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 .
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.
Status of Claims
Claims 1 – 20 are pending.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 03/05/2024, 04/15/2024, 05/02/2025 and 11/05/2025 were filed before the first office action. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1 – 5, 8 and 18 – 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang (CN112493946 A) as cited by Applicant in view of Lu (CN112879773 A) as cited by Applicant.
Regarding Independent Claim 1, Yang teaches a base station for cleaning a cleaning system of a cleaning robot (Abstract), the base station (Paragraph [0021]) comprising: a base station body (base, 100; Fig. 1) provided with at least one track groove (guide groove, 4122; Fig, 9), a cleaning assembly (upper cleaning plate, 411) configured to run along the at least one track groove (4122) and provided with a cleaning member (first comb teeth, 4111 and second comb teeth, 4121; Fig. 9), wherein the cleaning member is configured to clean the cleaning system of the cleaning robot by interfering with the cleaning system of the cleaning robot (Paragraph [0051]).
Yang does not teach at least one track-cleaning member configured to run along the at least one track groove to clean the at least one track groove.
Lu, however, teaches an analogous track cleaning mechanism, wherein at least one track-cleaning member (cleaning brush, 5) is configured to run along the at least one track groove (slide rail, 2; Fig. 1) to clean the at least one track groove (Paragraph [0006]).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the station of Yang to further include at least one track-cleaning member configured to run along the at least one track groove to clean the at least one track groove, as taught by Lu, to provide a station that keeps the track free of debris, thus preventing damage to the station.
Regarding Claim 2, Yang, as modified, teaches the base station according to claim 1 as discussed above.
Yang does not teach the at least one track-cleaning member is provided on the cleaning assembly, and comprises a sweeping member inside the at least one track groove.
Lu, however, teaches the at least one track-cleaning member (5) is provided on the cleaning assembly (block, 3), and comprises a sweeping member (brush, 5) inside the at least one track groove (2; Fig. 1).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the station of Yang to further include at least one track-cleaning member is provided on the cleaning assembly, and comprises a sweeping member inside the at least one track groove, as taught by Lu, to provide a station that keeps the track free of debris, thus preventing damage to the station.
Regarding Claim 3, Yang, as modified, teaches the base station according to claim 1 as discussed above.
Yang does not teach the at least one track-cleaning member is provided at a side of the cleaning assembly.
Lu, however, teaches the at least one track-cleaning member (5) is provided at a side of the cleaning assembly (3; Fig. 1).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the station of Yang to further include at least one track-cleaning member is provided on the cleaning assembly, and comprises a sweeping member inside the at least one track groove, as taught by Lu, to provide a station that keeps the track free of debris, thus preventing damage to the station.
Regarding Claim 4, Yang, as modified, teaches the base station according to claim 1 as discussed above.
Yang, as modified by Lu does not teach the at least one track-cleaning member is provided slantwise towards an outer side of the cleaning assembly.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the station of Yang to further include the at least one track-cleaning member is provided slantwise towards an outer side of the cleaning assembly, as claimed, since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art (MPEP 2144.04).
Regarding Claim 5, Yang, as modified, teaches the base station according to claim 3 as discussed above.
Yang does not teach the at least one track groove comprises two track grooves, and the two track grooves are provided opposite each other along a lateral direction of the base station body.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the station of Yang to further include the at least one track groove comprises two track grooves, and the two track grooves are provided opposite each other along a lateral direction of the base station body, as claimed, since it has been held that mere duplication of the essential working parts of a device involves only routine skill in the art. (MPEP 2144.04).
Regarding Claim 8, Yang, as modified, teaches the base station according to claim 2 as discussed above.
Yang does not teach the at least one track-cleaning member comprises a mounting portion connected to the sweeping member, the mounting portion being detachably connected to the cleaning assembly.
Lu, however, teaches at least one track-cleaning member (5) comprises a mounting portion (connecting block, 61) connected to the sweeping member (Fig. 2), the mounting portion (61) being detachably connected to the cleaning assembly (3; Fig. 2)
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the station of Yang to further include the at least one track-cleaning member comprises a mounting portion connected to the sweeping member, the mounting portion being detachably connected to the cleaning assembly, as taught by Lu, to provide a component that is easily replaced, thus extending the life of the system.
Regarding Independent Claim 18, Yang teaches a cleaning robot system comprising: a cleaning robot comprising a cleaning system (Abstract), and a base station (Paragraph [0021]) wherein the base station comprises: a base station body (base, 100; Fig. 1) provided with at least one track groove (guide groove, 4122; Fig, 9), a cleaning assembly (upper cleaning plate, 411) configured to run along the at least one track groove (4122) and provided with a cleaning member (first comb teeth, 4111 and second comb teeth, 4121; Fig. 9), wherein the cleaning member is configured to clean the cleaning system of the cleaning robot by interfering with the cleaning system of the cleaning robot (Paragraph [0051]).
Yang does not teach at least one track-cleaning member configured to run along the at least one track groove to clean the at least one track groove.
Lu, however, teaches an analogous track cleaning mechanism, wherein at least one track-cleaning member (cleaning brush, 5) is configured to run along the at least one track groove (slide rail, 2; Fig. 1) to clean the at least one track groove (Paragraph [0006]).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the station of Yang to further include at least one track-cleaning member configured to run along the at least one track groove to clean the at least one track groove, as taught by Lu, to provide a station that keeps the track free of debris, thus preventing damage to the station.
Regarding Claim 19, Yang, as modified, teaches the base station according to claim 18 as discussed above.
Yang, as modified by Lu does not teach the at least one track-cleaning member is arranged not perpendicularly to an extending direction of the at least one track groove, and is arranged as being tilted toward an end portion of the at least one track groove.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the station of Yang to further include the at least one track-cleaning member is arranged not perpendicularly to an extending direction of the at least one track groove, and is arranged as being tilted toward an end portion of the at least one track groove, as claimed, since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art (MPEP 2144.04).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6, is 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: Although Yang teaches the base station wherein the cleaning assembly (Fig. 9) comprises a bracket (4112) capable of running along the track grooves (4122), the reference fails to teach, suggest or make obvious the at least one track- cleaning member comprises multiple track-cleaning members which are provided at two ends of the bracket.
Claims 7, 9 – 17 and 20 are further objected as dependents of rejected claim 6.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KATINA N HENSON whose telephone number is (571)272-8024. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday; 5:30am to 3:30pm.
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/KATINA N. HENSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3723