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
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority based on an application filed in China on 04/24/2024. It is noted, however, that applicant has not filed a certified copy of the CN2024208795434 application as required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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 13-14 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 13 and 14 recites the limitation "the fitting part" in 1 and 2 respectively. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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) 1-3 and 12-19 are is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by CN 206554176 U, using attached machine translation (hereinafter Liu).
Regarding claim 1, Liu discloses a sliding seat (“the sliding seat”), comprising a main body (8), provided with an accommodating cavity (9) that penetrates in a first direction (fig. 1), wherein the accommodating cavity is provided with an access opening arranged in a second direction (fig. 2); and the access opening allows a structural component (6) to enter and exit the accommodating cavity (fig. 3, 4); a locking part (3), arranged in the accommodating cavity in a movable manner; an elastic member (17), arranged on the main body and connected to the locking part, wherein the elastic member is configured to provide an elastic force to the locking part so that the locking part abuts the structural component in a third direction to lock the structural component in the accommodating cavity (fig. 3); and the first direction, the second direction, and the third direction are mutually perpendicular to each other (note annotated fig. below); and a triggering part (7), connected to the locking part, wherein a portion of the triggering part is located outside the main body, and the portion of the triggering part located outside the main body is configured to be triggered so that the locking part overcomes the elastic force and cancels the locking for the structural component (“Further, in order to handle 7 can push the locking base axially slide, the locking base of the lug boss 3 is toward the handle side, provided with a slope surface 12 on one side part close to the handle, the inner side of the handle connected with a switching sleeve 13. the switching sleeve 13 is provided with the slope surface 12 of the projection 14 and the handle 7 and the switching sleeve 13 is rotated, through the convex block 14 pushing the ramp surface 12 to slide axially in opposite directions to grip the locking base, the notch side wall 4 away from the gap 1 side. sliding slide seat loosening shower pole 6 so as to make the sliding base upper and lower adjustment to adapt to the requirement of user height, at the same time, needs can be slide-base upper rod 6 removed from the shower column.”, translation).
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Regarding claim 2, Liu discloses wherein the main body (8) is provided with a fitting part (note annotated figs. below), wherein the fitting part is arranged in the accommodating cavity (note annotated fig. below); the locking part (3) is oppositely arranged to the fitting part along the third direction (note annotated figs. below); and the locking part is configured to move toward the fitting part under an action of the elastic force, so as to jointly clamp the structural component with the fitting part (“the handle drives the locking base 3 opposite the cylindrical slide base body 2 are axially slid, the notch 4 side wall opposite notches 1 wall away from or releasing handle under the action of the spring force the notch 4 side wall relatively close gap 1 side wall, so as to make the notch 4 of the shower column rod 6 is loosened or tightened together, rotating handle, loosening the boss 5 is slightly larger than the shower pole 6 with the notch 4 the other side wall of the space, so that the slide base from the shower post 6” translation).
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Regarding claim 3, Liu discloses the locking part (3) is located between the triggering part (7) and the fitting part along the third direction (see annotated fig. above); and the triggering part comprises a pull knob (7), wherein a portion (15) of the pull knob is located inside the main body to connect the locking part, and another portion of the pull knob is located outside the main body (handle portion), and configured to pull the locking part away from the fitting part (“the locking part is located between the triggering part and the fitting part along the third direction; and the triggering part comprises a pull knob, wherein a portion of the pull knob is located inside the main body to connect the locking part, and another portion of the pull knob is located outside the main body, and configured to pull the locking part away from the fitting part” translation).
Regarding claim 9, Liu discloses the sliding seat further comprises a bracket set (10); along a third direction, the bracket set is arranged at an end portion of the main body (8); and the bracket set is provided with a hanging-mounting hole (11), wherein the hanging-mounting hole is configured for hanging and mounting workpieces (shower head).
Regarding claim 12, Liu discloses a shower head assembly, comprising a fixed pipe (6); a shower head (“shower head”); and the sliding seat according to claim 1, wherein the fixed pipe is located in the accommodating cavity (fig. 2); the sliding seat is fixed to the fixed pipe through the locking part; and the shower head is mounted on the sliding seat (“the cylindrical slide base body 2 is provided with a socket 10 corresponding to the handle of one side, the socket is provided for hanging the shower head 11” translation; “the handle drives the locking base 3 opposite the cylindrical slide base body 2 are axially slid, the notch 4 side wall opposite notches 1 wall away from or releasing handle under the action of the spring force the notch 4 side wall relatively close gap 1 side wall, so as to make the notch 4 of the shower column rod 6 is loosened or tightened together, rotating handle, loosening the boss 5 is slightly larger than the shower pole 6 with the notch 4 the other side wall of the space, so that the slide base from the shower post 6”.
Regarding claim 13, Liu discloses a fitting part (18) is a wall portion of the accommodating cavity; and the locking part (3) under an action of elastic force, presses the fixed pipe (6) against the wall portion of the accommodating cavity to lock the fixed pipe (fig. 2).
Regarding claim 14, Liu discloses the fixed pipe (6) is a circular pipe, and the fitting part (18) is arranged to correspond to an arc surface of the fixed pipe (fig. 2).
Regarding claim 15, Liu discloses wherein the accommodating cavity (9) penetrates in the first direction (note annotated fig. above), thus allowing the sliding seat to slide relative to the fixed pipe along the first direction.
Regarding claim 16, Lui discloses wherein the accommodating cavity (9) is provided with an opening arranged in the second direction (note annotated fig. above), thus enabling the sliding seat to detach from the fixed pipe (6) along the second direction or accommodate the fixed pipe in the accommodating cavity (fig. 2).
Regarding claim 17, Lui discloses wherein the locking part (3) provides an abutting force for the fixed pipe (6) in the accommodating cavity (9), thus ensuring that the fixed pipe remains stationary relative to the main body under an action of the abutting force; and the abutting force is a unidirectional force along the third direction (note annotated fig. above).
Regarding claim 18, Lui discloses wherein the locking part (3) provides a clamping force for the fixed pipe (6) in the accommodating cavity (1), thus ensuring that the fixed pipe remains stationary relative to the main body under an action of the clamping force; and the clamping force comprises a bi-directional force along the third direction (note annotated fig. above).
Regarding claim 19, Lui discloses wherein the sliding seat further comprises a housing (2); the housing covers the main body (8); and the housing is provided with perforations (1) corresponding to the accommodating cavity (9) to allow the fixed pipe to enter and exit and pass through (fig. 2).
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.
Claim(s) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu in view of US Patent 5,855,348 (hereinafter Fornara).
Regarding claim 10, Liu fails to show wherein the triggering part moves relative to the main body along a third direction so that by pulling the triggering part, the locking part moves in a direction away from the fitting part. Attention is turned to Fornara in the same field of endeavor of shower head supports with adjustable positions which shows using a triggering part (49) that is pushed or pulled to selectively engage the fixed rod for adjustment of the main body (47). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed invention to substitute the twist knob of Liu for a pull/push knob such as that taught by Fornara as a simple substitution of one functionally equivalent structure.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 4 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. Claims 5-8 and 11 are similarly objected to as they depend from the claim with the allowable subject matter and thus inherit the allowable subject matter.
Conclusion
WO 2022105076 A1 is directed to the state of the art of showerhead lifting/lowering seats.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JANIE M LOEPPKE whose telephone number is (571)270-5208. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9AM-5PM ET.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, David Angwin can be reached at (571) 270-3735. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JANIE M LOEPPKE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3754