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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
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 1-5, 7, 8 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over by Fu (US-Pub 2024/0278264) in view of Li (7762479) and Lin (11660620).
Regarding claim 1, Fu discloses a multifunctional shower (10, fig 4), comprising a shower body (32, fig 4), a diverter valve (290, 160, fig 4), a flow adjustment mechanism (66, 68, 70, 72, 78, fig 4) and a water outflow panel (42, fig 11), wherein a water inflow channel (266, fig 11) is formed in the shower body and a spray nozzle (196, fig 11) is disposed on the shower body; the water outflow panel is mounted on the shower body; the diverter valve comprises a water inflow cavity (connected to 20, fig 11), a spray lance water outflow cavity (within 204, fig 11), a shower water outflow cavity (within 62, fig 11), and a mounting cavity (inside 142, fig 5), wherein a water inflow end (side connected to 20, fig 11) of the water inflow cavity communicates with the water inflow channel, and a water outflow end (at 264, fig 11) of the water inflow cavity communicates with the spray lance water outflow cavity or the mounting cavity; a water outflow end (200, fig 11) of the spray lance water outflow cavity communicates with the spray nozzle, and a water outflow end (102, fig 11) of the shower water outflow cavity communicates with the water outflow panel; the mounting cavity is provided with a water outlet (170, fig 5) communicating with the shower water outflow cavity; the flow adjustment mechanism comprises a movable disc (70, fig 11), and a push button (78, fig 11), wherein the movable disc is mounted in the mounting cavity and is rotatable relative to the mounting cavity (par. 0042), and the push button is disposed on an outside of the shower body; and when the push button is pushed, the movable disc is rotated so as to adjust an overlapping area of an adjustment hole (140, fig 7) of the movable disc and the water outlet of the mounting cavity, thereby adjusting the water flow of the shower water outflow cavity (fig 5, it can be seen with the layers that as the push button is pushed and adjusted, different cavities become exposed and covered meaning that different flow paths will be moved as per the claim).
Fu does not disclose a toggle bar, the toggle bar is connected to a movable ceramic disc and the push button, and when the push button is pushed, the toggle bar drives the moveable ceramic disk and the water outlet of the mounting cavity, thereby adjusting the water flow of the shower, wherein a first through hole is formed in a side wall of the shower body; the toggle bar is provided with a slider bar abutting against an inner side wall of the shower body; a connecting portion of the push button is inserted from the first through hole and connected to the slider bar; and the slider bar slides on the inner side wall of the shower body when the push button is pushed to slide on an outer side wall of the shower body so as to deflect the toggle bar, thereby driving the movable ceramic disc to rotate.
Li teaches using a moveable ceramic disc (col 4, lines 2-15) to change water patterns via rotation.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the disk disclosed by Fu using a ceramic disk based on the teachings of Li. Doing so would reduce wear on the rotating disc (col 1, lines 38-48), as suggested by Li.
Lin (620) teaches a shower nozzle (10, fig 2) which uses a toggle bar (67, fig 16), the toggle bar is connected to a movable disc (33, fig 17) and a push button (66, fig 1916 and when the push button is pushed, the toggle bar drives the moveable ceramic disk and the water outlet of the mounting cavity, thereby adjusting the water flow of the shower, wherein a first through hole (where 66 goes through 12, fig 18) is formed in a side wall (12, fig 18) of the shower body; the toggle bar is provided with a slider bar (671, fig 16) abutting against an inner side wall of the shower body; a connecting portion (part between 66 and 671, fig 16) of the push button is inserted from the first through hole and connected to the slider bar; and the slider bar slides on the inner side wall of the shower body when the push button is pushed to slide on an outer side wall of the shower body so as to deflect the toggle bar, thereby driving the movable ceramic disc to rotate.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the method of rotating the disk disclosed by Fu, in view of Li, by rotating the disk via a toggle bar going through the wall of the shower body based on the teachings of Lin (620). Doing so allows for a compact and stable structure (col 10, lines 1-2), as suggested by Lin (620).
Regarding claim 2, Fu discloses wherein the spray lance water outflow cavity is provided with a first water channel (176, fig 8) and a second water channel (182, fig 8) which are independent from each other; the spray nozzle is provided with a first-aperture spray hole (200, fig 8) and second-aperture spray holes (202, fig 8); and the first water channel communicates with the first-aperture spray hole, and the second water channel communicates with the second-aperture spray holes.
Regarding claim 3, Fu discloses wherein a plurality of second-aperture spray holes (248, 15, there are multiple spray hole apertures around the opening of the sprayer 202) are provided and are spaced apart in the spray nozzle.
Regarding claim 4, Fu discloses a first switching valve (292, fig 11) and a second switching valve (294, fig 11), wherein valve sleeves (302, 332, fig 9) of the first switching valve and the second switching valve are disposed at intervals on the water inflow cavity; movable valve shafts (298, 3300, fig 9) are disposed in the valve sleeves, and the valve shafts are connected to buttons (336, 338, fig 9) that are disposed on the outside of the shower body; and the valve shafts move up and down when the buttons are pressed such that the first switching valve performs switching to make the water outflow end of the water inflow cavity communicate with the first water channel, or the second switching valve performs switching to make the water outflow end of the water inflow cavity communicate with the second water channel (fig 12 and 13, the first and second switching valves can be defined in either order, so defining the first valve as the one connected to the first channel and the second valve as the one connecting to second channel meets this limitation).
Regarding claim 5, Fu discloses wherein the buttons are disposed on a back surface of the shower body (via hole 343, fig 8), the first switching valve and the second switching valve are provided with springs (348, 350, fig 10), respectively, and the springs connect the valve shafts and the valve sleeves such that the valve shafts are movable within the valve sleeves.
Regarding claim 7, Fu discloses wherein an axially penetrating mounting hole is disposed in the center of the movable ceramic disc (hole inside 158, fig 11), a mounting shaft (158, fig 11) is disposed in the mounting cavity, and the mounting hole is in sleeve joint (hole inside 186, fig 11) with the mounting shaft.
Regarding claim 8, Fu discloses wherein a cross section of the adjustment hole (140, fig 7) and a cross section of the water outlet (outlet of 170, fig 7) of the mounting cavity are both in an arc shape.
Regarding claim 11, Fu discloses a sealing cover (68, fig 11) and a water distributor (66, fig 11), wherein the water outflow panel comprises a water outflow body (96, fig 11), a massage water rotor (108, fig 11) and a decorative cover (60, fig 11); the sealing cover is disposed at a bottom of the diverter valve and communicates with the shower water outflow cavity; the water distributor is disposed at a bottom of the sealing cover and is provided with a plurality of independent water distributing cavities (fig 11, there are a plurality of cavities around the entire circumference separated by the plates 94, fig 11); the water outflow body is disposed at a bottom of the water distributor and is provided with a plurality of water outlets for sprinkling water from the shower; the massage water rotor is in rotational sleeve joint (56, fig 11) with the water outflow body and is located between the water distributor and the water outflow body; the decorative cover is disposed on an outer side of the water outflow body, and is provided with through holes (72, 74, 76, fig 6) in sleeve joint with the plurality of the water outlets in a one-to-one correspondence manner, and the decorative cover can drive the water outflow body to rotate relative to the water distributor such that each of the water outlets communicates with one or all of the water distributing cavities.
Claims 9 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fu as modified by Lin (620) and Li in claim 1, further in view of Lin (11890624).
Regarding claim 9, Fu as modified by Lin discloses wherein the diverter valve is provided with a main body (264, 142, 290, etc., Fu), a first sealing plate (142, fig 11, Fu) and a second sealing plate (264, fig 11, Fu); the first sealing plate is disposed on a top surface of the main body to seal the shower water outflow cavity and the spray lance water outflow cavity; the second sealing plate is disposed at a bottom surface of the main body to seal the water inflow cavity and the mounting cavity, a side wall of the main body (186, fig 16, Fu) is provided with a second through hole (fig 16, hole where the end of 67 connects to the central shaft, Lin), and the toggle bar is inserted into the second through hole and connected to the moveable disk.
Fu as modified by Lin and Li does not disclose wherein the second sealing plate is provided with a pole adapted to be inserted into the mounting cavity to construct the mounting shaft.
Lin (624) teaches a shower nozzle (1, fig 15), wherein a sealing plate (11, fig 2) is provided with a pole (screw, fig 15), adapted to be inserted into the mounting cavity (screw hole in 1, fig 15) to construct the mounting shaft.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the shower nozzle disclosed by Fu by having the mounting structure have a pole the moveable disk revolves around based on the teachings of Lin (624). One of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that a pole for connecting a rotatable component helps keep the rotatable component in place.
Regarding claim 10, Fu discloses wherein a communication cavity (170, fig 7) is formed on the bottom surface of the main body, a water inflow end of the communication cavity communicates with the water outflow end of the shower water outflow cavity, and a water outflow end of the communication cavity communicates with the water outflow panel (fig 11, arrows denoting flow of water).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see remarks, filed 10/20/2025, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1-11 under Fu and Kinle have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Fu, Lin, and Li.
Conclusion
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/SEAN V MEILLER/ /GERALD L SUNG/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3741 Examiner, Art Unit 3741