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 § 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) 1, 4, and 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Andrews (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0311900) in view of Garcia (U.S. Patent No. 8,464,386).
With respect to Claims 1 and 17, Andrews, Figures 1-6, teaches a roll, comprising:
a cylindrical center core 104 with an insertion slot, the insertion slot 310 having a first width;
a first end cap 103 detachably secured to a first end of the center core 104;
a second end cap 105detachably secured to a second end of the center core 104 opposite the first end; and
a material 108 with a beginning insertion flap, the beginning insertion flap having a width less than or equal to the first width and being arranged within the insertion slot, wherein the material is arranged to wind around the center core 104.
Andrews teaches all the elements of the roll except for the roll being a cleaning material.
However, Garcia, Figures 1-9, teaches a cleaning material 20 wound about a core 14.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to replace the material of Andrews with a cleaning material, as taught by Garcia, for the purpose of using the material on the roll to clean surfaces.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention that Andrews would use the attachment system on the supply roll as well as the take-up roll in order to secure the material to the roll.
With respect to Claim 4, Garcia further teaches wherein one or both of the first end cap and the second end cap comprise drive flanges configured to transmit a torque to the center core and thereby rotate the center core.
Claim(s) 2-3 and 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Andrews (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0311900) in view of Garcia (U.S. Patent No. 8,464,386) as applied to Claims 1, 4, and 17 above, and further in view of Myers (U.S. Patent No. 1,759,241).
With respect to Claim 2, Andrews in view of Garcia are advanced above.
Andrews in view of Garcia teach all the elements of the cleaning roll except for
wherein the cleaning material has a first end, a second end opposite the first end of the cleaning material, and an end insertion flap, wherein the beginning insertion flap is arranged at the first end of the cleaning material and the end insertion flap is arranged at the second end of the cleaning material.
However, Myers, Figure 2, teaches wherein a material has a first end, a second end opposite the first end of the cleaning material, and an end insertion flap 70, wherein the beginning insertion flap is arranged at the first end of the cleaning material and the end insertion flap is arranged at the second end of the cleaning material.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide insertion flaps to the material of Andrews, as taught by Myers, for the purpose of engaging the roller beyond the end of the slot thereby assisting in leading the material straight onto the roller. See lines 32-37.
With respect to Claim 3, Myers further teaches wherein the beginning insertion flap and the end insertion flap have the same width.
With respect to Claim 18, Myers further teaches wherein the first insertion flap extends from the first end at a third width 24,72 and tapers from the third width to the first width.
Claim(s) 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Andrews in view of Garcia as applied to Claims 1, 4, and 17 above, and further in view of Baranov et al (U.S. Patent No. 8,272,591), hereinafter “Baranov”.
With respect to Claim 5, Andrews in view of Garcia are advanced above.
Andrews in view of Garcia teach all the elements of the cleaning roll except for
wherein the center core includes resilient snap-fit tabs on both the first end and second end of the center core,
wherein the first and second end caps each include openings configured to receive the resilient snap-fit tabs, and
wherein the first and second end caps are each detachably secured to the center core by the resilient snap-fit tabs.
However, Baranov, Figures 1-11 teaches
a center core 16 includes resilient snap-fit tabs 40 on both the first end and second end of the center core,
wherein the first and second end caps each include openings 56 configured to receive the resilient snap-fit tabs 40, and
wherein first and second end caps 14 are each detachably secured to the center core by the resilient snap-fit tabs.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to replace the fastening elements of Andrews with snap-fit tabs, as taught by Baranov, for the purpose of allowing a user to quickly fasten the end caps to the core without the use of any tools.
Claim(s) 6-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Andrews in view of Garcia as applied to Claims 1, 4 and 17 above, and further in view of Hwang et al (U.S. Patent No. 6,196,495), hereinafter “Hwang”.
With respect to Claim 6, Andrews in view of Garcia are advanced above.
Andrews in view of Garcia teach all the elements of the cleaning roll except for
wherein the first and second end caps each include a plurality of control flanges, the plurality of control flanges each extending inward toward the center core relative to the respective end cap and extending radially outward on each respective end cap.
However, Hwang, Figures 5 and 7, teaches
first and second end caps each include a plurality of control flanges 26, the plurality of control flanges 26 each extending inward toward the center core relative to the respective end cap and extending radially outward on each respective end cap.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide Andrews in view of Garcia with a plurality of control flanges, as taught by Hwang, for the purpose of preventing the flanges from deforming.
With respect to Claim 7, Hwang further teaches wherein each of the plurality of control flanges 26 includes a chamfer at a radially outer periphery, the chamfers each configured to guide the cleaning material against a respective control flange.
With respect to Claim 8, Hwang further teaches wherein the first and second end caps each include a control ring 24b, the control ring arranged radially inward relative to the plurality of control flanges of the respective end cap with respect to an attachment point of the respective end cap, the attachment point of each end cap being configured to attach the respective end cap to the center core.
With respect to Claim 9, Hwang further teaches wherein the control ring of each of the first and second end caps delimits a radially inner limit of the plurality of control flanges on each respective end cap.
With respect to Claim 10, Hwang further teaches wherein the control ring of each of the first and second end caps has a radial width configured to accommodate a thickness of the cleaning material.
Claim(s) 11-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Garcia (U.S. Patent No. 8,464,386) in view of Andrews (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0311900).
With respect to Claim 11, Garcia, Figures 1-9, teaches
a method for arranging a cleaning roll in a cleaning device, the method comprising:
providing a first cleaning roll 20 with a first cylindrical center core 14 and a cleaning material 22 rolled around the first cylindrical center core 14;
arranging the first cleaning roll within a first position in the cleaning device;
partially unrolling (about direction 48) the cleaning material from around the first cleaning roll;
inserting into a second cylindrical center core 16 arranged in a second position within the cleaning device; and
rotating the second cylindrical center core (about direction 50 – See Figure 3) such that the second cylindrical center core 16 rolls the cleaning material onto the second cylindrical center core by pulling on the beginning, and such that the cleaning material is unrolled from the first cylindrical center core.
Garcia teaches all the method steps of the method for arranging a cleaning roll in a cleaning device except for
the material having a beginning insertion flap; and
inserting the beginning insertion flap into a second cylindrical center core arranged in a second position within the cleaning device.
However, Andrews, Figures 1-6, teaches that it is known for a material to have an insertion flap to be inserted into a core.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide Garcia with a method of inserting material having an insertion flap into a core, as taught by Andrews, for the purpose of securing the material into the core and allowing the material to be wound around the core.
Further note that Andrews, Paragraph [0002] describes a Torah scroll. Torah scrolls are known to have a supply roll and a take up roll.
With respect to Claim 12, Andrews further teaches wherein the first cylindrical center core and the second cylindrical center core are identical to one another.
With respect to Claim 13, Andrews further teaches wherein the first cleaning roll includes first 103 and second 105 end caps on either axial end of the first cylindrical center core, and wherein arranging the first cleaning roll within the cleaning device includes arranging the first and second end caps into corresponding end cap receivers arranged in the cleaning device.
With respect to Claim 14, Garcia further teaches wherein the second cylindrical center core is rotated such that a surface of the cleaning material that faces radially outward when the cleaning material is rolled around the first cylindrical center core faces radially inward when the cleaning material is rolled around the second cylindrical center core.
With respect to Claim 15, Garcia further teaches further comprising arranging an unrolled portion of the cleaning material between the first and second cylindrical center cores between an external surface and a pressure plate 32 of the cleaning device.
With respect to Claim 16, Garcia further teaches further comprising: rotating the second cylindrical center core until the cleaning material is fully unrolled from the first cylindrical center core; removing an end insertion flap of the cleaning material from the first cylindrical center core; removing the second cylindrical center core from the second position of the cleaning device; and moving the first cylindrical center core from the first position of the cleaning device to the second position of the cleaning device previously occupied by the second cylindrical center core.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WILLIAM ARAUZ RIVERA whose telephone number is (571)272-6953. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Friday 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM MDT.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Victoria P. Augustine can be reached at 313-446-4858. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/WILLIAM A. RIVERA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3654
Prosecution Insights