DETAILED ACTION
This Office Action is responsive to application number 18/842,389 - PLUMBING FIXTURE SIPHON FLOW ACTUATOR, filed on 8/24/24.
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Election/Restrictions
Claims 10-20 have been withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Group, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 6/9/26. Claims 1-9 remain for examination.
Claim Objections
Claim 4 is objected to because of the following informalities: The limitation “a head structure that surround a distal end of the core structure” should read for clarity -- “a head structure that surrounds a distal end of the core structure”--. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim(s) 1-3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Roberts (GB 2 403 227 A).
Regarding Claim 1 Regarding claim 1, Roberts discloses a plumbing fixture system (the system illustrated generally in Fig 1; page 1) comprising:
a plumbing fixture bowl (an implied bowl of the water closet connected to the bottom end of the siphon 3 via the region of the siphon proximate the nut 7 and washer 8; Fig 1; page 1);
a plumbing fixture tank (1; Fig 1; page 1) coupled to the plumbing fixture bowl (the implied bowl of the water closet connected to the bottom end of the siphon 3 via the region of the siphon proximate the nut 7 and washer 8; Fig 1; page 1), wherein the plumbing fixture tank (1) is configured to house liquid (water initially in the tank 1; Fig 1; page 1);
a siphon flush valve assembly (3; Fig 1; page 1) disposed in the plumbing fixture tank (1; Fig 1; page 1); and
an electric actuator (4; Fig 1; page 1) configured to induce, via the siphon flush valve assembly (3), a siphon flow (a siphon flow of water from inside the tank 1 through the siphon flush valve assembly 3 to the outlet at the bottom of the siphon flush valve assembly 3 proximate the nut 7 and washer 8; Fig 1; page 1) of a portion of the liquid (water initially in the tank 1) from the plumbing fixture tank (1) into the plumbing fixture bowl (the implied bowl of the water closet connected to the bottom end of the siphon 3 via the region of the siphon proximate the nut 7 and washer 8; Fig 1; page 1).
Regarding Claim 2 Roberts discloses the plumbing fixture system of claim 1, wherein the electric actuator (4) is configured to rotate a drive shaft (the drive shaft illustrated between the collar 6 and the impeller 5; Fig 1; page 1) coupled to one or more fan blades (blades of impeller 5; Fig 1; page 1) to cause the siphon flow (the siphon flow of water from inside the tank 1 through the siphon flush valve assembly 3 to the outlet at the bottom of the siphon flush valve assembly 3) via the siphon flush valve assembly (3; Fig 1; page 1).
Regarding claim 3 Roberts discloses the plumbing fixture system of claim 2, wherein the electric actuator (4) is a direct current electric motor (4, in the embodiment described in claim 3 of Roberts where power for the motor 4 is derived from a battery; Fig 1; page 3) that is disposed in the plumbing fixture tank (1, where at least a portion of the motor 4 is within the tank 1; Fig 1; page 1, 3).
Claim(s) 1 and 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Meacock et al. (WO 2021/043766 A1).
Regarding claim 1 Meacock discloses a plumbing fixture system (the system illustrated generally in Fig 1-2; page 5, In 1-3) comprising: a plumbing fixture bowl (a bowl, not shown in the drawings, connected to the drainage aperture 110 at the bottom of the tank 10; Fig 1-2; page 5, In 30 to page 6, In 2);
a plumbing fixture tank (10; Fig 1; page 5) coupled to the plumbing fixture bowl (the bowl, not shown in the drawings, connected to the drainage aperture 110 at the bottom of the tank 10; Fig 1-2; page 5, In 30 to page 6, In 2), wherein the plumbing fixture tank (10) is configured to house liquid (water 20; Fig 1-2; page 5, In 11-15);
a siphon flush valve assembly (120, 130 collectively; Fig 1; page 5, In 20) disposed in the plumbing fixture tank (10; Fig 1; page 5, In 9-10, 20); and
an electric actuator (152; Fig 1; page 8, In 25-27; page 9, In 1-2) configured to induce, via the siphon flush valve assembly (120, 130 collectively), a siphon flow (a siphon flow of the water 20, as illustrated by arrows 40 in Fig 2; col 7, In 7-15; page 8, In 25-27; page 9, In 1-2) of a portion of the liquid (20) from the plumbing fixture tank (10) into the plumbing fixture bowl (the bowl, not shown in the drawings, connected to the drainage aperture 110 at the bottom of the tank 10; Fig 1-2; page 5, In 30 to page 6, In 2; col 7, In 7-15; page 8, In 25-27; page 9, In 1-2).
Regarding claim 7 Meacock discloses the plumbing fixture system of claim 1, wherein the electric actuator (152) is configured to lower the siphon flush valve assembly (at least the movable portion 124 of the valve assembly 120, 130 collectively is moved from the standby position of Fig 1 to the flush position of Fig 2 when the motor 152 actuates the connecting rod 160; Fig 1-2; page 6, In 18-23; page 8, In 4-5, 25-27) in the liquid (20) in the plumbing fixture tank (10; Fig 1-2; page 6, In 18-23; page 8, In 4-5, 25-27) to induce the siphon flow (40) via the siphon flush valve assembly (120, 130 collectively; Fig 1-2; page 6, In 18-23; page 8, In 4-5, 25-27).
Claim(s) 1 and 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Jensen (WO 2020005660 A1).
Regarding claim 1 Jensen discloses a plumbing fixture system (100; Fig 1A-1B) comprising: a plumbing fixture bowl (a bowl, not shown in Fig 1A-1B, connected to outlet 112; Fig 1B);
a plumbing fixture tank (113; Fig 1A-1B) coupled to the plumbing fixture bowl (the bowl, not shown in Fig 1A-1B, connected to outlet 112; Fig 18), wherein the plumbing fixture tank (113) is configured to house liquid (water initially in the tank 113; Fig 1B);
a siphon flush valve assembly (101; Fig 1A-1B) disposed in the plumbing fixture tank (113; Fig 1A-1B); and
an electric actuator (solenoid valve 105; Fig 1A-1B) configured to induce, via the siphon flush valve assembly (101), a siphon flow (a spray initiator coupled to spray fitting 109 sprays fluid into core 102 to initiate a siphon flow of water from tank 113, through head 102 and core 102, and through outlet 112; Fig 1A-1B) of a portion of the liquid from the plumbing fixture tank (water from tank 113) into the plumbing fixture bowl (the bowl, not shown in Fig 1A-1B, connected to outlet 112; Fig 1B).
Regarding claim 9 Jensen discloses the plumbing fixture system of claim 1, wherein the electric actuator (105) is configured to cause airflow through the siphon flush valve assembly (101, where the electrical actuator 105 sprays fluid, implied to be water, into the core 102 of the assembly 101 to cause a flow of at least some air trapped in the head 103 and/or core 102 to flow toward the outlet 112 and cause a negative pressure to start a flush cycle that includes the siphon flow of water from tank 113 through the head 103 and into the core 102 to the outlet 112; Fig 1B) to cause the siphon flow (the siphon flow of water from tank 113, through head 102 and core 102, and through outlet 112) via the siphon flush valve assembly (101; Fig 1B).
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) 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Roberts (GB 2 403 227 A) in view of Jensen (WO 2020005660 A1).
Regarding Claim 4 Roberts discloses the plumbing fixture system of claim 2, and Roberts discloses wherein the siphon flush valve assembly (3) comprises a core structure (the vertical tubular portion that extends around the impeller 5; Fig 1; page 1) and a head structure (the generally horizontal region at the top of 3 that is coupled to the collar 6; Fig 1; page 1), wherein the one or more fan blades (the blades of impeller 5) are disposed in the core structure (the vertical tubular portion that extends around the impeller 5; Fig 1; page 1), wherein the drive shaft (the driveshaft that connects to the impeller 5) extends through the head structure (through at least a portion of the head structure that includes the generally horizontal region at the top of 3 that is coupled to the collar 6; Fig 1; page 1) and the core structure (the vertical tubular portion that extends around the impeller 5; Fig 1; page 1), but Roberts fails to disclose that the head structure surrounds a distal end of the core structure.
However, Jensen discloses a flush valve assembly (301; Fig 3) including a core structure (at 302; Fig 3) and a head structure (302; Fig 3) that surrounds a distal end (a top end of 302 from the perspective of Fig 3) of the core structure (Fig 3), where a component (303, 304 collectively; Fig 3) extends through the head structure (Fig 3 and the core structure (Fig. 3). 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 the plumbing fixture system of Roberts to include the structure of the siphon flush valve assembly in order to provide a desired volume of water per flush.
Claim(s) 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jensen (WO 2020005660 A1) in view of Jaeckels et al. (US 5,913,611).
Regarding claim 5 Jensen discloses the plumbing fixture system of claim 1, wherein the electric actuator (105) is configured to provide liquid flow (liquid flow from line 106 through actuator 105, through line 108, and to spray fitting 109; Fig 1A) through a spray nozzle (the "spray initiator", not shown in Fig 1A-1B, coupled to spray fitting 109; Fig 1A-1B; pg 4) into the siphon flush valve assembly (101) to induce the siphon flow (the siphon flow of water from tank 113, through head 102 and core 102, and through outlet 112) via the siphon flush valve assembly (101; Fig 1A-1B; pg 4), but Jensen fails to disclose that the electric actuator comprises an electric pump.
However, Jaeckels discloses a toilet (10; Fig 1; col 3, In 40-42) including a tank (17; Fig 1-2; col 3, In 42-43) including an electric pump (pump 20 driven by electric motor 18; Fig 2; col 3, In 42-47) that provides a liquid flow (a flow of liquid from inlet 23 of the pump 20 to the manifold 25; Fig 2; col 3, In 52-53). 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 Jensen for the purpose of providing fluid at a desired pressure as shown by Jaeckels.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6 and 8 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Jensen (US 5,685,027) shows a siphonic flush valve; Pribula (US 2,239,570) shows the general state of the art.
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/CHRISTINE J SKUBINNA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3754 6/16/2026
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