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) submitted on 05/23/2025 was filed after the mailing date of the Application on 05/23/2025. 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 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) 1-4, 7, 12-16, and 18-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kramer et al. (US 2011/0099704).
With regards to claim 1:
Kramer et al. discloses (refer to Fig. 1-2 below) a waterway installation structure in a toilet (9’), the waterway installation structure comprising:
a connection module (10) mounted to the toilet (2), the connection module comprising:
a module body including a watercourse (conduit in 12’) and a connection pipe joint (6, 6’, 5’) in fluid communication with the watercourse; and
at least one waterway module (13) including a waterway joint (not labeled) configured to be connected to the connection pipe joint (6, 6’),
wherein the waterway joint is configured to be inserted into the connection pipe joint or the connection pipe joint (6, 6’) is configured to be inserted into the waterway joint.
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With regards to claim 2:
Kramer et al. discloses the waterway installation structure of claim 1, further comprising:
a seal ring (18) disposed between the waterway joint (13) and the connection pipe joint 6, 6’).
With regards to claim 3:
Kramer et al. discloses the waterway installation structure of claim 2, further comprising:
a limit groove (18) disposed on the waterway joint or the connection pipe joint (6, 6’), the seal ring disposed in the limit groove (the seal and groove are not labelled, but it is obvious to the skill person in the art).
With regards to claim 4:
Kramer et al. discloses the waterway installation structure of claim 1, wherein the connection pipe joint (6, 6’) is formed integrally with the module body.
With regards to claim 7:
Kramer et al. discloses the waterway installation structure of claim 1, further comprising:
a structural base (7) comprising a mounting groove (7’),
wherein the module body is removably mounted in the mounting groove.
With regards to claim 12:
In making and/or using the device of Kramer, one would necessarily perform a method for assembling a waterway installation structure, the method comprising:
connecting at least two waterway joints of at least two waterway modules (13, 7) to respective ones of at least two connection pipe joints (6, 6’, 5, 5’) of a connection module;
disposing the at least two waterway joints (of waterway module 13) on a top surface of the connection module; and
mounting the waterway installation structure to a toilet (2).
With regards to claim 13:
Kramer et al. discloses the method of claim 12, further comprising:
connecting a seal ring between a waterway joint of the at least two waterway joints and a corresponding connection pipe joint of the at least two connection pipe joints.
With regards to claim 14:
Kramer et al. discloses the method of claim 12, wherein connecting the at least two waterway joints of the at least two waterway modules (13, 7) to respective ones of the at least two connection pipe joints of the connection module includes:
inserting the at least two waterway joints (of waterway module 13) into respective ones of the at least two connection pipe joints (6, 6’).
With regards to claim 15:
Kramer et al. discloses the method of claim 12, wherein connecting the at least two waterway joints of the at least two waterway modules to respective ones of the at least two connection pipe joints of the connection module includes:
inserting the at least two connection pipe joints (6, 6’)into respective ones of the at least two waterway joints (of waterway module 13).
With regards to claim 16:
Kramer et al. discloses the method of claim 12, further comprising:
disposing a module body including the at least two connection pipe joints (5’) in a mounting groove (7’) of a structural base (7).
With regards to claim 18:
Kramer et al. discloses (refer to Fig. 1-2 above) a waterway installation structure in a toilet (2), the waterway installation structure comprising:
a connection module (10) mounted to the toilet, the connection module comprising:
a module body including a watercourse and a connection pipe joint (6, 6’, 5’) in fluid communication with the watercourse; and
at least one waterway module (13) including a waterway joint configured to be connected to the connection pipe joint (6, 6’); and
a structural base (7) including a mounting groove (7’), the mounting groove configured to receive the module body,
wherein the waterway joint is configured to be inserted into the connection pipe joint or the connection pipe joint (6, 6’) is configured to be inserted into the waterway joint (of waterway module 13).
With regards to claim 19:
Kramer et al. discloses the waterway installation structure of claim 18, further comprising:
a seal ring (18) disposed between the waterway joint and the connection pipe joint (6’); and
a limit groove disposed on the waterway joint or the connection pipe joint (6’),
wherein the seal ring disposed in the limit groove.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-6, 8-11, 17 and 20 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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Minh Le, whose telephone number is 571-270-3805. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday (8:30AM-5:00PM EST).
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisors can be reached by phone. Kenneth Rinehart can be reached at 571-272-4881 or Craig Schneider can be reached at 571-272-3607. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MINH Q LE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3753
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