DETAILED ACTION
This Office Action is responsive to application number 18/692,185 - POWERED COMMODE INCLUDING BIDET, filed on 3/14/24. Claims 1-9 are pending. Claims 10-20 have been canceled.
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I in the reply filed on 12/10/25 is acknowledged.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claim(s) 1 and 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Peng (US 7,900,297).
Regarding Claim 1 Peng shows a commode (1) comprising: a frame (Fig. 1 circular piped frame seen at 11); a platform (seat surface of 4; near 42; Fig. 3) coupled to the frame (Fig. 4); a supply reservoir (31, 33; note, col. 3, lines 33-52) supported by the frame (Fig. 2) and configured to store a fluid (note, col. 3, lines 33-52); a waste reservoir (8, 81) supported by the frame (Fig. 2) and configured to collect the fluid dispensed from the supply reservoir (via the bowl; Fig. 7; note, col. 5, lines 4-21); a toilet seat (71; see hinges 711) rotatably coupled to the platform above the supply reservoir and the waste reservoir (Figs 1& 8); a bidet nozzle (46) coupled to and disposed below the platform (Fig. 3 & 7), the bidet nozzle being in fluid communication with the supply reservoir (note, col. 6, lines 5-18); and a power assembly (at 28) disposed below the platform (Fig. 5) and including a power supply (28) and a pump (note, col. 6, lines 26-44) powered by the power supply (note, col. 6, lines 26-44), wherein the pump is in fluid communication with the supply reservoir and the bidet nozzle (via the supply reservoir 31; note, col. 3, lines 45-52).
Regarding Claim 8 Peng shows the commode of claim 1, wherein the waste reservoir is removable from the frame to enable a user to empty the fluid and waste from the waste reservoir (Fig. 2; note, col. 5, lines 4-6).
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.
Claim(s) 2-4, 6, 7 and 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Peng (US 7,900,297) in view of Luu (US 10,932,630).
Regarding Claim 2 Peng shows the commode of claim 1, but fails to show wherein the supply reservoir includes a rim opening adjacent the toilet seat, an outlet opening that is selectively in fluid communication with the waste reservoir, and a toilet bowl disposed between the rim opening and the outlet opening. However, Luu, shows a commode device with a supply reservoir (201) having a rim opening (bowl opening seen in Fig. 4; and at 209 Fig. 1) adjacent a toilet seat (301), an outlet opening (109; Fig. 3B; note, col. 4, lines 15-24; 206; Fig. 5B; note, col. 5, lines 20-42) that is selectively in fluid communication with the waste reservoir, and a toilet bowl (204) disposed between the rim opening and the outlet opening (Fig. 4). Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Peng to include the supply reservoir having a rim opening adjacent the toilet seat, an outlet opening that is selectively in fluid communication with the waste reservoir, and a toilet bowl disposed between the rim opening and the outlet opening for the purpose of compact design and saving space by providing the bowl and rim opening within the supply reservoir as shown by Luu.
Regarding Claim 3 Peng shows the commode of claim 2, but fails to show wherein the toilet bowl includes a flush nozzle that is in fluid communication with the supply reservoir. However, Luu shows a flush nozzle (2010) that is in fluid communication with the supply reservoir (note, col. 6, lines 57-67 and col. 7, lines 0-3). Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Peng to include a flush nozzle in fluid communication with the supply reservoir for the purpose of cleaning the bowl/basin after use as shown by Luu.
Regarding Claim 4 Peng shows the commode of claim 3, but fails to further show a flush actuator coupled to the frame and moveable between an open position, in which the fluid is discharged from the supply reservoir through the flush nozzle, and a closed position, in which the fluid is inhibited from being discharged through the flush nozzle. However, Luu shows using a remote control (270) with buttons (Fig. 9) for actuating a flush (via the “done” button and after cleaning user and drying user, flush is actuated; note, col. 6, lines 47-67 and col. 7, lines 0-3) the remote control is in communication with the controller (260) which is coupled to the supply reservoir (Fig. 9) the supply reservoir being coupled to the frame as combined), in which the fluid is discharged from the supply reservoir through the flush nozzle (note, col. 6, lines 47-67 and col. 7, lines 0-3), and a closed position, in which the fluid is inhibited from being discharged through the flush nozzle (after a predetermined amount of time, controller stops fluid from the flushing ring; i.e. closed position). Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Peng to include a flush actuator coupled to the frame and moveable between an open position, in which the fluid is discharged from the supply reservoir through the flush nozzle, and a closed position, in which the fluid is inhibited from being discharged through the flush nozzle for the purpose of the user selectively cleaning the bowl as shown by Luu.
Regarding Claim 6 Peng shows the commode of claim 2, wherein the fluid within the supply reservoir at least partially surrounds the toilet bowl (as combined with Luu).
Regarding Claim 7 Peng shows the commode of claim 1, further comprising a bidet actuator (control panel 61) coupled to the frame (Fig. 6) and moveable between an activated position (pressing control panel or capacitance touch), in which the fluid is pumped from the supply reservoir to the bidet nozzle, and a deactivated position, in which the fluid is inhibited from being pumped from the supply reservoir to the bidet nozzle (note, col. 4, lines 25-35; note, col. 5, lines 63-67 and col. 6, lines 0-19).
Regarding Claim 9 Peng shows the commode of claim 1, but fails to show wherein the power assembly is coupled to a rear surface of the supply reservoir. However, Luu shows a power supply (battery 256 for the fan) coupled to a rear surface of the supply reservoir (at 251; Fig. 7). Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Peng to include the power supply coupled to a rear surface of the supply reservoir for convenient access and compact placement as shown by Luu.
Claim(s) 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Peng (US 7,900,297) in view of Luu (US 10,932,630) in view of Smith et al. (US Pub. 2018/0258630).
Regarding Claim 5 Peng as combined shows the commode of claim 4, further comprising a waste door (1091 as combined; Fig. 3B; 2064, 2065 Fig. 5B Luu) moveably disposed on the waste reservoir, but fails to show wherein the waste door is opened when the flush actuator is moved to the open position, and wherein the waste door is closed when the flush actuator is moved to the closed position. However, Smith shows a gate door (208) that opens when a flush is actuated (¶ [0051]). Therefore because Peng as combined with Luu shows a waste door (2064, 3065) that may be opened and closed by the opening and closing of the toilet seat and lid, and Smith shows a gate door that opens when a flush is actuated, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Peng as combined to include the gate door opening and closing with the flush actuator for the purpose of allowing the bowl contents to flow to the waste tank as shown by Smith.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Schrant et al. (US Pub. 2021/0293013) shows the general state of the art; Al Jafar (US 8,4900,224) shows a similar commode device; Al Jafar (US Pub. 2013/0091626) shows a similar commode device; Martinez et al. (US 7,725,961) shows a similar commode device.
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/CHRISTINE J SKUBINNA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3754 2/26/2026