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 .
Election/Restrictions
Claims 12-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 2 March 2026.
The restriction requirement of 29 December 2025 also included an Election of Species requirement, which Applicant’s response of 2 March 2026 does not address and appears to overlook. Nevertheless, after searching the invention of elected group I, it was noted that both embodiments of the invention could be searched concurrently. Therefore, the elections of species between the embodiment of figures 1-14 and the embodiment of figures 15-22 is withdrawn.
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 10-11 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.
Regarding claim 10, the limitation of “a portion of the pressure washer” in line 3 renders the claim indefinite because a “portion of the pressure washer” was positively recited in line 2. As a result, it is unclear if line 3 requires a second “portion of the pressure washer”, or if it is referring to the “portion of the pressure washer” that was already recited. For the purposes of examination, the latter interpretation will be assumed; this appears to be consistent with the drawings.
Claim 11 is rejected for depending from indefinite claim 10.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
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 1-4 and 7-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ossian et al. (US 2008/0245894).
Regarding claim 1, Ossian teaches a pressure washer system (10, see par. 3) comprising:
a frame (14);
a container (52) carried by the frame (fig. 4) configured to receive a volume of liquid (par. 51);
a pump (60) configured to pump the liquid from the container (par. 51);
a dispenser (32) attached to the container for distributing the liquid out of the container (par. 51; figs. 4, 6); and
a handle (84) connected to the frame (fig. 1), the handle being movable relative to the frame between:
a use-based position in which the handle is pushed to propel the pressure washer, wherein the handle has a first dimension in the use-based position (fig. 1); and
a stowed position in which the handle has a second dimension smaller than the first dimension when the handle is in the use-based position (par. 53 – “collapsed via screw clamps 86, 88 for convenient storage”).
Regarding claim 2, Ossian teaches the pressure washer system described regarding claim 1, and, as shown in the annotated figure below, wherein the handle further comprises: a lower handle section fixedly extending from the frame; an upper rotating handle section rotatable relative to the lower handle section (par. 53); and a gripping handle section fixedly extending from the upper rotating handle section.
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Regarding claim 3, Ossian teaches the pressure washer system described regarding claim 2, and wherein the upper rotating handle section is releasably secured to the lower handle section by a quick clamp (86/88, see par. 53 - “screw clamps”).
Regarding claim 4, Ossian teaches the pressure washer system described regarding claim 2, and wherein the upper rotating handle section is releasably secured to the lower handle section using a mounting shaft collar (fig. 2 – the collar is the head portion of 86/88 that can be gripped) and a screw (par. 53 – “screw clamps”).
Regarding claim 7, Ossian teaches the pressure washer system described regarding claim 2, and wherein the upper rotating handle section rotates approximately 180 degrees about a longitudinal axis of the pressure washer when it is rotated relative to the lower handle section in order to move the handle from use-based position to the stowed position (par. 53; figs. 1, 2 – by loosening the screw clamps 86, 88).
Regarding claim 8, Ossian teaches the pressure washer system described regarding claim 2, and wherein the upper rotating handle section is substantially parallel to the ground when in the stowed position (par. 53; figs. 1, 2 – by loosening the screw clamps 86, 88 the upper rotating handle section can be oriented in any position desired).
Regarding claim 9, Ossian teaches the pressure washer system described regarding claim 1, and further comprising a storage caddy configured to receive one or more of a hose, a wand, and an accessory (fig. 1 – both a hose 82 and a wand 74 are stored on the handle).
Regarding claim 10, Ossian teaches the pressure washer system described regarding claim 1, and further comprising a shroud (12) configured to be removably mounted (par. 50) to a portion of the pressure washer to surround a portion of the pressure washer (par. 47; fig. 1).
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 5-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ossian in view of Junk et al. (US 2011/0186004).
Regarding claim 5, Ossian discloses the pressure washer system described regarding claim 2, but not further comprising a sleeve configured to receive an end of the upper rotating handle section; a threaded device configured to be removably inserted into a plurality of openings formed in the sleeve, the upper rotating handle section and the lower handle section; and a knob having an opening configured to receive a portion of the threaded device.
Junk teaches a pressure washer system (20, see par. 17) comprising: an upper rotating handle section (62); a lower handle section (60); a sleeve (32) configured to receive an end of the upper rotating handle section (fig. 5); a threaded device (74, see par. 26) configured to be removably inserted into a plurality of openings formed in the sleeve, the upper rotating handle section and the lower handle section (par. 25); and a knob (81) having an opening configured to receive a portion of the threaded device (fig. 5).
It would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art to have modified the pressure washer system of Ossian to further comprise a sleeve configured to receive an end of the upper rotating handle section; a threaded device configured to be removably inserted into a plurality of openings formed in the sleeve, the upper rotating handle section and the lower handle section; and a knob having an opening configured to receive a portion of the threaded device, as taught by Junk. Ossian does not explicitly disclose the details of the structure connecting the upper rotating handle section to the lower handle section, and the specific structure of Junk would provide such a connection having the functionality and compatibility required by the system of Ossian.
Regarding claim 6, Ossian in view of Junk discloses the pressure washer system described regarding claim 5, and Junk further teaches wherein the sleeve further comprises at least one tab (84, see par. 32 and fig. 2); and wherein the lower handle section further comprises at least one groove configured to receive the at least one tab (see figure below).
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Claims 10 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ossian.
Ossian discloses the pressure washer system described regarding claim 1, and comprising wherein the pressure washer further comprises a shroud (76) configured to be mounted to a portion of the pressure washer to surround a portion of the pressure washer (fig. 2, 18), regarding claim 10, and an adjustable pressure knob (94) between the container and the dispenser (par. 56-59 – the knob controls the flow of the fluid between the container and the dispenser), the adjustable pressure knob configured to only be rotated 360 degrees or less (fig. 18 – the positions to which the knob rotates are arranged on a circle less than 360 degrees); and wherein the shroud further comprises at least one opening configured to receive the adjustable pressure knob when the shroud is mounted to the pressure washer (fig. 2, 18). Ossian does not explicitly disclose that the shroud is removable.
Nevertheless, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have made the shroud removable since it has been held that it would be obvious to make an element removable if it were desirable to obtain access to some other element of the apparatus. In re Dulberg, 289 F.2d 522, 523, 129 USPQ 348, 349 (CCPA 1961). See MPEP 2144.04.V.C. In this particular instance, providing Ossian with a removable shroud would allow access to the components housed within it.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Bearup et al. (US 2012/0234939) and Masters both disclose pressure washer systems having elements of the claimed invention.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CODY J LIEUWEN whose telephone number is (571)272-4477. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday 8-5, Friday varies.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Arthur Hall can be reached at (571) 270-1814. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CODY J LIEUWEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3752