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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 9/11/2025 is being considered.
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 7-9 and 11 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 7 recites the limitation “wherein a middle flow channel is defined between the other part of the separation channel and the main body member”. It is unclear what I meant by “the other part of the separation channel”. As such the claim is determined to be indefinite.
Claims 8, 9 and 11 are rejected due to 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.
Claims 1-12, and 14-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Dawson (US 2020/0060496).
Regarding claim 1, Dawson discloses a dirt treatment apparatus, comprising:
a box body (Item 80); and
a separation apparatus (Item 76),
wherein the separation apparatus is disposed in the box body,
wherein the box body defines:
a suction channel (Item 86) providing communication between an interior and an exterior of the box body, and
an air outlet (Item 142), and
wherein the separation apparatus comprises:
a main body member (body of separation apparatus, assumed to be the same. Separation apparatus is not pictured in the instant application. Thus it’s assumed the main body would be the main body of the separation apparatus) provided in the box body, wherein the main body member and an inner wall of the box body define a separation channel in communication between the suction channel and the air outlet (best shown in Figure 9), and
a blocking member (Item 93) fitted on the main body member and blocking a flow path of all airflows flowing from the suction channel to the air outlet (Paragraph 45).
Regarding claim 2, Dawson discloses the dirt treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a surface of the blocking member facing the suction channel is defined as a blocking surface, the blocking surface being arranged eccentrically with respect to a central axis of the suction channel (Item 96 or 130).
Regarding claim 3, Dawson discloses the dirt treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the separation apparatus comprises a first filter member (Item 96), and the first filter member is arranged in the separation channel and located downstream of a diverted airflow formed after colliding with the blocking member.
Regarding claim 4, Dawson discloses the dirt treatment apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the blocking member is disposed in the main body member, and divides the main body member to form a flow guide cavity in communication with the suction channel; and
wherein the main body member is provided with a lateral notch in communication between the flow guide cavity and the separation channel, and the lateral notch is located on a flow path in which the diverted airflow formed after colliding with the blocking member flows to the first filter member (Item 94 has notches for Item 96).
Regarding claim 5, Dawson discloses the dirt treatment apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the separation apparatus comprises a second filter member (Item 108) is provided in the separation channel and is located in a flow path in which an airflow separated after flowing through the first filter member flows to the air outlet.
Regarding claim 6, Dawson discloses the dirt treatment apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the blocking member further divides the main body member to form a ventilation cavity (Item 92) in communication with the air outlet, and the second filter member covers an outer periphery of the ventilation cavity .
Regarding claim 7, Dawson discloses the dirt treatment apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the separation apparatus further comprises a partition plate (Item 98) disposed in the separation channel and dividing a part of the separation channel in an airflow flowing direction to form at least two layers of separation flow channels; and
wherein a middle flow channel is defined between the other part of the separation channel and the main body member , and the separation flow channels of all the layers are in communication with each other through the middle flow channel (Annotated Figure 9).
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Annotated Figure 9
Regarding claim 8, Dawson discloses the dirt treatment apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the at least two layers of separation flow channels comprise an upper-layer separation flow channel and a lower-layer separation flow channel, and the first filter member is provided in the lower-layer separation flow channel, and the second filter member is provided in the upper-layer separation flow channel.
Regarding claim 9, Dawson discloses the dirt treatment apparatus according to claim 7, wherein a gap for liquid circulation is provided both between the partition plate and a side wall of the box body and between the first filter member and the side wall of the box body (Figure 9 and 11).
Regarding claim 10, Dawson discloses the dirt treatment apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a filtration pore diameter of the first filter member is greater than a filtration pore diameter of the second filter member (Paragraph 46 discusses the use of a paper filter which has very small holes and Item 130 has holes large enough to be seen).
Regarding claim 11, Dawson discloses the dirt treatment apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the partition plate is disposed on a side of an outer periphery of the main body member, and the at least two layers of separation flow channels are located on an eccentric side of the blocking member(Figure 9 to the left).
Regarding claim 12, Dawson discloses the dirt treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the dirt treatment apparatus further comprises a detection apparatus, wherein the detection apparatus is provided in the box body and is configured to acquire a content characteristic of a solid substance in separated substances obtained after primary separation (Item 116).
Regarding claim 14, Dawson discloses the dirt treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the box body defines an inner cavity, the separation apparatus is distributed on an upper side of the inner cavity, and a space for storing substances obtained by three-phase separation of the separation apparatus is defined between the separation apparatus and a lower side of the inner cavity (Figure 9).
Regarding claim 15, Dawson discloses a cleaning device, comprising:
a dirt treatment apparatus, wherein the dirt treatment apparatus comprises a box body (Item 80) and a separation apparatus (Item 76),
wherein the separation apparatus is disposed in the box body,
wherein the box body defines:
a suction channel (Item 86) providing communication between an interior and an exterior of the box body, and
an air outlet (Item 142), and
wherein the separation apparatus comprises:
a main body member provided in the box body, wherein the main body member and an inner wall of the box body define a separation channel in communication between the suction channel and the air outlet, and
a blocking member (Item 93) fitted on the main body member and blocking a flow path of all airflows flowing from the suction channel to the air outlet (Paragraph 45).
Regarding claim 16, Dawson discloses a method comprising:
obtaining a cleaning device (Item 10) comprising: a dirt treatment apparatus comprising a box body (item 80) and a separation apparatus (Item 76),
wherein the separation apparatus is disposed in the box body,
wherein the box body defines:
a suction channel (Item 86) providing communication between an interior and an exterior of the box body, and
an air outlet (Item 142), and
wherein the separation apparatus comprises:
a main body member provided in the box body, wherein the main body member and an inner wall of the box body define a separation channel in communication between the suction channel and the air outlet, and
a blocking member (Item 93) fitted on the main body member and blocking a flow path of all airflows flowing from the suction channel to the air outlet;
acquiring a content characteristic of a solid substance in separated substances obtained after primary separation by the dirt treatment apparatus in the cleaning device;
determining whether a solid substance is newly added in the dirt treatment apparatus according to the content characteristic of the solid substance;
upon determining that the solid substance is newly added in the dirt treatment apparatus, operating the cleaning device in a quick-suction mode, wherein in the quick-suction mode, a rolling brush motor and a blower of the cleaning device operate at a corresponding first rotational speed (upon normal operation of Dawson, a user can look and see if fluid is coming into the dirt container, after inspection, it can operate at the normal speed).
Under the principles of inherency, if a prior art device, in its normal and usual operation, would necessarily perform the method claimed, then the method claimed will be considered to be anticipated by the prior art device. When the prior art device is the same as a device described in the specification for carrying out the claimed method, it can be assumed the device will inherently perform the claimed process. MPEP 2112.02
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 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Dawson (US 2020/0060496) in view of Scholten (US 2021/0267428)
Regarding claim 13, Dawson discloses the dirt treatment apparatus according to claim 12. Dawson fails to explicitly disclose wherein the dirt treatment apparatus further comprises an electrode assembly, wherein the electrode assembly comprises two electrodes, and each of the electrodes is disposed on the box body and is at least partially inserted into the box body; and wherein the dirt treatment apparatus is configured such that when a liquid level in the box body rises to submerge at least a part of the two electrodes, the two electrodes are conducted.
Scholten teaches a dirt treatment apparatus wherein the dirt treatment apparatus further comprises an electrode assembly (Item 114 and 116), wherein the electrode assembly comprises two electrodes, and each of the electrodes is disposed on the box body and is at least partially inserted into the box body; and wherein the dirt treatment apparatus is configured such that when a liquid level in the box body rises to submerge at least a part of the two electrodes, the two electrodes are conducted (Paragraph 37, 61-64). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Dawson to include the electrode assembly of Scholten. Such a modification would allow the suction motor to be turned off in the event the water level became too high , which would prevent damage to the cleaner (Paragraphs 37 and 71)
Claim 17 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Dawson (US 2020/0060496) in view of Pruiett (US 2021/0259494)
Regarding claim 17, Dawson discloses the method according to claim 16. Dawson fails to explicitly disclose upon determining that the solid substance is not newly added in the dirt treatment apparatus, operating the cleaning device in an intelligent mode, wherein in the intelligent mode, rotational speeds of the rolling brush motor and the blower are adjusted according to cleaning characteristics acquired by a stain detection system, wherein the rotational speeds of the rolling brush motor and the blower are both less than the corresponding first rotational speed.
Pruiett teaches a cleaning method upon determining that the solid substance is not newly added in the dirt treatment apparatus, operating the cleaning device in an intelligent mode, wherein in the intelligent mode, rotational speeds of the rolling brush motor and the blower are adjusted according to cleaning characteristics acquired by a stain detection system, wherein the rotational speeds of the rolling brush motor and the blower are both less than the corresponding first rotational speed (Paragraph 75, 149 164-179; claim 19). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Dawson with the ability to detect stains and adjust the vacuum and brush speed according to the stain and floor type. The power going to the suction motor affects dwell time of the solution. The speed of the brush roll affects how much abrasion the stain would experience. Since stains are interpreted to be dried mud, wine, or many other types of things, there is no one set solution for a stain. Being able to adjust the operation would increase the ability to appropriately clean the surface.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TOM R RODGERS whose telephone number is (313)446-4849. The examiner can normally be reached Monday thru Friday 8AM-5PM EST.
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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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/TOM RODGERS/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3723
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