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 .
Abstract
The last 3 lines include merits of the invention, which is not allowed (MPEP 608.01 (b) I).
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.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(d):
(d) REFERENCE IN DEPENDENT FORMS.—Subject to subsection (e), a claim in dependent form shall contain a reference to a claim previously set forth and then specify a further limitation of the subject matter claimed. A claim in dependent form shall be construed to incorporate by reference all the limitations of the claim to which it refers.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, fourth paragraph:
Subject to the following paragraph [i.e., the fifth paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112], a claim in dependent form shall contain a reference to a claim previously set forth and then specify a further limitation of the subject matter claimed. A claim in dependent form shall be construed to incorporate by reference all the limitations of the claim to which it refers.
Claims 7-15 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.
The following claim terms do not have antecedent basis:
“the spacing portions” in claim 4, lines 1-2.
The following are element names recited a second time mistakenly:
“a housing” in claim 7, line 2.
“a collection inlet” in claim 7, lines 3-4.
“a garbage collection area” in claim 7, line 5.
“a collection guide surface” in claim 7, line 6.
“ a scraping strip” in claim 7, lines 6-7.
The above terms are also recited a second time in claims 17-22.
“a suction channel” in claim 10, line 2.
Claim 14 recites “into a whole” in lines 3 and 5 and it is unclear what element(s) are part of the whole.
The remaining claims are rejected for depending on claim 7.
Claims 7 and 17-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(d) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, 4th paragraph, as being of improper dependent form for failing to further limit the subject matter of the claim upon which it depends, or for failing to include all the limitations of the claim upon which it depends. There is language that is a repeat of that in claims 1 and 2. Claim 7, lines 2-3 recites “a roller brush capable of being in rolling contact with a ground” (also in claim 2, line 2), claim 7, lines 3-4 recites “a rear end . . . the roller brush” (also in claim 2, lines 2-4), and claim 7, lines 4-5 recites “the collection unit . . . area” (also in claim 1, lines 6-7). Applicant may cancel the claim(s), amend the claim(s) to place the claim(s) in proper dependent form, rewrite the claim(s) in independent form, or present a sufficient showing that the dependent claim(s) complies with the statutory requirements.
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 1, 2, 7, 9, and 15-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Boutwell (US 1,752,882) in view of Verhasselt (US 2020/0196818).
As to claim 1, Boutwell includes a suction port structure of a cleaning machine (seen in Fig. 2), wherein the cleaning machine comprises a housing (16), wherein a scraping strip (54; page 2, lines 14-15) capable of being in interference contact with a ground is mounted and connected to the housing (Fig. 1), and the scraping strip is in corresponding clearance fit with the housing adjacent to the scraping strip to form a suction port (The inlet opening formed between 53 and 54 next to 54) communicating with a suction channel (52; page 2, lines 12-14); the housing is provided with a collection guide surface (The surface of 61) connected to a collection inlet (The space surrounding brush 20); and the collection guide surface is in corresponding clearance fit with the scraping strip to form the suction port (Fig. 2).
Boutwell does not include the collection inlet communicating with a garbage collection area.
Verhasselt includes a suction port structure of a cleaning machine (Embodiment of Fig. 8), wherein the cleaning machine comprises a suction port (The suction tube at 52), and a collection inlet (The space surrounding brush 30) that communicates with a garbage collection area (34) [para 73].
It would have been obvious to modify the collection inlet of Boutwell to communicate with a garbage collection area, as taught by Verhasselt, in order to allow debris to be collected without soiling the suction motor.
As to claim 2, wherein the cleaning machine comprises a roller brush (20) capable of being in rolling contact with the ground (20 contacts the ground) [page 1, lines 62-76], and a rear end of the roller brush is provided with the collection inlet provided corresponding to the roller brush (20 is within the space surrounding 20); the housing located at the rear end of the roller brush is provided with the collection guide surface connected to the collection inlet (53 abuts the space surrounding 20), and the scraping strip is arranged on a side (The right side of 53) of the collection guide surface away from the roller brush (53 is spaced from 20) [Fig. 2].
As to claim 7, comprising a housing (16) and a roller brush (20) capable of being in rolling contact with a ground, wherein a rear end of the roller brush is provided with a collection inlet (The space surrounding brush 20) provided corresponding to the roller brush, and the collection inlet communicates with a garbage collection area (Verhasselt provides element 34 as a garbage collection area); the housing located at the rear end of the roller brush is provided with a collection guide surface (The surface of 61) connected to the collection inlet, and a scraping strip (54; page 2, lines 14-15) is arranged on a side (The right side of 53) of the collection guide surface away from the roller brush (53 is spaced from 20) [Fig. 2].
As to claim 9, wherein the roller brush comprises a driving roller (The cylinder of 20; Fig. 2) driven by a drive (The “electric motor”) and relatively rotatably mounted on the housing (page 1, lines 62-76); Verhasselt provides the following: garbage picked up through the rolling contact is collected to the garbage collection area through the collection inlet under a rotating action of the flexible roller brush (Rotation of 20 sends garbage to the garbage collection area); and/or garbage on the ground is removed through the suction port (page 2, lines 12-14).
Boutwell does not include a periphery of the driving roller wrapped with a flexible roller brush for flexible contact with the ground.
Verhasselt includes a suction port structure of a cleaning machine (Embodiment of Fig. 8), wherein the cleaning machine comprises a periphery of a driving roller (The cylinder of 20; Fig. 8) wrapped with a flexible roller brush for flexible contact with the ground (Brush 30 is flexible and on the cylinder; para 42).
It would have been obvious to modify the roller brush of Boutwell so that a periphery of the driving roller is wrapped with a flexible roller brush for flexible contact with the ground, as taught by Verhasselt, in order to provide a brush material that dirt is able to cling to.
As to claim 15, wherein the housing is provided with a roller brush cover (17) arranged opposite to a front end of the roller brush, and the roller brush cover is provided with a dust blowing blocking portion (51) extending in a direction of the roller brush, so as to prevent the roller brush from forming local airflow blowing to the ground during rotation (51 is on the ground, which prevents airflow) [Fig. 2].
Claim 16 is the same as claim 6.
Claims 17-22 are the same as claim 7.
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Boutwell (US 1,752,882) in view of Verhasselt (US 2020/0196818), and further in view of Bloemendaal (US 2018/0116476) and Krebs (US 2015/0327741).
As to claim 3, Boutwell does not include wherein a plurality of spacing portions that are distributed at intervals are arranged in the suction port and are configured to form a plurality of suction port units facilitating balanced pressure distribution; a plurality of flow-dividing ribs are arranged at a position at which the suction port communicates with the suction channel; and outlet sides of the suction port units are located on flow-dividing inlet sides of the flow-dividing ribs.
Bloemendaal includes a suction port structure of a cleaning machine, wherein the cleaning machine comprises a suction port (190), wherein a plurality of spacing portions (The segments between each slit 195; Fig. 18 and para 75) that are distributed at intervals are arranged in the suction port and are configured to form a plurality of suction port units facilitating balanced pressure distribution (The suction port units formed by the spacing portions would balance flow pressure).
Krebs includes a plurality of flow-dividing ribs (142, which includes 144, 146, 148, and 150; para 34) are arranged at a position at which a suction port (The inlet surrounding the ribs) communicates with a suction channel (The tube downstream of the port) [Fig. 4].
It would have been obvious to modify Boutwell so that a plurality of spacing portions that are distributed at intervals are arranged in the suction port and are configured to form a plurality of suction port units facilitating balanced pressure distribution, as taught by Bloemendaal, in order to allow more liquid to enter the suction channel via the slits, providing a more thorough removal of liquid.
It would have been obvious to modify Boutwell so that a plurality of flow-dividing ribs are arranged at a position at which a suction port communicates with a suction channel, as taught by Krebs, in order to reduce the workload required for the motor by lowering the pressure in the suction channel.
The two modifications provide outlet sides of the suction port units located on flow-dividing inlet sides of the flow-dividing ribs (They are right next to each other).
Claims 4 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Boutwell (US 1,752,882) in view of Verhasselt (US 2020/0196818), and further in view of Bloemendaal (US 2018/0116476).
As to claim 4, Boutwell does not include wherein spacing portions are integrally or detachably mounted on the housing or the scraping strip, and extend in a direction of the suction port along mounting surfaces of the spacing portions.
Bloemendaal includes a suction port structure of a cleaning machine, wherein the cleaning machine comprises a suction port (190), wherein a plurality of spacing portions (The segments between each slit 195; Fig. 18 and para 75) integrally mounted on a scraping strip (182), and extend in a direction of the suction port along mounting surfaces (The surface of said segments which mounts to the remainder of the scraping strip) of the spacing portions.
It would have been obvious to modify Boutwell to have spacing portions integrally mounted on the scraping strip, and extend in a direction of the suction port along mounting surfaces of the spacing portions, as taught by Bloemendaal, in order to allow more liquid to enter the suction channel via the slits, providing a more thorough removal of liquid.
As to claim 8, a spacing is provided between the collection guide surface and the ground (53 is spaced from the ground; Fig. 2).
Boutwell does not include spacing portions located on a back of a collection guide surface and correspondingly fit with a scraping strip to form suction port units.
Bloemendaal includes a suction port structure of a cleaning machine, wherein the cleaning machine comprises spacing portions (The segments between each slit 195; Fig. 18 and para 75) are located on a back of a collection guide surface (The surface of 182) and correspondingly fit with a scraping strip (188) to form suction port units (Fig. 19).
It would have been obvious to modify Boutwell to have spacing portions located on a back of a collection guide surface and correspondingly fit with a scraping strip to form suction port units, as taught by Bloemendaal, in order to allow more liquid to enter the suction channel via the slits, providing a more thorough removal of liquid.
Claims 5 and 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Boutwell (US 1,752,882) in view of Verhasselt (US 2020/0196818), and further in view of Van Der Kooi (US 2014/0189978).
As to claim 5, Boutwell does not include wherein a lower end of the scraping strip is mounted on the housing relatively swingably.
Van Der Kooi includes a suction port structure of a cleaning machine, wherein the cleaning machine comprises a lower end (46) of a scraping strip (32) is mounted on a housing (28) relatively swingably. 32 is made of rubber (para 100 and Fig. 3-4 and 6a).
It would have been obvious to modify the scraping strip of Boutwell to be made of rubber (providing a lower end of the scraping strip mounted on the housing relatively swingably), as taught by Van Der Kooi, in order to provide an inexpensive material for the scraping strip.
As to claim 6, Boutwell does not include all of: wherein the scraping strip comprises a scraping strip body and a scraping strip mounting portion mounted on the housing, wherein the scraping strip body is provided with a scraping strip body upper end detachably or integrally connected to the scraping strip mounting portion, a thin-walled section located in a middle, and a scraping strip body lower end in interference contact with the ground, and the scraping strip body lower end is capable of swinging relative to the scraping strip body upper end by using the thin-walled section.
Van Der Kooi includes a suction port structure of a cleaning machine, wherein the cleaning machine comprises a scraping strip (32) comprising a scraping strip body (46, 50) and a scraping strip mounting portion (31) mounted on the housing, wherein the scraping strip body is provided with a scraping strip body upper end (An upper part of 46) integrally connected to the scraping strip mounting portion, a thin-walled section (A lower part of 46) located in a middle, and a scraping strip body lower end (50; para 101) in interference contact with the ground, and the scraping strip body lower end is capable of swinging relative to the scraping strip body upper end by using the thin-walled section (Fig. 3-4, Fig. 5b, and Fig. 6b). Element 50 provides the ability to allow 32 to glide on it and be lifted by it (para 109).
It would have been obvious to substitute the scraping strip of Boutwell for the rubber strip of Van Der Kooi, which includes wherein the scraping strip comprises a scraping strip body and a scraping strip mounting portion mounted on the housing, wherein the scraping strip body is provided with a scraping strip body upper end detachably or integrally connected to the scraping strip mounting portion, a thin-walled section located in a middle, and a scraping strip body lower end in interference contact with the ground, and the scraping strip body lower end is capable of swinging relative to the scraping strip body upper end by using the thin-walled section, in order to provide an inexpensive material for the scraping strip and element 50 of the strip acts a stopper for the strip when needed (para 109).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 10-14 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.
Conclusion
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.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and 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) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Monica S. Carter can be reached at (571) 272-4475. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/ANDREW A HORTON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3723