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Claims 45-46 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 12/30/2025. Upon further consideration, the restriction requirement between claims 27-41 and 42-44 has been withdrawn.
Claim Objections
Claim 27 is objected to because of the following informalities: “a top bowl wall” in line 5 should be rewritten as –the top bowl wall--. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 34 is objected to because of the following informalities: a word appears to be missing to make the statement grammatically correct; examiner recommends adding –of-- between “surface” and “the” in line 1. 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) 27-28 and 30 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US Patent 5,054,132 (hereinafter Bartella).
Regarding claim 27, Bartella discloses a urinal (10), comprising: a urinal bowl (26) comprising a top bowl wall (note annotated fig. 3 below); a urinal spray head (note annotated fig. 3 below) comprising a water spraying opening (note annotated fig. 3 below); and a mounting hole (note annotated fig. 3 below) configured to install the urinal spray head, the mounting hole disposed on a top bowl wall of the urinal bowl, wherein the water spraying opening faces a urinal bowl surface of the urinal bowl (note annotated fig. 3 below).
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Regarding claim 28, further comprising: a bowl wall flange disposed on a bottom of the top bowl wall (note annotated fig. 3 above) and configured to block the urinal spray head, wherein the bowl wall flange is disposed in front of the urinal spray head.
Regarding claim 30, wherein the urinal bowl surface comprises: a bowl bottom surface directed toward a front side bowl opening of the urinal bowl, and wherein the water spraying opening faces the bowl bottom surface (note dashed-line arrow in annotated fig. 3 above).
Claim(s) 42-44 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US Patent 10,245,599 (hereinafter Kosarnig).
Regarding claim 42, Kosarnig discloses a urinal spray head (1) of a urinal (fig. 3), the urinal spray head comprising: a spray head body (30) comprising a water channel (hollow cavity); a nozzle (29) configured to be connected to the spray head body (fig. 2), the nozzle comprising a water cavity (4) in fluid communication with the water channel; a water spraying opening (6) disposed on one side of the nozzle and in fluid communication with the water cavity; and a connecting pipe (7) having a first end configured to be in fluid communication with the water channel and having a second end configured to be in fluid communication with a water supply pipe (10) (fig. 3).
Regarding claim 43, Kosarnig discloses wherein the spray head body (30) and the nozzle (29) are configured to be disposed in a mounting hole (see fig. 3), and wherein the connecting pipe (7) is configured to pass through the mounting hole (see fig. 3).
Regarding claim 44, Kosarnig discloses wherein the water spraying opening (6) is configured to be disposed in front of a bowl bottom surface (2) of a urinal bowl and inclined downwards and backwards (at 18, 38 – fig. 3).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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) 31 and 34-36 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bartella in view of JP H063581 U (hereinafter JP-381).
Regarding claim 31, Bartella shows wherein the mounting hole is disposed in front of the bowl bottom surface (fig. 3), but fails to show wherein the water spraying opening is disposed in front of the bowl bottom surface and is inclined downwards and backwards. Attention is turned to JP-381 in the same field of endeavor of wash down urinals which shows a water spraying opening (108) disposed in front of a bowl bottom surface (20) and inclined downwards and backwards to direct the flow of washing water over the bowl bottom surface (fig. 3A,B). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed invention to modify the water spraying opening of Bartella to be disposed in front of the bowl bottom surface and inclined downwards and backwards to ensure rinsing fluid is directed on the bowl bottom surface as evidenced by the teaching above.
Regarding claim 34, Bartella fails to show wherein a surface of the water spraying opening abuts the bowl bottom surface. Attention is turned to JP-381 in the same field of endeavor of wash down urinals which shows a water spraying opening (108) abuts the bowl bottom surface (20) (fig. 3A, B). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed invention to modify the surface of the water spraying opening to abut the bowl bottom surface to ensure the rinsing fluid makes contact with the bowl bottom surface as evidenced by the teachings above.
Regarding claim 35, Bartella shows wherein the mounting hole is disposed above the bowl bottom surface and extends backwards and upwards (see annotated fig. 3 above), but fails to show wherein the water spraying opening is disposed in front of the bowl bottom surface and is inclined downwards and backwards. Attention is turned to JP-381 in the same field of endeavor of wash down urinals which shows a water spraying opening (108) disposed in front of a bowl bottom surface (20) and inclined downwards and backwards to direct the flow of washing water over the bowl bottom surface (fig. 3A,B). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed invention to modify the water spraying opening of Bartella to be disposed in front of the bowl bottom surface and inclined downwards and backwards to ensure rinsing fluid is directed on the bowl bottom surface as evidenced by the teaching above.
Regarding claim 36, Bartella fails to show wherein a rear side edge of the water spraying opening abuts the bowl bottom surface. Attention is turned to JP-381 in the same field of endeavor of wash down urinals which shows a water spraying opening (108) having a rear side edge that abuts the bowl bottom surface (fig. 3A). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed invention to modify the water spraying opening of Bartella such that a rear side edge of the water spraying opening abuts the bowl bottom surface to ensure the rinsing fluid makes contact with the bowl bottom surface as evidenced by the teachings above.
Claim(s) 29 and 37-41 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bartella in view of US Patent 10,245,599 (hereinafter Kosarnig).
Regarding claim 29, Bartella fails to show wherein the water spraying opening has a shape of an elongate strip, and wherein the water spraying opening extends along a width direction of the urinal bowl. Attention is turned to Kosarnig in the same field of endeavor of urinal spray nozzles mounted in a mounting hole in a urinal bowl wall which shows configuring a nozzle outlet (6) to be the shape of an elongate strip, and the water spraying opening extends along a width direction of the urinal bowl (fig. 2 shows elongate strip-like opening (6); fig. 4a shows the opening would extend along a width direction of the urinal bowl when installed). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed invention to modify the shape of the water spraying opening of Bartella to be an elongate strip, and wherein the water spraying opening extends along a width direction of the urinal bowl to create a larger spread to more evenly distribute the water exiting the nozzle as evidenced by the teachings above.
Regarding claim 37, Bartella fails to show the details of the spray head such that the urinal spray head comprises: a spray head body comprising a water channel; a nozzle configured to be connected to the spray head body; and a connecting pipe configured to be connected to the spray head body, wherein the nozzle comprises a water cavity in fluid communication with the water channel, wherein the water spraying opening is disposed on one side of the nozzle and in fluid communication with the water cavity, wherein the spray head body and the nozzle are disposed in the mounting hole, and wherein the connecting pipe is configured to pass through the mounting hole. Attention is turned to Kosarnig in the same field of endeavor of nozzles for urinals mounted in mounting holes on a urinal bowl wall which shows a urinal spray head (1) of a urinal (fig. 3), the urinal spray head comprising: a spray head body (30) comprising a water channel (hollow cavity); a nozzle (29) configured to be connected to the spray head body (fig. 2), the nozzle comprising a water cavity (4) in fluid communication with the water channel; a water spraying opening (6) disposed on one side of the nozzle and in fluid communication with the water cavity; and a connecting pipe (7) having a first end configured to be in fluid communication with the water channel and having a second end configured to be in fluid communication with a water supply pipe (10) (fig. 3). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed invention to configure the spray head of Bartella as taught by Kosarnig above to allow a user to easily install and remove parts as needed as evidenced by the teachings of Kosarnig mentioned above.
Regarding claim 38, Bartella shows further comprising: a mounting cavity or a mounting groove (note space above nozzle at top portion of urinal in fig. 3) configured to accommodate a water supply pipe (33), wherein one end of the connecting pipe (elbow) is disposed in the mounting cavity or the mounting groove (fig. 3).
Regarding claim 39, Bartella shows wherein the mounting cavity or the mounting groove is disposed on a top of a urinal body (fig. 3).
Regarding claim 40, as modified by Kosarnig above, Kosarnig shows wherein the connecting pipe (7) comprises an external thread, and wherein the connecting pipe comprises a lock nut (36).
Regarding claim 41, as modified by Kosarnig above, Kosarnig shows further comprising: a main body ramp (17) disposed on one side, facing the urinal bowl surface, of the spray head body, wherein the nozzle has a shape of a flat plate, and wherein one side of the nozzle abuts the main body ramp (fig. 2, 3).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 32-33 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. Regarding claim 33, Bartella shows further comprising: a flared opening disposed at one end, directed toward the urinal bowl, of the mounting hole, wherein the water spraying opening is disposed in the flared opening (note fig. 3 shows the mounting hole being flared to accommodate the nozzle head). However, as claim 33 depends from claim 32, it inherits the allowable subject matter.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US Patent 9,615,700 is directed to the state of the art of urinals with backward spraying nozzles.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JANIE M LOEPPKE whose telephone number is (571)270-5208. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9AM-5PM ET.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, David Angwin can be reached at (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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/JANIE M LOEPPKE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3754