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.
Claim(s) 1, 2, 7-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Quintana et al (US Patent 6,877,170 herein after Quintana).
Regarding Claim 1, Quintana shows a plumbing assembly comprising: a tank (14); a bowl (11) in fluid communication with the tank; a re-fill assembly (34,36) fluidly coupled to the tank (Fig.2), the re-fill assembly having at least one re-fill assembly valve (34) and being configured to control a flow of water from the tank to the bowl (column 4 lines 1-7); at least one controller (26) operably coupled to the re-fill assembly (Fig.2; column 4 lines 30-40), the at least one controller configured to control the at least one re-fill assembly valve within the re-fill assembly (column 4 lines 30-40); and a first sensor (20) communicably coupled to the at least one controller (column 3 lines 10-15), the first sensor being configured to sense a water level within the bowl (fig.1; column 3 lines 19-22); wherein the at least one controller is configured to stop the flow of water responsive to the water level within the bowl satisfying a first threshold (column 4 lines 63-67- column 5 lines 1-4).
Regarding Claim 2, Quintana shows the plumbing assembly of claim 1, further comprising a lid and seat (near 11, Fig.1) assembly coupled to the bowl (column 3 lines 21-23).
Regarding Claim 7, Quintana shows the plumbing assembly of claim 1, further comprising a second sensor (16) disposed within the tank, the second sensor communicably coupled to the at least one controller and configured to sense a water level within the tank (column 3 lines 10-15).
Regarding Claim 8, Quintana shows the plumbing assembly of claim 7, wherein the at least one controller is configured to determine a leak condition of the tank responsive to the water level within the tank satisfying a second threshold (column 4 lines 63-67-column 5 lines 1-2).
Regarding claim 9, Quintana shows the plumbing assembly of claim 7, wherein the at least one controller is configured to determine a leak condition of the tank responsive to a decrease in the water level within the tank over a predetermined period of time (column 4 lines 63-67-column 5 lines 1-2).
Regarding Claim 10, Quintana shows the plumbing assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is configured to control the at least one re-fill assembly valve (column 4 lines 35-40) within the re-fill assembly by adjusting a size of an orifice (either opening or closing the orifice) within the at least one re-fill assembly valve to control the flow of the water from the tank to the bowl.
Regarding Claim 11, Quintana shows the plumbing assembly of claim 1, wherein the tank comprises a reservoir (40), the reservoir being structured to receive water (through pipe 43) from a water supply (column 5 lines 25-35).
Regarding Claim 12, Quintana shows the plumbing assembly of claim 1, wherein the bowl comprises a ridge (located in the toilet bowl wall or under the rim) formed within a wall surrounding the bowl, and wherein the first sensor is structured to have shape that is complementary to a shape of the ridge (column 3 lines 18-23).
Regarding Claim 13, Quintana shows a method for controlling a water level within a plumbing assembly, the method comprising: controlling, by a re-fill assembly (34, 35, 26), a flow of water from a tank to a bowl (column 4 lines 1-7), the re-fill assembly being coupled to the tank and the bowl being in fluid communication with the tank (Fig.2); controlling, by at least one controller (26) operably coupled to the re-fill assembly, at least one valve (34) within the re-fill assembly; sensing, by a first sensor (20) communicably coupled to the at least one controller (column 3 lines 10-14), a water level within the bowl (Fig.2); determining, by the at least one controller, the water level within the bowl satisfies a first threshold; and stopping, by the at least one controller, the flow of water to the bowl (column 4 lines 63-67- column 5 lines 1-4).
Regarding Claim 14, Quintana shows the method of claim 13, wherein determining the water level within the bowl satisfies a first threshold comprises determining the water level exceeds the first threshold (column 4 lines 63-67- column 5 lines 1-4).
Regarding Claim 15, Quintana shows the method of claim 13, wherein determining the water level within the bowl satisfies a first threshold comprises determining the water level is increasing over a predetermined period of time (column 4 lines 63-67- column 5 lines 1-4).
Regarding Claim 16, Quintana shows the method of claim 13, wherein controlling the at least one valve within the re-fill assembly comprises adjusting a size of an orifice (either opening or closing the orifice) within the at least one valve (column 4 lines 34-40).
Regarding Claim 17, Quintana shows the method of claim 13, wherein controlling the at least one valve (34) within the re-fill assembly comprises sending a signal to a solenoid (35), the solenoid being operably coupled to the at least one valve, to cause a change in operating status of the at least one valve (column 4 lines 33-40).
Regarding Claim 18, Quintana shows the method of claim 13, further comprising filling, by a filling assembly (29; Fig.2) in fluid communication with each of the tank, the bowl, and the re-fill assembly, the tank with water from a water supply (28).
Regarding Claim 19, Quintana shows the method of claim 18, further comprising sensing, by a second sensor (16) in communication with the at least one controller, a water level within the tank (column 3 lines 9-12).
Regarding claim 20, Quintana shows the method of claim 19, further comprising determining, by the at least one controller, a leak condition of the tank responsive to a determination that the water level within the tank satisfies a second threshold (column 4 lines 63-67 – column 5 lines 1-2).
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.
Claim(s) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Quintana et al (US Patent 6,877,170) in view of Kim (US Patent 20210207352).
Regarding Claim 3, Quintana shows the plumbing assembly of claim 2, but fails to show wherein the lid and seat assembly includes the at least one controller. Kim teaches a toilet the lid (120) and seat (110) assembly includes the at least one controller (150) (paragraph 21). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include the lid and seat assembly includes the at least one controller in order to save space.
Claim(s) 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Quintana et al (US Patent 6,877,170) in view of Yaoka et al (US Patent Publication 20190368180 herein after Yaoka). Quintana shows the plumbing assembly of claim 2, but fails to show wherein the lid (300) and seat (200) assembly comprises a bidet. Yaoka teaches a toilet wherein the lid and seat assembly comprises a bidet (473). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include a bidet to provide extra cleaning for the user.
Claim(s) 5 and 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Quintana et al (US Patent 6,877,170) in view of Sanderson (US Patent 5,036,553). Quintana shows the plumbing assembly of claim 1, but fails to show wherein the re-fill assembly is configured to operate according to a first mode and a second mode, the first mode corresponding to a first volume of water and the second mode corresponding to a second volume of water. Sanderson teaches a toilet wherein the re-fill assembly (62) is configured to operate according to a first mode (full flush) and a second mode (1/2 flush), the first mode corresponding to a first volume of water and the second mode corresponding to a second volume of water (column 3 lines 65-67 – column 4 lines 1-10). The second volume of water (1/2 flush) is less than the first volume of water (full flush) (column 4 lines 1-15). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include a first mode and second mode in order to conserve water.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Hayashi et al (US Patent Publication 20210270025) is directed to the state of the art as a teaching of an electronic flush valve (12).
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/LAUREN A CRANE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3754