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 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 2-4, 8-12 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.
The recitation of claim 2 of “wherein a geometric center of the first opening [B] is closer to the geometric center of the rotor accommodation portion [A] than the geometric center of the motor accommodation portion [C]” is unclear as to if the recitation means that the distance between B and A is less than the distance between C and B, OR if the distance between B and A is less than the distance C and A. The examiner will interpret the limitation as the latter, since this would be consistent with fig. 5.
Claims 3-4 are rejected by dependency.
Claim 8 recites the limitation "the connector" however parent claim 5 recite “a plurality of connectors”. There is insufficient antecedent basis for the connector in the claim.
Claims 9-12 are rejected by dependency.
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, 5, 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Li US 2017/0296021 A1.
Re claim 1, discloses an automatic cleaning device 100, comprising:
a mobile platform 110, a position determination device 120, and an assembly structure [figs. 10-11] configured to assemble the position determination device on the mobile platform, wherein the assembly structure comprises an assembly bracket [fig. 14] comprising:
a rotor accommodation portion [portion accommodating 121] comprising a first arc-shaped side wall [arc-shaped wall to the left side in fig. 10]; and
a motor accommodation portion [see fig. annotated below] comprising a second arc-shaped side wall, wherein the first arc-shaped side wall of the rotor accommodation portion is in smooth connection with the second arc-shaped side wall of the motor accommodation portion [fig. 10]; and
an area of an opening formed by the first arc-shaped side wall is greater than an area of an opening formed by the second arc-shaped side wall [fig. 10]; and
the position determination device comprises a position determination element 121 comprising:
a rotor 14111, wherein a rotating shaft of the rotor is substantially disposed in a geometric center of the rotor accommodation portion, and is configured to transmit and/or receive a detection signal during continuous rotation [[¶39, “[t]he sensing module 121 of the present disclosure includes a camera and a laser distance sensor (LDS)”]; and
a motor 14112, wherein an output shaft of the motor is substantially disposed on a connecting line between a geometric center of the motor accommodation portion and the geometric center of the rotor accommodation portion and located between the geometric center of the motor accommodation portion and the geometric center of the rotor accommodation portion, and the motor is configured to connect to the rotor through a power transmission structure to provide a driving force for the rotor [see annotated fig. below].
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Re claim 5, a hood 1032 [fig. 12] covering a top of the rotor 14111 and comprising a circular top surface, a bottom circular ring [fig. 13], and, a plurality of connectors [tabs between top and bottom surface [fig. 13]] connecting the circular top surface with the bottom circular ring, wherein the bottom circular ring is fixedly connected to a top surface 104 of the automatic cleaning device, and a first gap [implied so that the rotor can rotate] is formed between the bottom circular ring and an outer peripheral surface of the rotor [fig. 13].
Re claim 13, wherein the position determination device is a laser distance sensor 121;
the position determination element is a laser distance measurement element; and
the detection signal is a laser signal [¶39, “[t]he sensing module 121 of the present disclosure includes a camera and a laser distance sensor (LDS)”].
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) 6-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li US 2017/0296021 A1 in view of Rao CN 211243196 U.
Re claims 6-8, Li teaches the invention as discussed above but fail to teach a circular shielding piece attached to an inner side of the bottom circular ring, wherein a second gap is formed between the circular shielding piece and the outer peripheral surface of the rotor; and the second gap is smaller than the first gap; and wherein the circular shielding piece has a width extending in a radial direction and a height extending in an axial direction; and the width of the circular shielding piece is greater than the height of the circular shielding piece; and wherein the circular shielding piece comprises a connector clip fitting the connector; and after the connector clip is clipped into the connector, the circular shielding piece is attached to the inner side of the bottom circular ring.
However, Rao teaches a circular shielding piece 20 attached to an inner side of the bottom circular ring 30 [fig. 4], wherein a second gap is formed between the circular shielding piece and the outer peripheral surface of the rotor 40, and the second gap is smaller than the first gap between a hood 30 and the rotor 40, and wherein the circular shielding piece 20 has a width extending in a radial direction and a height extending in an axial direction, the width of the circular shielding piece is greater than the height of the circular shielding piece, and the circular shielding piece 20 is attached to the inner side of the bottom circular ring 30 [“wherein the supporting frame 20 and the protective cover 30 can be detachably connected with the structure, for example, the supporting frame 20 and the protective cover 30 can be connected by a bolt or a buckle.”].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the circular shielding piece of Rao with the assembly structure of Li in order to yield the predictable result of having a supporting structure for the hood.
Re claim 8, Li and Rao do not specifically teach a connector clip fitting the connector between the circular shielding piece and the hood. However, the Examiner takes Official notice that connector clips are well-known mechanical structure for rapid assembly/disassembly. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to substitute a connector clip for the bolt/buckle, in order to yield the predictable result of having a detachable frame/hood with a well-known connection that ensures stable connection.
Re claim 9, it is noted that by definition, a connector clip comprises a projection beam and a first slot.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-4, 10-12 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The prior art of record does not show or fairly render obvious the combination set forth in the claims.
For claim 2, while a rib would be an obvious structure to reinforce a bracket, the prior art does not show a first supporting rib extending inwards along an inner side of a side wall of the motor accommodation portion to an edge of the first opening.
For claim 10, the prior art does not show, a second slot extending in a circumferential direction of a bottom surface of the bottom circular ring, and a third slot in an inner surface of the bottom circular ring, wherein the second slot is communicated with the third slot; and the circular shielding piece comprises a T-shaped protrusion protruding outwards from an outer wall of the circular shielding piece, wherein after the T-shaped protrusion is inserted into the third slot, the circular shielding piece is attached to the inner side of the bottom circular ring.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Carlos A. Rivera whose telephone number is (571)270-5697. The examiner can normally be reached 9AM -4PM.
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, Brian Keller can be reached at (571) 272-8548. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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C. A. R.
Primary Patent Examiner
Art Unit 3723
/C. A. RIVERA/Primary Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3723
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