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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they do not include the following reference sign(s) mentioned in the description: reference numeral “24” is described in [0080] of the specifications. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
The drawings are objected to because reference numeral “141” in Figure 13 is pointing at two different components. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Objections
Claim 14 is objected to because of the following informalities: there is a second “.” At the end of the sentence. 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.
Claim 8-9, 11, and 15-18 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.
Claims 8-9, and 11 recites “the robot cleaner”. However, in claim 4, which claims 8-9, and 11 depends upon, a robot cleaner is not positively recited. Claim 4 recites the seating assembly “being configure” to accommodate a robot cleaner, thereby not positively claiming a robot cleaner.
Claim 15 recites “that the plumbing includes at least one of a sink pipe and a drain pipe”. It is unclear to the examiner, in light of dependent claim 4 that recites “a housing located at a lower portion of a cabinet including plumbing…a seating assembly located in the housing…” if the housing as described in the specifications contains the robot cleaner and is located below a lower portion of the cabinet, how the lower housing portion can then have “a sink pipe”. The drawings and specifications clearly show in the upper storage area of the cabinet that is above the robot cleaner station housing. For purpose of examination, examiner interprets the term “drain pipe” as any pipes of the housing that drains liquid.
Claim 17 recites the limitation "the robot cleaner". There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 18 recites the limitation "the dust bag". There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 16 is rejected due to being dependent upon a rejected claim
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 1-13 and 15-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Zhang (CN218978815A).
Regarding Claim 1, Zhang teaches A robot cleaner station (Fig. 1) comprising:
a housing (Ref. 1, Fig. 1) located at a lower portion of kitchen furniture ([n0014] describes the housing located on the bottom of the washing machine);
a seating assembly (Ref. 11, Fig. 1) located in the housing (Fig. 1), the seating assembly being configured to accommodate a robot cleaner (Fig. 1, [0032] describes the robot cleaner entering the chamber);
a dust collector (Ref. 2& 12, Fig. 2) configured to empty dust of the robot cleaner ([n0035&n0042-n0043]); and
a duster washer (Ref. 3-5, Fig. 2) configured to wash a duster of the robot cleaner ([n0033]).
Regarding Claim 2, Zhang teaches the limitations of claim 1, as described above, and further teaches wherein the kitchen furniture includes a storage space located above the housing (examiner notes storage space is interpreted as broadly readable as the interior of the washing machine which is placed above the housing, [n0014]), and
wherein portions of a drain pipe are located in the storage space of the kitchen furniture (examiner further notes washing machines are old and well known in the art to have drain pipes and plumbing contained therein).
Regarding Claim 3, Zhang teaches the limitations of claim 1, as described above, and further teaches wherein the dust collector (2&12) is located at a first side of the seating assembly (Fig. 2 shows a right side of the seating assembly (11)), and
wherein the duster washer (3-5) is located at a second side of the seating assembly (Fig. 2 shows a left side of the seating assembly (11)), the second side of the seating assembly being opposite the first side of the seating assembly (Fig. 2).
Regarding Claim 4, Zhang teaches A robot cleaner station (Fig. 1) comprising:
a housing (Ref. 1, Fig. 1) located at a lower portion of a cabinet including plumbing ([n0014] describes the housing located on the bottom of the washing machine);
a seating assembly (Ref. 11, Fig. 1) located in the housing (Fig. 1), the seating assembly being configured to accommodate a robot cleaner (Fig. 1, [n0032] describes the robot cleaner entering the chamber);
an entrance (Fig. 1 annotated below, [n0032]) configured to allow entry of the robot cleaner into the housing ([n0032]), the entrance being located at a front surface of the housing (Fig. 1), the entrance having an upper surface (Fig. 1 annotated below, the surface near the upper surface (15)), a first side surface (Fig. 1, left side, the side opposite the surface (16)) and a second side surface (Fig. 1, right side, the side at the surface (16)), the second side surface being opposite to the first side surface (Fig. 1-2); and
a detergent container (Ref. 3, Fig. 2) configured to store a detergent (examiner notes the limitation is interpreted as intended use and the tank (3) is interpreted as capable of being a detergent container due to being able to store a liquid), the detergent container being located at the first side surface of the entrance (Fig. 1 shows the detergent container at the first side, left side).
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Regarding Claim 5, Zhang teaches the limitations of claim 4, as described above, and further teaches a dust bag drawer (Ref. 12, Fig. 1-2) configured to be coupled to a dust bag that collects dust of the robot cleaner ([n0042] describes a dust bag), wherein the dust bag drawer is located at the second side surface of the entrance (Fig. 2, right side).
Regarding Claim 6, Zhang teaches the limitations of claim 4, as described above, and further teaches a duster dryer (Ref. 23, Fig. 2)configured to dry a duster of the robot cleaner, wherein the duster dryer is located behind a coupling unit (examiner notes the limitation is intended use and Fig. 2 shows the air outlet exhaust (23) exits within the housing (1) that would be capable of providing air to dry a duster of the robot vacuum).
Regarding Claim 7, Zhang teaches the limitations of claim 4, as described above, and further teaches a dust bag drawer (Ref. 12, Fig. 2) configured to couple a dust bag that collects dust of the robot cleaner ([n0042] describes a dust bag), wherein the entrance is located between the dust bag drawer and the detergent container (Fig. 1&2).
Regarding Claim 8, Zhang teaches the limitations of claim 4, as described above, and further teaches wherein, when the robot cleaner is accommodated on the seating assembly ([n0032]), at least a portion of the detergent container is located lower than an uppermost end of the robot cleaner (Fig. 1, the bottommost portion of the detergent container (3) is lower than the uppermost end of the robot cleaner).
Regarding Claim 9, Zhang teaches the limitations of claim 4, as described above, and further teaches a dust bag drawer (Ref. 12, fig. 1-2) configured to couple a dust bag that collects dust of the robot cleaner ([n0042] describes a dust bag), wherein, when the robot cleaner is accommodated on the seating assembly (11, [n0032]), at least a portion of the dust bag drawer is located to be lower than an uppermost end of the robot cleaner (Fig. 1, the bottommost portion of the dustbag drawer (12) is lower than the uppermost end of the robot cleaner).
Regarding Claim 10, Zhang teaches the limitations of claim 4, as described above, and further teaches a dust bag drawer (Ref. 12, fig. 1-2) configured to be coupled to a dust bag that collects dust of the robot cleaner ([n0042] describes a dust bag), wherein the seating assembly (11) is located between the dust bag drawer and the detergent container (Fig. 2).
Regarding Claim 11, Zhang teaches the limitations of claim 4, as described above, and further teaches a duster dryer (Ref. 23, Fig. 2) configured to dry a duster of the robot cleaner (examiner notes the limitation is intended use and Fig. 2 shows the air outlet exhaust (23) exits within the housing (1) that would be capable of providing air to dry a duster of the robot vacuum), wherein, when the robot cleaner is accommodated on the seating assembly, at least a portion of the duster dryer is located lower than an uppermost end of the robot cleaner (Fig. 1, the bottommost portion of the duster dryer (23) is lower than the uppermost end of the robot cleaner).
Regarding Claim 12, Zhang teaches the limitations of claim 4, as described above, and further teaches a dust bag configured to collect dust of the robot cleaner ([n0042] describes a dust bag), the dust bag being located in the housing (Fig. 1-2), the dust bag being configured to be drawn out from the housing ([n0042] describes the dust bag is placed inside the drawn and capable of being drawn out from the housing).
Regarding Claim 13, Zhang teaches the limitations of claim 4, as described above, and further teaches wherein the detergent container (3) is located in the housing (Fig. 2), the detergent container being configured to be drawn out from the housing (examiner notes the term "drawn out" is interpreted as emptied, [n0033] describes the detergent container (3) can has water be drawn out by the pump (4)).
Regarding Claim 15, Zhang teaches the limitations of claim 4, as described above, and further teaches wherein the plumbing includes at least one of a sink pipe and a drain pipe ([n0033] describes some wastewater pipe).
Regarding Claim 16, Zhang teaches the limitations of claim 15, as described above, and further teaches wherein the robot cleaner station is connected to the plumbing ([n0033] describes some wastewater pipe thereby being connected to plumbing).
Regarding Claim 17, Zhang teaches a robot cleaner station (Fig. 1) comprising:
a housing (Ref. 1, Fig. 1) located at a lower portion of a cabinet including plumbing ([n0014] describes the housing located on the bottom of the washing machine);
an entrance (Fig. 1 annotated above, [n0032]) configured to allow entry of the robot cleaner into the housing ([n0032]);
a detergent container (Ref. 3, Fig. 2) configured to store a detergent (examiner notes the limitation is interpreted as intended use and the tank (3) is interpreted as capable of being a detergent container due to being able to store a liquid), the detergent container being located at a first side of the entrance (Fig. 1 shows the detergent container at the first side, left side, the side opposite the surface (16)); and
a dust bag drawer (Ref. 12, Fig. 1-2) configured to couple to a dust bag that collects dust of the robot cleaner ([n0042] describes a dust bag), the dust bag drawer being located at a second side of the entrance (Fig. 1, right side, the side at the surface (16)), the second side of the entrance being opposite to the first side of the entrance (Fig. 1-2).
Regarding Claim 18, Zhang teaches A robot cleaner station (Fig. 1) comprising:
a housing (Ref. 1, Fig. 1) located at a lower portion of a cabinet including plumbing ([n0014] describes the housing located on the bottom of the washing machine);
a detergent container (Ref. 3, Fig. 2) configured to store a detergent (examiner notes the limitation is interpreted as intended use and the tank (3) is interpreted as capable of being a detergent container due to being able to store a liquid); and
a seating assembly (Ref. 11, Fig. 1) located in the housing (Fig. 1), the seating assembly being configured to accommodate a robot cleaner (Fig. 1, [n0032] describes the robot cleaner entering the chamber), the seating assembly including:
a first area located in a same horizontal space as the detergent container (examiner notes, the horizontal space can be any space on the horizontal (i.e. left to right direction) within the area contained, thereby there are multiple horizontal areas as you move from the top to the bottom area of the housing to the top most area of the housing); and
a second area located above the first area (examiner notes, the vertical space can be any space on the vertical (i.e. up and down direction) within the area contained, thereby there are multiple vertical areas as you move from the top to the bottom area of the housing to the top most area of the housing).
Regarding Claim 19, Zhang teaches the limitations of claim 18, as described above, and further teaches a dust bag drawer (Ref. 12, Fig. 1-2) configured to couple to a dust bag that collects dust of the robot cleaner ([n0042] describes a dust bag),
wherein the seating assembly (11) further includes a third area located above the second area, and
wherein the second area is located in a same horizontal space as at least a portion of the dust bag drawer (See claim 18 with respect to the horizontal space).
Regarding Claim 20, Zhang teaches the limitations of claim 18, as described above, and further teaches wherein the detergent container (3) and the dust bag (12) are located at opposite sides of the seating assembly (Fig. 2, left and right sides).
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 14 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang as applied to claim 4 above, and further in view of Leibman (2020/0102692).
Regarding Claim 14, Zhang teaches the limitations of claim 4, as described above, but fails to explicitly teach a door located at the front surface of the housing, the door being configured to open and close the entrance. Leibman teaches a robot cleaning station in an appliance and can be considered analogous art because it is within the same field of endeavor. Leibman teaches a dryer appliance (Fig. 1, Ref. 10) with a door (Ref. 112, Fig. 1) located at the bottom of the cabinet (Fig. 1) that is configured to open (Fig. 6) and close (Fig .1) an entrance for a robotic vacuum cleaner (Ref. 102, Fig. 1) to be docked therein ([0034-0035]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the front surface of the housing, as taught by Zhang, with a door configured to open and close, as taught by Leibman, to save space and reduce noise and dust from escaping when the robot vacuum is docked keeping an enclosed space ([0034]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Li (2023/0029165), Buehler (2018/0368646), and Ebrahimi Afrouzi (2024/0142994) teach robot cleaner stations in cabinets and can be considered analogous art because they are within the same field of endeavor.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANA L POON whose telephone number is (571)272-6164. The examiner can normally be reached on General: 6:30AM-3:30PM.
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/DANA LEE POON/Examiner, Art Unit 3723
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