US 11,719,464 C1 (13,182nd)
Drain cleaner apparatus
Joseph McDonnell, Miramar, FL (US)
Filed by Joseph McDonnell, Miramar, FL (US)
Assigned to IFLO LLC, Miramar, FL (US)
Reexamination Request No. 90/019,736, Nov. 21, 2024.
Reexamination Certificate for Patent 11,719,464, issued Aug. 8, 2023, Appl. No. 17/723,795, Apr. 19, 2022.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/277,323, filed on Nov. 9, 2021.
Ex Parte Reexamination Certificate issued on Feb. 19, 2026.
Int. Cl. F24F 13/22 (2006.01); B08B 9/032 (2006.01); F24F 11/56 (2018.01); F24F 11/57 (2018.01); F24F 11/58 (2018.01); F24F 11/89 (2018.01)
CPC F24F 13/222 (2013.01) [B08B 9/0325 (2013.01); F24F 11/56 (2018.01); F24F 11/57 (2018.01); F24F 11/58 (2018.01); F24F 11/89 (2018.01); F24F 13/22 (2013.01); F24F 2013/227 (2013.01); F24F 2013/228 (2013.01); F24F 2221/225 (2013.01)]
OG exemplary drawing
AS A RESULT OF REEXAMINATION, IT HAS BEEN DETERMINED THAT:
Claims 1-2, 4, 7, 9, 12, 14-16, 18, 20-23 and 25 are cancelled.
Claims 8, 11 and 28 are determined to be patentable as amended.
New claims 29-30 are added and determined to be patentable.
Claims 3, 5-6, 10, 13, 17, 19, 24 and 26-27 were not reexamined.
8. The drain cleaner apparatus of claim 7, further comprising: [ A drain cleaner apparatus for dispensing a cleaning composition into a condensate drain line of an air handler of an air conditioning system, the drain cleaner apparatus comprising:
an apparatus reservoir configured to receive a cartridge that is configured to hold the cleaning composition, the cartridge including a cartridge outlet and a cartridge reservoir configured to hold the cleaning composition;
an apparatus outlet that is configured to be in fluid communication with an opening of the condensate drain line;
a dispenser device that is configured to be actuated to selectively dispense an amount of the cleaning composition from the apparatus reservoir and through the apparatus outlet;
a controller configured to actuate the dispenser device to cause the amount of the cleaning composition to be dispensed through the apparatus outlet without manual intervention;
a connector interface that is configured to detachably connect to a complementary connector interface of the cartridge, based on the cartridge being received into the apparatus reservoir, to detachably connect the drain cleaner apparatus to the cartridge, wherein the drain cleaner apparatus is configured to establish fluid communication between the dispenser device and the cartridge reservoir of the cartridge via the cartridge outlet of the cartridge based on the drain cleaner apparatus being detachably connected to the cartridge;
a network communication interface device that is configured to establish a network communication link with a remote computing device, wherein the controller of the drain cleaner apparatus is configured to cause the dispenser device to selectively dispense the amount of the cleaning composition in response to a dispensing command signal received from the remote computing device via the network communication link;
a moisture sensor configured to extend through the opening into the condensate drain line based on the drain cleaner apparatus being connected to the condensate drain line, wherein the moisture sensor is configured to generate a signal based on contacting condensate backup in the condensate drain line; and]
a bypass device that is configured to be actuated to [ cause a float switch signal to be transmitted to a separate controller of the air conditioning system and to bypass the float switch of the air handler to cause the separate controller of the air conditioning system to ] cause the air conditioning system to shut down [ , ] based on the signal generated by the moisture sensor.
11. The drain cleaner apparatus of claim 7, [ A drain cleaner apparatus for dispensing a cleaning composition into a condensate drain line of an air handler of an air conditioning system, the drain cleaner apparatus comprising:
an apparatus reservoir configured to receive a cartridge that is configured to hold the cleaning composition, the cartridge including a cartridge outlet and a cartridge reservoir configured to hold the cleaning composition;
an apparatus outlet that is configured to be in fluid communication with an opening of the condensate drain line;
a dispenser device that is configured to be actuated to selectively dispense an amount of the cleaning composition from the apparatus reservoir and through the apparatus outlet;
a controller configured to actuate the dispenser device to cause the amount of the cleaning composition to be dispensed through the apparatus outlet without manual intervention;
a connector interface that is configured to detachably connect to a complementary connector interface of the cartridge, based on the cartridge being received into the apparatus reservoir, to detachably connect the drain cleaner apparatus to the cartridge, wherein the drain cleaner apparatus is configured to establish fluid communication between the dispenser device and the cartridge reservoir of the cartridge via the cartridge outlet of the cartridge based on the drain cleaner apparatus being detachably connected to the cartridge;
a network communication interface device that is configured to establish a network communication link with a remote computing device; and
a moisture sensor configured to extend through the opening into the condensate drain line based on the drain cleaner apparatus being connected to the condensate drain line, wherein the moisture sensor is configured to generate a signal based on contacting condensate backup in the condensate drain line,
wherein the controller of the drain cleaner apparatus is configured to cause the dispenser device to selectively dispense the amount of the cleaning composition in response to a dispensing command signal received from the remote computing device via the network communication link, and]
wherein the drain cleaner apparatus is configured to cause a float switch of the air handler to actuate to cause the air conditioning system to shut down based on the signal generated by the moisture sensor.
28. The method of claim 2 [ claim 27] , further comprising:
causing the counter value to be reset to an initial counter value in response to receiving a reset signal.
[ 29. A method for operating a drain cleaner apparatus to dispense a cleaning composition into a condensate drain line of an air handler of an air conditioning system, the drain cleaner apparatus coupled with the condensate drain line such that an apparatus outlet of the drain cleaner apparatus is in fluid communication with an opening of the condensate drain line, the method comprising:
detachably connecting a connector interface of the drain cleaner apparatus with a complementary connector interface of a cartridge, based on the cartridge being received into an apparatus reservoir of the drain cleaner apparatus, to detachably connect the drain cleaner apparatus to the cartridge, such that fluid communication between a dispenser device of the drain cleaner apparatus and a cartridge reservoir of the cartridge via a cartridge outlet of the cartridge is established based on the drain cleaner apparatus being detachably connected to the cartridge; and
controlling the dispenser device of the drain cleaner apparatus to cause the dispenser device to selectively dispense an amount of the cleaning composition through the apparatus outlet without manual intervention;
causing the dispenser device to selectively dispense the amount of the cleaning composition based on processing a dispensing command signal received from a remote computing device via a network communication interface of the drain cleaner apparatus; and
causing the air conditioning system to shut down based on
processing a signal generated by a moisture sensor of the drain cleaner apparatus that extends through the opening into the condensate drain line, and
causing a float switch signal to be transmitted to a separate controller of the air conditioning system and to bypass the float switch of the air handler to cause the separate controller of the air conditioning system to shut down the air conditioning system.]
[ 30. A method for operating a drain cleaner apparatus to dispense a cleaning composition into a condensate drain line of an air handler of an air conditioning system, the drain cleaner apparatus coupled with the condensate drain line such that an apparatus outlet of the drain cleaner apparatus is in fluid communication with an opening of the condensate drain line, the method comprising:
detachably connecting a connector interface of the drain cleaner apparatus with a complementary connector interface of a cartridge, based on the cartridge being received into an apparatus reservoir of the drain cleaner apparatus, to detachably connect the drain cleaner apparatus to the cartridge, such that fluid communication between a dispenser device of the drain cleaner apparatus and a cartridge reservoir of the cartridge via a cartridge outlet of the cartridge is established based on the drain cleaner apparatus being detachably connected to the cartridge; and
controlling the dispenser device of the drain cleaner apparatus, at a controller of the drain cleaner apparatus, to cause the dispenser device to selectively dispense an amount of the cleaning composition through the apparatus outlet without manual intervention;
causing the dispenser device to selectively dispense the amount of the cleaning composition based on processing, at the controller of the drain cleaner apparatus, a dispensing command signal received from a remote computing device via a network communication link between the remote computing device and a network communication interface of the drain cleaner apparatus; and
causing the air conditioning system to shut down based on
processing a signal generated by a moisture sensor of the drain cleaner apparatus that extends through the opening into the condensate drain line, and
causing a float switch of the air handler to actuate to cause the air conditioning system to shut down based on the signal generated by the moisture sensor.]