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 Objections
Claim 1-15 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1, line 2 and line 7 both include limitations directed to “a mop”. There is only one mop and thus the examiner is interpreting the claim that the second recitation of “a mop” is intended to be the same mop as the first recitation of “a mop”. The applicant should amend the claim to state “the mop” in line 7.
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) 1, 10 and 13-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Zhu (CN 116509252).
Zhu teaches a cleaning apparatus, comprising: a robot cleaner (200) including a main body having a lower portion to which a mop (paragraph 0074) is detachably mountable; and a station (1) on which the robot cleaner is placeable, the station including: a water storage container (21) configured to store water, a washing chamber (11) configured so that, while the robot cleaner is placed on the station and the mop is mounted to the lower portion of the main body, the mop is washable in the washing chamber (paragraph 0074) , a steam generation device (22; paragraph 0044) configured to generate steam using water stored in the water storage container, a pump (134) configured to pump the water stored in the water storage container out of the water storage container, a first pipe (first branch of 132) configured to guide the water pumped out of the water storage container by the pump to the washing chamber, and a second pipe (second branch of 133) configured to guide the water pumped out of the water storage container by the pump to the steam generation device.
With regards to claim 10, a bottom of the washing chamber is inclined downward along a direction in which the robot cleaner enters the station (figure 1 shows the downward slope).
With regards to claim 13, the robot cleaner is placed on the station and the mop is mounted to the lower portion of the main body, the station is configured to, based on an end of a washing operation that washes the mop in the washing chamber, or receipt of a steam operation signal from at least one of the robot cleaner or a user device: control the steam generation device to perform a steam generation operation (controller 18).
With regards to claim 14, the station is configured to transmit a steam start signal to the cleaning based on the start of the steam generation operation (from the controller).
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, 4-10, 13-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen (CN 112956965) in view of Song (CN 114271739).
Chen teaches a cleaning apparatus, comprising: a robot cleaner (200) including a main body having a lower portion to which a mop (10) is detachably mountable; and a station (100) on which the robot cleaner is placeable, the station including: a water storage container (51) configured to store water, a washing chamber (21) configured so that, while the robot cleaner is placed on the station and the mop is mounted to the lower portion of the main body, the mop is washable in the washing chamber, a pump (53) configured to pump the water stored in the water storage container out of the water storage container, and a water supply pipe (52) provided to guide the water pumped by the pump to the outside of the water tank. Chen teaches all the essential elements of the claimed invention however fails to teach a steam generation device configured to generate steam using water stored in the water storage container, and a second pipe configured to guide the water pumped out of the water storage container by the pump to the steam generation device.
Song teaches a cleaning apparatus with a steam generator (21) which generates steam by using stored water in a water storage tank (26). There is a pipe (26) to guide, water pumped by a water pump (28) out of the water storage tank (26) to the steam generator (paragraph 0052 and 0061). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Chen so that the station has a steam generation device (with a pipe connecting the steam generator to the water storage tank) as taught by Song to clean the mop more efficiently.
With regards to claim 4 and 6, Chen teaches all the essential elements of the claimed invention however fails to teach a third pipe configured to guide the steam generated by the steam generation device to the washing chamber, and including: a first end configured to communicate with the steam generation device, and a second end configured to communicate with the washing chamber. Song teaches a pipe (29) to guide steam from the steam generator (21) to a washing chamber (11) and has a first end in communication with the steam generator (21) and a second end in communication with the washing chamber (figure 4 and 5) (claim 4). The pipe (29) is connected to the upper and lower portion of the steam generator (paragraph 0052) (claim 6). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Chen so that it comprises a pipe to direct steam from the steam generator to the washing chamber as taught by Song to direct steam to the mop for cleaning.
With regards to claim 5 and 8, Chen teaches all the essential elements of the claimed invention however fails to teach a washing frame that is detachably mountable to the washing chamber, and including a steam discharge opening, wherein the washing frame is configured so that, while the washing frame is mounted to the washing chamber, the robot cleaner is placed on the station, and the mop is mounted to the lower portion of the main body: the washing frame is positioned to rub against the mop, and the steam discharge opening is positioned to spray the steam guided to the washing chamber through the third pipe to the mop. Song teaches a station (10) comprising a cleaning member (25) having a cleaning opening (111) for spraying steam. The cleaning member is provided in the cleaning chamber (11) and the cleaning member is positioned to frictionally contact a mop member (310). The cleaning opening (111) is positioned to spray steam, guided to the cleaning chamber (11) via the pipe (29) towards the mop member (310) (claim 5). The robot cleaning is placed on the station and the mop is mounted to the lower portion of the main body, at least a portion of the steam discharge opening (111) is disposed below a lower surface of the mop (310) (claim 8). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Chen so that the steam is guided to the washing chamber through the pipe to the mop as taught by Song to assist in cleaning the mop.
With regards to claim 7, the combination of Chen and Song teach that the steam generation device is disposed below the water storage container (26), and the pipe (29) connects the steam generation device and the water storage container (figure 5). Song however fails to teach a bend between the steam generation and the water storage container. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Song so that there is a bend in the pipe because Applicant has not disclosed that bend provides an advantage, is used for a particular purpose, or solves a stated problem. One of ordinary skill in the art, furthermore, would have expected Applicant’s invention to perform equally well with either a bend or no bend as taught by Song because control the flow of fluid from the steam generator and the water storage container. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify Song to obtain the invention as specified in claim 7.
With regards to claim 9, the combination Chen and Song fail to teach that a size of the second end of the pipe is greater than a size of the steam discharge opening. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the size of the end of the pipe of Song so that it is greater than the steam discharge opening since the only difference between the prior art and the claims is a recitation of relative dimensions of the claimed device. A device having the claimed relative dimensions would not perform differently than the prior art device and therefore the claimed device is not patentable.
With regards to claim 10, a bottom of the washing chamber is inclined downward along a direction in which the robot cleaner enters the station (Chen; figure 9).
With regards to claim 13, the combination of Chen and Song teach that when the robot cleaner is placed on the station and the mop is mounted to the lower portion of the main body, the station is configured to, based on an end of a washing operation that washes the mop in the washing chamber, or receipt of a steam operation signal from at least one of the robot cleaner or a user device: control the steam generation device to perform a steam generation operation (Song teaches that once the mop is in the station, the steam generation device performs a steam generation operation; paragraph 0063).
With regards to claim 14, the station is configured to transmit a steam start signal to the robot cleaner based on a start of the steam generation operation (Song; paragraph 0063).
With regards to claim 15, the combination of Chen and Song teach that the robot cleaner is configured to rotate the mop based on receiving the steam start signal from the station (Chen will rotate and Song will produce steam).
Claim(s) 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen (‘965) and Song (‘739) further in view of Fan (CN 114468868).
With regards to claim 2, Chen and Song teach all the essential elements of the claimed invention however fails to teach a valve connected to the first pipe and the second pipe, a third pipe between the pump and the valve, and configured to guide the water pumped out of the water storage container by the pump to the valve, and the valve is configured to: direct the water pumped out of the water storage container by the pump from the third pipe to the first pipe, or direct the water pumped out of the water storage container by the pump from the third pipe to the second pipe.
Fan teaches control assembly (400) connected to a first pipe (401) connected to a water spray module (200) and a second pipe (402) connected to a steam spray module (300). There is a third pipe disposed between a pump (500) and the control valve assembly (400) so as to guide water pumped by the pump (500) to the control valve assembly (400), wherein the control valve assembly is configured to send water from the third pipe to the first pipe or from the third to the second (paragraph 0058, 0068).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Chen and Song so that there is a valve between the first and second pipe and a third pipe between the pump and the valve as taught by Fan. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Chen with the valve system as taught by Fan to assist in directing the flow of water from the water storage container.
Claim(s) 11 and 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen (‘965) and Song (‘739) further in view of Lee (KR 10-1669066).
Chen and Song teach all the essential elements of the claimed invention including a channel (221; Song), a heating unit (22; song) to head water in the channel; a temperature sensor (not shown), and a temperature controller (23; Song) for controlling the heating unit (paragraph 0054, 0062; Song). The references however fail to teach a water level sensor and a controller that stops the heater based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor reaching a predetermined temperature.
Lee teaches a water tank (11), a heater (12), a temperature sensor (110-1), a water-level sensor (110-2) and a controller (210) that cuts power to the heater when no water is detected or operates that heater when the temperature is less than a set temperature (paragraph 0030-0035, 0055, 0070).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Chen and Song so that it comprises a water level sensor and a controller as taught by Lee to prevent the heater from running continuously when there is insufficient water in the tank.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 3 is 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:
Claim 3 includes the limitations that the valve is a first valve, and the station includes: a fourth pipe configured to, when the robot cleaner is placed on the station, guide the water pumped out of the water storage container by the pump to the robot cleaner, a second valve connected to the third pipe and the fourth pipe, and a fifth pipe connecting the pump and the second valve, and wherein the second valve is configured to: direct the water pumped out of the water storage container by the pump from the fifth pipe to the third pipe, or direct the water pumped out of the water storage container by the pump from the fifth pipe to the fourth pipe. None of the prior art teach these limitations nor would it have been obvious to modify the prior art to achieve the claimed invention since there is no motivation or teaching to do so.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SHAY LYNN KARLS whose telephone number is (571)272-1268. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th (6am-5pm).
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Monica Carter can be reached at 571-272-4475. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SHAY KARLS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3723
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