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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election with traverse of Group I, Species 7, drawn to Claims 1-3, 10-15, 17, 19 and 22 in the reply filed on 10 November 2025 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that Species 8 is drawn to Fig. 8 and is generic to all species. This is found persuasive because applicant's specification clarifies that Figure 8 is generic in paragraph 114. As such Species 8 is hereby withdrawn from the species portion of the restriction. However, the remainder of the restriction is maintained.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Claims 4-9, 16 and 23 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected Group II and species 1-6, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Applicant timely traversed the restriction (election) requirement in the reply filed on 10 November 2025.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-3, 10-15, 17, 19, and 22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by Dardas et al. (US 2011/0117002) hereinafter "Dardas".
With regards to Claim 1 Dardas teaches:
A contaminant removal device, part 10, which comprises an outer casing, see Dardas Fig. 1, which reads on applicant's claimed housing. One or more adsorbent devices, part 12, which reads on applicant's claimed first chemical filter element. The one or more adsorbent devices, part 12, comprise cells of corrugated foils, parts 22, surrounded by a frame, part 24. The foils, parts 20 and 22, are coated with one or more adsorbent materials. (See Dardas Fig. 3 and paragraph 35) The air flows from a first front edge of the adsorbent device, part 12, to a second rear edge along a path parallel to a surface of the corrugated foils and adsorbent material which reads on applicant's claimed first sheet of a first chemical filter material having a first edge and a second edge. As seen in Fig. 1 of Dardas there is a second adsorbent device, part 12, which is identical to the first and which reads on applicant’s claimed second chemical filter element comprising a second sheet of a second chemical filter material having a first edge and a second edge wherein the second filtration flow path is defined parallel to a surface of the second sheet and the second filtration flow path extends from the first edge to the second edge of the second chemical filter material. The one or more adsorbent devices, part 12, are disposed in the housing and the second chemical filter element is positioned downstream of the first chemical filter element. (See Fig. 1 of Dardas and Paragraph 32)
With regards to Claim 2 Dardas teaches:
A flow path through the housing comprises a spacing region between the first and second chemical filter elements, parts 12. (See Dardas Fig. 1 and Paragraph 32 and 33)
With regards to Claim 3 Dardas teaches:
A catalytic reactor, part 14, which reads on applicant's claimed particle filtration media as it remove contaminant particles through which the flow pathway extends through the catalytic reactor which is located between the first and second adsorbent devices, parts 12. (See Dardas Fig. 1 and Paragraphs 49-53)
With regards to Claims 10 and 17 Dardas teaches:
Dardas teaches that multiple adsorbent devices, part 12, which reads on applicant's claimed chemical filter element as detailed above may be utilized in the flow path within the housing of the contaminant removal device. (See Dardas Paragraph 50 and Fig. 1 and 3)
With regards to Claim 11 Dardas teaches:
As seen in Fig. 1 of Dardas there is a spacing region between all of the filter elements of Dardas within the housing.
With regards to Claim 12-15 Dardas teaches:
The Adsorbent device part 12, comprises adsorbent materials in the form of pellets, granules, fibers, fabrics, cloths, or felts, and may be impregnated or non-impregnated (See Dardas Paragraph 33) Dardas teaches the adsorbent material comprises a non-volatile acid or base (See Dardas Paragraphs 12, 13, 33 and 49) and a particular embodiment which is capable of selectively removing acid constituents from the fluid stream. (See Dardas Paragraph 46) Dardas teaches that these are used in both the first and second adsorbent devices, parts 12. (See Dardas Paragraph 51)
With regards to Claim 19 Dardas teaches:
The adsorbent device, part 12, which reads on applicant's claimed fourth chemical filter comprises a mesoporous absorbent. (See Dardas Paragraph 12, 13, 33, and 49)
With regards to Claim 22 Dardas teaches:
The adsorbent device, part 12, which reads on applicant's claimed first chemical filter comprises a foil which reads on applicant's claimed substrate which is coated with an activated carbon which is capable of absorbing a chemical and which reads on applicant's claimed chemisorbent coated substrate. (See Dardas Paragraph 12, 13, 33, and 49)
Other Applicable Prior Art
All other art cited not detailed above in a rejection is considered relevant to at least some portion or feature of the current application and is cited for possible future use for reference. Applicant may find it useful to be familiar with all cited art for possible future rejections or discussion.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BRIT E ANBACHT whose telephone number is (571)272-9876. The examiner can normally be reached on M, T, R, F 11 am - 4 pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jennifer Dieterle can be reached on (571) 270-7872. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-9876.
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/BRIT E. ANBACHT/Examiner, Art Unit 1776
BRIT E. ANBACHT
Examiner
Art Unit 1776