DETAILED ACTION
This Office Action is responsive to application number 18/784,075 - POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE PRESSURE RESISTANT WATER SEAL PROTECTION DEVICE AND A TOILET DEVICE, filed on 7/25/24. Claims 1-10 are pending.
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
Claims 1-10 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claims 1 and 6, The limitation, “a negative pressure switch connected to the external space of the main cavity is arranged in the functional cover, is objected to as its unclear how something can be connected to a space, it is generally understood from reviewing the drawings what the external space is, however, the limitation could be worded more clearly, for example, “a negative pressure switch arranged in a space in the functional cover and external to (or outside of) the main cavity.
Claims 2-7 begin with “A positive…” and should read --The positive…--.
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 1-10 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 sealing part…” lacks antecedent basis in the claim;
“the opening of the main cavity” lacks antecedent basis in the claim;
“the middle portion of the rotating valve plate…” lacks antecedent basis in the claim;
“the other end of the rotating valve plate…” lacks antecedent basis in the claim;
“the side of the main cavity…”lacks antecedent basis;
“the external space of the main cavity” lacks antecedent basis in the claim. It is further indefinite as it is unclear if the “external space of the main cavity, and “an outside of the main cavity”, is the same and “the side of the main cavity.
Regarding Claim 3, the limitation “…of an electromagnet” is indefinite as it is unclear if this is the electromagnet previously recited.
Regarding claim 4, “the positive electrode of the battery…” lacks antecedent basis in the claim;
“the positive terminal of the electromagnet” lacks antecedent basis in the claim;
“the two negative terminals of the negative pressure switch” lack antecedent basis in the claim;
“the negative terminals of the battery” lack antecedent basis in the claim.
Regarding claim 6, the limitation “a functional cover” is indefinite as it is unclear if this is the previously recited functional cover.
Regarding claim 7, “outside the main cavity,” is indefinite as it is unclear if this is the same outside of the main cavity as previously recited;
“the rotating shafts on both sides” lack antecedent basis in the claim;
“the lower ends of the support rods…” lacks antecedent basis in the claim.
Regarding Claim 8, line 2, “the bottom of the toilet” lacks antecedent basis in the claim;
“the edge of the main cavity of the positive…” lacks antecedent basis in the claim;
“the lower end of the connecting frame” lacks antecedent basis in the claim, it is further indefinite as it is unclear if ‘the connecting frame’ is the same as ‘the connection frame’;
“is arranged outside…” is indefinite as it is unclear what is being defined as “outside”.
Examination will be as best understood in light the above list of indefinite limitations.
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(s) 1-5 and 8-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu (CN 115182419 A) in view of Dorra (US Pub. 2021/0353116).
Regarding claim 1 Liu shows a positive and negative pressure resistant water seal protection device (Fig. 2), comprising a main cavity (shown at 21; defined by 1) and a rotating valve plate (15); wherein the sealing part at one end of the rotating valve plate corresponds to the opening of the main cavity (the sealing part being the part covering the opening of the main cavity shown at 15), the middle portion of the rotating valve plate (shown at 12) is connected to the main cavity via a rotating shaft (12), and the other end of the rotating valve plate is a functional portion (shown at 24); wherein a functional cover (29) is arranged on the side of the main cavity (Figs. 2-3); wherein a negative pressure switch (27) connected to the external space of the main cavity (external to wall 1; Figs. 1-3) is arranged in the functional cover (Figs. 2-3). Liu shows a repulsive magnet core set (11) with one of the permanent repulsive magnets (11) being arranged on the functional portion of the rotating valve plate (Fig. 2; 11 shown on 10; 11 functions as the iron core). Liu additionally shows the repulsive magnet set is controlled by the negative pressure switch (27). Liu shows magnet (repulsive magnet 11 as mounted on 29) outside of the main cavity. But Liu fails to show an electromagnet controlled by the negative pressure switch and corresponding to the iron core. However, it is well-known that electromagnets may be substituted for permanent magnets. Dorra shows a toilet device in which magnets (1904, 2510) may be either electromagnets or permanent magnets (¶ [0072]). Dorra details that the electromagnets may be activated by a switch (¶ [0072]). Therefore because Liu shows a magnet set (11) one of which correspond to an iron core and that are controlled by the pressure switch (27) and because Dorra details that electromagnets that are activated by a switch, may be substituted for permanent magnets, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Liu to include an electromagnet that is controlled by a negative pressure switch and which corresponds to an iron core on the functional part for the purpose of substituting one known magnet for another as suggested by Dorra.
Regarding Claim 2 Liu shows the positive and negative pressure resistant water seal protection device of claim 1, comprising the functional cover is provided with a fixed magnet 11 as mounted on 29) corresponding to the functional portion of the rotating valve plate, and the functional portion of the rotating valve plate is provided with a moving magnet (Fig. 2; 11 shown on 10) corresponding to the fixed magnet, wherein the fixed magnet and the moving magnet are arranged to repel each other (note, at least claim 9; the repulsion magnetic core group (11) is close to and generates repulsive force).
Regarding Claim 3 Liu as combined shows the positive and negative pressure resistant water seal protection device of claim 1, but fails to show the functional cover is provided with a power source of an electromagnet. However, Dorra details that electromagnets are electrically coupled to a power source (¶ [0072]); Providing the functional cover with a power source on is a matter of ordinary skill in the art as the negative pressure valve/switch (27) when combined would need to be electrically connected to the electromagnet). Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Liu as combined to include a power source electrically connected to the electromagnet.
Regarding Claim 4 Liu as combined shows the positive and negative pressure resistant water seal protection device of claim 3, comprising the power source is a battery (¶ [0072]; Dorra), the positive electrode of the battery is connected to the positive terminal of the electromagnet and the negative pressure switch; the two negative terminals of the negative pressure switch are respectively connected to the negative terminals of the battery and the electromagnet (as combined and conventional connections of battery with negative and positive terminals).
Regarding Claim 5 Liu as combined shows the positive and negative pressure resistant water seal protection device of claim 1, comprising the electromagnet is provided with an external power line (inherent when the power source is outside of the functional cover).
Regarding Claim 8 Liu shows a toilet device with positive and negative pressure resistant water seal protection device dependent on any one of claims 1-7, comprising a toilet (31); wherein the bottom of the toilet is provided with a connection frame (32), a support platform (flat area above where 34 and 33 meet) is provided in the connection frame, the edge of the main cavity (rests on the flat area where 34 and 33 meet) of the positive and negative pressure resistant water seal protection device is provided with an overlap edge that cooperates with the support platform (Fig. 1), and the bottom of the toilet is provided with a drainage port (34) corresponding to the positive and negative pressure resistant water seal protection device; a sealing cavity (at 37) is provided between the connection frame and the bottom of the toilet, and a sealing ring (37) is provided in the sealing cavity.
Regarding Claim 9 Liu shows the toilet device of claim 8, comprising, at the lower end of the connecting frame, a drainage branch pipe (34) is arranged outside the positive and negative pressure water seal protection device.
Regarding Claim 10 Liu shows the toilet device of claim 9, comprising a pipe fitting (33) is provided at the lower end of the connection frame, and the drainage branch pipe is connected to the pipe fitting (Fig. 1).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6 and 7 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 and would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Hoang et al. (US Pub. 2016/0289942) shows the general state of the art; Stradinger et al. (US 6.370,709) shows the general state of the art.
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/CHRISTINE J SKUBINNA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3754 2/9/2026