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
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 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kohring (US2022008598A1).
Regarding Claim 1, Kohring teaches a decontamination system (#100) comprising a cartridge (#110) contains an antibacterial solution (which sterilizes surfaces see [para. 0010]) which is placed in a housing (#140) that is located inside a vehicle dashboard vent system [0025]. Further, the apparatus is operated using a switch (#210) which powers the system to ON [0032]. It is understood that a switch is an electromechanical element which functions as a drive source.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim(s) 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kohring (US20220008598A1), as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Van den bossche (US20120189490A1).
Regarding Claim 2, Kohring teaches to claim 1 as shown above. Kohring further teaches that the antibacterial and antiviral sterilizing solution (#115) is vaporized into a mist and transported through the housing into the centra pipe of the vehicle vent [0026].
However, Kohring does not teach that a first sterilizing part is configured to generate ozone.
Van den bossche teaches a process for cleansing and deodorizing a space [abstract]. Van den bossche teaches a system for treating a space with ozone, which has the advantage of sterilizing the space [0006] wherein the apparatus is capable of producing sufficient ozone to cleanse a volume comparable to an automobile [0079]. Van den bossche teaches an apparatus which comprises at least an ozone-generating unit (#200, Fig. 2) and a liquid nebulizing unit (#300, Fig. 2) [0078]. Van den bossche teaches that using a nebulized cleanser (understood to be an equivalent of sterilizer) in tandem with an ozone treatment allows for the treated surface to be more resistant to new microbial growth [0072].
Prior to the filing of the present invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art that the base device of a sterilizing apparatus featuring nebulized sterilizing solution, as per Kohring, could incorporate the process of adding a preceding or following step of providing ozone by means of an ozone-generating unit with a reasonable expectation of success to arrive at a sterilizing apparatus connected to an automobile vent that sterilizes the vehicle cabin such that the space would be more resistant to microbial growth.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-9 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The prior art does not teach or suggest a sterilizing apparatus in connection with a vent of a vehicle that requires a “rotation part” which includes a rotator with a plurality of chambers in which are located the first and second sterilization units, wherein the rotator is in connection to the drive source. While it is known in the art to have a nebulizing sterilizing spray and an ozone-generator, it is known to place this components together in a rotating structure.
Claims 10-20 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: The prior art does not teach or suggest a sterilizing apparatus in connection with a vent of a vehicle that requires a “rotation part” which includes a rotator with a plurality of chambers in which are located the first and second sterilization units, wherein the rotator is in connection to the drive source. While it is known in the art to have a nebulizing sterilizing spray and an ozone-generator, it is known to place this components together in a rotating structure.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NATHANAEL J DOWNES whose telephone number is (571)272-1141. The examiner can normally be reached 8am to 5pm.
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NATHANAEL JASON. DOWNES
Examiner
Art Unit 1794
/NATHANAEL JASON DOWNES/Examiner, Art Unit 1794
/BRIAN W COHEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1759
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