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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(4) because reference character “202” has been used to designate both abutting portion and connection part in Fig. 5. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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 10 is 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 10 recites the limitation “the locking slot” in line 3. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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 (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 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.
Claims 1-2 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Zhou et al. (2015/0240468).
Zhou et al. disclose a mounting component for toilets comprising: a first connection member 24 provided with a connection end and a fix end connected to the toilet flange 20 (Fig. 9) ; a seat 30 having a connection part 31 and a main body 301 with an upper end 32 inserted through a mounting slot 15 (Fig. 6) on a bottom wall of the toilet 10; the main body 301 provided with an abutting portion 312 abutting against a floor (Fig. 13) and a connection hole 321 arranged with respect to an operation hole 111 of the toilet; the connection part 31 connected and fixed on the connection end of the first connection member 24; and a second connection member 12 with a connection end inserted through the operation hole 111 of the toilet 10 and connected to the connection hole 321.
Regarding claim 2, the connection part 31 of the seat 30 is provided with an insertion hole 314 ; the fix end 242 of the first connection member 24 is provided with a locking head 241 mated to a groove 222 of the toilet flange 20; the connection end of the first connection member 24 is provided with a connection rod portion inserted through the insertion hole 314 and connected to a limit unit 25 used for limiting movement of the connection rod portion.
Regarding claim 11, the connection part 31, the abutting portion 312, and the connection hole 321 are integrally formed on the seat 30; the second connection member 8 includes a limit head and a connection rod portion connected to the limit head; during connection, the limit head is stopped and limited in a head positioning slot 13 in the operation hole 111 of the toilet 10 (Fig. 7) while the connection rod portion is inserted through the head positioning slot 13 and a through hole 111 of the toilet communicating with the head positioning slot 13 to be connected to the connection hole 111.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-10 are 12-13 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Laundre et al. teach a toilet mounting component comprising a first connection member (bolt), a seat 630 and a second connection member 623 (bolt).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HUYEN D LE whose telephone number is (571)272-4890. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday.
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, David Angwin can be reached at 517-270-3735. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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HUYEN D. LE
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3754
/HUYEN D LE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3754
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