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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
Page 1, Paragraph 4, recites, “The drain acts as a main device of the cleaner for discharging water and dust off the dust that covered on the surface and the pressure of the wipe that contact the solar cell were adjusted by way of securing wiper to the beam with spring as a connector”. This is likely a typographical error.
Page 3, Paragraph [0008], recitations of “Wherein the Motor (4)…”, and, “The Motor (4)…” are likely typographical errors, as later in the same paragraph, “the motor (4)” is recited.
Page 5, Paragraph [0021], recites, “The tension pulley (7) is installed inside of the rails (3), the tension pully (7), is used to apply tension to the drive belt (8), applying tension to the drive belt (8), and adjusted so that the wiper beam (12), operates smoothly”. This is likely a typographical error.
Page 5, Paragraph [0022], recites, “There is a belt drive lock (16) installed on top of the drive belt (8), the belt drive lock will secure that the drive belt (8), will does slip off the rotating pulley (6)”. This is likely a typographical error.
Page 6, between Paragraphs [0025-0026], wherein a new paragraph starts without grammatically closing the prior paragraph (i.e. no punctuation).
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Objections
Claim 3 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Regarding Claim 3, “wherein the two wiper blade guide plates (9) and moveable on the rails with two top wheels and two bottom wheels”. Specifically, the recitation of “and” in the sentence is likely a typographical error. For the purposes of examination, the Examiner is interpreting this to read as “…the two wiper blade guide plates (9) are movable on the rails with two top wheels…”.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 1-2 and 4-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Woon (KR100489637B1), herein after referred to as “Woon”, in view of Mirra (US2023116013A1), herein after referred to as “Mirra”.
Regarding Claim 1, Woon discloses an automatic window cleaning device, consisting of a window frame (10), wherein an upper rail (100) and lower rail (200) are installed on the outer side of the window frame (10), and wherein the rails (100) (200) guide a first cleaning means (400) to clean the outer surface glass of a window. To clean, a sprinkler pipe (300) is mounted on a mounting portion (104) of the upper rail (100), and the sprinkler pipe sprays water onto the outer surface of the glass windows (12)(13)(11) using a plurality of spray nozzles (301). A user may control the automatic window cleaning device through interacting with a control panel (510). Here, upon prompted with a user’s input, a water supply pump (302) is connected to a water tank (303) to supply the spray nozzles (301) with clean water, and a drive motor (502) begins rotating in either a forward or reverse direction (Page 7, line 37, Page 8, line 1). The drive motor (502), which is installed on a side of the upper rail (100), is axially coupled to a driving pulley (503) through a driving shaft, and the driving pulley is connected to a driven pulley (505), installed at an opposite end of the upper rail, through a linkage belt (504) (Page 8, lines 1-4). Here, the cleaning means (400), is fixed to the linkage belt (504), wherein when the drive motor (502) receives a signal, the driving shaft connected to the drive motor rotates, which then rotates the driving pulley (503), and the driving pulley (503) rotates the driven pulley (505) through the linkage belt (504) (Page 9, lines 12-17). The first cleaning means (400) consists of an upper sliding part (401) for interlocking with the linkage belt (504), a sliding member (403) which functions as a body structure, a wheel (402) mounted at a lower end of the sliding member (403) for sliding along a guide groove (201) of the lower rail (200), a first wiper (404), and at least one first fixing member (405) for affixing the first wiper (404) to the sliding member (403).
Regarding Claim 1, Woon discloses an automated self-cleaning skylight comprising:
(a) a frame fitted with a glass (Woon: English Translation, Page 5, lines 24-25, and 38, in view of FIG. 1, "an automatic glass cleaning device" composed of "a window frame (10)", an outer window (11), and inner windows (12) and (13)), wherein a top edge of the frame are located with spray nozzles and the spray nozzles are connected to a tube used to deliver water for cleaning (Woon: English Translation, Page 6, lines 29-32, “window frame (10)”, “spray nozzles (301)” on the upper rail (100); see also Page 9, lines 4-8, wherein water is supplied to the spray nozzles (301) through a hose from a water supply pump (302));
and (b) rails at each side of the frame which guides a wiper beam to move by a motor (Woon: English Translation, Page 6, line 37, and Page 7, lines 1-2, both in view of FIG. 1, upper rail (100) and lower rail (200) slide a first cleaning means (400) to clean glass windows (12)(13)(11); see also Page 7, lines 35-37, and Page 8, lines 1-7, wherein the first cleaning means (400) is driven by a driving motor (502)), wherein the motor is installed on a top side of the frame and is concealed by a cover (Woon: English Translation, Page 7, line 36-37 in view of FIG. 1, wherein a driving motor (502) is installed in a housing (501) on the upper rail (100)), and one side of the motor are connected to shafts (Woon: English Translation, Page 8, lines 1-2, "a driving pulley (503) axially coupled to the driving shaft of the driving motor (502)");
(c) wherein one side of the shaft is connected to a rotating pulley and a tension pulley (Woon: English Translation, Page 8, lines 1-3, a singular “driving shaft of the driving motor (502)” interacts with driving pulley (503) and driven pully (505)), and the tension pulley is located at the top of the frame (Page 8, lines 2-3 in view of FIG. 1, driving pulley (503) on the upper rail (100)), wherein the motor rotates to drive the wiper beam (Woon: English Translation, Page 7, lines 25-27, and Page 8, line 1, the driving motor (502) rotates in a forward or reverse direction to slide the first cleaning means (400)) to move along the rails from one edge of the glass to an opposite edge (Woon: English Translation, Page 6, line 37, and Page 7, lines 1-2, the first cleaning means (400) slides along the upper rail (100) and lower rail (200); see also English Translation, Page 8, lines 3-8, wherein limit switches (506) and (507), located at opposite ends of the upper rail (100), stop the driving motor when the first cleaning means reaches either end) through rotating the shaft and wheels of the rotating pulley so as to activate a belt drive to move around the rotating pulley and the tension pulley (Woon: English Translation, Page 7, lines 25-27, and Page 8, lines 1-3, wherein the driving motor (502) rotates the driving shaft, and the driving shaft is axially coupled to the driving pulley (503), and wherein the driven pulley (505) and the driving pulley (503) are connected by a linkage belt (504)),
(d) wherein the wiper beam comprises two wiper blade guide plates (see Woon, Annotated Figure 6) and is attached to an outer part of the belt drive where the wiper blade guide plate is fixed to (Woon: English Translation, Page 7, lines 8-9 in view of Annotated Figure 3 and Annotated Figure 6, only the upper sliding part (401) of the sliding member (403) is affixed to the linkage belt (504) on the outer-edge of the belt), and wherein the two wiper blade guide plates are mounted on opposite sides of the frame and moveable on the rails (Woon: English Translation, Page 7, lines 2-5, and 26 in view of FIG. 6, wherein the sliding member (403) slides along the upper rail (100) and lower rail (200), and "a plurality of first fixing members (405) are provided" that are spaced apart, and are mounted on opposite sides of the sliding member (403)).
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Woon does not disclose wherein at diagonally opposite corners of the frame are located with spray nozzles, a cleaning solution, both sides of the motor are connected to shafts, one side of the shafts (i.e. plural shafts) is connected to a rotating pulley and a tension pulley, the tension pulley is located at a base of the frame, a belt drive lock installed on top of the belt drive, and wherein the wiper beam is attached to a lower part of the belt drive where the wiper blade guide plates are fixed to (i.e. plural guide plates).
However, pursuant of MPEP 2144.04-VI-A, it 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, to attach the wiper beam structure (i.e. sliding member 403 and first wiper 404) on an inner part of the belt drive (see Annotated Figure 3), such that the wiper beam is attached to a lower part of the belt drive where the wiper blade guide plates are fixed to, as it has been held that mere reversal of parts was held to be an obvious modification, In re Gazda, 219 F.2d 449, 104 USPQ 400 (CCPA 1955). Here, the definition of “a lower part” of the belt drive is relative to the orientation of a window, wherein applying the automatic window cleaning device to a horizontally-arranged window, with the wiper beam on an inner part of the belt drive, would be the equivalent of the wiper beam on a lower part of the belt drive.
Woon still does not disclose wherein at diagonally opposite corners of the frame are located with spray nozzles, a cleaning solution, both sides of the motor are connected to shafts, one side of the shafts (i.e. plural shafts) is connected to a rotating pulley and a tension pulley, the tension pulley is located at a base of the frame, a belt drive lock installed on top of the belt drive, and wherein both wiper blade guide plates are fixed to the lower part of the belt.
However, from the same field of endeavor, Mirra discloses a cleaning solution (Mirra: Paragraph [0030], “cleaning fluid”), both sides of the motor are connected to shafts (Mirra: Paragraph [0038] in view of FIGS. 3A and 3B, both sides of a motor 320 are couped to a first roller bar 306a), one side of the shafts is connected to a rotating pulley and a tension pulley (Mirra: Paragraph [0036] in view of FIGS. 3A and 3B, first roller bar 306a is coupled to a first pulley 307a on the third side 302c of the window frame, and a second pulley 307b on a fourth side 302d of the window frame 302), the tension pulley is located at a base of the frame (Mirra: Paragraph [0038], wherein the motor is operably coupled to at least one of the roller bars 306a and 306b, and wherein the first pulley 307a and second pulley 307b are coupled to the roller bars 306a, 306b, and wherein whichever pulley wheel 308 on the opposite end of the window frame 302 from the motor is the tension pulley), and wherein both plates are fixed to the belt (Mirra: Paragraph [0037], wherein in an optional embodiment discussing alternative structures to a pulley, each end of the wiper arm 310 may be coupled to a linear screw actuator through a carriage).
Mirra discloses a window washing assembly 300 “for automatically cleaning the exterior side of windows in buildings, preferably skyscrapers” (Mirra: Paragraphs [0026] and [0036]). Here, a window washing assembly 300 includes a first roller bar (306a), coupled to a first pulley (307a), and a second roller bar (306b), coupled to a second pulley (307b), wherein both roller bars (306a) (306b) are fixed to the window frame 302 (Mirra: Paragraph [0036]). A wiper arm 310 is also provided, which is coupled to the first pulley (307a) and the second pulley (307b), and is provided with “one or more spray nozzles 311” (Mirra: Paragraph [0039]). Additionally, a motor (320) is “operably coupled to at least one of the roller bars (306a) (306b)”, and the motor may be “electrically coupled to a controller 325” to control operation (Mirra: Paragraph [0038]).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have combined the window cleaning device, disclosed by Woon, with the cleaning solution to be delivered by the spray nozzles, the motor having two driving shafts, the tension pulley being located at a base of the frame, and the guide plates for the wiper beam being attached to a lower part of the drive belt. Mirra remarks that their design, aside from being able to specifically dispense a cleansing solution, is also capable of dispensing water or other liquids (Mirra: Paragraph [0040], “spray liquid (e.g. water and/or cleansing liquid)”). Mirra also contemplates the free placement of the motor on both the top and bottom sections of the window frame 302, thus offering versatility in design (Mirra: Paragraph [0038]). In support of design versatility, Mirra also discloses wherein the wiper arm 310 is capable of translating interchangeably between the top (302a) and bottom (302a) of the window frame, as shown in the embodiment of FIG. 3A and 3B, and also sideways (Mirra: Paragraph [0037], wherein “the wiper arm 310 translates sideways (left-to-right or right-to-left, where the wiper arm extends from a top side of the window frame to a bottom side of the window frame)”), and may incorporate “any suitable mechanism” capable of translating wiper arm 310 (Mirra: Paragraph [0037]). By comparison, Woon discloses an apparatus intended for travel along a left-to-right or right-to-left translation (i.e. following the upper rail (100)), as represented in all embodiments of the application. For these reasons, one having ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to modify Woon with Mirra in support of creating a more efficient and adaptable design.
However, in this embodiment, Mirra does not disclose wherein at diagonally opposite corners of the frame are located with spray nozzles, a belt drive lock installed on top of the belt drive.
However, in an alternate embodiment (i.e. Mirra, FIGS. 1-2), Mirra discloses wherein at diagonally opposite corners of the frame are located with spray nozzles (Mirra: Paragraph [0030] in view of FIG. 2, wherein each side (102a-102d) of the window pane 103 may be provided with a plurality spray nozzles “configured to provide” a cleaning fluid on the window pane 103), and in another alternative embodiment (i.e. Mirra, FIGS. 5A-5B, and supported by the primary embodiment discussed in FIGS. 3A-3B), Mirra discloses the belt drive is capable of being locked by a belt drive lock installed on top of the belt drive (Mirra: see Paragraph [0055], wherein the pulley 500 may include an outer wall 504 preventing the chain from slipping; see also Mirra, Paragraph [0044], wherein each pulley 307a, 307b may be positioned in a containment track “that is built into the window, thereby hiding the pulley within the window frame 302”).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have combined Woon in view of Mirra, and in further view of the alternate embodiments disclosed by Mirra, such that the plurality of spray nozzles is placed at diagonally opposite corners of the frame, and wherein the belt drive is capable of being locked by a belt drive lock. Regarding the placement of the spray nozzles, Mirra discloses with respect to the embodiment of FIGS. 3A-3B, “One skilled in the art will understand that the nozzles may be oriented at any suitable angle to provide better (e.g., more evenly spread) coverage of cleaning fluid on the surface of the window pane 303” (Mirra: Paragraph [0039]). Additionally, with respect to the same embodiment, Mirra later discloses that spraying from the sides of the window frame is suitable under the pretense that the dispensed cleaning solution may cover the entire window, and that “spraying from the top only may cause streaks as the wiper arm would lose solution the further it travels” (Mirra: Paragraph [0040]). For this these reasons, one would be motivated to try placing the spray nozzles at opposite corners of the window frame, as free placement across the borders of the window pane 303 is already contemplated, and that placement location is based upon the degree of success a spray nozzle offers while distributing a cleaning solution.
Regarding the recitation of the belt drive being lockable by a belt drive lock on top of the belt drive, when seeking to ascertain the intended claim scope in light of the specification, the Examiner reflected upon the intended claim scope in light of the Specification. Page 5, Paragraph [0022] describes, inter alia, “There is a belt drive lock (16) installed on top of the drive belt (8), the belt drive lock will secure that the drive belt (8), will does slip off the rotating pulley (6)”. Based on the description in the Specification, the belt drive lock is intended as a structure for ensuring the belt drive does not “slip off the rotating pulley” during operation. With respect to the claim recitation, this is applicable to the combination disclosed by Mirra, wherein the structure of the containment track that is built into the window (Mirra: Paragraph [0044]) combined with the structure of the pulley 500 having an outer wall 504 to “contain the chain and prevent the chain from slipping”, would result in a belt drive that is capable of being locked by a belt drive lock installed on top of the belt drive, wherein both recitations by Mirra are drawn to containing a belt drive or belt drive equivalent structure. One would be motivated to try this in support of offering a more secure solution such that a belt drive does not slip off, and for concealing many of the structural components within the window frame (Mirra: Paragraph [0055] and [0044]).
Regarding Claim 2, Woon in view of Mirra disclose the claimed invention as applied above, wherein Modified Woon further discloses the automated self-cleaning skylight of claim 1, wherein the wiper blade guide plates are fixed to the lower part of the belt drive (Woon: see FIGS. 3 and 6-7, wherein the first fixing members (403) are fixed to the outer part of the linkage belt (504); see also MPEP 2144.04-VI-A section in Claim 1; see also Mirra, Paragraph [0037], wherein both plates being fixed to a drive belt is disclosed) by a drive belt lock (Woon: English Translation, Page 6, lines 3-4, Page 7, lines 9-14, and Page 8, lines 8-9, all in view of FIGS. 3 and 6-7, wherein linkage belt (504) of the first cleaning means (400) is inserted and fixed into the driving means fixing groove (401a) of the upper sliding part (401), and wherein the upper sliding part (401) is inserted into the guide hole (101) to guide the first cleaning means (400)).
Regarding Claim 4, Woon in view of Mirra disclose the claimed invention as applied above, wherein Modified Woon further discloses the automated self-cleaning skylight of claim 1, wherein the cleaning solution is delivered by using a pump and is sprayed via the spray nozzles (Woon: English Translation, Page 7, lines 4-8, wherein water is delivered using a water supply pump (302) and is sprayed through a plurality of spray nozzles (301); see also Mirra, Paragraph [0030], “cleaning fluid”).
Regarding Claim 5, Woon in view of Mirra disclose the claimed invention as applied above, wherein Modified Woon further discloses the automated self-cleaning skylight of claim 1, wherein the motor is controlled by an automatic command of a controller (Woon: English Translation, Page 8, lines 14 and 20-27, wherein the drive motor (502) is connected and operated by control of a control panel (510)).
Regarding Claim 6, Woon in view of Mirra disclose the claimed invention as applied above, wherein Modified Woon further discloses the automated self-cleaning skylight of claim 1, wherein the wiper beam has a length equal to a width of the glass (Woon: see FIG. 3, wherein the sliding member (403) is equal in length to the inner and outer windows (11) and (13)).
Regarding Claim 7, Woon in view of Mirra disclose the claimed invention as applied above, wherein Modified Woon further discloses the automated self-cleaning skylight of claim 1, wherein wiper blades are inserted into a groove in the wiper beam (Woon: English Translation, Page 7, lines 16-20, the first wiper (404) is inserted into the first fixing member (405); see also Mirra, Paragraph [0044], wherein “the wiper arm 310 includes one or more wiper blades 315”), and the wiper blades are secured at a fixed position by the wiper blade guide plates. (Woon: English Translation, Page 7, lines 1-20, and Page 8, lines 8-11, in view of Annotated Figure 6, wherein the first wiper (404) is secured in a fixed position by the first fixing plate guide parts (408) onto the sliding member (403), and wherein the sliding member (403) and the wiper blade guide plates are secured in a fixed position on the linkage belt (504)).
Claim(s) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Woon (KR100489637B1), herein after referred to as “Woon”, in view of Mirra (US2023116013A1), herein after referred to as “Mirra”, and in further view of Kenzo (JPS62146797A), herein after referred to as “Kenzo”.
Regarding Claim 3, Woon in view of Mirra disclose the claimed invention as applied above, wherein Modified Woon further discloses the automated self-cleaning skylight of claim 1, wherein the two wiper blade guide plates (9) and moveable on the rails (Woon: English Translation, Page 7, lines 2-5 and 11-14 in view of Annotated Figure 6, wherein the wiper blade guide plates of the sliding member (403) slide along the upper rail (100) and the lower rail (200).
Modified Woon does not disclose with two top wheels and two bottom wheels.
However, from the same or similar field of endeavor, Kenzo disclose with two top wheels and two bottom wheels (Kenzo: English Translation, Page 2, lines 12-15 in view of FIG. 1B, two upper wheels 5, and two lower wheels 5a).
Kenzo discloses a porthole cleaning device, comprising a “self-propelled trolley equipped with cleaning brushes” on a rail (Kenzo: English Translation, Page 2, lines 1-3). Notably, the trolley moves along a guide rail 3, and translates with the rail using running wheels 5, wherein the wheels 5 “are configured in two stages so as to sandwich the guide rail 3 from above and below, with the upper wheel 5 in contact with the upper surface of the guide rail 3 and the lower wheel 5a in contact with the lower surface of the guide rail 3” (Kenzo: English Translation, Page 2, lines 10-15 in view of FIG. 1(B), wherein there are two top wheels and two bottom wheels).
It would have been obvious to have modified Woon in view of Mirra, and in further view of Kenzo, such that the wiper blade guide plates may be modified to include two top wheels and two bottom wheels, as Mirra already discloses that “any suitable mechanism that converts rotational motion from a motor into linear motion capable of translating the wiper arm 310” are optional modifications. Additionally, Woon already discloses fixing the sliding member (403) into the upper rail (100), and supporting the sliding member (403) using two ball bearings (406) to minimize friction during sliding (Woon: English Translation, Page 7, lines 2-4 and 11-14). Woon also discloses supporting the sliding member (403) in the lower rail (200) using a wheel (402). For these reasons, one would be motivated to combine Woon in view of Mirra in view of Kenzo such that the two wiper blade guide plates are movable on rails with two top wheels and two bottom wheels, as to minimize friction from sliding the sliding member (403) along the upper rail (100) and lower rail (200).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure.
Mackintosh (WO2001001840A1) discloses an apparatus for cleaning a window, comprising “a wiper (10) and a belt and cog mechanism (16, 17) to move the wiper (10) across the surface of the window” (Mackintosh: Abstract). Here, a hose (30) dispenses water or detergent onto an outer surface of the window, and the wiper (10) is moved over the outer surface as to wipe the window (Mackintosh: Abstract). In particular, Mackintosh discloses an alternate embodiment wherein “a double bladed wiper 310a, 310b” having two “blades 311a, 311b” is disclosed (Mackintosh: Page 13, lines 15-19).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JON M HEGEMIER whose telephone number is (571)467-6405. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9:00-5:00 EST.
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 Posigian can be reached at 313-446-6546. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JON M HEGEMIER/ Examiner, Art Unit 3723
/DAVID S POSIGIAN/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3723
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