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 .
Election/Restrictions
Claims 10, 15 and 20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 7/13/2026.
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) 1-9 and 16-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wu et al. (2022/0120067).
Regarding claim 1, Wu et al shows a showerhead assembly (1) comprising: a handheld showerhead (12) including: a head (10a) with a front face including one or more outlet nozzles and an opposite rear face (fig 1), the rear face having a substantially smooth surface (fig 3, 102), wherein one or more first magnets (30) are disposed within the head and underneath the rear face (fig 5); and a handle (10b) extending from the head; a docking support (20) including: a housing defining an inlet and an outlet (fig 2), the inlet configured to couple to a water supply (fig 2), the housing defining a mounting face (24), the mounting face having a top portion and an opposite bottom portion (fig 2), the mounting face elongated in a direction between the top portion and the bottom portion (fig 2); one or more second magnets (40) disposed within the housing and underneath the mounting face (fig 5, 50 is being considered part of the mounting face); and at least one rigid shoulder (242) projecting from the bottom portion of the mounting face, wherein the rear face of the handheld showerhead removably mounts to the mounting face of the housing via a magnetic connection between the one or more first magnets and the one or more second magnets (fig 5), and wherein when the handheld showerhead is mounted to the docking support, the at least one rigid shoulder at least partially captures a portion of the handle proximate the head to restrict rotation of the handheld showerhead relative to the docking support (fig 4); and a hose coupled between the handle of the handheld showerhead and the outlet of the housing (fig 3) such that the handheld showerhead and the docking support are in fluid communication.
Regarding claim 2, wherein the mounting face has a substantially smooth surface (fig 2).
Regarding claim 3, wherein the mounting face has a vertical height between the top portion and the bottom portion and a transverse width orthogonal to the vertical height, the vertical height greater than the transverse width (fig 2, the transverse width is taken at the bottom on the mounting face in fig 2), and wherein the vertical height is more than half of a height of the head of the handheld showerhead (fig 2).
Regarding claim 4, wherein the vertical height is at least 75% of the height of the head of the handheld showerhead (fig 7).
Regarding claim 5, wherein the transverse width is less than a width of the head of the handheld showerhead (fig 2, 7).
Regarding claim 6, wherein the handle has a thickness (fig 2), the at least one rigid shoulder projecting less than half of the thickness of the handle (the shoulder projects in the width direction less than half the thickness of the shoulder, fig 2).
Regarding claim 7, wherein the at least one rigid shoulder has curved upper and lower boundaries (fig 2).
Regarding claim 8, wherein the at least one rigid shoulder does not prevent pulldown of the handheld showerhead from the docking support (fig 2, this depends on orientation).
Regarding claim 9, wherein the one or more first magnets are off-center in the head (fig 7).
Regarding claim 16, Wu et al shows A showerhead assembly (1) comprising: a docking support (20) including: a housing defining an inlet and an outlet (fig 2), the inlet configured to couple to a water supply, the housing including a mounting face (24) having a first portion and an adjacent second portion (top and bottom portions 2), the mounting face elongated in a direction between the first portion and the second portion (FIG 2), the first portion having a substantially smooth concave exterior surface (fig 2); and one or more first magnets (40) mounted below the exterior surface of the first portion (fig 5); a handheld showerhead (10) including: a head (10a) with a front face defining one or more outlet nozzles and an opposite rear face (102), wherein one or more second magnets (50) are disposed within the head and underneath the rear face (fig 5); and a handle (10b) extending from the head; an anti-rotation coupling (141, 142) including a pair of rounded shoulders (141, 142); and a hose (fig 2) coupled between the handle of the handheld showerhead and the outlet of the housing such that the handheld showerhead and the docking support are in fluid communication, wherein the handheld showerhead removably mounts to the docking support via a magnetic connection between the rear face of the handheld showerhead and the first portion of the mounting face (fig 5), wherein the pair of rounded shoulders are configured to extend between at least a portion of the handheld showerhead and the second portion of the mounting face to restrict rotation of the handheld showerhead relative to the docking support (fig 5), and wherein the pair of rounded shoulders allow the handheld showerhead to be pulled downwards to detach the handheld showerhead from the docking support (this depends on orientation).
Regarding claim 17, wherein the pair of rounded shoulders are integrated within the second portion of the mounting (fig 2), and wherein the pair of rounded shoulders are rigid and directly contact an intersection of the handle and the head of the handheld showerhead when the handheld showerhead is mounted to the docking support (fig 4).
Regarding claim 18, wherein at least a portion of the mounting face includes an exterior rubber layer (50, [0031]).
Regarding claim 19, wherein the substantially smooth concave exterior surface of the first portion extends within the second portion of the mounting face (fig 2).
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) 11-14, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wu et al. (2022/0120067) in view of Zhadanov (2023/0104710)
Regarding claim 11, Wu et al shows ) A showerhead assembly (1) comprising: a handheld showerhead (101) including: a housing body (10a, 10b) defining a head and a handle extending from the head (fig 4), the housing body having an exterior surface, wherein the exterior surface of a rear of the head has a convex curvature and is devoid of any projecting or recessed structure (fig 3); one or more outlet nozzles (fig 4) supported by the housing body at a front of the head; and first magnet disposed within the housing body at the rear of the head (30); a docking support (20) including: a housing defining an inlet and an outlet (fig 2), the inlet configured to couple to a water supply, the housing having a front face including a mounting face (24a), the mounting face having a substantially smooth surface that corresponds in shape to the exterior surface of the rear of the head of the housing body (fig 2), the mounting face including a pair of lower shoulders (241, 242) that correspond in shape to an intersection of the handle at the head (fig 4); a second magnet (40) disposed within the housing and underneath the mounting face (element 50 is part of the mounting face), the second magnet offset from the pair of lower shoulders (fig 2), wherein the head of the housing body removably mounts to the mounting face of the housing via a magnetic connection between the first magnet and the second magnet (fig 5), and wherein when the handheld showerhead is mounted to the docking support, the pair of lower shoulders at least partially captures the intersection of the handle at the head (fig 4); and a hose (fig 2) coupled between the handle of the handheld showerhead and the outlet of the housing such that the handheld showerhead and the docking support are in fluid communication.
But fails to disclose that the first magnet and the second magnets are both a pair of magnets and the pair of first magnets aligned with an extension direction of the handle.
Zhadanov teaches multiple magnets (9, 10), with the first pair of magnets aligned with an extension direction of the handle (fig 4).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the application was effectively filed to use two magnets as the first magnet with the pair of first magnets aligned with an extension direction of the handle ad two magnets as the second magnet, to align with the first air of magnets, in order to create a stronger attraction between the showerhead and the munt.
Regarding claim 12, wherein the pair of lower shoulders restrict rotation of the handheld showerhead and allow the handheld showerhead to be pulled downward relative to the docking support (this depends on orientation)
Regarding claim 13, wherein the mounting face is elongated in a vertical direction, the mounting face having a height that is less than a height of the head of the housing body (fig 7).
Regarding claim 14, wherein the mounting face is the entire front face of the housing (fig 2).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JASON J BOECKMANN whose telephone number is (571)272-2708. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am to 5pm.
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/JASON J BOECKMANN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3752 9/1/2026
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