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 § 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 3, 5, and 6 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.
Claim 3 recites the limitation "the third controllable constant flow valves." There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 5 recites the limitation "a third controllable constant flow valves,” then “the third controllable constant flow valve." There is insufficient antecedent basis for the “third controllable constant flow valve" limitation in the claim. It is also unclear if the claim is intended to require plural third valves or a single third valve.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1, 2, 4, and 7-20 are allowed.
Claims 3, 5, and 6 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. The prior art does not disclose, or render obvious, the cleaning system as defined by either claim 1 or claim 16. There is no apparent teaching, suggestion, or motivation to modify the closest prior art, Newton et al. (US 2021/0347624; cited by Applicant), to have the constant flow valve configuration and the processing circuitry as claimed. In contrast to the claimed invention, Newton discloses a sanitation system including, in sequence, a water source (Fig. 20: 2002), CFive flow control solenoids (2082, 2088), cleaning concentrates (2086, 2092), and a seven-position manifold (2020).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAVID G CORMIER whose telephone number is (571)270-7386. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 9:30 - 6:00.
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DAVID G. CORMIER
Examiner
Art Unit 1711
/DAVID G CORMIER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1711
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