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 .
Status of Claims
Currently claims 1-20 are pending and claims 7-13 are withdrawn.
Election/Restrictions
Claims 7-13 withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.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 07/01/2026. Applicant’s election without traverse of Species A in the reply filed on 07/01/2026 is acknowledged.
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.
Claim 18 is 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 term “close” in claim 18 is a relative term which renders the claim indefinite. The term “close” is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention. The limitation “the plug is arranged inside an end of the water inlet channel close to the supporting arm assembly” has been rendered indefinite by use of the term “close” as it is unclear how far/near/close the two must be for it to be “close.”
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 1-6 and 19-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yan (U.S. 2023/0175240) in view of Clarke (U.S. 2024/0009688).
With respect to claim 1, Yan discloses a spraying mechanism (figure 1), wherein the spraying mechanism comprises:
a water inlet assembly (having 1, 2, and 11), provided with a water inlet channel (channel within 11).
a supporting arm assembly (supporting arm 4), connected to the water inlet assembly and rotatable in respect to the water inlet assembly (as 4 rotates at 41; paragraphs 0026-0027 disclose 4 rotating with respect to 11 at 41) and
a first shower head (8), communicated to the water inlet channel through the supporting arm assembly (as shown in figure 1), the first shower head is connected to the supporting arm assembly and rotatable in respect to the supporting arm assembly (rotatable at 42 having 4 and 5), Yan fails to disclose there is at least a first distance and a second distance between a projection of a connection position between the first shower head and the supporting arm assembly in respect to a reference plane and a projection of a central axis of the first shower head in respect to the reference plane, and the first distance is not equal to the second distance; wherein the reference plane is perpendicular to the central axis of the first shower head.
Clarke, figures 3 and 4, discloses a first distance and a second distance between a projection of a connection position between the first shower head and the supporting arm assembly in respect to a reference plane and a projection of a central axis of the first shower head in respect to the reference plane (where there is a different distance between where 122 is where the shower head and the support arm assembly are, the projection of the connection position, and that of the central axis of the showerhead 106 with a reference plane of the showerhead being the plane of the showerhead), and the first distance is not equal to the second distance (as the distance from the connection position of the projection 122 to that of 102 is different than that of the central axis of 106 to 102, as shown in figure 4, essentially the inlet to the showerhead from the arm that connects them is not centered on the showerhead); wherein the reference plane is perpendicular to the central axis of the first shower head (as shown in figures 3-4, where the central axis of the showerhead is perpendicular to the plane of the flat showerhead). Clarke teaches doing this to allow the showerhead itself to use a joint that allows for two different positions with just moving the showerhead itself (paragraphs 0005-0007).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to utilize the showerhead of Clarke into that of Yan to allow the rotation of the showerhead itself to give multiple positions, allowing a user to move the showerhead between positions as desired to obtain a desired spraying/showerhead location.
With respect to claim 2, Yan as modified discloses the first distance between a projection of a rotation center between the first shower head and the supporting arm assembly in respect to the reference plane and the projection of the central axis of the first shower head in respect to the reference plane is zero (see figure 3 of Clarke, being taken as the first position at 0), the connection position between the first shower head and the supporting arm assembly is a first position (figure 3 of Clarke); when a distance between the projection of the rotation center between the first shower head and the supporting arm assembly in respect to the reference plane and the projection of the central axis of the first shower head in respect to the reference plane is the second distance (as shown I figure 4 of Clarke), the connection position between the first shower head and the supporting arm assembly is a second position (being the position shown in figure 4 of Clarke); wherein a distance between the first position and the second position is less than or equal to a radius of the first shower head (as shown between figures 3 and 4 of Clarke, the change in positions is less than or equal to a radius of the showerhead, as the showerhead is rotating about an axis that is not the central axis but on an outer length less then the radius of the showerhead).
With respect to claim 3, Yan as modified discloses the water inlet assembly comprises: a fixed seat (as 11 is fixed when attached to the water pipe), the supporting arm assembly is sheathed outside the fixed seat (as shown in figure 1, where 4 is understood being sheathed outside the assembly having 1, see figure 2, where 41 is sheathed with respect to 2, much like that of 3 which is meshed within 2 shown at 6, being the same way for 41) and rotatable in respect to the fixed seat (as 41 rotates with respect to that of 2), a circumferential side wall of the fixed seat is provided with a communication port (being the port within 2), the water inlet channel is arranged in the fixed seat (taking 11 and 1 as part of 2, combined to form the fixed seat), and the water inlet channel is communicated to the supporting arm assembly through the communication port (as shown in figures 1 and 2).
With respect to claim 4, Yan as modified discloses a limiting assembly (being the limiting assembly of 01 and 03 with 41), and the limiting assembly is arranged between the fixed seat and the supporting arm assembly (between 4 and 2) for position limiting between the fixed seat and the supporting arm assembly, and wherein the limiting assembly comprises an elastic member (5) and a limiting member (3), one of an outer wall of the fixed seat and an inner wall of the supporting arm assembly is provided with an accommodating groove (being the groove of 6, though not shown on 41 it is understood having the same interface of teeth connecting the two, paragraph 0026, the mesh teeth being accommodating grooves being on one of the supporting arm with grooves formed on that of the fixed seat that allow them to mesh together), and the other is provided with a plurality of limiting holes along a circumferential direction of the fixed seat (being the holes formed between the teeth of the meshing teeth 6, figure 2, paragraph 0026), the elastic member is arranged in the accommodating groove (as 5 goes within 6, see figure 5, as it is arranged within the grooves of 6 when inserted), one end of the limiting member abuts against the elastic member (as limiting member 01/03 abut that of 05, paragraph 0027) and the other end is able to be arranged penetrating through one of the limiting holes (as it 05 penetrates through the limiting holes such that it passes through the meshed teeth when inserted through 2, see figure 5, when 05 goes through 22, it passes (penetrates) the holes of 22 that the meth teeth mesh against).
With respect to claim 5, Yan as modified discloses one side of the supporting arm assembly and the first shower head facing each other is provided with a first water outlet part (being the part of 5), and the other side is provided with a first water outlet fitting part (threads on 5 for the showerhead), the first water outlet part and the first water outlet fitting part are screwed connected (where the showerhead is screwed onto 5), and the supporting arm assembly, the first water outlet part, the first water outlet fitting part, and the first shower head are communicated to each other (being fluidly in communication with one another to bring fluid from the support arm assembly to the first water outlet part, the first water outlet fitting part, and then the first shower head).
With respect to claim 6, Yas as modified discloses the first shower head comprises a first connecting assembly (42) and a second connecting assembly (5), one end of one end of the first connecting assembly is connected to the supporting arm assembly (as shown in figure 1) and communicated to the supporting arm assembly (as shown in figure 1), and the other end is connected to the second connecting assembly (as shown in figure 1), and the second connecting assembly is rotatable in respect to the first connecting assembly (paragraph 0026).
With respect to claim 19, Yan discloses the supporting arm assembly comprises a sleeve (41), sheathed outside the water inlet assembly (as 41 is sheathed with respect to 11 and 2) and rotatable in respect to the water inlet assembly (as 41 rotates with respect to 2); a supporting arm (4), one end of the supporting arm is connected to the sleeve (see figure 2) and communicated to the water inlet channel (as fluid flows from 11/2 into 41 and into 4), and the other end of the supporting arm is rotatably connected to the first shower head and communicated to the first shower head (as shown in figures 1 and 2).
With respect to claim 20, Yan as modified discloses a water outlet device, wherein the water outlet device comprises the spraying mechanism according to claim 1 (see figure 1 and rejection of claim 1).
Claim(s) 14-15 and 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yan and Clarke as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Ma (U.S. 2025/0092650).
With respect to claim 14 Yan as modified discloses and a second shower head (6), connected to the water inlet assembly (1/2) and able to be communicated to the water inlet channel (see figure 1, the handheld showerhead connected to 1 and 2) wherein the shower head is detachably counted to the water inlet assembly (as 6 is attached to the assembly via 3, and is thus detached with only 7 between the two), but fails to disclose the spraying mechanism further comprises: a wall seat; wherein the second shower head is detachably connected to one of the water inlet assembly and the wall seat.
Ma, figures 4a-4a and paragraphs 0031-0033, discloses a wall seat (see 448 mounted to wall 454) with a second shower head 410b which is coupled to a water inlet assembly and housing (see figure 4d) and a wall seat (448) showing it movable and detachable from both. Ma indicates such a wall seat allows for not only docking of the handheld showerhead but also further faces that can be used allowing the system to have multiple further uses (such as a body exfoliator, washing pets, or scalp massager).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to utilize the wall seat of Ma into the system of Yan as modified for their handheld showerhead to further allow a docking station that would then allow for other shower options to be utilized (a body exfoliator, washing pets, or scalp massager).
With respect to claim 15, Yan as modified discloses the water inlet assembly comprises a fixed seat (being fixed with respect to the inlet), the supporting arm assembly is sheathed outside the fixed seat and rotatable in respect to the fixed seat (as shown in figure 2, where the supporting arm assembly has 41 which is sheathed outside 2), and the water inlet channel is arranged in the fixed seat (as shown in figures 1 and 2, at 1 and 2); wherein the fixed seat is provided with a first water outlet and second water outlet (having water outlets going to 4 or 07), the first water outlet is communicated to the supporting arm assembly (being the outlet going to 4), the second water outlet is communicated to the second shower head (going to 07), and the water inlet channel is selectively communicated to one of the first water outlet and the second water outlet (via 14).
With respect to claim 18, Yan as modified discloses the spraying mechanism further comprises a plug (being the end of 01), the plug is arranged inside an end of the water inlet channel close to the supporting arm assembly (plugging the end of 2 going into 6, such that fluid does not flow in that direction and being “close” to 4).
Claim(s) 16-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yan, Clarke, and Ma as applied to claim 15 above, and further in view of Lin (U.S. 2016/0340876).
With respect to claim 16, Yan as modified discloses the spraying mechanism (figure 1) further comprises a switching assembly (14), but fails to specifically disclose switching assembly includes a switching shaft and one end of the switching shaft is provided with a holding part, and the other end is provided with an obstructing part; and wherein the switching shaft is arranged penetrating through the fixed seat and rotated in respect to the fixed seat, such that the obstructing part is able to selectively obstruct one of the first water outlet and the second water outlet. One of ordinary skill would recognize that the switching shaft, holding part, obstructing part are all known elements in a showerheads control valve though not specifically shown in Yan.
Lin discloses, figure 2, a switching assembly includes a switching shaft (shaft of 21) and one end of the switching shaft is provided with a holding part (the holding part at the end holding it within the system), and the other end is provided with an obstructing part (being the valve element which obstructs the flow path to whichever outlet the fluid is not meant to go to); and wherein the switching shaft is arranged penetrating through the fixed seat (being the fixed seat of 1) and rotated in respect to the fixed seat (to change the valve), such that the obstructing part is able to selectively obstruct one of the first water outlet and the second water outlet (obstructing the outlets of 12 or 13).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention that the system of Yan utilize the switching assembly of Lin, as this would allow their element 14 to switch between the two outlets, by utilizing an internal valve within the fixed part to control which showerhead is receiving the fluid flow.
With respect to claim 17, Yan as modified discloses the spraying mechanism further comprises a sealing member (being the sealing members of the valve, sealing it within the system, see Lin figure 2 $5), the sealing member is arranged in the water inlet channel (being within the inlet channel of Yan where 14 is), and the sealing member is wrapped on at least part of the obstructing part (as the seals of 5 rape around the obstructing part of the valve) and arranged between the obstructing part and the fixed seat (as they would be between the two in Yan, being between that of 14 and the fixed seat where the valve is); and the sealing member is provided with a first through hole (213) and a second through hole (214), the first through hole is arranged corresponding to the first water outlet and communicated to the first water outlet (as it allows fluid to pass to the first water outlet), and the second through hole is arranged corresponding to the second water outlet and communicated to the second water outlet (as it allows water flowing in to pass to the second outlet, paragraphs 0031-0030 of Lin).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOSEPH A GREENLUND whose telephone number is (571)272-0397. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am-5pm EST.
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/JOSEPH A GREENLUND/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3752
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