DETAILED ACTION
This is a final rejection in response to amendments filed 11/28/25. Claims 1-7 are currently pending.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-7 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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 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.
Claim(s) 1-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Miller (US 5819987) in view of Corsette (EP0274620) and further in view of Clark et al. (US 5439141).
Regarding independent claim 1, Miller teaches a sprinkling can, comprising:
a spray head 112, a trigger 110, a pump body, a suction assembly 120, a housing 110, and a bottle body 130, wherein the spray head and the trigger are fixed on an outer side of the pump body (see fig. 2), the pump body is provided with a water inlet and outlet facility and a ventilation facility (see fig. 1), a top of the pump body is provided with a pump cavity 156, and an elastic device 152,154 is disposed in the pump cavity, wherein a bottom of the pump body is clamped with a top of the suction assembly (see fig. 2), the suction assembly comprises:
a connection sleeve selected from the group consisting of:
(a) connection sleeve I, which comprises a suction pipe column 175, an air inlet column 145,and a booster pump base 160 having a water passing hole; and
a suction pipe 135 inserted into a bottom of the suction pipe column, and
a booster pump whose top is clamped with a bottom of the booster pump base (col. 5, ll. 30-45);
wherein the air inlet column 145 and the suction pipe column of the selected connection sleeve are internally hollow, and
a glass ball is disposed in the suction pipe column (col. 10, ll. 10-19).
Miller is silent to (b) connection sleeve II, which comprises a suction pipe column and an air inlet column, and whose booster pump base does not have a water passing hole.
Corsette teaches it was known to have a unitary valving element that is modular and can be configured with different valve arrangements (col. 7, ll. 6-47).
Clark teaches it was known to have a dual liquid spraying system wherein flow pathways may be selectively modified. Clark teaches (b) connection sleeve II 88, which comprises a suction pipe column 102 and an air inlet column 109, and whose booster pump base 92 does not have a water passing hole (col. 5, ll. 50-55). While not explicitly the same, Clark teaches it was known to have a ball valve to block the water hole and remain closed during certain conditions (col. 6, ll. 15-30).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill at the time of filing to modify Miller to be modular, as taught by Corsette, and to have a sleeve as taught by Clark as part of an obvious combination of known prior art structures, in this case the use of solenoid valves in fuel systems, to achieve predictable results, in this case, to provide a flexible multipurpose product with reduced cost as less tooling would be needed. See KSR; MPEP 2141 III A.
Regarding dependent claim 2, Miler in view of Corsette and further in view of Clark teaches the invention as claimed and discussed above. Clark further teaches wherein a spray head base 46 and a trigger base are disposed on two sides of the pump cavity 58, the spray head 12 and the trigger 50 are fixed on the spray head base and the trigger base respectively, a piston 60 and a spring 62 are disposed in the pump cavity, a top of the piston abuts against the trigger, and a bottom of the piston abuts against the spring.
Regarding dependent claim 3, Miler in view of Corsette and further in view of Clark teaches the invention as claimed and discussed above. Miler in view of Corsette and further in view of Clark as modified further teaches wherein a water outlet channel 66 (Clark) is disposed in the spray head base, a bottom of the pump cavity is provided with a water inlet hole 64 (Clark) and a water outlet hole, outer sides of the water outlet hole and the water outlet channel extend downwards to form a booster column 88 (Clark), the water outlet hole communicates with the water outlet channel of the spray head base (col. 5 ll. 55-65, Clark), the water inlet hole extends downwards to form a water inlet column 102 (Clark), a side wall of the pump cavity is provided with an air outlet hole (142 of Miller), an air inlet channel is disposed below an outer side of the air outlet hole (passage 51 outwardly of lip seal 41 between skirt 52 and inner surface of cylinder 18, Corsette), the air inlet channel extends downwards to form an air outlet column (Vent passage 51 extends downwards along inner surface of cylinder 18 to communicate with vent port 48, Corsette), the top of the booster pump base 150 (Miller) is in inserted connection with the booster column, the water inlet column is in inserted connection with the suction pipe column, and the air inlet column is in inserted connection with the air outlet column (Vent passage 51 extends downwards along inner surface of cylinder 18 to communicate with vent port 48, Corsette).
Regarding dependent claim 4, Miler in view of Corsette and further in view of Clark teaches the invention as claimed and discussed above. Clark further teaches wherein a clamping groove I 68 is disposed on a side wall of the pump body, a clamping block I 84 is disposed on a side wall of the connection sleeve I, and the suction assembly is fixed in the pump body through matching between the clamping block I and the clamping groove I (col. 6, ll. 1-10, claim 2).
Regarding dependent claim 5, Miler in view of Corsette and further in view of Clark teaches the invention as claimed and discussed above. Miler further teaches wherein a clamping groove II 121 is disposed on a side wall of the booster pump base, an inserting column is disposed on an upper portion of the booster pump (pump 150 connected to conduit 120), a top of the inserting column 156 is provided with a booster pump opening, a clamping block II is disposed on a side surface of the inserting column (col. 8, ll.50-55), the inserting column is inserted into the booster pump base from an opening at a bottom of the connection sleeve I (dip tube 145 connected to fluid transfer channel 160), the water passing hole is located in a center of a top of the booster pump base (fluid transfer channel 160 centrally located relative to pump components fig. 2), and the booster pump opening is opposite to the water passing hole and is fixed onto the connection sleeve I through matching between the clamping block II and the clamping groove II (col. 8, ll. 50-55, fig. 1).
Regarding dependent claim 6, Miler in view of Corsette and further in view of Clark teaches the invention as claimed and discussed above. Clark further teaches wherein an inner diameter of the glass ball is greater than an inner diameter of a closing opening at a joint between the suction pipe column and the connection sleeve I (col. 6, ll. 15-25).
Regarding dependent claim 7, Miler in view of Corsette and further in view of Clark teaches the invention as claimed and discussed above. Miler further teaches wherein the housing is clamped to an outer wall of the pump body, the bottle body is clamped to an inner wall of the pump body, and a bottom of the housing abuts against a top of the bottle body (see fig. 1).
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CRAIG SANG KIM whose telephone number is (571)270-1418. The examiner can normally be reached 7:00 AM - 3:00 PM.
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/CRAIG KIM/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3741