, Examiner notes that citations to specific pages, columns, paragraphs, lines, figures or reference numerals, in any prior art or evidentiary reference, and any interpretation of such references, should not be considered to be limiting in any way. A reference is relevant for all it contains and may be relied upon for all that it would have reasonably disclosed and/or suggested to one having ordinary skill in the art. The use of publications and patents as references is not limited to what one or more applicant/inventor/patentee describes as their own inventions or to the problems with which they are concerned. They are part of the literature of the art, relevant for all they contain. MPEP §2123.
Examiner further recommends that for any substantive claim amendments made in response to this Office Action, or to otherwise advance prosecution, or for any remarks concerning support for added subject matter or claim priority, that Applicant include either a pinpoint citation to the original Specification (i.e. page and/or paragraph and/or line number and/or figure number) to indicate where Applicant is drawing support for such amendment or remarks, or a clear explanation indicating why the particular limitation is implicit or inherent to the original disclosure.
Electronic Inquiries
Any inquiry concerning this communication or an earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Hayden Brewster whose telephone number is (571) 270-1065. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 9 AM - 4 PM.
Alternatively, to contact the examiner, Applicant may send a communication, via e-mail or fax. Examiner’s direct fax number is: (571) 270-2065. Examiner's official e-mail address is: "Hayden.Brewster@uspto.gov." However, since e-mail communication may not be secure, Examiner will not respond to a substantive e-mail unless Applicant’s communication is in accordance with the provisions of MPEP §502.03 & related sections that discuss the required Authorization for Internet Communication (AIC). Nonetheless, all substantive communications will be made of record in Applicant’s file.
To facilitate the Internet communication authorization process, Applicant may file an appropriate letter, or may complete the USPTO SB439 fillable form available at https://www.uspto.gov/sites/default/files/documents/sb0439.pdf, preferably in advance of any substantive e-mail communication. Since one may use an electronic signature with this particular form, Applicant is encouraged to file this form via the Office’s system for electronic filing of patent correspondence (i.e., the electronic filing system (Patent Center)). Otherwise, a handwritten signature is required. In addition to Patent Center, Applicant can submit their Internet authorization request via US Postal Service, USPTO Customer Service Window, or Central Fax. Examiner can also provide a one-time oral authorization, but this will only apply to video conferencing. It is improper to request Internet Authorization via e-mail.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and via video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, Applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) form available at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice, or Applicant may call Examiner, if preferable. Applicant can access a general list of patent application forms at either https://www.uspto.gov/patent/forms/forms-patent-applications-filed-or-after-september-16-2012 (applications filed on or after September 16, 2012) or https://www.uspto.gov/patent/forms/forms (applications filed before September 16, 2012). Note that the language in an AIR form is not a substitute for the requirements of an AIC, where appropriate. The mere filing of an Applicant Initiated Interview Request Form (PTOL-413A) or a Letter Requesting Interview with Examiner, in EFS-Web, may not apprise Examiner of such a request in a timely manner.
If attempts to reach the Examiner are unsuccessful, Applicant may reach Examiner’s supervisor, Bobby Ramdhanie at 571-270-3240. The central fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/HAYDEN BREWSTER/Examiner, AU 1779