DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. 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
2. Applicant's election with traverse of Group I in the reply filed on 09/03/2025 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that there exists a common feature between Group I and II (collar). This is found persuasive, and thus Group II will be examined with Group I (rejoined as Group I). However, original Group III (now Group II) is still considered distinct from Group I (original Group I and II) because the product as claimed can be used in a materially different process of using that product such as a method of curing UV-reactive materials such as resins/inks.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Claim 3 is withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Applicant timely traversed the restriction (election) requirement in the reply filed on 09/03/2025.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
3. 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.
4. Claims 1-2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sood et al. (US 20220008605 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Sood teaches an improved pathogen deactivating ultraviolet light system (100, Fig. 17-18) comprising: an upper mounting body having a substantially circular shape and having an upper surface (base 1720 having interior surfaces 1730 and 1732, Fig. 17, where the plurality of bases 1720 form a radial pattern);
a plurality of mounting brackets disposed on said upper surface of said upper mounting body (holder 1718, Fig. 17);
a plurality of ultraviolet lamps fixedly attached to said plurality of mounting brackets (UV lamps 102/1710, Fig. 17);
wherein, said plurality of ultraviolet lamps when energized produce a Barrier Zone upward and away from said upper surface of the upper mounting body (UV lamp 1710 produces beam angle 1526, Fig. 18, where the angle is away from the interior surfaces 1730 and 1732 of Fig. 17/angled interior surfaces of Fig. 18, thus creating a barrier zone), wherein said Barrier Zone is the active zone for the plurality of ultraviolet lamps to deactivate one or more pathogens (“An ultraviolet (UV) disinfection module includes at least one UV light source configured to emit UV light to at least partially inactivate pathogens in the airflow”, abstract); and
wherein, said upper mounting body comprises a collar (interior surface 1730 and 1732, Fig. 17) forming a barrier that physically blocks ultraviolet light emitted by the ultraviolet lamps from projecting below a plane formed by the upper body of the assembly and to the sides parallel to the plane formed by the upper body (light emission angle 1526, Fig. 18, where the UV light is not emitted below or the sides parallel to the plane formed by the interior surface 1730/1732, Fig. 17-18).
Sood teaches a top/upper surface (interior surfaces 1730 and 1732, Fig. 17), but fails to teach a plurality of reflectors disposed on the upper surface of said upper mounting body and under said plurality of ultraviolet lamps.
Sood in another embodiment teaches a UV disinfection system (100, Fig. 10) with a UV light source having “a beam shaping mechanism 1018 (e.g., one or more reflectors disposed in the housing 1000” ([0098] and Fig. 10) in order to “to shape the path of the emitted UV light 104 so that the UV light is confined to a selected light beam width 1014 for at least a selected height above or distance 1016 from the housing 1000”.
It would have been obvious to modify the interior surfaces of the Fig. 15-18 embodiment of Sood by incorporating one or more reflectors as taught by the Fig. 10 embodiment of Sood in order to confine the light beam to a specific direction ([0098]).
Modified Sood teaches wherein, said plurality of ultraviolet lamps are arranged in a radial pattern, but fails to teach wherein a proximal end of each ultraviolet lamp begins near a middle point of said upper mounting body and a distal end of each ultraviolet lamp is disposed toward an exterior edge formed by a perimeter of said upper mounting body.
However, it would have been obvious to position the ultraviolet lamps so that a proximal end of each ultraviolet lamp begins near a middle point of said upper mounting body and a distal end of each ultraviolet lamp is disposed toward an exterior edge formed by a perimeter of said upper mounting body, because this rearrangement does not change the functionality of the ultraviolet lamps with respect to Sood’s device (“shifting the position… would not have modified the operation of the device”, MPEP 2144.04.VI.C).
Regarding claim 2, Sood teaches an improved pathogen deactivation ultraviolet light system (100, Fig. 17-18) comprising: a fixture having a surface (base 1720 having inner sidewalls 1722, Fig. 17), wherein said fixture further comprises a collar (interior surfaces 1730 and 1732, Fig. 17, depicted as the non-horizontal interior surfaces formed by cover element 1814 and inner sidewall 1802, Fig. 18);
a lamp receptacle for receiving a plurality of ultraviolet lamps (base 1720 holding UV lamps 1710 via connector 1716, Fig. 17), said lamp receptacle having sockets (connector 1716, Fig. 17) for receiving a terminal end of each of said plurality of ultraviolet lamps (the connector 1716 receives an end of both UV lamps 1710 in one base/bracket 1720, Fig. 17),
wherein said plurality of ultraviolet lamps are disposed below said collar (UV lamps 1710 under the non-horizontal interior surfaces formed by cover element 1814 and inner sidewall 1802, Fig. 18);
a lower body (base 1506, Fig. 17) comprising a plurality of support fins (mounting plates 1702, Fig. 1) and lamp drivers (ballasts 1734, Fig. 17).
Sood fails to teach wherein said surface comprises one or more reflective surfaces.
Sood in another embodiment teaches a UV disinfection system (100, Fig. 10) with a UV light source having “a beam shaping mechanism 1018 (e.g., one or more reflectors disposed in the housing 1000” ([0098] and Fig. 10) in order to “to shape the path of the emitted UV light 104 so that the UV light is confined to a selected light beam width 1014 for at least a selected height above or distance 1016 from the housing 1000”.
It would have been obvious to modify the interior surfaces of the Fig. 15-18 embodiment of Sood by incorporating one or more reflectors as taught by the Fig. 10 embodiment of Sood in order to confine the light beam to a specific direction ([0098]).
Modified Sood also fails to teach sensors, processors, and a power source operatively connected to the system to provide power to said lamp receptacle, said plurality of ultraviolet lamps, said sensors, said processors, and said lamp drivers.
Sood further teaches in Fig. 11 (top view of Fig. 10), sensors (motion sensor 134, infrared sensor 132, Fig. 11, for the purpose of activating the UV disinfection system when an individual is detected, [0102]), processors (memory 120 of Fig. 10, and controller 110, Fig. 1, where controller 110 is integral to Fig. 10-11, [0101], and processor 118 “may include one or more processing devices”, [0047]), and a power source operatively connected to the system (power source 130, Fig. 1, connected with all components above via circuitry 128, [0049]) to provide power to said lamp receptacle, said plurality of ultraviolet lamps, said sensors, said processors, and said lamp drivers ([0049]).
It would have been obvious to further modify Sood’s Fig. 17-18 embodiment by incorporating: multiple sensors as taught by the Fig. 10-11 embodiment in order to detect an individual and subsequently activate the UV disinfection system ([0102], multiple processors as taught by the Fig. 1 extension of the Fig. 10-11 embodiment in order to “to output various control system signals” (including the UV light source, [0047]), and a power source connected to all components in order to provide power ([0049]) to said lamp receptacle (connector 1716 on base 1720, Fig. 17), said plurality of ultraviolet lamps (UV lamps 1710, Fig. 17), said sensors (sensors 134 and 132, Fig. 11), said processors (processor 118, Fig. 1), and said lamp drivers (ballast 1734, Fig. 17).
Modified Sood teaches the lower body (base 1506, Fig. 17), but fails to teach a cavity formed by the lower body.
Sood teaches in the Fig. 24-27 embodiment upper and lower cowlings (upper cowling 2114, lower cowling 2106, Fig. 25-27) in order to create a fluid passageway for the airflow to traverse while being circulated by the fan (500, Fig. 24 and [0152]), to which the lower cowling forms a cavity (Fig. 25 or 27).
It would have been obvious to modify the lower base of Sood’s Fig. 17-18 embodiment by incorporating cavitation of the base as taught by Sood’s Fig. 24-27 embodiment in order to create a fluid passageway for the airflow to traverse while being circulated by the fan ([0152]).
With this modification, the support fins (mounting plates 1702, Fig. 17, also seen in Fig. 26) and the lamp drivers (ballasts 1734, Fig. 17) would be mounted to the cavitated lower base (now-cavitated lower base 1506 of Fig. 17, see paragraph above), but not the sensors or processors.
However, it would have also been obvious to place/mount the sensors and processors at a location such as the cavitated lower base, because this rearrangement does not change the functionality of the sensors nor processors with respect to modified Sood’s device (“shifting the position… would not have modified the operation of the device”, MPEP 2144.04.VI.C).
Conclusion
5. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Aham Lee whose telephone number is (703)756-5622. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Thursday, 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM EST.
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/Aham Lee/Examiner, Art Unit 1758
/SEAN E CONLEY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1799