DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1-16, and 18-21 are pending, claim 17 has been cancelled.
This action is in response to the amendment filed 5/12/2026.
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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the claim(s) have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Since applicant’s amendments necessitated the new grounds for rejection, this action has been made Final.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 5/12/2026 was filed prior to the mailing date of the mailing of this action. The submission complies with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement has been considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings were received on 4/10/2026. These drawings are accepted.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
Applicant’s amendments overcome the prior 112 rejections to the claims.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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 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) 1,5-8,12-15, and 18- 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Green ( US 2864398).
Regarding claim 1, Green discloses a handle assembly (14,51) for a faucet (12), comprising: a handle (14) comprising a hook (at 60, 53,54; col. 4, lns. 51-54) extending from an endmost portion (the left end in Fig. 2) of the handle; the hook configured to be inserted into an opening (the opening at 47) of a base (11) of the faucet; and a fastener (51) configured to fix the handle relative to the base by the hook.
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Regarding claim 5, Green discloses the hook includes a curved portion (the curved portion located at the start of the lead line for numeral 60) defining a projection (the length of the hook 60 in Fig. 2); and the projection is configured to extend downward into a hollow portion (the opening/space of 11/48 that the hook is shown as being within in Fig. 2) of the base.
Regarding claim 6, Green discloses when the hook is inserted into the opening, the hook is not visible from an external portion (the hook cannot be seen externally as shown in Fig. 1) of the base of the faucet.
Regarding claim 7, Green discloses the base (10,11,21) of the faucet includes a first portion (21) and a second portion (11) that is configured to rotate relative to the first portion; and the opening is disposed on the second portion of the base.
Regarding claim 8, Green discloses a faucet (see Fig. 1-8), comprising: a handle assembly (14,51), comprising: a handle (14) comprising a hook (at 60) at an end (the left end) of the handle (see Fig. 2); the hook configured to be inserted into an opening (the opening at 47 that 14 extends into) of a base (11) of the faucet; and a fastener (51) configured to fix the handle relative to the base by at least partially engaging the hook (as shown in Fig. 2).
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Regarding claim 12, Green discloses the hook includes a curved portion (the curved portion located at the start of the lead line for numeral 60) defining a projection (the length of the hook 60 in Fig. 2); and the projection is configured to extend downward into a hollow portion (the opening/space of 11/48 that the hook is shown as being within in Fig. 2) of the base.
Regarding claim 13, Green discloses when the hook is inserted into the opening, the hook is not visible from an external portion (the hook cannot be seen externally as shown in Fig. 1) of the base of the faucet.
Regarding claim 14, Green discloses the base (10,11,21) of the faucet includes a first portion (21) and a second portion (11) that is configured to rotate relative to the first portion; and the opening is disposed on the second portion of the base.
Regarding method claims 15,18 and 19, the device shown by Green will perform the methods as recited in claims 15,18 and 19, during normal operational use of the device.
Regarding claim 15, Green further discloses coupling a washer (17) to the hook by the fastener (see Fig. 2-7), and fixing, by the fastener and the washer, the handle relative to the hook by the fastener.
Regarding claim 20, Green discloses the base (10,11,21) of the faucet includes a first portion (21) and a second portion (11) that is configured to rotate relative to the first portion; and the opening is disposed on the second portion of the base.
Regarding claim 21, Green discloses the hook extends along a longitudinal direction (the vertical direction , see Fig. 2) of the handle; and a projection (54) extends in a downward direction from an endmost portion (the leftmost portion) of the hook.
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) 2, 3, 9, 10 and 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Green ( US 2864398).
Regarding claim 2, Green discloses all of the features of the claimed invention although is silent to having, a second handle comprising a second hook at an end of the second handle; the second hook configured to be inserted into the opening of the base of the faucet; and the fastener configured to fix the second handle relative to the base by the second hook.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective date of the claimed invention to employ a second handle as taught by Green to have a second handle comprising a second hook at an end of the second handle; the second hook configured to be inserted into the opening of the base of the faucet; and the fastener configured to fix the second handle relative to the base by the second hook, in order to utilize a new handle for the existing faucet in order to fix a worn or broken part of the handle and or inner valving mechanism to make the faucet operate properly.
Regarding claim 3, Green discloses the handle comprises a first shape (the hook at 53,54,60 is a first shape); and the second handle comprises a second shape (the shape at 65) is different from the first shape (as shown in Figures 1 and 2).
Regarding claim 9, Green discloses all of the features of the claimed invention although is silent to having, a second handle comprising a second hook at an end of the second handle; the second hook configured to be inserted into the opening of the base of the faucet to replace the first handle; and the fastener configured to fix the second handle relative to the base by the second hook.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective date of the claimed invention to employ a second handle, being the same as the first handle, as taught by Green to have a second handle comprising a second hook at an end of the second handle; the second hook configured to be inserted into the opening of the base of the faucet to replace the first handle; and the fastener configured to fix the second handle relative to the base by the second hook, in order to utilize a new handle for the existing faucet in order to fix a worn or broken part of the handle and or inner valving mechanism to make the faucet operate properly.
Regarding claim 10, Green discloses the handle comprises a first shape (the hook at 53,54,60 is a first shape); and the second handle comprises a second shape (the shape at 65) is different from the first shape (as shown in Figures 1 and 2).
Regarding method claim 16, the device shown by Green will perform the methods as recited in claim 16, during normal operational use of the device.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4 and 11 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.
None of the prior art of record discloses or renders as obvious, “a washer configured to receive the fastener and engage with a portion of the hook to fix the handle relative to the base”, in combination with the rest of the limitations from which claims 4 and 11 depend respectively.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Tang (CN208417716U, as provided by applicant) discloses a similar faucet having a handle with a hook.
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Craig Price, whose telephone number is (571)272-2712 or via facsimile (571)273-2712. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday (8:00AM-4:30PM EST).
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Craig Schneider, can be reached at telephone number 571-272-3607, Kenneth Rinehart can be reached at 571-272-4881. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CRAIG J PRICE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3753
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