DETAILED ACTION
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) 16-17, 22, 28 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Muellenbach (US 20190390450 A1).
Claims 16 and 28, Muellenbach discloses a toilet bowl (314) and at least one flushing nozzle (312) for flushing said toilet bowl;
at least one dry steam generator (318) connected to said at least one flushing nozzle for conveying dry steam ([0014], Steam is well known as vapor or gaseous water and therefore would not inherently include liquid water unless otherwise specified) generated by said dry steam generator to said at least one flushing nozzle; and
said at least one flushing nozzle (312) being configured to flush said toilet bowl with dry steam ([0066], [0014]).
Claim 17, Muellenbach discloses a toilet cover (310) for sealing off said toilet bowl, said toilet cover containing said at least one flushing nozzle (312).
Claim 22, Muellenbach discloses water nozzles (312) for flushing said toilet bowl with water.
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) 18-19, 29-30 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Muellenbach as applied to claims 16-17 and 28 above, and further in view of Lee (KR 102025342 B1).
Claim 18, Muellenbach substantially discloses the apparatus as claimed above but is silent on wherein said at least one flushing nozzle is arranged centrally in or on said toilet cover and said at least one flushing nozzle is formed with a plurality of nozzle openings.
Lee teaches wherein said at least one flushing nozzle (130) is arranged centrally in or on said toilet cover and said at least one flushing nozzle is formed with a plurality of nozzle openings (133, 133a, 133b).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Muellenbach with centrally arranged nozzle as taught by Lee in order to provide intensively washing and sterilizing the parts that need to be cleaned and sterilized by moving the washing and sterilizing nozzle.
Claim 19, Muellenbach substantially discloses the apparatus as claimed above but is silent on a facility for detecting a closed state of said toilet cover and a control unit connected to said facility, said control unit being configured to control a flushing process of said toilet bowl at least as a function of a detected closed state of said toilet cover.
Lee teaches a facility for detecting a closed state of said toilet cover (110, 111) and a control unit connected to said facility, said control unit being configured to control a flushing process of said toilet bowl at least as a function of a detected closed state of said toilet cover ([0029] – [0031]).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Muellenbach with detection of a closed state as taught by Lee in order to provide intensively washing and sterilizing the parts that need to be cleaned and sterilized by moving the washing and sterilizing nozzle.
Claim 29, Muellenbach substantially discloses the apparatus as claimed above but is silent on flushing the toilet bowl only when a toilet cover is closed.
Lee teaches flushing the toilet bowl only when a toilet cover is closed (110, 111; [0029] – [0030]).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Muellenbach with flushing when a toilet is closed as taught by Lee in order to prevent upward rotation by the pressure of the improved sterilization and washing.
Claim 30, Muellenbach substantially discloses the apparatus as claimed above but is silent on automatically closing an open toilet cover prior to flushing the toilet bowl with dry steam.
Lee teaches automatically closing an open toilet cover prior to flushing the toilet bowl with dry steam (110, 111; [0029] – [0030]).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Muellenbach with automatically closing toilet as taught by Lee in order to prevent upward rotation by the pressure of the improved sterilization and washing.
Claim(s) 20-21, 23-26 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Muellenbach as applied to claims 16 above, and further in view of Bergmann (US 11536015).
Claim 20, Muellenbach substantially discloses the apparatus as claimed above but is silent on a toilet cover for closing off said toilet bowl and a seal arranged between said toilet cover and said toilet bowl, said seal, when said toilet cover is closed, sealing off said toilet bowl against an escape of dry steam during a flushing process.
Bergman teaches a toilet cover for closing off said toilet bowl and a seal arranged between said toilet cover and said toilet bowl, said seal, when said toilet cover is closed, sealing off said toilet bowl against an escape of dry steam during a flushing process (Col 3, lines 30-35).
Claim 21, the modified apparatus of Muellenbach teaches wherein said seal is arranged extending all around in or on an underside of at least one of said toilet cover or a toilet seat and said seal is embodied complementarily to a profile of a respectively opposing seal partner (Bergmann: Col 3, lines 30-35; any seal to block odor would inherently and completely seal off other fours of liquid and gas).
Claim 23, Muellenbach substantially discloses the apparatus as claimed above but is silent on a vacuum toilet.
Bergmann teaches a vacuum toilet (Col 6, lines 46 to 60).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Muellenbach with vacuum toilet as taught by Bergmann in order to provide compatibility with vacuum sewer systems commonly found on vehicles.
Claim 24, Muellenbach substantially discloses the apparatus as claimed above but is silent on a separation toilet with separate discharge lines, being a discharge line for feces and a discharge line for urine.
Bergmann teaches a separation toilet (FIG 1-6) with separate discharge lines, being a discharge line for feces (5) and a discharge line for urine (6).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Muellenbach with separation toilet as taught by Bergmann in order to separate waste products and flushing water to allow for processing of individual components thereby reducing environmental impacts.
Claim 25, the modified apparatus of Muellenbach teaches wherein said discharge line for feces is arranged at a lowest point of said toilet bowl (Bergmann: 5 is at bottom of bowl 1), said toilet bowl (Bergmann: 1) has an upper and a lower part, said lower part is enclosed at least partly by said upper part (Bergmann: upper part of 1 encloses top portion of lower part of 1), and an opening for discharging urine is formed (7)
The modified apparatus of Muellenbach discloses the claimed invention except for opening for discharging urine extending all around the toilet bowl. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to change the size to wrap around the inside of the toilet bowl 360 degrees, since such a modification would have involved a mere change in the size of a component. A change in size is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art. MPEP 2144.04
Claim 26, Muellenbach discloses wherein said at least one flushing nozzle (312) is configured to flush said opening extending all around said bowl for discharging the urine with dry steam.
Claim 27 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Muellenbach as applied to claims 16 above, and further in view of Gartner (US 20120124726).
Claim 27, Muellenbach substantially discloses the apparatus as claimed above but is silent on a vehicle.
Gartner teaches a vehicle (abstract, [0001], [0005])
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Muellenbach with a vehicle as taught by Gartner in order to provide a WC apparatus for use in vehicles which is more maintenance friendly.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JEREMY W CARROLL whose telephone number is (571)272-4988. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8 AM - 5 PM.
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JEREMY W. CARROLL
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3754
/Jeremy Carroll/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3754
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