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 .
Election/Restrictions
Claims 73-86 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Group II-III, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 06/18/26.
Newly submitted claims 87-98, of which 93-98 are directed to an invention that is independent or distinct from the invention originally claimed. Since applicant has received an action on the merits for the originally presented invention, this invention has been constructively elected by original presentation for prosecution on the merits. Accordingly, claims 93-98 are withdrawn from consideration as being directed to a non-elected invention. See 37 CFR 1.142(b) and MPEP § 821.03.
To preserve a right to petition, the reply to this action must distinctly and specifically point out supposed errors in the restriction requirement. Otherwise, the election shall be treated as a final election without traverse. Traversal must be timely. Failure to timely traverse the requirement will result in the loss of right to petition under 37 CFR 1.144. If claims are subsequently added, applicant must indicate which of the subsequently added claims are readable upon the elected invention.
Should applicant traverse on the ground that the inventions are not patentably distinct, applicant should submit evidence or identify such evidence now of record showing the inventions to be obvious variants or clearly admit on the record that this is the case. In either instance, if the examiner finds one of the inventions unpatentable over the prior art, the evidence or admission may be used in a rejection under 35 U.S.C. 103 or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) of the other invention.
Specification
The specification is objected to because of the following informalities: numerical markings (e.g., docket number) in the margins should be deleted. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim(s) 67-70, 72, 87-90, 92 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/102(a)(2) as being anticipated by CN 112538886 A to Xiamen Axent Co., Ltd.
Regarding claim 67 and 87, Xiamen discloses a flushing assembly ([para 0067-0109 and figs. 1-18, English Translation]) comprising a driving part 1 used for driving the spray pipe component to move between a stretching-out position and a retracting position in the extension direction of a flushing support 2, and a spray pipe component. The spray pipe component having walking part 31, sealing part 32 which are linked with driving part 1 (fig. 1). The flushing support 2 (cleaning pipe) including a first limiting part 21 and a second limiting part 22 spaced apart along the extension direction (fig. 1). The spray pipe (sliding pipe) component is provided with a limiting matching part 33 that respectively cooperates with the first limiting part 21 and the second limiting part 22, for disengaging the linkage cooperation between the sealing part 32 and the walking part 31 in the stretching-out process and the retracting process. The spray pipe component is provided with a water outlet flow channel 34, a cold discharge water outlet 35 and a flushing water inlet 36 (when sealing part 32 and the walking part 31 disengage from their linkage cooperation in the stretching-out process, the sealing part 32 and the walking part 31 move to close the cold discharge water outlet 35. When the sealing part 32 and the walking part 31 disengage from their linkage cooperation in the retracting process, the sealing part 32 and the walking part 31 move to open the cold discharge water outlet 35. The cold discharge water outlet 35 and the flushing water inlet 36 are spaced apart by a certain distance along the extension direction of the flushing support 2, enabling cold discharge water outlet 35 opens, the sealing member 32 closes the flushing water inlet 36; and when the cold discharge water outlet 35 is closed, the sealing member 32 opens the flushing water inlet 36; the flushing water inlet 36 remains closed throughout the cold discharge process, preventing cold water from entering the flushing water inlet 36 and thus preventing cold water from being ejected from the flushing water outlet avoiding cold water being sprayed onto relevant parts of the human body). The spray pipe component further includes a sprayer nozzle 37. The sprayer nozzle 37 is provided with a water outlet passage 34, and the sealing member 32 is disposed on the front end of the sprayer nozzle 37. To cooperate with the sprayer nozzle 37, the spray pipe component further includes a nozzle 38. The nozzle 38 is provided with the cold discharge water outlet 35 (drainage groove) and the flushing water inlet 36. The front end of the sprayer nozzle 37 is inserted into the nozzle 38 (corresponding to the instant invention of a seat ring body 10, flushing mechanism 20 (cleaning assembly) disposed in the seat ring, comprising an outer sleeve 22 (cleaning pipe), a rear end of the outer sleeve 22 being provided with a water inlet 22a, and a front end of the outer sleeve 22 having a first opening; an inner sleeve 23 (sliding pipe) slidably connected inside the outer sleeve 22, a front end of the inner sleeve 23 being provided with a second opening; a nozzle 21 connected to the second opening of the inner sleeve 23; a drainage groove 22b provided on a part of the tube wall where the outer sleeve 22 and the inner sleeve 23 are slidably fitted, and liquid between the outer sleeve 22 and the inner sleeve 23 can be discharged along the drainage groove 22b).”
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Regarding claim 68 and 88, Xiamen further discloses the at least one drainage groove is disposed on an inner pipe wall of the cleaning pipe proximate to the first opening or disposed on an outer pipe wall of the sliding pipe.
Regarding claim 69 and 89, Xiamen further discloses the at least one drainage groove comprises two drainage grooves 34,35 (gig. 4) respectively disposed on an upper side and a lower side of the inner pipe wall of the cleaning pipe.
Regarding claim 70 and 90, Xiamen further discloses the nozzle comprises a nozzle body 37,38 comprising a plurality of spraying holes (fig. 8); and a connecting sleeve 21 disposed at a rear end of the nozzle body and removably connected to the front end of the sliding pipe.
Regarding claim 72 and 92, Xiamen further discloses a nozzle cleaning port 22c disposed on a pipe wall of the cleaning pipe 22 and is capable of performing intended use of washing an outer wall of the nozzle when the sliding pipe is retracted into the cleaning pipe.
Instead, ‘886 teaches toilet body (200) and a seat ring (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 8 are specifically configured, the seat ring (100) is pivotally connected to the toilet body (200); further comprising a dispenser (70) configured to be in communication with the water inlet (22a) or the nozzle cleaning port (22c) of the flushing mechanism (20); the dispenser (70) comprising a first working position, a second working position, and a third working position, wherein when the dispenser (70) is in the first working position, the dispenser (70) is in communication with the nozzle cleaning port (22c); when the dispenser (70) is in the second working position and the third working position, the dispenser (70) is in communication with the water inlet (22a), and wherein a flowrate in the second working position is less than a flowrate in the third working position.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 71 and 91 are 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record (see USPTO Form 892) and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
More specifically, EP 4717840 A1 to Engel is directed to the state of the art as a teaching of a seat ring 1, a projection 4/5 is provided at the front/rear, which serve to receive high-pressure nozzles 6/7 with heated pressurized water and compressed air via channels formed in the seat ring 1, thereby enabling optimal bidet functions and thus making a paperless toilet.
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Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LORI BAKER whose telephone number is (571)272-4971. The examiner can normally be reached Monday thru Friday: 9 am - 6 pm CST. 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, David Angwin can be reached 571-270-3735. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/LORI L BAKER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3754
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