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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because Fig. 13 includes “DUST COLLECTIN G MOTOR”, which must be changed to “DUST COLLECTING MOTOR”. 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.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 17-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 17, line 2 recites “one side of the discharge cover” and claim 16, line 2 also recites “one side of the discharge cover”. It is unclear if they are same element or not.
Claim 17, line 3 recites “a direction” and claim 17, lines 3-4 recites “one direction”. It is unclear if these are the same element or not because they each have the same name. Suggestion: Insert “second” before “direction” in claim 17, line 3.
Claim 18, line 2 recites “a direction”, and “direction” was also recited in claims 16 and 17. Suggestion: Insert “third” before “direction” in claim 18, line 2.
Claim 18, line 5 recites “a direction”, and “direction” was also recited in claim 16, claim 17, and claim 18, line 5. Suggestion: Insert “fourth” before “direction” in claim 18, line 5.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-16 and 19-22 are allowed.
Claims 17-18 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
REASONS FOR ALLOWANCE
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
The best reference, Jung (US 2013/0305481), does not include the door (64) of the cleaning station (60) stopping for a certain time when the rotation angle of the door reaches a first angle (Door 64 slides horizontally on cleaner station 60; para 98 and Fig. 5B), as seen in claim 1, lines 15-16.
Jung does not include the door (64) of the cleaning station (60) stopping for a certain time when the passage area (The suction opening closed by 64) becomes a second passage area less than the first area (Door 64 opens and closed fully and does not partially open; para 98 and Fig. 5B), as seen in claim 13, last 2 lines.
Jung does not include the dust passage hole (The suction opening closed by 64) of the door (64) of the cleaning station (60) becoming partially opened in a flow velocity change position that is smaller an opening position of the hole (Door 64 opens and closed fully and does not partially open; para 98 and Fig. 5B), as seen in claim 15, last 4 lines.
Jung does not include the door (64) of the cleaning station (60) hinged and moving between a first opening angle and a second opening angle smaller than the first opening angle (Door 64 slides horizontally on cleaner station 60; para 98 and Fig. 5B), as seen in claim 19, last 6 lines.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANDREW A. HORTON whose telephone number is (571)270-5039. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Monica S. Carter can be reached at (571) 272-4475. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ANDREW A HORTON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3723
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