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 .
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.
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 11 and 17 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.
Regarding claim 11, the entire claim is considered indefinite since it is repeating the amended claim language added to independent claim 1, Examiner recommends canceling this claim.
Regarding claim 17, the limitation “the liquid pub unit” is unclear what the applicant is referring to since the limitation has insufficient antecedent basis in the claim.
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.
Claim(s) 13-14 and 16-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yoshizumi et al. (Pub. No. US 2018/0228055) in view of Bonnin et al. (U.S. Patent No. 9,769,954).
Regarding claim 13, Yoshizumi et al. disclose a liquid pump unit (Figs. 1-21), comprising: a chassis (200) including a front panel (front 202), a bottom panel (210) defining an panel opening (212), and a back panel (back 202), the bottom panel (210) including a front side edge and a back side edge (Fig. 5-7 & 11-16), the front panel (front 202) perpendicularly extends from the front side edge (Fig. 11), the back panel (back 202) perpendicularly extends from the back side edge (Fig. 11), the front panel (front 202), the bottom panel (210), and the back panel (back 202) define an interior space (Fig. 11) therewithin; an electric pump (54) disposed within the interior space (Fig. 5) of the chassis (200) and having an inlet and an outlet (connected to hoses 61 & 62, Figs. 5-7); a first liquid connector (connectors illustrated on the back panel, Figs. 5-7) and a second liquid connector (connectors illustrated on the back panel, Figs. 5-7) mounted on the back panel (back 202) of the chassis (200); a pipe system (61 & 62) fluidly coupled between the pump outlet and second liquid connector (Figs. 5-7); an access panel (220) removably coupled to the panel opening (212), but lacks disclosure of a filter assembly fluidly coupled between the pump inlet and the first liquid connector.
Bonnin et al. teach a liquid pump unit (Figs. 1-2) comprising a chassis (35a) defining an interior space (Fig. 2), a pump assembly (22a) within the interior space connected to a connector system (50a & 51a) mounted on a rear panel (37a, Fig. 2), and a filter assembly (32a) fluidly coupled between the pump inlet (Fig. 2) and a liquid connector (Column 7 lines 19-24).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the pump unit of Yoshizumi et al. with a filter as taught by Bonnin et al. for the advantage of minimizing a pressure loss and protecting the pump from any potential debris (Column 7 lines 19-24),
Regarding claim 14, Yoshizumi et al. disclose the liquid pump unit (Figs. 1-21), wherein the panel opening (212) is positioned (directly next to the pump where the filter would be) to enable direct user access to the filter assembly (modified above).
Regarding claim 16, Yoshizumi et al. disclose the liquid pump unit (Figs. 1-21), further comprising a connector (multiple connectors illustrated capable of being an electrical connector, Figs. 1-21) mounted on the back panel (Figs. 1-21) and electrically connected (electrical pumps disclosed in paragraph 49) to the pump (54), but lacks clear disclosure of an electrical connector.
Bonnin et al. teach a liquid pump unit (Figs. 1-2) comprising a chassis (35a) defining an interior space (Fig. 2), a pump assembly (22a) within the interior space connected to a connector system (50a & 51a) mounted on a back panel (37a, Fig. 2), and an electrical connector (connected to 46a, Fig. 2) mounted on the back panel (Fig. 2) and electrically connected (Column 9 lines 1-3) to the pump (22a).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to substitute a back panel connector of Yoshizumi et al. with an electrical connector as taught by Bonnin et al. since they are considered art recognized equivalents in the art of panel connectors that function in the same manner of connected a tube/pipe to a panel.
Regarding claim 17, Yoshizumi et al. disclose the liquid pump unit (Figs. 1-21), further comprising a plurality of mounting components (Figs. 5-7) coupled to the back panel (Figs. 5-7) and adapted to fasten the liquid pump unit (20).
Claim(s) 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yoshizumi et al. (Pub. No. US 2018/0228055) in view of Bonnin et al. (U.S. Patent No. 9,769,954), and further in view of Colling et al. (U.S. Patent No. 5,941,300).
Regarding claim 15, Yoshizumi et al. modified above disclose the essential features of the claimed invention but lack disclosure wherein the filter assembly comprises: a filter body defining: a filter inlet connected to the first liquid connector; a filter outlet connected to the pump inlet; and a filter access opening; a liquid filter mounted within the filter body adapted to filter liquid flowing from the filter inlet to the filter outlet; and a cap removably covering the filter access opening, wherein the panel opening is positioned to enable direct user access to cap.
Colling et al. teach a liquid pump unit (Figs. 1-7) comprising a chassis (Fig. 1) having a panel (22) with a panel opening (104), a filter assembly (20) comprising a filter body (96) defining a filter inlet (34), filter outlet (36), and a filter access opening (102), wherein a liquid filter (98) is mounted in the filter body (96) via the filter access opening (102) with a cap (100) removably coupled (Column 4 lines 29-41) to the filter access opening (102), and wherein the panel opening (104) is positioned to enable direct user access (Column 4 lines 29-41) to the cap (100).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify the pump unit of Yoshizumi et al. with a filter assembly as taught by Colling et al. for the advantage of allowing external access to a filter element for filter cleaning and changing (Column 4 lines 29-41).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-10 are allowed.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 Reinaldo Sanchez-Medina, telephone number 571-270-5168, fax number 571-270-6168. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday (7:30AM-4:00PM EST).
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/REINALDO SANCHEZ-MEDINA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3753
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