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 1-12 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.
The recitation of “it” makes claims 1, 4, 7, 10, and 12 confusing and renders the claims indefinite.
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) 1-2, 10-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Chu CN 112842178 B
Re claim 1, Chu a waste water valve [Figs. 1-6] for connection to the outlet 5 of a waste water tank [inside of robot 6] of a floor cleaning machine 6
having a pipe socket 4 which has an inlet end and an outlet end, wherein the inlet end is designed to be connected to the outlet of the waste water tank and wherein the outlet end has a circumferential edge [figs. 7-8],
having a closure body 111 which is mounted on the pipe socket 4 so as to be displaceable between a closed position [fig. 5] and an open position [fig. 6], wherein the closure body 111 is arranged in the closed position so that it closes the outlet end and is arranged in the open position at such a distance from the outlet end that a distance is provided between the closure body and the outlet end over the entire circumferential edge,
having an actuating element 11 which is mounted on the pipe socket so as to be adjustable between a closed position and an open position, which actuating element is rigidly coupled to the closure body 111 in such a way that the closure body moves from the closed position to the open position when the actuating element moves from the closed position to the open position, and that the closure body moves from the open position to the closed position when the actuating element moves from the open position to the closed position,
wherein a biasing element 13 is provided that biases the closure body 111 towards the closed position.
Re claim 2, wherein the closure body 111 has a closure section which is shaped akin to a part of a spherical shell or a conical shell or a truncated conical shell, wherein the outlet end has a circular cross-section, and wherein in the closed position, the closure section closes the outlet end [figs. 6-7].
Re claim 10, wherein a washing liquid outlet is provided on the pipe socket, which is designed such that washing liquid can be introduced into the pipe socket through it [when the water tank holds clean water as explained in the excerpt: “the second water tank 2 for storing clean water, at this time, the clean water in the second water tank 2 passes through the gap between the conical surface 111 of the valve core 11 and the action surface of the first sealing piece, then passes through the gap between the valve core 11 and the inner wall of the through hole 10 on the second valve body 4, continuously passes through the through hole 121 on the surface of the driving part 12, finally from the first valve body of the inserting part 8 flow to the fluid channel 5, so as to realize the second water tank 2 connected with the fluid channel 5 of the machine body 1, through the second water tank 2 is the first water tank of the robot filling clean water. It should be noted that when the second water tank is used for storing the sewage from the first water tank of the robot, then after the robot is connected with the base station, the sewage in the robot firstly flows into the fluid channel, according to the opposite flow direction, the sewage is recycled to the second water tank of the base station, realizing the sewage recycling in the robot”].
Re claim 11, a floor cleaning machine 6 having a waste water tank 7, which has an outlet 5, wherein the outlet is connected to the waste water valve 4.
Re claim 12, wherein the floor cleaning machine includes a housing 1, wherein the actuating element 11 is arranged behind an opening [opening for robot 6] in the housing in such a way that it can be moved from the closed position to the open position by inserting an actuator 3.
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) 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chu CN 112842178 B .
Re claim 3, Chu discloses the invention as discussed above. Chu discloses wherein the pipe socket has a sleeve 14 on which the outlet end is formed. Chu fails to disclose the sleeve is made out of rubber. The Examiner takes Official notice that rubber sealings for water are well-known in the art. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the sleeve made of rubber in order to yield the predictable result of using well-known sealing materials for the sleeve.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-9 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.
Claims 4-9 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include 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:
The prior art of record does not show or fairly render obvious the combination set forth in the claims. In particular, the prior art does not show a sleeve that surrounds the straight section and is mounted on the pipe socket so as to be displaceable along the pipe socket, and wherein the closure body is fastened to the sleeve.
Correspondence
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Carlos A. Rivera whose telephone number is (571)270-5697. The examiner can normally be reached 9AM -4PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Brian Keller can be reached at (571) 272-8548. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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C. A. R.
Primary Patent Examiner
Art Unit 3723
/C. A. RIVERA/Primary Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3723
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