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 Objections
Claim 11 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 11: There appears to be a typo. The element “shearing drivier” appears to have “driver” misspelled.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 (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 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, 10, and 14-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Guo (CN 11093854) in view of Jung (US PG Pub No. 20120013907).
In regards to claim 1, Guo discloses
a cleaner for clearing away tangles on a roller brush of a vacuum cleaner, the cleaner comprising:
a feed driver (drive motor 17, fig. 1-3, 9-10, 13-15);
a feeder (a first movable blade 13, fig. 1-3, 9-10, 13-15); and
a cutter (a second fixed blade 12, fig. 1-3, 9-10, 13-15), wherein:
the feed driver (drive motor 17, fig. 1-3, 9-10, 13-15) is configured to receive control signal to drive the feeder (movable blade 13, fig. 1-3, 9-10, 13-15) to move at least between
a pick-up position (second position [0072]) and
a working position (first position [0072]) so as to pull down tangles on the roller brush,
[0066]…The drive mechanism is in a linkage engagement with the movable blade 13 and configured to drive a reciprocation of the movable blade 13 relative to the fixed blade 12 between a first position and a second position. At least two movable blades 13 have movement directions opposite to each other. In this embodiment, during the reciprocation of the movable blade 13 relative to the fixed blade 12, the toothed edge 14 of the fixed blade 12 and the toothed edge 14 of the movable blade 13 are interleaved relative to each other to perform cutting movement, to achieving cutting of hair wound on the roller brush.
[0072] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, with continued reference to FIG. 1 to FIG. 6, there are N+1 drive members 16, i.e., there are six drive members 16 and five movable blades 13. The five movable blades 13 are each located at a side of the rotary shaft 15. One movable blade 13 is disposed between two adjacent drive members 16. The drive member 16 has two end surfaces 160 opposite to each other. Each of the N movable blades 13 has two driven portions 130 opposite to each other in a length direction of the movable blade 13, and the end surface 160 is in a linkage engagement with the driven portion 130. In some embodiments, at the first position, one of the driven portions 130 of the movable blade 13 is abutted against an end surface 160 of the drive member 16 adjacent to the one driven portion to be pushed towards the second position; at the second position, another one of the driven portions 130 of the movable blade 13 is abutted against an end surface 160 of the drive member 16 adjacent to the other driven portion to be pushed towards the first position. That is, the drive member 16 is in contact with the driven portion 130 of the movable blade 13 through the end surface 160 to drive the movable blade 13. Moreover, each of the movable blades 13 may be driven by the drive members 16 adjacent to the movable blade to perform cutting motion whether the movable blade 13 is at the first position or the second position.
a distance between the working position and an axis (central transverse axis) of the roller brush
being greater than a distance between the pick-up position and the axis of the roller brush (as they move back and forth, one position is closer than the other),
the cutter (a second movable blade 13, fig. 1-3, 9-10, 13-15) being closer to the working position relative to the pick-up position; and
the cutter (a second movable blade 13, fig. 1-3, 9-10, 13-15) comprising a first shearing member and a second shearing member (there are N groups of blades, therein at least a first and second shearing member) that are fitted with each other,
[0066]: N groups of blades and a drive mechanism. The N groups of blades are located in the housing and are linearly arranged. The N groups of blades each include a fixed blade 12 and a movable blade 13, where N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2. N fixed blades 12 and N movable blades 13 are each linearly arranged and are located in the housing 11. Each of the N movable blades 13 corresponds to one of the N fixed blades 12. Each of the N fixed blades 12 and each of the N movable blades 13 have a toothed edge 14 protruding from the opening 110 towards an outer side of the housing 11, and the toothed edge 14 of the fixed blade 12 is tightly fitted to the toothed edge 14 of the movable blade 13
and the first shearing member and the second shearing member being configured to reciprocate relative to each other to shear off the tangles pulled down by the feeder (movable blade 13, fig. 1-3, 9-10, 13-15).
[0066]: At least two movable blades 13 have movement directions opposite to each other. In this embodiment, during the reciprocation of the movable blade 13 relative to the fixed blade 12, the toothed edge 14 of the fixed blade 12 and the toothed edge 14 of the movable blade 13 are interleaved relative to each other to perform cutting movement, to achieving cutting of hair wound on the roller brush.
However, Guo fails to explicitly disclose that the signal for controlling drive feeder comes the from “a clearing controller.”
However, Jung, which also discloses a system for clearing a vacuum cleaner using a base station, driven brush feeder and a cutter, discloses using a controller for dictating all operating functions:
[0151] The controller receives signals from the various sensors 50, and controls the driving unit 30 and cleaning unit 40, based on the received signals, thereby more efficiently controlling the robot cleaner 20.
[0154] The maintenance station 60 may include a housing 61, a docking guide unit 70, a charging unit 80, a dust removal unit 90, and a controller (not shown).
Jung and Guo are considered analogous to the claimed invention as they are in the same field of endeavor, vacuum cleaners and stations with brush cleaning members.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Guo to incorporate the teachings of Jung and provide a controller to functionally execute the operation requirements of the cleaning station.
In regards to claim 10, Guo as modified discloses
the cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the feed driver (drive motor 17, fig. 1-3, 9-10, 13-15) is connected to the feeder (movable blade 13, fig. 1-3, 9-10, 13-15) and drives the feeder (movable blade 13, fig. 1-3, 9-10, 13-15) to reciprocate between the pick-up position and the working position ([0072]), and a frequency of a movement of the feeder (movable blade 13, fig. 1-3, 9-10, 13-15) is smaller than a frequency of a relative reciprocation of the first shearing member and the second shearing member.
In regards to claim 12, Guo as modified discloses
a base station (base station 300, fig. 24, 26-27), wherein the base station (base station 300, fig. 24, 26-27) comprises a station body (base 30, fig. 24, 26-27) and the cleaner according to claim 1, the station body is provided with a working chamber for a vacuum cleaner to dock or leave (see receiving area in fig. 24 and 26, 27), and the cleaner is embedded in a bottom wall of the working chamber (see fig. 27).
In regards to claim 14, Guo discloses
a vacuum cleaner system comprising:
a vacuum cleaner (cleaning device 200, fig. 25-27); and
a base station (base station 300, fig. 24, 26-27) for maintaining the vacuum cleaner, wherein:
the base station (base station 300, fig. 24, 26-27) comprises
a cleaner for clearing away tangles on a roller brush of the vacuum cleaner and a station body, the cleaner comprising:
a feed driver (drive motor 17, fig. 1-3, 9-10, 13-15);
a feeder (movable blade 13, fig. 1-3, 9-10, 13-15); and a cutter (a second movable blade 13, fig. 1-3, 9-10, 13-15), wherein:
the feed driver (drive motor 17, fig. 1-3, 9-10, 13-15) is configured to receive control signal to drive the feeder (movable blade 13, fig. 1-3, 9-10, 13-15) to move at least between a pick-up position and a working position so as to pull down tangles on the roller brush ([0072]),
a distance between the working position and an axis of the roller brush being greater than a distance between the pick-up position and the axis of the roller brush (relative to the tranverse axis), the cutter (a second movable blade 13, fig. 1-3, 9-10, 13-15) being closer to the working position relative to the pick-up position; and
the cutter (a second movable blade 13, fig. 1-3, 9-10, 13-15) comprising
a first shearing member and a second shearing member that are fitted with each other, and the first shearing member and the second shearing member being configured to reciprocate relative to each other to shear off the tangles pulled down by the feeder (movable blade 13, fig. 1-3, 9-10, 13-15); and the station body is provided with a working chamber for the vacuum cleaner to dock or leave, the cleaner is embedded in a bottom wall of the working chamber, and when the vacuum cleaner docks at the working chamber, the cleaner clears away tangles on a roller brush of the vacuum cleaner.
However, Guo fails to explicitly disclose that the signal for controlling drive feeder comes the from “a clearing controller.”
However, Jung, which also discloses a system for clearing a vacuum cleaner using a base station, driven brush feeder and a cutter, discloses using a controller for dictating all operating functions:
[0151] The controller receives signals from the various sensors 50, and controls the driving unit 30 and cleaning unit 40, based on the received signals, thereby more efficiently controlling the robot cleaner 20.
[0154] The maintenance station 60 may include a housing 61, a docking guide unit 70, a charging unit 80, a dust removal unit 90, and a controller (not shown).
Jung and Guo are considered analogous to the claimed invention as they are in the same field of endeavor, vacuum cleaners and stations with brush cleaning members.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Guo to incorporate the teachings of Jung and provide a controller to functionally execute the operation requirements of the cleaning station.
In regards to claim 15, Guo as modified discloses
the vacuum cleaner system according to claim 14, wherein the vacuum cleaner comprises: a roller brush assembly (brush head 202, fig. 21) comprising the roller brush (brush head rod 202a and wipe member 202b, fig. 21) and configured to sweep garbage on a surface to work on; and
a controller (as taught by Jung) configured to control the roller brush assembly (brush head 202, fig. 21) to rotate or stop (turn off or turn off) according to at least a maintenance state (docking) of the vacuum cleaner and
directly or indirectly control the cleaner (controller of Jung to operate the cleaner) to clear away the tangles on the roller brush (brush head rod 202a and wipe member 202b, fig. 21) when receiving a signal indicating that the roller brush assembly stops at a first preset phase, the controller being further configured to control the roller brush assembly to rotate and stop at one or more phases different from the first preset phase and directly or indirectly control the cleaner to clear away the tangles on the roller brush (brush head rod 202a and wipe member 202b, fig. 21) respectively at a phase where the roller brush assembly stops.
Examiner’s Note: As the controller dictates the operation of the vacuum cleaner, a skilled artisan would recognize it capable of dictating its operations, including stopping and starting the cleaning operations when the vacuum cleaner is going under maintenance.
In regards to claim 16, Guo as modified discloses
the vacuum cleaner system according to claim 15, wherein the vacuum cleaner further comprises a detector (docking guide unit 70), the detector being configured to detect a phase of the roller brush assembly (whether the unit is docked on the platform and subsequently opening the door of the maintenance station), and the detector being connected to the controller and transmitting the signal about the phase of the roller brush assembly to the controller.
In regards to claim 17, Guo as modified discloses
the vacuum cleaner system according to claim 14, wherein:
the vacuum cleaner is provided with a roller brush assembly (brush head 202, fig. 21), the roller brush assembly (brush head 202, fig. 21) comprising connectors (end caps of brush head rod 202a, see fig. 22) and a roller shaft (brush head rod 202a, fig. 22), and the connectors being configured to mount the roller brush assembly to the vacuum cleaner;
the roller shaft is connected to the connectors, sweeping members (wipe members 202b, fig. 22) extending along an axial direction of the roller shaft are connected to the roller shaft;
when the roller shaft rotates, the sweeping members are driven to sweep a surface to work on so as to clean the surface to work on; and
the roller brush assembly (brush head 202, fig. 21) further comprises guide members (external plates of the vacuum cleaner, see fig. 19), the guide members being arranged at two ends of the roller shaft in a length direction and distributed along a circumferential direction of the roller shaft, and each end of the roller shaft being at least provided with two or more of the guide members to support tangles entangled on the roller brush (brush head rod 202a and wipe member 202b, fig. 21) such that the tangles are away from an outer periphery of the roller shaft when being entangled on the roller brush (brush head rod 202a and wipe member 202b, fig. 21).
In regards to claim 18, Guo as modified discloses
the vacuum cleaner system according to claim 17, wherein a respective guide member of the guide members comprises a guide surface and a support surface that are connected to each other, and the guide surface is close to the connector relative to the support surface (the internal siding of the vacuum cleaner body provides this structure); and the guide surface is configured to guide the tangles to the support surface, and the support surface is configured to support the tangles on a surface thereof.
In regards to claim 19, Guo as modified discloses
the vacuum cleaner system according to claim 17, wherein the respective guide member crosses (the two are arranged perpendicular to each other, therefore the guide member “crosses”) a sweeping member in a length direction of the roller brush assembly.
In regards to claim 20, Guo as modified discloses
the vacuum cleaner system according to claim 15, wherein the vacuum cleaner further comprises
a controller (as taught by Jung),
a fan (as taught by Jung, [0129]) and
a dust box (as taught by Jung, [0129]), the controller being connected to the fan, and after the cleaner finishes clearing the roller brush (brush head rod 202a and wipe member 202b, fig. 21), the controller is capable of to control the fan to start so as to suction cut tangles into the dust box.
[0129] The first dust box 43 may be divided into a larger dust box 43a and a smaller dust box 43b by a partition 43c. The brush unit 41 may sweep dust having a relatively-large size into the larger dust box 43a via the first inlet 43a'. A fan unit 22 may be provided to suck small-size dust such as hairs via a second inlet 43b', and thus to collect the dust in the smaller dust box 43b. In particular, a brush cleaning member 41c is arranged at a position adjacent to the second inlet 43b'. The brush cleaning member 41c removes hairs wound around the brush unit 41, and then collects the removed hairs in the smaller dust box 43b via the second inlet 43b', using a suction force of the fan unit 22.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-9 and 11-13 objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
In regards to claim 2, Guo as modified discloses the cleaner according to claim 1, with wherein the feeder has a hooking structure, but fails to disclose that hooking structures are arranged along a length direction of the feeder, wherein the length direction of the feeder is parallel with the axis (recited in claim 1) of the roller brush (brush head rod 202a and wipe member 202b, fig. 21).
Guo’s feeder moves/reciprocates relative to the transverse axis of roller brush. However, the hooking structures of Guo are along the longitudinal axis of the roller brush. As such, Guo fails to disclose or anticipate claimed structure, stemming from its movement between positions is lateral.
As claims 3-10 depend upon claim 2, they are similarly considered allowable.
In regards to claim 11, Guo as modified discloses
the cleaner according to claim 1, but fails to disclose the cleaner further comprises “a shearing drivier, the shearing drivier” being connected to the cutter and configured to drive the first shearing member and the second shearing member to reciprocate so as to shear off the tangles, and the shearing drivier and the feed driver (drive motor 17, fig. 1-3, 9-10, 13-15) at least partially having a same structure.
Guo does not have the shearing driver, but only one driver. It would not be obvious to duplicate parts for another driver when considering Guo’s disclosure, nor configure it so that it is attached to a different “cutter” element. Guo discloses a movable blade (13) and fixed blade (12) for the blade to move relative to. Adding a driver to the fixed blade goes against Guo’s operational intent.
In regards to claim 13, Guo as modified discloses
the base station according to claim 12, wherein the base station comprises the clearing controller (as taught by Jung [0154] to control the operations of the station)), the clearing controller is electrically connected to the feeder (movable blade 13, fig. 1-3, 9-10, 13-15) and the cutter (a second movable blade 13, fig. 1-3, 9-10, 13-15). Guo fails to disclose the clearing controller controls the cutter (a second movable blade 13, fig. 1-3, 9-10, 13-15) “to start prior to the” feeder (movable blade 13, fig. 1-3, 9-10, 13-15), and the clearing controller controls the feeder (movable blade 13, fig. 1-3, 9-10, 13-15) “to stop operation prior” to the cutter (a second movable blade 13, fig. 1-3, 9-10, 13-15).
The assembly of Guo is such that the driver moves a pulley, and all elements attached move as one unit. Since Guo has a moving assembly and a fixed assembly, either all of the moving assembly is active, or inactive. Since Guo fails to provide individually controllable feeder and cutter, the controller as taught would not be capable of executing this functionality.
Conclusion
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/JASON KHALIL HAWKINS/Examiner, Art Unit 3723
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