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 § 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 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Schneider et al. (US20090300862), hereinafter Schneider.
Regarding claim 1, Schneider discloses a swimming pool cleaning robot, wherein the swimming pool cleaning robot comprising:
two driving wheel (Fig. 2 element 3) and two steering wheel (Fig. 2 element 4) rotationally mounted at the bottom of a cleaning robot body (Fig. 4 elements 2, 20, and 28 (excluding the mounting plate shown in annotated Fig. 4 below) correspond to a cleaning robot body and annotated Fig. 3 below shows the wheels mounted at the bottom of the cleaning robot body), an anti-collision guide assembly (Fig. 2 elements 26 and 27 and the mounting plate shown in annotated Fig. 4 below) fixedly installed on a top of the cleaning robot body (see annotated Fig. 3 below), the anti-collision guide assembly being configured for protecting the cleaning robot body (Fig. 1, where the anti-collision guide assembly extending beyond the cleaning robot body means that the anti-collision guide assembly is capable of protecting the cleaning robot body), a sewage suction port (Fig. 4 element 11) and a scraping assembly (Fig. 4 either one of elements 28) provided at a bottom of the cleaning robot body (see annotated Fig. 3 below), the scraping assembly being configured to clean and scrap the swimming pool (Fig. 3, 0033, where the scraping assembly being so low to the cleaning surface that it contributes to creating "a low pressure area below the frame" means that at least the portion of the scraping assembly near element 36 is capable of cleaning and scraping a swimming pool).
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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 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Schneider et al. (US20090300862), hereinafter Schneider, in view of Ferrari (US3054130).
Regarding claim 2, Schneider discloses the limitations of claim 1, as described above, but fails to disclose the bottom of the cleaning robot body is fixedly mounted with two spoilers, and the two spoilers are obliquely arranged, and the scraper assembly and the suction port are located between the two spoilers.
Ferrari is also concerned with a cleaning robot and teaches the bottom of the cleaning robot body (Fig. 1, where the surface from which element 70 extends corresponds to a bottom of a cleaning robot body) is fixedly mounted with two spoilers (see annotated Fig. 4 below), and the two spoilers are obliquely arranged (see annotated Fig. 4 below), and the scraper assembly (Fig. 4 element 8) and the suction port (Fig. 4 element 2) are located between the two spoilers (see annotated Fig. 4 below). 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 modify the swimming pool cleaning robot of Schneider to include two spoilers mounted in an oblique arrangement to the bottom of the cleaning robot body, and to have the scraper assembly and the suction port are located between the two spoilers, as taught by Ferrari, because Ferrari teaches that the triangular shape formed by the two spoilers creates "a restricted and more powerful suction area" (2:10-14) which allows for "completely cleaning" the surface to be cleaned (5:4-12).
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Claims 3 and 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Schneider et al. (US20090300862), hereinafter Schneider, in view of Tang et al. (CN213322979U), attached as a PDF and hereinafter referred to as Tang.
Regarding claim 3, Schneider discloses the limitations of claim 1, as described above, and further discloses the anti-collision guide assembly comprises a mounting plate (see annotated Fig. 4 above), the mounting plate is fixedly connected with the top of the cleaning robot body (see annotated Fig. 3 above).
Schneider fails to disclose a first front side of the mounting plate is fixedly installed with two rebound damping rods, and the two rebound damping rods are hinged with hinged rods, the two hinged rods are hinged with a same rectangular plate, and a second front side of the rectangular plate is fixedly installed with an arc plate.
Tang is also concerned with providing an anti-collision guide assembly and teaches a first front side (Fig. 3, the side of element 136 which is in direct contact with element 1314) of the mounting plate (Fig. 3 element 136) is fixedly installed with two rebound damping rods (Fig. 3 element 1314), and the two rebound damping rods are hinged with hinged rods (Fig. 3 elements 1313), the two hinged rods are hinged with a same rectangular plate (Fig. 3 element 1311), and a second front side (Fig. 3, the side of element 1311 which directly contacts element 139) of the rectangular plate is fixedly installed with an arc plate (Fig. 3 element 139). 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 modify the swimming pool cleaning robot of Schneider to include two rebound damping rods, two hinged rods, a rectangular plate, and an arc plate, as claimed, as taught by Tang, because Tang teaches that this configuration of an anti-collision guide assembly (i.e. a bumper) provides multiple levels of buffering which can “minimize the damage” (0012).
Regarding claim 5, Schneider, as modified, discloses the limitations of claim 3, as described above, and further discloses when the arc plate encounters an impact force, the rectangular plate tilts, and the two rebound damping rods are driven to shrink and/or stretch to different degrees by the two hinged rods, so as to buffer the impact force on the arc plate (Tang, 0024).
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Schneider et al. (US20090300862), hereinafter Schneider, in view of Tang et al. (CN213322979U), attached as a PDF and hereinafter referred to as Tang, and in further view of Ouyang (CN209499612U), attached as a PDF.
Regarding claim 4, Schneider, as modified, discloses the limitations of claim 3, as described above, and further discloses the arc plate is configured to contact with walls of a swimming pool (Tang, the arc plate is capable of contacting walls of a swimming pool), and the arc plate has a diameter (Tang, the arc plate being arc-shaped means there is a diameter).
Schneider, as modified, fails to disclose the diameter of the arc plate is greater than a spacing between the two steering wheels.
Ouyang is also concerned with a cleaning robot and teaches the diameter of the arc plate (Fig. 2 element 2) is greater than a spacing between the two steering wheels (Fig. 2, where the diameter of the arc plate (2) surrounding the entire robot cleaner body (1) means that the diameter of the arc plate is greater than a spacing between the two steering wheels). 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 modify the swimming pool cleaning robot of Schneider, as modified, to make the diameter of the arc plate greater than a spacing between the two steering wheels, as taught by Ouyang, because Ouyang teaches that having an arc plate which has a diameter greater than a spacing between the two steering wheels acts to "protect the robot vacuum cleaner" (0033) and "protect the furniture from being scratched" (0033).
Claims 6 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Schneider et al. (US20090300862), hereinafter Schneider, in view of Sumonthee (US8307485).
Regarding claim 6, Schneider discloses the limitations of claim 1, as described above, but fails to disclose the scraper assembly comprises two fixing plates, the two fixing plates are fixedly connected to the bottom of the cleaning robot body, the two fixing plates are rotatably mounted with a rotating shaft, and the rotating shaft is fixedly mounted with a first scraper board and a second scraper board.
Sumonthee is also concerned with a swimming pool cleaning robot and teaches the scraper assembly (Fig. 9A element 140) comprises two fixing plates (Fig. 9A elements 142), the two fixing plates are fixedly connected to the bottom of the cleaning robot body (Fig. 8, 7:3-13), the two fixing plates are rotatably mounted with a rotating shaft (Fig. 2 element 141a), and the rotating shaft is fixedly mounted with a first scraper board and a second scraper board (see annotated Fig. 8 below). 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 modify the swimming pool cleaning robot of Schneider to replace the scraper assembly with a scraper assembly as claimed in claim 6, as taught by Sumonthee, because Sumonthee teaches that a scraper assembly as claimed in claim 6 is used to "scrub the walls of the pool during operation" (6:8-9) which would further enhance the cleaning capabilities of the swimming pool cleaning robot of Schneider.
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Regarding claim 10, Schneider, as modified, discloses the limitations of claim 6, as described above, and further discloses a third scraper (Sumonthee, see annotated Fig. 8 above) is fixedly installed on a side of the first scraper close to the sewage suction port (Sumonthee, Fig. 8, where element 113 corresponds to a sewage suction port), and a length of the third scraper is greater than a spacing between the first scraper and the second scraper (Sumonthee, see annotated Fig. 8 above).
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Schneider et al. (US20090300862), hereinafter Schneider, in view of Tang et al. (CN213322979U), attached as a PDF and hereinafter referred to as Tang, and in further view of Cosentino (US7504027).
Regarding claim 7, Schneider, as modified, discloses the limitations of claim 3, as described above, and further discloses the rectangular plate and two articulated rods are distributed in an isosceles trapezoid shape (Tang, Fig. 3).
Schneider, as modified, fails to disclose an arc hole is provided on the arc plate, a plurality of guide wheels is rotationally installed in the arc hole and distributed at equal intervals, the guide wheels extend through the arc hole.
Cosentino is also concerned with providing an anti-collision guide assembly and teaches a plurality of arc holes (Fig. 5 element 43) are provided on the arc plate (Fig. 1 element 32), a plurality of guide wheels (Fig. 5 element 46) is rotationally installed in the plurality of arc holes and distributed at equal intervals (Fig. 5, 2:58-3:3), the guide wheels extend through the arc hole (Fig. 5, 2:58-3:3). 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 modify the swimming pool cleaning robot of Schneider, as modified, to provide a plurality of arc holes with a plurality of guide wheels rotationally installed and extending beyond the plurality of arc holes, as taught by Cosentino, because Cosentino teaches that this configuration of an arc plate helps “prevent tearing of vinyl linings in some swimming pools when the pool skimmer is driven into the side. In addition, the rollers 46 allow the pool skimmer to be smoothly guided through a turning maneuver along the side” (0030).
Schneider, as modified, fails to disclose that the plurality of guide wheels are located in a single arc hole. Pursuant MPEP 2144.04-IV-B, 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 modify the arc plate of Schneider, as modified, with regards to a desired shape (in this case, having a singular arc hole) in adapting the arc plate for a particular application, since such modification would have involved a mere change in the shape of a component. A change in shape is generally recognized as being within the level of one of ordinary skill in the art. Examiner notes that Applicant does not provide criticality in the specification for having a single arc hole.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8-9 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: regarding claim 8, the closest art of record, Schneider et al. (US20090300862) and Sumonthee (US8307485), fail to disclose, suggest, or make obvious in combination with the additional elements or each respective claim the following features: “the rotating shaft penetrates through the fixing plate…, two vertical plates are fixedly installed on the rotating shaft, a guide rod is arranged on the vertical plate, and the guide rod penetrates the vertical plate and is slidably connected to the vertical plate, two ends of the guide rod are fixedly installed with a disc and a fixed block, the fixed block and the fixing plate are fixedly connected, one side of the disc and the vertical plate close to each other is fixedly installed with a spring, and the spring is slidably sleeved on the guide rod”. Examiner finds that the rotating shaft taught by Sumonthee does not penetrate the fixing plate and no vertical plates are fixedly installed on the rotating shaft, and therefore everything following the vertical plates is also not present.
Claim 9 would be allowable as being dependent on an allowable claim.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CALEB A HOLIZNA whose telephone number is (571)272-5659. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8:00-4:30.
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/C.A.H./Examiner, Art Unit 3723
/MONICA S CARTER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3723
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