DETAILED ACTION
This is in response to the Patent Application filed 12/27/2025 wherein claims 1-7 are presented for examination.
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 .
Drawings
The drawings are also objected to under 37 CFR 1.84(l). All drawings must be made by a process which will give them satisfactory reproduction characteristics. Every line, number, and letter must be durable, clean, black (except for color drawings), sufficiently dense and dark, and uniformly thick and well-defined. The weight of all lines and letters must be heavy enough to permit adequate reproduction. This requirement applies to all lines however fine, to shading, and to lines representing cut surfaces in sectional views. Lines and strokes of different thicknesses may be used in the same drawing where different thicknesses have a different meaning.
The drawings are also objected to under 37 CFR 1.84(m). The use of shading in views is encouraged if it aids in understanding the invention and if it does not reduce legibility. Shading is used to indicate the surface or shape of spherical, cylindrical, and conical elements of an object. Flat parts may also be lightly shaded. Such shading is preferred in the case of parts shown in perspective, but not for cross sections. See paragraph (h)(3) of this section. Spaced lines for shading are preferred. These lines must be thin, as few in number as practicable, and they must contrast with the rest of the drawings. As a substitute for shading, heavy lines on the shade side of objects can be used except where they superimpose on each other or obscure reference characters. Light should come from the upper left corner at an angle of 45°. Surface delineations should preferably be shown by proper shading. Solid black shading areas are not permitted, except when used to represent bar graphs or color.
The drawings are also objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the “depth of the second sliding groove is less than that of the first sliding groove at the communication between the first sliding groove and the second sliding groove” (Claim 5, lines 1-3), the “depth of the first sliding groove is less than that of the third sliding groove at the communication between the first sliding groove and the third sliding groove” (Claim 5, lines 3-5), the “depth of the third sliding groove is less than that of the fourth sliding groove at the communication between the third sliding groove and the fourth sliding groove” (Claim 5, lines 5-7), and the “depth of the fourth sliding groove is less than that of the second sliding groove at the communication between the fourth sliding groove and the second sliding groove” (Claim 5, lines 7-9) must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). The drawings (Figure 3) do not depict depths of any of the sliding grooves. No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Specification
The amendment filed 12/27/2025 is objected to under 35 U.S.C. 132(a) because it introduces new matter into the disclosure. 35 U.S.C. 132(a) states that no amendment shall introduce new matter into the disclosure of the invention. The added material which is not supported by the original disclosure is as follows: “the first sliding groove has a left deeper and right shallower configuration; the second sliding groove has a left shallower and right deeper configuration; and the fourth sliding groove has a left deeper and right shallower configuration. Further, the depth of the second sliding groove is lesser than that of the first sliding groove at the communication between the first sliding groove and the second sliding groove; the depth of the first sliding groove is lesser than that of the third sliding groove at the communication between the first sliding groove and the third sliding groove; the depth of the third sliding groove is lesser than that of the fourth sliding groove at the communication between the third sliding groove and the fourth sliding groove; the depth of the fourth sliding groove is lesser than that of the second sliding groove at the communication between the fourth sliding groove and the second sliding groove” (Paragraphs 0013-0014); “the first sliding groove 13 has a left deeper and right shallower configuration; the second sliding groove 14 has a left shallower and right deeper configuration; and the fourth sliding groove 16 has a left deeper and right shallower configuration. Further, in the above-mentioned technical solution, the depth of the second sliding groove 14 is lesser than that of the first sliding groove 13 at the communication between the first sliding groove 13 and the second sliding groove 14; the depth of the first sliding groove 13 is lesser than that of the third sliding groove 15 at the communication between the first sliding groove 13 and the third sliding groove 15; the depth of the third sliding groove 15 is lesser than that of the fourth sliding groove 16 at the communication between the third sliding groove 15 and the fourth sliding groove 16; the depth of the fourth sliding groove 16 is lesser than that of the second sliding groove 14 at the communication between the fourth sliding groove 16 and the second sliding groove 14” (Paragraphs 0032-0033); and “since the depth of the second sliding groove 14 is lesser than that of the first sliding groove 13 . . . the depth of the first sliding groove 13 is lesser than that of the third sliding groove 15” (Paragraph 0037). The originally filed drawings do not show the depths (respectively shallower or deeper) of any of the sliding grooves and the originally filed specification does not discuss any depth of any of the grooves. Applicant is required to cancel the new matter in the reply to this Office Action.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claims 4-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention. Claim 4 recites “the first sliding groove has a left deeper and right shallower configuration; the second sliding groove has a left shallower and right deeper configuration; and the fourth sliding groove has a left deeper and right shallower configuration.” and Claim 5 recites “wherein a depth of the second sliding groove is less than that of the first sliding groove at the communication between the first sliding groove and the second sliding groove; a depth of the first sliding groove is less than that of the third sliding groove at that communication between the first sliding groove and the third sliding groove; a depth of the third sliding groove is less than that of the fourth sliding groove at the communication between the third sliding groove and the fourth sliding groove; and a depth of the fourth sliding groove is less than that of the second sliding groove at the communication between the fourth sliding groove and the second sliding groove”. Applicant’s originally filed disclosure does not show or describe the depths of the sliding grooves. Therefore, the claims contain subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one having ordinary skill in the art that Applicant had possession of the claimed invention at the time the application was filed.
Claims 5-7 are rejected for the same reason discussed above based on their dependency to claim 4.
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 1-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kiyohiko (JP 2009022848 A).
Regarding Independent Claim 1, Kiyohiko teaches (Figures 1-8) a water outlet control structure (1, 3) of a water spray gun (A; see Figure 1), comprising: a water spray gun head (1); and a pressing handle (3), the water spray gun head (1) being configured to spray water flow (from 1a), the pressing handle (3) being configured to control a switch of the water flow (via 2c), and the water spray gun head (1) being rotatably connected to (see Figures 1 and 4-6) the pressing handle (3), wherein the pressing handle (3) is movably connected to a clamping piece (5); the water spray gun head (1) is provided with a moving groove (4a, 4b, 4c; “the cam 4 is provided on either the nozzle body 1 or the operating member 3, and the follower 5a is provided on the other, and these are disposed so as to face each other across the space between them” – Paragraph 0014) at a side wall (see Figures 1 and 4-6); the moving groove (4a, 4b, 4c) comprises: a first sliding groove (annotated below), a second sliding groove (annotated below), a third sliding groove (annotated below), a fourth sliding groove (annotated below), a first limiting block (annotated below), and a second limiting block (annotated below); and the clamping piece (5) covers the moving groove (4a, 4b, 4c) in a reset state (when clamping piece 5 is moved between 4b and 4a, the clamping piece 5 will overlap the moving groove; see Figures 1-8 and annotation below) and is slidably connected to (via 5a) the moving groove (4a, 4b, 4c).
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Regarding Claim 2, Kiyohiko teaches the invention as claimed and as discussed above. Kiyohiko further teaches (Figures 1-8) wherein the clamping piece (5) comprises: a clamping piece body (5; see Figure 3a); a sliding portion (5a); and a clamping portion (5b), the sliding portion (5a) is fixedly connected to a head portion (at the left side of 5 in Figures 5a and 6a) of the clamping piece body (5; see Figure 3a); the sliding portion (5a) is slidably connected to (see Figure 3b) the moving groove (4a, 4b, 4c); the clamping portion (5b) is fixedly connected to a tail portion (the right side of 5 in Figures 5a and 6a) of the clamping piece body (5; see Figure 3a); and the clamping piece body (5) is movably connected to (see Figure 4a) the pressing handle (3) via the clamping portion (5b).
Regarding Claim 3, Kiyohiko teaches the invention as claimed and as discussed above. Kiyohiko further teaches (Figures 1-8) wherein the first sliding groove (annotated above) is in communication with (see arrows in Figure 3b) the second sliding groove (annotated above); the first sliding groove (annotated above) is in communication with (see arrows in Figure 3b) the third sliding groove (annotated above); the third sliding groove (annotated above) is in communication with (see arrows in Figure 3b) the fourth sliding groove (annotated above); the fourth sliding groove (annotated above) is in communication with (see arrows in Figure 3b) the second sliding groove (annotated above); the first limiting block (annotated above) is configured to guide extension directions (see Figure 3b) of the first sliding groove (annotated above) and the second sliding groove (annotated above); the second limiting block (annotated above) is configured to guide extension directions (see Figure 3b) of the third sliding groove (annotated above), the fourth sliding groove (annotated above), and the first limiting block (annotated above); and the first limiting block (annotated above) and the second limiting block (annotated above) are both fixedly connected to (see Figures 1 and 4-6) the water spray gun head (1).
Regarding Claim 4, Kiyohiko teaches the invention as claimed and as discussed above. Kiyohiko further teaches (Figures 1-8) wherein the first sliding groove (annotated above) has a left deeper and right shallower configuration (when in the orientation shown in Figure 4b; see the depth direction annotated below); the second sliding groove (annotated above) has a left shallower and right deeper configuration (when viewed from the side of the nozzle with the outlet and handle facing right; see the depth direction annotated below); and the fourth sliding groove (annotated above) has a left deeper and right shallower configuration (when the nozzle is oriented with the handle above the outlet; see Figures 1, 3, and annotation below).
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Regarding Claim 5, Kiyohiko teaches the invention as claimed and as discussed above. Kiyohiko further teaches (Figures 1-8) wherein a depth of the second sliding groove (annotated above) is less than (when the nozzle is oriented with the handle above the outlet; see the depth direction annotated above) that of the first sliding groove (see annotation above) at the communication between the first sliding groove (annotated above) and the second sliding groove (annotated above); a depth of the first sliding groove (annotated above) is less than (see Figure 3b and the depth direction annotated above) that of the third sliding groove (annotated above) at the communication between the first sliding groove (annotated above) and the third sliding groove (annotated above); a depth of the third sliding groove (annotated above) is less than (see Figure 3b and the depth direction annotated above) that of the fourth sliding groove (annotated above) at the communication between the third sliding groove (annotated above) and the fourth sliding groove (annotated above); and a depth of the fourth sliding groove (annotated above) is less than (see Figure 3b and the depth direction annotated above) that of the second sliding groove (annotated above) at the communication between the fourth sliding groove (annotated above) and the second sliding groove (annotated above).
Regarding Claim 6, Kiyohiko teaches the invention as claimed and as discussed above. Kiyohiko further teaches (Figures 1-8) wherein the first limiting block (annotated above) has an arc-shaped bottom triangle-structure (see Figures 2a-2c, 3b, 7 and 8), and an arc-shaped edge (annotated above) of the first limiting block (annotated above) coincides with one edge (see Figure 3b) of the fourth sliding groove (annotated above).
Regarding Claim 7, Kiyohiko teaches the invention as claimed and as discussed above. Kiyohiko further teaches (Figures 1-8) wherein the first sliding groove (annotated above) and the second sliding groove (annotated above) together form a letter y-shaped structure (see Figures 2a-2c and 3b).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 12/27/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant argues that the leading member 4 is provided within the operating handle 3 rather than on the side wall of the nozzle body 1. In response, it is noted that Kiyohiko teaches that the cam can be provided on EITHER the nozzle body 1 or the operating member 3 (see Paragraph 0014 – emphasis added). Therefore, Applicant’s argument that the member 4 is not provided on the nozzle body 1 is refuted by the reference.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Shen (US 6,027,045 – see PTO-892) also teaches a water outlet control structure of a water spray gun having a clamping piece slidably connected to a moving groove.
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.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THOMAS P BURKE whose telephone number is (571)270-5407. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30-5:00 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Phutthiwat Wongwian can be reached at (571) 270-5426. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/THOMAS P BURKE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3741
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