DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
This action is in response to the claims filed 11/20/2024.
Claims 1-10 are presented for examination.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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 5 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as failing to set forth 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 5, the claim recites “the cleaning head (22) is a disk-shaped component formed by rotating and winding the inner end of the connecting rod”. This language is indefinite because it is not understandable how the connecting rod could form the cleaning head. They are understood to be two different structures. The examiner assumes this language is a relic of a translation of foreign claims.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1, 3-5, and 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Cao et al. in CN221060554 (hereinafter “Cao”).
Regarding claim 1, Cao discloses an easy-to-clean vacuum cleaner, comprising a body (housing of the vacuum assembly), a dust suction port (end of the vacuum opposite the handle) arranged on the body, a dust suction motor (by the handle) arranged in the body, and a dust chamber (1) in communication with the dust suction port, wherein the dust chamber has an exposed dust discharge port (12) and a dust discharge cover (3) for exposing and covering the dust discharge port, the dust suction motor operates to suck garbage at the dust suction port and store the garbage in the dust chamber (like any analogous vacuum cleaner), the dust chamber (1) is internally provided with a cleaning rack (22), the dust discharge cover (3) exposes the dust discharge port (12), the cleaning rack (22) is taken out from the dust discharge port (12), and then the cleaning rack (22) drives the garbage (400) to be cleaned out of the dust chamber (1). See Fig. 1-5.
Regarding claim 3, Cao discloses the easy-to-clean vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning rack (22) comprises a connecting rod (42, 44) and a cleaning head (22) arranged at an inner end of the connecting rod (Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 4, Cao discloses the easy-to-clean vacuum cleaner according to claim 3, wherein an outer end of the connecting rod (42) is fixed to the dust discharge cover (3), and the dust discharge cover exposes the dust discharge port (12) to synchronously take out the cleaning rack (2) from the dust chamber (1). See Fig. 2.
Regarding claim 5, Cao discloses the easy-to-clean vacuum cleaner according to claim 3, wherein the cleaning head (22) is a disk-shaped component (formed by rotating and winding the inner end of the connecting rod, as much as it can be understood, is considered a product-by-process limitation and imparts no discernible patentably distinguishable structure to the claim), and the cleaning head (22) is located on a bottom part of the dust chamber (1) away from the dust discharge port (12) See Fig. 2.
Regarding claim 10, Cao discloses the easy-to-clean vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein a motor switch is arranged in the handle, and the driving member contacts or is out of contact with the motor switch, to start or disable the dust suction motor (these feature are not explicitly called out by Cao, but a very apparent power or on/off button is clearly visible on the handle at the top of Fig. 5, which must be in communication with the motor or “driving member” to turn the vacuum cleaner on and off).
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 2 and 6-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cao as applied above in view of Cai et al. in CN202323066447 (hereinafter “Cai”).
Regarding claims 2 and 7, Cao discloses the easy-to-clean vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 wherein the body is provided with a driving member (a power button activates the vacuum motor, or “driving member”). Cao does not explicitly disclose the driving member drives a cleaning accessory arranged at the dust suction port to perform a cleaning action at the dust suction port and synchronously starts the dust suction motor to operate, wherein a rear part of the cleaning accessory is provided with a connector removably inserted into the dust suction port, a front part of the cleaning accessory is provided with a suction inlet in communication with the dust suction port, needle cloths densely distributed around the suction inlet, and a hair removal member moving relative to the needle cloths, and the driving member drives the hair removal member to move relative to the needle cloths, thereby cleaning the hair-like flocs adhering to the needle cloths and then sucking in the hair-like flocs through the suction inlet. However, Cao clearly shows in Fig. 5 that his invention is applicable to a vacuum cleaner with a dust inlet capable of receiving attachments. Cai teaches an analogous vacuum cleaner to that of Cao, specifically a particular attachment for vacuum cleaners like that of Cao. Cao teaches a cleaning accessory configured to attach at a dust suction port of a vacuum cleaner via a removable connector at the rear of the cleaning accessory that further includes needle clothes at in an inlet of the accessory with a hair removal member that moves relative to the needle clothes so as to clean hair-like flocs adhering to the needle cloths such that the hair-like flocs through the suction inlet and into the vacuum when the vacuum is actuated (or the “driving member” is engaged). Cai teaches that such an accessory for vacuum cleaners is useful in the grooming of pets which have fine hair because it allows capture of the pet hair and easy collection of the pet hair due to the removal member pushing hair off of the needle cloths (see Fig. 1-3 with needle cloths at the head of the accessory which are removed by the removal plate 212). It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the vacuum cleaner of Cao by employing an accessory attachment like that taught by Cai for the purpose of easily cleaning pet hair, and the result would have been predictable. The vacuum cleaner of Cao with the accessory attachment of Cai comprises all of the limitations required of claims 2 and 7 and renders the claims obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art.
Regarding claim 6, Cao as modified by Cai comprises the easy-to-clean vacuum cleaner according to claim 2, wherein the garbage (400 in Cao) comprises hair-like flocs. From Cao: “For example, for light hair cotton wool or garbage 400, it is difficult to pour out only by gravity, but the dust can be poured out easily by the thrust of the power assisting device 2, so that the dust can be poured out more smoothly and conveniently.”
Regarding claim 8, Cao as modified by Cai comprises the easy-to-clean vacuum cleaner according to claim 2, wherein the body is composed of a head, a dust suction channel on a bottom part of the head, and a handle on a bottom part of the dust suction channel, the dust suction motor is arranged on a front part of the head, a rear part of the head is provided with a dust canister that is removably mounted, the dust canister is hollow inside to form the dust chamber, a rear end of the dust canister is open to form the exposed dust discharge port, an end of the dust suction channel is in communication with the dust chamber, an other end thereof is open through the front part of the head to form the dust suction port, and the driving member is arranged on a front side of the handle (all of this structure is readily, easily, and clearly apparent on the vacuum cleaner of Cao as seen in Fig. 1-2 and 4-7).
Regarding claim 9, Cao as modified by Cai comprises the easy-to-clean vacuum cleaner according to claim 8, wherein a front part of the dust suction channel is provided with an accessory release button (from the modification in view of Cai to include the accessory brush head; see Cai Fig. 1 and 2 showing release buttons that attach to the front part of the dust suction channel of the vacuum), and a rear part of the dust suction channel is provided with a dust canister release button (see Cao Fig. 5 showing dust canister release button 300, which is at a rear part of the dust suction channel that extends through the vacuum).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Relevant Prior Art:
CN117045148 discloses a vacuum cleaner with a dust collection bin that utilizes a clean-out structure attached to a removable bin lid to assist in removing debris from the dust bin when the lid is opened.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ELDON T BROCKMAN whose telephone number is (571)270-3263. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 9am-5pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Court Heinle can be reached at (571) 270-3508. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ELDON T BROCKMAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3799
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