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 .
Specification
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because:
Phrases that can be implied, such as “The invention relates to” in line 1, should be avoided.
The abstract contains legal language (“comprising” in lines 2 and 5; “comprises” in lines 8 and 10).
The abstract should be limited to a single paragraph within the range of 50 to 150 words in length.
A corrected abstract of the disclosure is required and must be presented on a separate sheet, apart from any other text. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
The use of the term “Bluetooth” (see Page 6 and Page 13), which is a trade name or a mark used in commerce, has been noted in this application. The term should be accompanied by the generic terminology; furthermore the term should be capitalized wherever it appears or, where appropriate, include a proper symbol indicating use in commerce such as ™, SM , or ® following the term.
Although the use of trade names and marks used in commerce (i.e., trademarks, service marks, certification marks, and collective marks) are permissible in patent applications, the proprietary nature of the marks should be respected and every effort made to prevent their use in any manner which might adversely affect their validity as commercial marks.
Claim Objections
Claim 15 is objected to because of the following informalities: the claim contains an extraneous word: “on a a display unit” in line 2. Appropriate correction is required.
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 1-23 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.
Regarding claim 1, the claim recites “the at least one connection line” in line 15, after reciting “two connection lines” in line 6, and “at least one switching element connected in at least one connection line” in lines 9-10. It is unclear whether the recitation in line 15 is necessarily referring to the same “at least one connection line” that is recited in lines 9-10. Thus there is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Regarding claims 2-6, 8, 11-12, and 19-20, each claim recites “the at least one connection line” (claims 3-6, 11, and 19), “the connection line” (claims 2, 12, and 20), or “the electrically conductively connected connection line” (claim 8). There is insufficient antecedent basis for these limitations in the claims, considering the ambiguity described above regarding claim 1.
Regarding claims 2, 8, and 17, each claim recites “the cleaning liquid” (claim 2, line 5; claim 8, line 10; claim 17, line 3). There is insufficient antecedent basis for these limitations in the claims.
Regarding claims 4 and 20, each claim recites “a further switching element” (claim 4, line 2; claim 20, lines 4-5), after reciting “at least one switching element” in claim 1, upon which the instant claims depend. It is unclear what the term “further” would mean in this context, considering that the number of switching elements has not been limited to a certain number.
Regarding claim 6, the claim recites “the switching element” in lines 2-3. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim (see above regarding claims 4 and 20).
Regarding claim 11, the claim recites “in the absence of which” in line 6. It is unclear to what feature the underlined term refers. For purposes of examination only, the claim will be interpreted to require the apparatus to be capable of electrically interrupting the at least one connection line when a confirmation signal is not received in response to a test signal.
Regarding claim 12, the claim recites “the test signal” in lines 1-2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Regarding claim 16:
The claim recites “in accordance with either claim 12” in line 1. It is unclear to which claim(s) the instant claim is intended to be dependent upon. For purposes of examination only, the limitation will be interpreted to be dependent upon claim 12.
The claim recites “the at least one battery” in line 3. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Regarding claim 19, the claim recites “the release element” in lines 4-5. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Regarding claim 21, the claim recites “the further switching element” in lines 1-2 and “the switching element” in lines 2-3. There is insufficient antecedent basis for these limitations (see above regarding claims 4 and 20, and regarding claim 6).
Regarding claim 23, the term “in which” in lines 2-3 is ambiguous, as it is unclear to which feature(s) the term is intended to refer.
In light of the above indefiniteness issues, the claims will be interpreted according to Examiner’s best understanding.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-5, 7-10, 14-15, 17-18, and 20-23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kristensen (US 2017/0239676).
Regarding claim 1, Kristensen discloses an electrically operated high-pressure cleaning apparatus (see the Abstract; Fig. 1), comprising
a support device (housing containing high pressure module HPM and controller CTL; Paragraph 0020; Fig. 1),
an electric motor held thereon and/or arranged thereon (Paragraph 0014),
a pump which is drivable by the electric motor (Paragraph 0014) and
an electrical device (see boxes labeled CTL and MC_SW in Fig. 3), as well as
a user-guided operating unit (spray handle SH) which is connected or connectable to the pump via a high-pressure conduit (Paragraph 0039),
the electrical device comprising two connection lines via which the electric motor is connected or connectable to a power supply device in a bipolar manner and is suppliable with electrical energy (Paragraph 0046; Fig. 3),
wherein the electrical device comprises at least one switching element (main switch MN_SW, micro switch MC_SW) connected in at least one connection line (Fig. 3), a control unit (controller CTL), and a first communication member (wireless receiver WR),
wherein the operating unit comprises an actuating element (user interface U_I; Paragraph 0021) and a second communication member (remote control unit RCU) for wirelessly transmitting a signal to the first communication member (Paragraphs 0039-0040), and
wherein the control unit is operatively connected to the at least one switching element (Fig. 3) and the at least one connection line is electrically conductively connected or electrically interrupted depending on the actuation of the actuating element (Paragraph 0016).
Regarding claim 2, Kristensen further discloses that the high-pressure cleaning apparatus is switched to a standby mode (“inactive state”; Paragraph 0016) when the connection line is electrically conductively connected (power is still supplied via main switch MN_SW), the electric motor being switched on only when the user actuates a release element on the operating unit for spraying the cleaning liquid (trigger causes flow, which results in motor being switched on to restore pressure via MC_SW; Paragraphs 0021, 0047).
Regarding claim 3, Kristensen further discloses that a permanent radio connection between the communication members is provided after the at least one connection line has been electrically conductively connected for the first time by actuating the actuating element and until the at least one connection line is electrically interrupted by actuating the actuating element (radio communication is continuously monitored for active connection; Paragraph 0043).
Regarding claim 4, Kristensen further discloses that the electrical device does not comprise a further switching element connected in the at least one connection line (no further switching elements are included in the connection line between MC_SW and the motor; see Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 5, Kristensen further discloses that the high-pressure cleaning apparatus is void of an operating element on the support device for the user as a component of the electrical device in order to electrically conductively connect the at least one connection line (Kristensen discloses a main switch, MN_SW, but it is apparent that this feature is separate from the support device and electrical device; Kristensen further notes that such a switch may be replaced by the remote switching capability of the operating unit; see Fig. 3 and Paragraph 0016).
Regarding claim 7, Kristensen further discloses that the signal transmitted from the second communication member to the first communication member is a pulse signal (signal corresponds with a momentary press of an “increase pressure” or “decrease pressure” button; Paragraph 0042).
Regarding claims 8-10, Kristensen further discloses that, during operation of the high-pressure cleaning apparatus, the high-pressure cleaning apparatus is monitorable for the occurrence of a drop in pressure in the cleaning liquid, an indication of a pressure drop being providable to the user on an indicating unit (U_I) of the high-pressure cleaning apparatus, should a pressure drop occur (wireless status signal indicates whether desired pressure is reached via LEDs on U_I; Paragraph 0040). Kristensen further discloses that the indicating unit is a display unit (Fig. 2b). Kristensen further discloses that the operating unit comprises or forms the indicating unit (Fig. 2b) and a corresponding indication signal (wireless status signal) is transmissible from the first communication member to the second communication member (Paragraph 0040).
Regarding claims 14-15, Kristensen further discloses that the operating unit comprises at least one battery (BTT) for supplying power to the actuating element (see Fig. 4), and that an indication is providable when the at least one battery falls below a predetermined charge level (Paragraph 0043).
Regarding claims 17-18, Kristensen further discloses that the operating unit comprises a release element via which the operating unit is activatable for spraying the cleaning liquid, the release element being different from the actuating element, wherein the release element is a hand-operated trigger (Paragraph 0021).
Regarding claim 20, Kristensen further discloses that the high-pressure cleaning apparatus comprises a pressure switch by means of which pressure in the pump or downstream of the pump is detectable (pressure level at L_O is adjusted via CTL; Paragraph 0040), the pressure switch comprising or being operatively connected to a further switching element (MC_SW) which is connected in one of the connection lines (see Fig. 3), and the further switching element electrically conductively connects the connection line when the pressure falls below a threshold pressure, and interrupts said connection line when the pressure reaches and/or exceeds the threshold pressure (pressure sensitive valve operates MC_SW to keep pressure in a desired range; Paragraph 0047).
Regarding claim 21, Kristensen further discloses that a further switching element is connected in a different connection line than the switching element which is actuated depending on the actuation of the actuating element (see MN_SW and MC_SW in Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 22, Kristensen further discloses that the high-pressure cleaning apparatus is wired and has a connection cable comprising the connection lines (Fig. 1), and/or the high-pressure cleaning apparatus is battery-operated and has a receptacle for an electric battery which is couplable to the connection lines (Paragraph 0014).
Regarding claim 23, Kristensen further discloses that the support device comprises a housing of the high-pressure cleaning apparatus in which the electric motor, the pump and, at least in part, the electrical device are accommodated (Paragraph 0047).
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.
Claims 6 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kristensen in view of Schwab et al. (WO 2007/045259). All references to the written description of Schwab et al. are made to the attached machine translation into English (WO2007045259-MT).
Regarding claim 6, Kristensen discloses the high-pressure cleaning apparatus in accordance with claim 1, as described above, but does not disclose that the control unit is galvanically isolated from the at least one connection line via the switching element.
Schwab et al. teach a high-pressure cleaning apparatus in which the control unit is galvanically isolated from the at least one connection line via the switching element (via a semiconductor relay; Paragraph 0010). Schwab et al. teach that this enables further control of the motor current, facilitating smooth start-up (Paragraph 0010).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the application to provide the switching element of Kristensen with a relay galvanically isolating the control unit from the connection line, as taught by Schwab et al., in order to enable more control over the motor current.
Regarding claim 19, Kristensen discloses the high-pressure cleaning apparatus in accordance with claim 1, as described above, but does not disclose that the control unit electrically interrupts the at least one connection line via the at least one switching element after a predetermined period of time has elapsed.
Schwab et al. teach a high-pressure cleaning apparatus in which the control unit electrically interrupts the at least one connection line via the at least one switching element after a predetermined period of time has elapsed within which the release element has not been actuated (timer switches off motor after the desired pressure is reached and a predetermined delay time passes without a reduction in pressure that would occur when the release element is actuated; Paragraph 0014). Schwab et al. teach that this prevents excessive loads on the control unit (Paragraph 0012).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the application to provide the apparatus of Kristensen with the timer feature taught by Schwab et al. in order to prevent excessive loads on the control unit during short breaks in spraying.
Claims 11-13 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kristensen in view of Teague (US 5,381,962).
Regarding claim 11, Kristensen discloses the high-pressure cleaning apparatus in accordance with claim 1, as described above, and further discloses that a test signal is transmissible from the control unit via the first communication member to the second communication member when at least one connection line is electrically conductively connected and a confirmation signal in response to the test signal is transmissible from the second communication member to the first communication member (such signals would be required in order to provide the disclosed indication of an active connection between communication members or a lack of radio contact; Paragraph 0043). Kristensen does not explicitly disclose that the apparatus is capable of electrically interrupting the at least one connection line based on the absence of a confirmation signal being received in response to a test signal.
Teague teaches a similar apparatus in which signals (81) are transmissible between a first communication member (receiver 48; Fig. 1) and a second communication member (transmitter 10; Fig. 1) when at least one connection line is electrically conductively connected (Col. 9, lines 35-44), and that, when the first communication member fails to receive a signal from the second communication member, the at least one connection line is electrically interrupted (pressure washer is deactuated; Col. 9, lines 49-53). Teague teaches this configuration as a “deadman’s switch” that prevents unintended discharge from the device (see the Abstract).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the application to provide the apparatus of Kristensen with the capability of electrically interrupting the at least one connection line based on the absence of a signal received from the operating unit, as taught by Teague, in order to prevent unintended discharge from the device when radio communication between the communication members is not established.
Regarding claims 12-13, Kristensen discloses the high-pressure cleaning apparatus in accordance with claim 1 and further discloses a test signal, as described above regarding claim 11. Kristensen does not explicitly disclose that the signal is repeatedly or periodically transmissible or that a connection line is interrupted after a predetermined number of absent signals or after a predetermined time.
Teague teaches a similar apparatus, as described above regarding claim 11. Teague further teaches that the test signal is repeatedly and periodically transmissible (e.g., once every second; Col. 9, lines 35-49), and that a connection line is interrupted after a predetermined period of time has elapsed (e.g., after a delay of three seconds; Col. 10, lines 10-18). Teague teaches that this configuration allows the device to continue operating normally during occasional interruptions of the signal (Col. 9, line 58 - Col. 10, line 9).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the application to configure the apparatus of Kristensen such that the test signal is periodically transmissible and a connection line is interrupted only after a predetermined time passes without a signal received from the operating unit, as taught by Teague, in order to allow normal operation of the device during occasional interruptions of the test signal.
Regarding claim 16, Kristensen and Teague in combination disclose the apparatus according to claim 12. Kristensen further discloses that the apparatus monitors the level of at least one battery that powers the second communication member when the actuating element is actuated and provides an indication when the battery falls to a predetermined charge level (Paragraph 0043). Further, it is inherent in such a device that no signal is transmitted from the second communication member to the first communication member if the at least one battery falls below a certain charge level (i.e., when there is insufficient power available to transmit the signal).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the application to configure the apparatus of Kristensen such that the low battery indication occurs just before the battery reaches the level at which there is insufficient power to transmit the signal. Doing so would maximize the usage time of the device before recharging/replacing the battery and would necessarily result in no signal being transmitted from the second communication member to the first communication member when the at least one battery falls below the predetermined charge level, thus arriving at the claimed invention.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See PTO-892 form. In particular, Gustafson et al. (US 2022/0134369), Frank’sche Eisenwerke AG (GB 1555003), Raasch et al. (US 2013/0216402), Giacalone et al. (US 2019/0388923), Teague (US 5,381,962), and Lanfredi (EP 1060800) each disclose a high-pressure cleaning apparatus relevant to at least the independent claim of the instant application.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL C PATTERSON whose telephone number is (571)270-5558. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30-4:00 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, Paul Durand can be reached at 571-272-4459. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/MICHAEL C PATTERSON/Examiner, Art Unit 3754
/PAUL R DURAND/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3754 February 19, 2026