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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) was submitted on 3/14/2025. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claim(s) 3 is/are objected to because of the following informalities:
In claim 3, line 3, “its rotation” should read --rotation of the nut--.
Appropriate correction is required.
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(s) 1-11 is/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 pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Claims 1-11 are replete with indefinite language. The claimed features must be clearly recited. Examples of indefinite language are put forth below.
Claim 1 recites “the seat portion” in line 14. Claim 2 recites “the seat portion” in line 2. Claim 3 recites “the seat portion” in line 2. Claim 4 recites “the seat portion” in lines 13-14. Claim 7 recites “the seat portion” in line 2. Claim 9 recites “the seat portion” in line 3. Claim 10 recites “the seat portion” in line 3. As claim 1 recites “two seat portions” in line 9, it is unclear which of the two seat portions each instance of “the seat portion” recited in claims 1-4, 7, and 9-10 is referring to. For examination purposes, “the seat portion” recited in claims 1-4, 7, and 9-10 is interpreted to read --one of the two seat portions--.
Claim 1 recites “the first bolt” in line 12. Claim 2 recites “the first bolt” in line 3. As claim 1 recites “two first bolts” in line 2, it is unclear which of the two first bolts “the first bolt” in claims 1-2 is referring to. For examination purposes, “the first bolt” in claims 1-2 is interpreted to read --one of the two first bolts--.
Claim 2 recites “the groove” in line 5. It is unclear which of the two grooves recited in claim 1, line 7 “the groove” is referring to. For examination purposes, “the groove” in claim 2 is interpreted to read --one of the two grooves--.
Claim 4 recites “the second bolt” in line 10. Claim 6 recites “the second bolt” in line 4. Claim 7 recites “the second bolt” in line 5. Claim 8 recites “the second bolt” in lines 4-5. As claim 1 recites “two second bolts” in line 2, it is unclear which of the two second bolts “the second bolt” in claims 4 and 6-8 is referring to. For examination purposes, “the second bolt” in claims 4 and 6-8 is interpreted to read --one of the two second bolts--.
Claim 5 recites “the guiding sleeve” in line 2. Claim 6 recites “the guiding sleeve” in line 3. Claim 7 recites “the guiding sleeve” in lines 2-3. Claim 11 recites “the guiding sleeve” in line 3. As claim 4 recites “two guiding sleeves” in line 2, it is unclear which of the two guiding sleeves “the guiding sleeve” in claims 5-7 and 11 is referring to. For examination purposes, “the guiding sleeve” in claims 5-7 and 11 is interpreted to read --one of the two guiding sleeves--.
The term “a little bit” in claim 8 is a relative term which renders the claim indefinite. The term “a little bit” is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention.
Claim 10 recites “the bottom” in line 4. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. For examination purposes, “the bottom” is interpreted to read --a bottom--.
Any remaining dependent claim(s) are indefinite insofar as they depend on a rejected base claim.
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.
Claim(s) 1-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Laundre (US 20180216333).
Regarding claim 1, Laundre discloses a mounting member for securing a one-piece toilet (610) around a toilet flange (601) comprising two first bolts (613, 631), a main body (630, 632-633, 636b, 662b), and two second bolts (634); the one-piece toilet having an operation hole (623) mounted to a vertical wall (622) on each of two sides of the toilet (see Fig. 33), a bottom wall (636a, 662c) disposed on a bottom (660) of the toilet, and a mounting slot (slot of 662c, 636c, 636f and slot formed by 636) penetrating each of two sides of the bottom wall (see Fig. 33-36); the toilet flange fixed on a floor of a building (see Fig. 34-36; ¶ 0115);
wherein the two first bolts are mounted and limited in two grooves (grooves of 601) of the toilet flange correspondingly (see Fig. 34-36);
wherein the main body includes two seat portions (632-633, 636b, 662b) and two connection parts (662a) connected between the seat portions (see Fig. 29-38); each of the seat portions is provided with a connecting portion (636d), an abutting portion (662b), and a threaded hole (632c, 633b); the connecting portion is for allowing the first bolt to insert through and fasten with (see Fig. 33-38); the abutting portion is abutting against an upper surface (upper surface of the floor; ¶ 0115; see Fig. 33-36) of the floor around the toilet flange (see Fig. 33-36); at least a part (632e) of the seat portion is moved upward to insert through the corresponding mounting slot of the toilet so that the threaded hole is tilted with respect to the operation hole (see Fig. 33-36);
wherein the second bolts are inserted through the operation holes of the toilet (see Fig. 33-36) and fastened with the threaded holes by thread engagement correspondingly (¶ 0136) so that the toilet is pressed and secured on the upper surface of the floor around the toilet flange (see Fig. 33-36).
Regarding claim 2, Laundre discloses wherein the connecting portion of the seat portion is provided with a through hole (363f); the first bolt includes a bolt head (head of 613, 631) and a bolt shaft (shaft of 613, 631) connected to the bolt head (see Fig. 33-38); the bolt head is slid to be locked and limited in the groove of the toilet flange (see Fig. 33-38) and the bolt shaft is moved upward to insert through the through hole of the connecting portion (see Fig. 33-38) and engage with a nut (nut of 631) by threads for being fastened on the connecting portion (see Fig. 33-38).
Regarding claim 3, Laundre discloses wherein the seat portion is further provided with a locking slot (632g); a nut (637) is mounted and positioned in the locking slot with its rotation limited to form the threaded hole (¶ 0136).
Regarding claim 4, Laundre discloses wherein the mounting member further includes two guiding sleeves (681) each of which is provided with a positioning head (head of 681), a guidance portion (guidance portion of 681) extending obliquely from the positioning head (see Fig. 34-36), a head positioning slot (slot of 681) recessed to the inside of the positioning head, and a guiding hole (hole of 681) formed inside the guidance portion and communicating with the head positioning slot (see Fig. 34-38); the guidance portion is inserted through the corresponding operation hole from an outer side (outer side of 622) into an inner side (inner side of 622) of the vertical wall of the toilet (see Fig. 33-36) and the positioning head is mounted and positioned in the corresponding operation hole (see Fig. 33-38); the second bolt is provided with a bolt head (634a) and a bolt shaft (634b) connected to the bolt head (see Fig. 38); the bolt shaft is inserted through the head positioning slot and the guiding hole in turn (see Fig. 34-38) and aligned and threaded to the threaded hole of the seat portion under guidance of the guiding hole (see Fig. 34-38); the bolt head is stopped and limited in the head positioning slot (see Fig. 34-38).
Regarding claim 5, Laundre discloses wherein the positioning head of the guiding sleeve includes an insertion and mounting portion (portion of 681 positioned in 623) and a stopping edge (stopping edge of 681) extending from a side of an outer end (a side of 681) of the insertion and mounting portion (see Fig. 33-36); the insertion and mounting portion is mounted and positioned in the operation hole while the stopping edge is stopped and limited by an outer wall surface (outer wall surface of 622) of the vertical wall around the operation hole (see Fig. 33-36).
Regarding claim 6, Laundre discloses wherein an inner conical wall (inner conical wall of 681) is disposed on the head positioning slot of the guiding sleeve and an outer conical wall (outer conical wall of 634a) is formed on the bolt head of the second bolt for abutting against the inner conical wall (see Fig. 33-38).
Regarding claim 7, Laundre discloses wherein an outer surface (surface of 632a) of the seat portion with respect to the guiding sleeve is provided with a tapered guide trough (632c) arranged concavely (see Fig. 33-38); the guide trough is communicating with the threaded hole and used for guiding a rear end (634c) of the bolt shaft of the second bolt to slide to the threaded hole and fasten with the threaded hole by thread engagement (see Fig. 33-38; ¶ 0136).
Regarding claim 8, Laundre discloses wherein a diameter (diameter of the hole of 681) of the guiding hole is gradually increased from one end of the guiding hole connected to the head positioning slot (see Fig. 34-36) toward a distal end of the guiding hole (see Fig. 34-36) for allowing the bolt shaft of the second bolt to be swung and moved a little bit after being inserted through the guiding hole (see Fig. 34-36).
Regarding claim 9, Laundre discloses wherein a guiding wall surface (surface of 636b) tapered upward gradually is formed on an upper part (upper part of 636b) of each of two opposite sides of the seat portion (see Fig. 33-38) for allowing the corresponding mounting slot on the bottom wall of the toilet to be mounted around the seat portion (see Fig. 33-38).
Regarding claim 10, Laundre discloses wherein the connection parts of the main body are integrally connected (¶ 0118, 0128) to two opposite sides (sides of 662b) of the respective seat portions (see Fig. 33-38) at positions close to the bottom of the seat portion (see Fig. 33-38) and located at a periphery of the toilet flange (see Fig. 33-38).
Regarding claim 11, Laundre discloses wherein the mounting member further includes two covers (683) each of which is mounted outside the positioning head of the guiding sleeve for sealing the head positioning slot of the positioning head (see Fig. 29-30; ¶ 0123).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record in the PTO-892 form and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Halloran (US 20190024357) is directed to the state of the art as disclosing a toilet installation system and method including a wall (822), a guide (893), members (835-836), a hook member (831), and loading member (895).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WILLIAM R KLOTZ whose telephone number is (571)272-0274. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 11AM-5PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, David P Angwin can be reached at (571)270-3735. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/WILLIAM R KLOTZ/Examiner, Art Unit 3754
/DAVID P ANGWIN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3754
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