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 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)(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.
Claim(s) 1-3, 5-8, 10-13, 15-18, and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by US 2019/0003157 (hereinafter Greidanus).
Regarding claim 1, Greidanus discloses a catchment basin (see Fig. 1) for use in a recirculating shower comprising:
a recirculating pool area (the sloping area about where 33 is pointing in Fig. 1);
a drain area (tapered section of 24 where 7 is connected);
a divider wall (7) separating the recirculation pool area and the drain area; wherein the recirculation pool area is at a higher elevation than the drain area such that the collected shower water travels from the recirculation pool area to the drain area.
Regarding claim 2, the catchment basin of claim 1 wherein the divider wall comprises a slot (the channel within 7 is considered a slot that is capable of receiving a drain plug) for receiving a drain plug.
Regarding claim 3, the catchment basin of claim 2 further comprising a drain plug (see para. [0030], line 3: “drains valve 25”) for installation within the slot.
Regarding claim 5, the catchment basin of claim 1 wherein the divider wall comprising a spillway (at the top of 7).
Regarding claim 6, the catchment basin of claim 5 wherein the spillway comprises a designed form factor for skimming soap suds from a surface of the collected shower water (see para. [0029]).
Regarding claim 7, the catchment basin of claim 1 further comprising piping (24) for connecting the drain area to a sewer system.
Regarding claim 8, the catchment basin of claim 1 wherein a surface (the sloping surface about where 33 is pointing in Fig. 1) of the recirculation pool area is elevated with respect to a surface of the drain area.
Regarding claim 10, the catchment basin of claim 1 further comprising a raised back portion (the portion on the right side in Fig. 1) for mounting of the catchment basin to a wall.
Regarding claim 11, Greidanus discloses a shower pan (see Fig. 1) for a recirculating shower comprising a catchment basin (see Fig. 1) including:
a recirculating pool area (the sloping area about where 33 is pointing in Fig. 1);
a drain area (tapered section of 24 where 7 is connected);
a divider wall (7) separating the recirculation pool area and the drain area; wherein the recirculation pool area is at a higher elevation than the drain area such that the collected shower water travels from the recirculation pool area to the drain area.
Regarding claim 12, the catchment basin of claim 11 wherein the divider wall comprises a slot (the channel within 7 is considered a slot that is capable of receiving a drain plug) for receiving a drain plug.
Regarding claim 13, the catchment basin of claim 12 further comprising a drain plug (see para. [0030], line 3: “drains valve 25”) for installation within the slot.
Regarding claim 15, the catchment basin of claim 11 wherein the divider wall comprising a spillway (at the top of 7).
Regarding claim 16, the catchment basin of claim 15 wherein the spillway comprises a designed form factor for skimming soap suds from a surface of the collected shower water (see para. [0029]).
Regarding claim 17, the catchment basin of claim 11 further comprising piping (24) for connecting the drain area to a sewer system.
Regarding claim 18, the catchment basin of claim 11 wherein a surface (the sloping surface about where 33 is pointing in Fig. 1) of the recirculation pool area is elevated with respect to a surface of the drain area.
Regarding claim 20, the catchment basin of claim 11 further comprising a raised back portion (the portion on the right side in Fig. 1) for mounting of the catchment basin to a wall.
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) 9 and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Greidanus in view of US 6,418,672 (hereinafter Hampel).
Regarding claim 9, Greidanus teaches all of the claimed limitations as discussed with respect to claim 1 above except for a set of corrugated ridges on an exterior of the catchment basin. Attention is directed to the Hampel reference which teaches a basin (124 in Figs. 9A-9B) comprises a set of corrugated ridges (146) on an exterior of the basin. Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed to employ, on the exterior of the Greidanus basin, a set of corrugated ridges as taught by Hampel in order to strengthen the structure of the basin.
Regarding claim 19, Greidanus teaches all of the claimed limitations as discussed with respect to claim 11 above except for a set of corrugated ridges on an exterior of the catchment basin. Attention is directed to the Hampel reference which teaches a basin (124 in Figs. 9A-9B) comprises a set of corrugated ridges (146) on an exterior of the basin. Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed to employ, on the exterior of the Greidanus basin, a set of corrugated ridges as taught by Hampel in order to strengthen the structure of the basin.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4 and 14 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: None of the prior art alone or in combination teaches the claimed limitation.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 9,392,912 (Haddad) teaches a divider wall (50) for a basin comprises a slot and a plug to create a pool area for collecting water and a drain area.
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/TUAN N NGUYEN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3754
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