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 § 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 1-8 and 11-20 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 1, 2, 6, and 11 are rejected as being indefinite because it is unclear whether these claims are directed to a cleaning device alone or to a cleaning device attached to a support. The preambles of each of these claims recite “a cleaning device adapted to be attached to a support”, which indicates the invention is directed to a cleaning device alone; however, line 5 of each of these claims further positively recites “an inner face of the support” , which would indicate the invention is directed to a cleaning device attached to a support.
Claims 3-5, 12, and 13 are rejected for depending from indefinite claim 1. Claims 14-18 are rejected for depending from indefinite claim 2. Claims 7-8 and 19-20 are rejected for depending from indefinite claim 6.
Claim 8 recites the limitation "the guide" in line 4. 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.
Claims 1-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ishikawa (JP 2014-193649).
Regarding claim 1, Ichikawa teaches a cleaning device (fig. 2) adapted to be attached to a support (100) having an opening (101), the cleaning device comprising:
a nozzle (4) configured to jet fluid toward a target (300);
a bracket (5) holding the nozzle in place (figs. 1, 2); and
an adhesive portion (23, which is interpreted to be “adhesive” since these form a portion that holds fast by grasping) adhering the bracket to an inner face of the support (p. 5, ln. 3-13; fig. 1),
wherein the bracket includes:
a guide having a recessed face (20) that is configured to guide the fluid toward the target (fig. 1; p. 3, ln. 27-32); and
a cover (16) at least partially covering the nozzle as viewed from a side corresponding to an outer face of the support (fig. 1); and
wherein an outer edge of the guide and an outer edge of the cover are configured to be located inside an inner edge of the opening when the cleaning device is attached to the support (fig. 1).
Regarding claim 2, Ichikawa teaches a cleaning device (fig. 2) adapted to be attached to a support (100) having an opening (101), the cleaning device comprising:
a nozzle (4) configured to jet fluid toward a target (300);
a bracket (5) holding the nozzle in place (figs. 1, 2); and
an adhesive portion (23, which is interpreted to be “adhesive” since these form a portion that holds fast by grasping) adhering the bracket to an inner face of the support (p. 5, ln. 3-13; fig. 1),
wherein the bracket includes a guide having a recessed face (20) that is configured to guide the fluid toward the target (fig. 1; p. 3, ln. 27-32);
wherein the nozzle is disposed so as to be at least partially covered by the support when the cleaning device is attached to the support (fig. 1 – the nozzle is at least partially “concealed” by the support); and
wherein an outer edge of the guide is configured to be located inside an inner edge of the opening when the cleaning device is attached to the support (figs. 1, 2).
Regarding claim 3, Ichikawa teaches the cleaning device described regarding claim 1, and further comprising: a deflector (22) configured to deflect the fluid toward the target (figs. 1, 2).
Regarding claim 4, Ichikawa teaches the cleaning device described regarding claim 1, and further wherein the bracket is formed with an aperture (6) that allows at least the fluid to pass through (fig. 1); and wherein the opening is disposed so as to be covered by the support at least at a position where is vertically under the nozzle when the cleaning device is attached to the support (fig. 1).
Regarding claim 5, Ichikawa teaches the cleaning device described regarding claim 1, and further wherein the bracket is formed with an aperture (9a) that allows at least the fluid to pass through (p. 2, ln. 33); and wherein the opening is disposed so as to face the guide (fig. 1).
Regarding claim 6, Ichikawa teaches a cleaning device (fig. 2) adapted to be attached to a support (5/100) having a recessed face (20, see fig. 1), the cleaning device comprising:
a nozzle (4) configured to jet fluid toward a target (fig. 1);
a bracket (3) holding the nozzle in place (see p. 3, ln. 19-20; fig. 1); and
an adhesive portion (11/12, which is interpreted to be “adhesive” since these form a portion that holds fast by grasping) adhering the bracket to an inner face of the support (p. 4, ln. 25-29; fig. 1),
wherein the bracket includes an opening (10) configured to receive the recessed face at a side corresponding to the inner face of the support (fig. 1 – the upper end of bracket 3 is open at 10 and together with the recessed face 20 forms the spray path);
wherein the nozzle is disposed such that the fluid is guided toward the target by the recessed face when the cleaning device is attached to the support (fig. 1); and
wherein the nozzle is disposed so as to be at least partially covered by the support as viewed from a side corresponding to an outer face of the support when the cleaning device is attached to the support (fig. 1 – the nozzle is at least partially “concealed” by the support).
Regarding claim 7, Ichikawa teaches the cleaning device described regarding claim 6, and further wherein the bracket is formed with an aperture (6) that allows at least the fluid to pass through (fig. 1); and wherein the opening is disposed so as to be covered by the support at least at a position where is vertically under the nozzle when the cleaning device is attached to the support (fig. 1).
Regarding claim 8, Ichikawa teaches the cleaning device described regarding claim 6, and further wherein the bracket is formed with an aperture (9a) that allows at least the fluid to pass through (p. 2, ln. 33); and wherein the opening is disposed so as to face the guide (fig. 1).
Regarding claim 9, Ichikawa teaches a cleaning device (fig. 2) adapted to be attached to a support having a recessed face (20, see fig. 1), the cleaning device comprising:
a nozzle (4) configured to jet fluid toward a target (fig. 1); and
an engaging portion (10) configured to engage with the support at a side corresponding to an inner face of the support to hold the nozzle in place (see p. 3, ln. 19-20),
wherein the nozzle is disposed such that the fluid is guided toward the target by the recessed face when the cleaning device is attached to the support (fig. 1, 2); and
wherein the nozzle is disposed so as to be at least partially covered by the support as viewed from a side corresponding to an outer face of the support when the cleaning device is attached to the support (figs. 1, 2).
Regarding claim 10, Ichikawa teaches the cleaning device described regarding claim 9, and further wherein the nozzle is disposed such that the fluid is deflected toward the target by a part of the recessed face when the cleaning device is attached to the support (fig. 1).
Regarding claim 11, Ichikawa teaches a cleaning device (fig. 2) adapted to be attached to a support (100) having an opening (101), the cleaning device comprising:
a nozzle (4) configured to jet fluid toward a target (300);
a bracket (5) holding the nozzle in place (fig. 1, 2); and
an adhesive portion (23, which is interpreted to be “adhesive” since these form a portion that holds fast by grasping) adhering the bracket to an inner face of the support (p. 5, ln. 3-13; fig. 1),
wherein the nozzle is disposed such that the fluid that has passed the opening is jetted toward the target when the cleaning device is attached to the support (fig. 1); and
wherein the nozzle is disposed so as to be at least partially covered by the support as viewed from a side corresponding to an outer face of the support when the cleaning device is attached to the support (figs. 1, 2 – by portion 16).
Regarding claim 12, Ichikawa teaches the cleaning device described regarding claim 1, and further wherein the support is a part of a mobility (p. 6, ln. 7-10).
Regarding claim 13, Ichikawa teaches the cleaning device described regarding claim 1, and further wherein the target is a part of a lighting device (p. 2, ln. 11-19).
Regarding claim 14, Ichikawa teaches the cleaning device described regarding claim 2, and further comprising: a deflector (22) configured to deflect the fluid toward the target (figs. 1, 2).
Regarding claim 15, Ichikawa teaches the cleaning device described regarding claim 2, and further wherein the bracket is formed with an aperture (6) that allows at least the fluid to pass through (fig. 1); and wherein the opening is disposed so as to be covered by the support at least at a position where is vertically under the nozzle when the cleaning device is attached to the support (fig. 1).
Regarding claim 16, Ichikawa teaches the cleaning device described regarding claim 2, and further wherein the bracket is formed with an aperture (9a) that allows at least the fluid to pass through (p. 2, ln. 33); and wherein the opening is disposed so as to face the guide (fig. 1).
Regarding claim 17, Ichikawa teaches the cleaning device described regarding claim 2, and further wherein the support is a part of a mobility (p. 6, ln. 7-10).
Regarding claim 18, Ichikawa teaches the cleaning device described regarding claim 2, and further wherein the target is a part of a lighting device (p. 2, ln. 11-19).
Regarding claim 19, Ichikawa teaches the cleaning device described regarding claim 6, and further wherein the support is a part of a mobility (p. 6, ln. 7-10).
Regarding claim 20, Ichikawa teaches the cleaning device described regarding claim 6, and further wherein the target is a part of a lighting device (p. 2, ln. 11-19).
Regarding claim 21, Ichikawa teaches the cleaning device described regarding claim 9, and further wherein the support is a part of a mobility (p. 6, ln. 7-10).
Regarding claim 22, Ichikawa teaches the cleaning device described regarding claim 9, and further wherein the target is a part of a lighting device (p. 2, ln. 11-19).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Ichikawa et al. (US 2019/0283714), Dringenberg (US 2010/0084844), Inamura et al. (US 2018/0251101), Sacks (US 2006/0204316), Schlick (US 4,212,425), and Zimmer et al. (US 6,464,150) all disclose cleaning devices having elements of the claimed invention.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CODY J LIEUWEN whose telephone number is (571)272-4477. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday 8-5, Friday varies.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Arthur Hall can be reached at (571) 270-1814. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CODY J LIEUWEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3752
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