DETAILED ACTION
Claim Objections
Claims 1 and 3 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Regarding claim 1, the claim recites the limitation “…container characterized by have a functional structure…” (emphasis added). This appears to be a grammatical error as the limitation should read “…container characterized by having a functional structure…”.
Claim 1 further recites the limitation “…UVC LED chip attached toward an inner wall…” (emphasis added). This appears to be a grammatical error as the limitation should read “…UVC LED chip attached on an inner wall…”.
The claims are objected to because they include reference characters which are not enclosed within parentheses. Specifically claim 3 recites the limitations “bent end 2” and “an end 1”.
Reference characters corresponding to elements recited in the detailed description of the drawings and used in conjunction with the recitation of the same element or group of elements in the claims should be enclosed within parentheses so as to avoid confusion with other numbers or characters which may appear in the claims. See MPEP § 608.01(m).
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-5 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.
Claim 1 is vague and indefinite for requiring “single bulk head…each of the inner walls opposing the light source, and between mutual bulk heads, one end surface of each bulk head…and mutually opposing end surface sides between adjacent bulk heads”. Specifically, if there is only a single bulkhead, it is not clear how there can be mutual and adjacent bulkheads.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "the inner walls" opposing the light source in the tenth line of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 1 is vague and indefinite for requiring “…UVC LED chip attached toward an inner wall opposing a central direction…”. Specifically, it is not clear in which direction is considered opposing a central direction. In this action, it will be taken that any direction not in the center is considered opposing a central direction.
Claim 1 recites the limitation “UVC lamp or UVC LED lamp or UVC LED chip” to refer to the source which produces the ultraviolet rays in the C region. However, claim 1 further recites the limitation “UVC irradiation side array surface”. It is not clear if the UVC irradiation side array surface is distinct from the previously cited UVC sources or is further describing the UVC sources previously established. This renders the claim to be indefinite.
Claim 2 is vague and indefinite for requiring “a pair of inner walls” because claim 1 already defines more than one inner wall. Therefore, it is not clear whether “a pair of inner walls” is an additional pair of walls or a combination of inner walls defined in claim 1.
Claim 2 further recites the limitation "…and between an inner wall…" in the sixth line of the claim. It is not clear whether the inner wall is a different wall from the inner wall defined in claim 1 or if claim 2 is further limiting the inner wall defined in claim 1.
Regarding claim 3, the claim limitations recite “A method for obtaining a rise of a reflective sheet….”. The claims are considered indefinite because there is a question or doubt as to whether the claim is defining a different reflective sheet as defined in claim 2.
Claim 3 further recites the limitation "…a reflective sheet of each inner wall…" in the fifth line of the claim. It is not clear if the reflective sheet is a different reflective sheet as defined in claim 2 or if claim 3 is further limiting the reflective sheet defined in claim 2.
Claim 3 recites a method for “obtaining a rise of a reflective sheet” but puts forth only structural limitations of the reflective surface. As no steps of a method are recited, it is unclear what the intended scope of the claim is requiring.
Claim 4 recites the limitations "…an inner side of the container …" and “a bulkhead” in the claim. It is not clear if the inner side of the container is a different inner side as defined in claim 1 or if claim 4 is further limiting the inner side defined in claim 1. Furthermore, it is not clear if the bulkhead is a different bulkhead as defined in claim 1 or further limiting the bulkhead as defined in claim 1.
Regarding claim 5, the claim limitations recite “…having one or a plurality of cylindrical bulkheads…” and further states “a plurality of bulkheads” and “adjacent bulkheads”. The claims are considered indefinite because there is a question or doubt as to whether the claims require a single bulkhead or a plurality of bulkheads.
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.
Claims 1-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Smetona et al. (US PGPub 2015/0344329, hereinafter Smetona).
Regarding claim 1, Smetona discloses a UVC irradiation treatment container characterized by having a structure of a C region UV ray lamp or UVC LED lamp or LED chip attached toward an inner wall opposing a central direction of the UVC irradiation toward the light source mounting surface (ultraviolet radiation sources 24A located at the beginning of the channel 14, see Fig. 6 and paragraph [0039]; ultraviolet light sources are able to emit radiation in the UV-C range, see paragraph [0027]), substantially completely across one inner wall of the container that is optically blocked from the outside (the internal surface of the outer enclosure 22 can include a material that is highly reflective to UV radiation in order to recycle the UV radiation within the outer enclosure (e.g. optically blocked from the outside), see paragraph [0033]), a plurality or single bulkhead having a rectangular shape is parallel to the light source mounting surface, between the UVC irradiation side array surface of the light source and the inner wall opposing the light source, and forms a predetermined space between the light source array surface and each of the inner walls opposing the light source, and between mutual bulkheads, one end surface of each bulkhead has an opening of a predetermined width therebetween the inner wall, and mutually opposing end surface sides between adjacent bulkheads, at the inner wall that opposes the inner wall that forms the opening between the light source array surface and the nearby bulkhead, and at the inner wall that opposes the inner wall that has an opening between the bulkhead and the light source mounting surface, and between the nearby bulkhead at the inner wall opposing the light source, or alternatively to that, has an opening that passes to an outside of the container at the opening of the nearby bulkhead at the inner wall opposing the light source and the end of the inner wall opposing the light source on the other side (separators 12 (rectangular in shape, see Fig. 6) form a channel 14 within the enclosure 50, see paragraph [0039]; the separators 12 are parallel to the mounting of ultraviolet radiation sources 24A, see Fig. 6), one of these being a flow out opening from the fluid container, and the other is a flow-in opening to the fluid container, for fluid that continuously passes through the inside of the container (depicted by arrow flowing from flow in (on the side of ultraviolet radiation sources 24A) to a flow out (on the side of ultraviolet radiation sources 24B), see Fig. 6 and paragraph [0006]).
Regarding claim 2, Smetona discloses in a pair of inner walls that do not form an opening between them and a bulkhead (e.g. sidewalls of the container without a flow-in or flow-out), a UVC irradiation treatment container having a mechanism to insert a bulkhead between mutual reflective sheets of each inner wall, by attaching at a predetermined standing height reflecting surfaces of aluminum sheets having a surface finished with highly UVC reflectance at each inner wall between a light array surface and a nearby inner wall, between mutual bulkheads, and between an inner wall opposing the light source unit and a nearby bulkhead (separators 12 are inserted to create a channel 14 based on the radiation transmission depth to ensure adequate dose to the opaque fluid at the appropriate flow rates, see paragraph [0039]; internal surfaces of the outer enclosure 22 can include a material that is highly reflective to UV radiation (e.g. reflective sheets of inner walls (sidewalls of the container without a flow-in or flow-out)) being made of stamped aluminum sheets with UVC reflectance, see paragraph [0033]).
Regarding claim 3, Smetona discloses a bend end having a 180 degree bend angle from the reflective surface toward an inner surface of the container, at an end of a predetermined width bend at 90 degrees at an opposite side of a reflective surface of the reflective sheet, and a line having a predetermined width from a ridge line, on a reflective sheet of each inner wall, attaching the bent end as a part to the inner wall of the reflective sheet directly or via a spacer (channel 14 forms a bend at the space between the wall and the separator, see Fig. 6; reflective sheets of inner walls (sidewalls of the container without a flow-in or flow-out) being made of stamped aluminum sheets with UVC reflectance, see paragraph [0033]).
Regarding claim 4, Smetona discloses attaching a reflective sheet by disposing a bend surface folded to an inner side of the container to become the reflective surface side of the reflective sheet, wherein when attaching the reflective sheet at each part of the inner wall sandwiched by the inside corners formed by the pair of inner walls forming an opening of a bulkhead, the light source array surface, a bulkhead, and each of the inner walls opposite the light source, along an end of the inside corner of each reflective sheet and along the inside corner line (reflective sheets of inner walls (sidewalls of the container without a flow-in or flow-out)) being made of stamped aluminum sheets with UVC reflectance, see paragraph [0033]; container walls that form the outside of the channel 14 are bent to form a reflective surface side, with an opening around particular portions of the separators to form the bending path of the channel 14, see Fig. 6).
Regarding claim 5, Smetona discloses a UVC irradiation treatment container (ultraviolet light sources are able to emit radiation in the UV-C range, see paragraph [0027]) characterized by comprising a cylindrical UVC lamp at a center of a cylinder of a container having a cylindrical inner wall optically shielded from the outside (ultraviolet light source 24a mounted in the surface of an inner cylinder 88 surrounded by a cylinder 80A, see Fig. 10D and paragraph [0043]; radiation from inside the cylinder has total internal reflection (e.g. optically shielded from the outside), see paragraph [0043]); having one or a plurality of cylindrical bulkheads composed of a highly UVC permeable material between the lamp and the inner wall of the container (cylinder 88 forms a cylindrical surface which forces the fluid to flow around the cylindrical container 82, see Fig. 9A and paragraph [0042]; cylinder 88 can comprise reflective or transparent material, see paragraph [0042]), one end of the bulkhead having an opening between it and an end inner wall of the container and the other end in close contact with an end inner wall of the opposite side of the container (UV radiation is exposed in the cylindrical ring 82 as depicted in Fig. 9B), when there is a plurality of bulkheads, a position of the opening between the end inner wall of the container is reversed alternately between the bulkheads, and comprises a functional structure to implement UVC irradiation on a fluid passing through the container (as depicted in Fig. 9B).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HANWAY CHANG whose telephone number is (571)270-5766. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 7:30 AM - 4:00 PM EST.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Robert Kim can be reached at (571)272-2293. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
Hanway Chang
/HC/ Examiner, Art Unit 2881
/MICHAEL J LOGIE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2881