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 Objections
Claim(s) 1, 8, and 10 is/are objected to because of the following informalities:
As to claim 1, line 11, the term “reactor support element[[,]]” should read “reactor support element;”
As to claim 1, line 12, the term “configured in contact” should read “configured to be in contact”.
As to claim 8, line 2, the term “on or more of” should read “one or more of”.
As to claim 8, line 2, the term “Light [[e]]mitting [[d]]iodes (LEDs)” should read “Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs)”.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
Claim(s) 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 applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
As to claim 11, the term “associated to” in the instant claim, ln. 2, is a relative term which renders the claim indefinite. The term “associated to” 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. For examination purposes, the term “wherein one or more of the plurality of light sources are associated to the reactor support element” is considered as “wherein the one or more of the plurality of the light sources are configured between the reactor support element and the tubular reactor, and wherein the one or more of the light sources define part of the one or more fluid transport channels or are at least partly configured within the one or more fluid transport channels”.
As to claim 11, the term “the one or more of the light sources” in the instant claim, ln. 4-5, renders the claim indefinite because it is not clear whether the term “the one or more of the light sources” refers to the term “one or more of the plurality of light source” in the instant claim, ln. 2-3.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 1, 3-11, and 13-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kevin Booker-Milburn of WO 2018/011550 A1 (hereinafter, Booker-Milburn) in view of Suman Khatiwada of WO 2020/146813 A1 (hereinafter, Khatiwada) and Mark D. Owen of US 2013/0294968 A1 (hereinafter, Owen).
As to claim 1, Booker-Milburn teaches to a reactor assembly (Booker-Milburn, Fig. 1, teaches to a reactor assembly), comprising:
a reactor (Booker-Milburn, pg. 9, ln. 2, Fig. 1, teaches to a reactor, as Booker-Milburn teaches to a photoreactor 2),
wherein the reactor is configured for hosting a fluid to be treated with light source radiation selected from one or more of UV radiation, visible radiation, and IR radiation (Booker-Milburn, pg. 9, ln. 16 and 23, teaches to the reactor, wherein the reactor is configured for hosting a fluid to be treated with light source radiation selected from UV radiation, as Booker-Milburn teaches to a reactor inlet aperture 32a for introducing reaction mixture, and as Booker-Milburn teaches to a lamp recess for receiving a high-power UV or other wavelength light source),
wherein the reactor comprises a reactor wall which is transmissive for the light source radiation (Booker-Milburn, pg. 11, ln. 19, Fig. 2, teaches to the reactor, wherein the reactor comprises a reactor wall which is transmissive for the light source radiation, as Booker-Milburn, pg. 7, ln. 11, teaches to each reactor tube 28, 30, wherein each reactor tube preferably comprises quartz, which is transmissive for the light source radiation),
wherein:
the reactor is a tubular reactor, and wherein the reactor wall defines the tubular reactor (Booker-Milburn, Fig. 2, teaches that the photoreactor 2 is a tubular reactor, and wherein the reactor wall, or walls of each reactor tube 28, 30, defines the tubular reactor);
the tubular reactor is configured in a tubular arrangement (Booker-Milburn, Fig. 2, teaches to wherein the tubular reactor is configured in a tubular arrangement, as reactor tubes 28, 30 are configured in a tubular arrangement of the outer tube 4);
the reactor assembly further comprises a reactor support element (Booker-Milburn, Fig. 2, teaches to the reactor assembly further comprising a reactor support element, as Booker-Milburn teaches to the upper and lower end pieces 23 and 25) configured to support the reactor (Booker-Milburn, pg. 5, ln. 9-12, teaches that the reactor tubes 28, 30 are connected to the upper and lower end pieces 23 and 25, thereby supporting the reactor tubes), wherein (i) the reactor support element encloses at least part of the tubular arrangement or wherein (ii) the tubular arrangement encloses at least part of the reactor support element (Booker-Milburn, Fig. 2, teaches to wherein (i) the reactor support element encloses at least of part of the tubular arrangement or wherein (ii) the tubular arrangement encloses at least part of the reactor support element, as Booker-Milburn teaches to the upper and lower end pieces 23 and 25 enclosing at least part of the outer tube 4),
part of the tubular reactor is configured in contact with the reactor support element (Booker-Milburn, pg. 5, ln. 9-12, teaches to part of the tubular reactor that is configured in contact with the reactor support element, as Booker-Milburn teaches that the reactor tubes 28, 30 are connected to the upper and lower end pieces 23 and 25, thereby supporting the reactor tubes), and wherein another part of the tubular reactor and the reactor support element define one or more fluid transport channels (Booker-Milburn, pg. 5, ln. 9-12, teaches wherein another part of the tubular reactor and the reactor support element define one or more fluid transport channels, as Booker-Milburn teaches to reactor tubes 28, 30, that are in contact with the upper and lower end pieces 23, 25, which define one or more fluid transport channels because reactor tubes 28, 30 are configured as channels for transporting fluid);
wherein the reactor assembly comprises a photoreactor assembly (Booker-Milburn, Fig. 5, 13, ln. 8-22, teaches to wherein the reactor assembly comprises a photoreactor assembly, as Booker-Milburn teaches to a UV lamp 42),
wherein the reactor assembly further comprises a light source arrangement comprising a plurality of light sources configured to generate the light source radiation (Booker-Milburn, pg. 8, ln. 14, teaches to wherein the reactor assembly further comprises a light source arrangement comprising a plurality of light sources configured to generate the light source radiation, as Booker-Milburn teaches to using light emitting diode (LED) lamps),
wherein the reactor wall is configured in a radiation receiving relationship with the plurality of light sources (Booker-Milburn, Fig. 2, teaches to wherein the reactor wall is configured in a radiation receiving relationship with the plurality of light sources, as Booker-Milburn, Fig. 5, teaches including light emitting diode (LED) lamps for a UV lamp 42); and
wherein the reactor assembly comprises one or more cooling elements (Booker-Milburn, pg. 13, ln. 18, Fig. 5, teaches to wherein the reactor assembly comprises one or more cooling elements, as Booker-Milburn teaches to cooling liquid being pumped into the cooling/coolant jacket 11 formed by inner tube 20 and outer tube 4 sealed in end caps 6, 8);
wherein the one or more cooling elements comprises one or more fluid transport channels defined by the reactor support element and the tubular reactor (Booker-Milburn, pg. 13, ln. 18-21, teaches to wherein the one or more cooling elements comprise one or more fluid transport channels defined by the reactor support element and the tubular reactor, as Booker-Milburn teaches to pumping cooling liquid to surround reactor tubes 28, 30; inside and outside of the inner tube 20 within the outer tube 4 are one or more fluid transport channels), wherein the reactor assembly further comprises a cooling system configured for transporting a cooling fluid through one or more of the one or more fluid transport channels (Booker-Milburn, pg. 13, ln. 18-21, teaches to wherein the reactor assembly further comprising a cooling system configured for transporting a cooling fluid through one or more of the one or more fluid transport channels, as Booker-Milburn teaches to pumping cooling liquid to surround reactor tubes 28, 30; pumps are cooling systems),
wherein the cooling system comprises a fluid transporting device (Booker-Milburn, pg. 12, ln. 9, teaches to a fluid transporting device, as Booker-Milburn teaches to a fan for directing cooling flow; Booker-Milburn, pg. 11, ln. 4, teaches to a flow pump; Booker-Milburn, pg. 13, ln. 18, teaches to cooling liquid being pumped).
Booker-Milburn does not explicitly teach to wherein the reactor support element comprises a plurality of support element faces, wherein the support element faces are configured concavely relative to the tubular reactor, wherein the plurality of support element faces and the tubular reactor define the one or more fluid transport channels.
In an analogous art, Khatiwada teaches to wherein the reactor support element comprises a plurality of support element faces (Khatiwada, Fig. 17A, teaches to wherein the reactor support element comprises a plurality of support element faces, as Khatiwada teaches to the inner mounting pillar 1906 having a plurality of support element faces, wherein Khatiwada, paragraph [062], teaches that at least a portion of an interior surface of the enclosure be reflective and largely be optical transparent; see reflective walls 1912),
wherein the plurality of support element faces and the tubular reactor define the one or more fluid transport channels (Khatiwada, Fig. 17A, teaches to wherein the plurality of support element faces and the tubular reactor define the one or more fluid transport channels, as Khatiwada teaches to the housing 1902 comprising hollow walls or walls having cavities for allowing coolant to flow through the walls via coolant input 1916 and coolant output 1918).
Both Booker-Milburn and Khatiwada relate to a photoreactor (Khatiwada, paragraph [05]). Booker-Milburn does not explicitly teach to a reactor support element comprising support element faces. Booker-Milburn does teach to a reactor comprising a photoreactor assembly and a cooling system. Khatiwada teaches to using a reactor support element comprising support element faces for providing support structure in a photoreactor (Khatiwada, paragraph [0120], teaches to providing stability) and for reflecting light to the fluid to maintain high intensity (Khatiwada, paragraph [0080], teaches to internal wall of the channels or be coated with material with high reflectivity for reflecting light to the fluid any part of the radiation that is emitted to the channel walls. Khatiwada, paragraph [0080], teaches to using a collimating lens for keeping the radiation intensity relatively high through the flow channel).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the apparatus of Booker-Milburn with the reactor support element of Khatiwada for providing support structure and reflective structure in a photoreactor, thereby improving the efficiency of the photoreactor.
Booker-Milburn in view of Khatiwada does not explicitly teach wherein the support element faces are configured concavely relative to the tubular reactor, wherein the plurality of support element faces and the tubular reactor define the one or more fluid transport channels.
In an analogous art, Owen teaches to a reactor assembly wherein the support element faces are configured concavely relative to the tubular reactor (Owen, paragraph [0044], Fig. 4, teaches to wherein the support element faces are configured concavely relative to the tubular reactor, as Owen teaches to wave guide 290, so that light travels along the wave guide for dispersion into fluid to be treated, wherein the wave guide can be provided with surface irregularities to assist in dispersing the light into the fluid), wherein the plurality of support element faces and the tubular reactor define the one or more fluid transport channels (support element faces, or wave guides 290, of Owen and support element faces, or reflective walls 1912, of Khatiwada teach to wherein the plurality of support element faces and the tubular reactor define the one or more fluid transport channels, as Khatiwada teaches to the housing 1902 comprising hollow walls or walls having cavities for allowing coolant to flow through the walls via coolant input 1916 and coolant output 1918).
Both Booker-Milburn in view of Khatiwada and Owen relate to a photoreactor (Owen, paragraph [0051], Fig. 4). Booker-Milburn in view of Khatiwada does not explicitly teach support element faces that are configured concavely relative to the tubular reactor. Booker-Milburn in view of Khatiwada does teach to a photoreactor comprising a reactor support element, wherein the reactor support element further comprising support element faces. Owen teaches support element faces that are configured concavely relative to the tubular reactor for assisting dispersion of the light into the fluid (Owen, paragraph [0044]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the apparatus of Booker-Milburn in view of Khatiwada with the support element faces of Owen for assisting dispersion of the light into the fluid, thereby improving the efficiency of the photoreactor.
As to claim 3, Booker-Milburn in view of Khatiwada and Owen teaches to the reactor assembly of claim 1, wherein the tubular arrangement defines a circle or a polygon (Booker-Milburn, Fig. 2 teaches to wherein the tubular arrangement defines a circle).
As to claim 4, Booker-Milburn in view of Khatiwada and Owen teaches to the reactor assembly of claim 1, wherein the reactor support element has a polygonal shape (Khatiwada, paragraph [0116], Fig. 17A, teaches to wherein the reactor support element has a polygonal shape, as Khatiwada teaches to an inner mounting pillar 1906 having a hexagonal shape), wherein the tubular arrangement has circular shape (Booker-Milburn, Fig. 2, teaches to wherein the tubular arrangement has a circular shape), and wherein the reactor support element and the tubular reactor define the one or more fluid transport channels (Khatiwada, Fig. 17A, teaches to wherein the reactor support element and the tubular reactor define the one or more fluid transport channels, as Khatiwada teaches to the housing 1902 comprising hollow walls or walls having cavities for allowing coolant to flow through the walls via coolant input 1916 and coolant output 1918).
As to claim 5, Booker-Milburn in view of Khatiwada and Owen teaches to the reactor assembly of claim 1, wherein the reactor support element has a cylindrical shape with one or more elongated recesses parallel to a length axis of the cylindrical shape (Booker-Milburn, Fig. 2, teaches to wherein the reactor support element has a cylindrical shape with one or more elongated recesses parallel to a length axis of the cylindrical shape, as Booker-Milburn teaches to the upper and lower end pieces 23, 25 having cylindrical shape with one or more elongated recesses parallel to a length axis of the cylindrical shape, as reactor tubes 28, 30 pass through the upper and lower end pieces 23, 25),
wherein the one or more recesses and the tubular reactor define the one or more fluid transport channels (Booker-Milburn, Fig. 2, teaches to wherein one or more recesses and the tubular reactor defining the one or more fluid transport channels, as reactor tubes 28, 30 pass through the upper and lower end pieces 23, 25).
As to claim 6, Booker-Milburn in view of Khatiwada and Owen teaches to the reactor assembly of claim 1, wherein plurality of support element faces comprises one or more reflective elements configured to reflect the light source radiation (Khatiwada, Fig. 17A, teaches to wherein the reactor support element comprises a plurality of support element faces, as Khatiwada teaches to the inner mounting pillar 1906 having a plurality of support element faces, wherein Khatiwada, paragraph [062], teaches that at least a portion of an interior surface of the enclosure be reflective and largely be optical transparent; see reflective walls 1912).
As to claim 7, Booker-Milburn in view of Khatiwada and Owen teaches to the reactor assembly of claim 6, wherein the reactor support element defines a polygon (Khatiwada, Fig. 17A, teaches to wherein the reactor support element defines a polygon, as Khatiwada teaches to the inner mounting pillar 1906 having a hexagonal shape), wherein the tubular reactor encloses at least part of the reactor support element (Khatiwada, Fig. 17C, teaches to wherein the tubular reactor encloses at least part of the reactor support element, as Khatiwada teaches to a plurality of reactor cells 2028 enclosing at least part of the inner mounting pillar 2026).
As to claim 8, Booker-Milburn in view of Khatiwada and Owen teaches to the reactor assembly of claim 1, wherein the plurality of light sources comprises on or more of Chips-on-Board light sources (COB), Light emitting diodes (LEDs), and laser didoes (Booker-Milburn, pg. 8, ln. 14, teaches to wherein the plurality of light sources comprises light emitting diode lamps).
As to claim 9, Booker-Milburn in view of Khatiwada and Owen teaches to the reactor assembly of claim 1, wherein one or more of (i) at least a first subset of the plurality of light sources enclose the tubular arrangement (Khatiwada, Fig. 16A, teaches to wherein one or more of (i) at least a first subset of the plurality of light sources enclose the tubular arrangement, as Khatiwada teaches to mounting a plurality of light sources 1704 surrounding the housing 1700; one of ordinary skill in the art would have surrounded the housing with a plurality of light sources for delivering light to a reactor cell) and (ii) at least a second subset of the plurality of light sources are enclosed by the tubular arrangement (Khatiwada, Fig. 17A, teaches to wherein (ii) at least a second subset of the plurality of light sources are enclosed by the tubular arrangement, as Khatiwada teaches to the LED module(s) 1910 enclosed by the tubular arrangement).
As to claim 10, Booker-Milburn in view of Khatiwada and Owen teaches to the reactor assembly of claim 1, wherein one or more of (i) one or more of the tubular arrangement and the light source arrangement defines a polygon (Khatiwada, Fig. 17A, teaches to wherein one or more of (i) one or more of the tubular arrangement and the light source arrangement defines a polygon, as Khatiwada teaches to multi-cell reactor system 1900 and the LED module(s) 1910 defining a hexagon) and (ii) the tubular arrangement and the light source arrangement both define polygons having mutually parallel configured polygon edges (Khatiwada, Fig. 17A, teaches to wherein (ii) the tubular arrangement and the light source arrangement both define polygons having mutually parallel configured polygon edges, as Khatiwada, Fig. 17A, teaches to having mutually parallel configured hexagon edges), wherein the polygons each comprise 4-10 polygon edges (Khatiwada, paragraph [0116], teaches to wherein the polygons each comprise 4-10 polygon edges, as Khatiwada teaches to a hexagonal prism; Khatiwada, paragraph [0123], teaches to a square-shaped reactor module 2006).
As to claim 11, Booker-Milburn in view of Khatiwada and Owen teaches to the reactor assembly of claim 1, wherein one or more of the plurality of light sources are associated to the reactor support element, wherein the one or more of the plurality of light sources are configured between the reactor support element and the tubular reactor (Khatiwada, Fig. 17A, teaches to wherein one or more of the plurality of the light sources are associated to the reactor support element, wherein the one or more of the plurality of light sources are configured between the reactor support element nd the tubular reactor, as Khatiwada teaches to the LED module(s) 1910 and one or more optically reflective walls 1912, which are configured between the inner mounting pillar 1906 and a reactor cell 1908), and wherein the one or more of the light sources define part of the one or more fluid transport channels or are at least partly configured within the one or more fluid transport channels (Khatiwada, paragraph [0116], teaches to wherein the one or more of the light sources define part of the one or more fluid transport channels or are at least partly configured within the one or more fluid transport channels, as Khatiwada teaches that one or more light sources, such as the LED module 1910 and one or more optically reflective walls 1912 may be actively cooled, such as via circulated coolant; one of ordinary skill in the art would have made integral in cooling the plurality of light sources; see MPEP 2144.04.V.B.).
As to claim 13, Booker-Milburn in view of Khatiwada and Owen teaches to the reactor assembly of claim 1, wherein the tubular reactor comprises a first reactor wall and a second reactor wall, together defining the tubular reactor (Owen, paragraph [0057], Fig. 6A, teaches to wherein the tubular reactor comprises a first reactor wall and a second reactor wall, together defining the tubular reactor, as Owen teaches to a photoreactor 300 of cylindrical construction with an interior wall 320 inside wall 316, wherein the walls are desirably entirely of a material that is light transmissive to light being used in treatment of fluid passing through the housing), wherein one or more of the first reactor wall and the second reactor wall is transmissive for the light source radiation (Owen, paragraph [0057], Fig. 6A, teaches to wherein one or more of the first reactor wall and the second reactor wall is transmissive for the light source radiation, as Owen teaches to a photoreactor 300 of cylindrical construction with an interior wall 320 inside wall 316, wherein the walls are desirably entirely of a material that is light transmissive to light being used in treatment of fluid passing through the housing).
As to claim 14, Booker-Milburn in view of Khatiwada and Owen teaches to the reactor assembly of claim 12, wherein the tubular arrangement comprises a straight tubular arrangement (Booker-Milburn, pg. 9, ln. 3, pg. 5, ln. 19, Fig. 2, teaches to wherein the tubular arrangement comprises a straight tubular arrangement, as Booker-Milburn teaches to the photoreactor 2 comprising a metallic outer tube 4 which is cylindrical).
As to claim 15, Booker-Milburn in view of Khatiwada and Owen teaches to a method for treating a fluid with light source radiation, wherein the method comprises:
providing the reactor assembly according to claim 1, wherein the reactor assembly comprise the photoreactor assembly (please refer to the rejection for claim 1 above which is incorporated herein);
providing the fluid to be treated with the light source radiation in the reactor (Booker-Milburn, pg. 11, ln. 2-3, Fig. 2, teaches to providing the fluid to be treated with the light source radiation in the reactor, as Booker-Milburn teaches to introducing reactant solution/mixture into the photoreactor 2);
irradiating the fluid with the light source radiation (Booker-Milburn, pg. 8, ln. 6, teaches to irradiating the fluid with the light source radiation, as Booker-Milburn teaches t irradiating the first reactant solution with light of a predetermined wavelength), and
wherein the method further comprises:
transporting the fluid through the reactor while irradiating the fluid with the light source radiation (Booker-Milburn, pg. 8, ln. 4, teaches to transporting the fluid through the reactor while irradiating the fluid with the light source radiation, as Booker-Milburn teaches to flowing the first reactant solution) and transporting a cooling fluid through one or more of the one or more fluid transport channels (Khatiwada, paragraph [0118], teaches to transporting a cooling fluid through one or more of the one or more fluid transport channels, as Khatiwada teaches to the housing 1902 comprising hollow walls or walls having cavities, in order to allow coolant to flow through the walls via coolant input 1916 and coolant output 1918).
Claim(s) 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kevin Booker-Milburn of WO 2018/011550 A1 (hereinafter, Booker-Milburn) in view of Suman Khatiwada of WO 2020/146813 A1 (hereinafter, Khatiwada) and Mark D. Owen of US 2013/0294968 A1 (hereinafter, Owen), as applied to claim 1 above, and in further view of V. A. Paur of SU 1836119 A3 (hereinafter, Paur).
As to claim 2, Booker-Milburn in view of Khatiwada and Owen does not explicitly teach wherein the tubular reactor encloses the reactor support element, wherein at two or more positions the tubular reactor and the reactor support element are in physical contact with each other, and wherein between two adjacent positions of the two or more positions the tubular reactor and the reactor support element are not in physical contact with each other.
In an analogous art, Paur teaches wherein the tubular reactor encloses the reactor support element (Paur, Fig. 1, teaches to wherein the tubular reactor encloses the reactor support element, as Paur teaches the photoreactor 2 configured in a shape of a cylindrical spiral on the supporting members of a bracket 5), wherein at two or more positions the tubular reactor and the reactor support element are in physical contact with each other, and wherein between two adjacent positions of the two or more positions the tubular reactor and the reactor support element are not in physical contact with each other (Khatiwada, Fig. 17A, teaches to hexagonal prism shape of a reactor support element, or the inner mounting pillar 1906; in this instance, the cylindrical spiral photoreactor 2 of Paur around a reactor support element having a polygonal cross-section would have resulted in wherein at two or more positions the tubular reactor and the reactor support element are in physical contact with each other, and wherein between two adjacent positions of the two or more positions the tubular reactor and the reactor support element are not in physical contact with each other).
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Fig. 1 of Paur
Both Booker-Milburn in view of Khatiwada and Owen and Paur relate to a photoreactor (Paur, Fig. 1). Booker-Milburn in view of Khatiwada and Owen does not explicitly teach to a photoreactor configured in a shape of a cylindrical spiral on the supporting members of a bracket and does not explicitly teach helical coiling of a photoreactor tube around a reactor support element. Booker-Milburn in view of Khatiwada and Owen does teach to a photoreactor, in which a reactor support element may have a circular cross-section or a polygonal cross-section (see Khatiwada, paragraph [082]), and in which the inner mounting pillar 1902 has a hexagonal cross-section. Paur, pg. 2, abstract, teaches to a photoreactor configured in a shape of a cylindrical spiral on the supporting members of a bracket for supporting the photoreactor, thereby allowing more even distribution of light irradiated onto the photoreactor.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the reactor assembly of Booker-Milburn in view of Khatiwada and Owen with the cylindrical spiral on the supporting members of a bracket for supporting the photoreactor, thereby allowing more even distribution of light irradiated onto the photoreactor.
Claim(s) 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kevin Booker-Milburn of WO 2018/011550 A1 (hereinafter, Booker-Milburn) in view of Suman Khatiwada of WO 2020/146813 A1 (hereinafter, Khatiwada) and Mark D. Owen of US 2013/0294968 A1 (hereinafter, Owen), as applied to claim 1 above, and in further view of Robert Morgan of US 2010/0261260 A (hereinafter, Morgan).
As to claim 12, Booker-Milburn in view of Khatiwada and Owen does not explicitly teach wherein the tubular arrangement comprises a coiled tubular arrangement, wherein the tubular reactor is helically coiled.
In an analogous art, Morgan teaches to the reactor assembly of claim 1, wherein the tubular arrangement comprises a coiled tubular arrangement, wherein the tubular reactor is helically coiled (Morgan, Fig 1, teaches to wherein the tubular arrangement comprises a coiled tubular arrangement, wherein the tubular reactor is helically coiled).
Both Booker-Milburn in view of Khatiwada and Owen and Morgan relate to a photoreactor (Morgan, paragraph [0002]). Booker-Milburn in view of Khatiwada and Owen does not explicitly teach a helically coiled photoreactor. Booker-Milburn in view of Khatiwada and Owen does teach a tubular photoreactor. Morgan teaches tubular reactor, wherein the tubular reactor is helically coiled. Morgan, paragraph [0030], teaches that the helically shaped fluidic pathway provides a high surface to volume (S/V) ratio, thereby increasing the incident light energy input per unit volume.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the apparatus of Booker-Milburn in view of Khatiwada and Owen with the helically shaped fluidic pathway of Morgan for improving the efficiency of the photoreactor.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Hans-Georg Goebbel of US20070178029A1 (hereinafter, Goebbel) teaches to a helical reactor; Alexander Peschl of EP 3183493 B1 (hereinafter, Peschl) teaches to a photoreactor; Christian Sattler of US 2008/0299017 A1 (hereinafter, Sattler) teaches to a photoreactor; Fairborz Taghipour of US20180201521A1 (hereinafter, Taghipour) teaches to a photoreactor; Robert L. Scragg of US 3998205 A (hereinafter, Scragg) teaches to a conical reflector inside the coil.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOHN LEE whose telephone number is (703)756-1254. The examiner can normally be reached M-F, 7:00-16:00.
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/JOHN LEE/Examiner, Art Unit 1794
/BRYAN D. RIPA/Primary Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1794