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 § 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.
Claim(s) 1-16,19, and 23-26 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by JP 2010-265693 A, using attached machine translation (hereinafter Kenmochi).
Regarding claim 1, Kenmochi discloses a toilet device comprising: a toilet body having a toilet bowl (1); and a discharger (1a) flowing flushing water on a surface (10) of the toilet bowl, and the flushing water being flushed at a surface flow velocity of 0.5 m/s or more (“The flow rate of the flowing water discharged at this time was 1 m / sec” translation pg. 9).
Regarding claim 2, Kenmochi discloses wherein the discharger flows the flushing water with a height of 5.0 mm or less of the flushing water flowing on the surface of the toilet bowl (“vertical longitudinal extending portion 14 is preferably 5mm～1mm” translation pg. 2).
Regarding claim 3, Kenmochi discloses wherein the discharger flows the flushing water at a flow velocity of 0.5 m/s or more at a position 1.0 mm away from the surface of the toilet bowl in a specific region (“vertical longitudinal extending portion 14 is preferably 5mm～1mm” translation pg. 2).
Regarding claim 4, Kenmochi discloses wherein the discharger discharges the flushing water at an angle of 0 to 30 degrees relative to the surface of the toilet bowl (“Because there is. Angle theta .sub.x with respect to the horizontal direction of the lateral extending portion 16 is preferably 0 ° to 15 °” translation pg. 3).
Regarding claim 5, Kenmochi discloses wherein the discharger comprises a discharge outlet (1a) located on one of a left side and a right side relative to a center of the toilet bowl in a left-right direction, and the discharger flows the flushing water at the surface flow velocity of 0.5 m/s or more on the other of the left side and the right side relative to the center of the toilet bowl in the left-right direction (fig. 1a).
Regarding claim 6, Kenmochi discloses wherein the discharger flows the flushing water at a flow velocity of 0.5 m/s or more until the flushing water reaches a surface of trap water in the toilet bowl (“the flow rate of the flowing water discharged at this time was 1 m / sec. And flowing water was poured from each flush toilet 1a to each flush toilet, and the number of times the inner surface of the bowl was swung from the time when the flowing water exited the guide groove 35 to the time when it reached the drain pipe at the bottom of the bowl portion was measured.” Translation pg. 9).
Regarding claim 7, Kenmochi discloses wherein the discharger (1a) discharges the flushing water downward (spiral path is directed downward; fig. 1a, 1b).
Regarding claim 8, Kenmochi discloses wherein the discharger flows the flushing water along an upper edge (35) of the toilet bowl by discharging the flushing water in a direction along the upper edge (fig. 1a).
Regarding claim 9, Kenmochi discloses wherein the toilet body comprises a drain portion (5) recessed downward from a bottom of the toilet bowl, the toilet bowl comprises: a trap water region from an upper end of the drain portion to a surface of trap water in the toilet bowl in an up-down direction (10b); and an upper region from an upper end of the trap water region to the upper edge of the toilet bowl (10a) a surface of the upper region forward of the trap water region including at least one of a downwardly curved shape and a linear shape inclined downward to the surface of the trap water in a cross section passing through a center of the toilet bowl in a left-right direction and perpendicular to the left-right direction (fig. 1a, 1b, 4).
Regarding claim 10, Kenmochi discloses wherein in a top view of the toilet bowl, a ratio of a first area of a surface of trap water in the toilet bowl to a second area excluding the surface of the trap water is from 4:6 to 10:0 (fig. 1a, 1b).
Regarding claims 11 and 12, Kenmochi discloses whereinthe discharger flows the flushing water on the surface of the toilet bowl by discharging the flushing water in multiple directions (along the swirl path creates multiple directions),the discharger flows the flushing water on the surface of the toilet bowl by at least one of: using a pressure of the flushing water supplied from a supply pipe extending from a clean water passage (supply pipe); discharging the flushing water in a first direction (upper portion goes from back to front) of the multiple directions to flow the flushing water in a first region of the surface of the toilet bowl; and the discharger discharges the flushing water in a second direction of the multiple directions to flow the flushing water in a second region of the surface of the toilet bowl different from the first region (lower portion of channel directs flow front to back).
Regarding claim 13, Kenmochi discloses wherein the discharger (1a) flows the flushing water at a surface flow velocity of 0.5 m/s or more over an entirety of the first region, and the discharger flows the flushing water at the surface flow velocity of 0.5 m/s or more over an entirety of the second region (translation pg. 9).
Regarding claim 14, Kenmochi discloses wherein a portion of the toilet bowl located forward of a surface of trap water includes at least one of a downwardly curved shape and a planar shape inclined (downwardly curved shape, fig. 1a) downward to the surface of the trap water in a cross section passing through a center of the toilet bowl in a left-right direction and perpendicular to the left-right direction (fig 4).
Regarding claim 15, Kenmochi discloses herein the discharger (1a) starts discharging the flushing water in the first direction at a first timing and starts discharging the flushing water in the second direction at a second timing different from the first timing (the water flushing at the top happens initially which constitutes the first timing, and when the water enters the lower half, that timing would be after the first timing).
Regarding claim 16, Kenmochi discloses wherein the discharger (1a) starts discharging the flushing water in the second direction at the second timing at which a flow velocity of the flushing water discharged in the first direction becomes less than a flow velocity of the flushing water to be discharged in the second direction (the shape of the swirling path would create the recited flow rates; see fig. 2, 4).
Regarding claim 19, Kenmochi discloses wherein the first region and the second region partially overlap each other (fig. 4).
Regarding claim 23, Kenmochi discloses wherein the discharger flows the flushing water along an upper edge (35) of the toilet bowl by discharging the flushing water in a direction along the upper edge (fig. 1a).
Regarding claim 24, Kenmochi discloses wherein the toilet body comprises a drain portion (5) recessed downward from a bottom of the toilet bowl, the toilet bowl comprises: a trap water region from an upper end of the drain portion to a surface of trap water in the toilet bowl in an up-down direction (10b); and an upper region from an upper end of the trap water region to the upper edge of the toilet bowl (10a) a surface of the upper region forward of the trap water region including at least one of a downwardly curved shape and a linear shape inclined downward to the surface of the trap water in a cross section passing through a center of the toilet bowl in a left-right direction and perpendicular to the left-right direction (fig. 1a, 1b, 4).
Regarding claim 25, Kenmochi discloses wherein in a top view of the toilet bowl, a ratio of a first area of a surface of trap water in the toilet bowl to a second area excluding the surface of the trap water is from 4:6 to 10:0 (fig. 1a, 1b).
Regarding claim 26, Kenmochi discloses wherein the discharger (1a) flows the flushing water at a surface flow velocity of 0.5m/s of more (“The flow rate of the flowing water discharged at this time was 1 m / sec” translation pg. 9).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 17-18 and 20-22 are 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. US Patent 8,756,722 is directed to the state of the art of flush toilets.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JANIE M LOEPPKE whose telephone number is (571)270-5208. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9AM-5PM ET.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, David 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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/JANIE M LOEPPKE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3754
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