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 Status
Claims 1-3 and 5-11 are rejected.
Claims 4 and 12-18 have been cancelled.
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on March 5, 2026, has been entered.
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 5-6 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 5 recites the limitations “wherein the housing has a first end cap and a second end cap” in lines 1-2 and “a second end cap of the housing” in line 2-3. It is not clear if there are one or two second end caps. It appears the second limitation should be --the second end cap of the housing--.
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(s) 1-3, 5, 7-8 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Janik et al. (US 4,976,852) [hereinafter Janik].
With respect to claim 1, Janik discloses a fuel filter assembly 10, as shown in Fig. 2, having: a housing 12, 14, having an inlet 52 and an outlet 58, as shown in Fig. 2; a first filter 74 disposed in the housing 12, 14, and including a first filter media, as shown in Fig. 2; a second filter 92 disposed in the housing 12, 14, and including a second filter media, as shown in Fig. 2; and a liquid flow path extending from the inlet 52 to the outlet 58 through the first filter media and the second filter media in series, as shown in Fig. 2, the liquid flow path configured to direct the liquid one of radially inward and radially outward through the first filter media and to direct the liquid a different one of radially inward and radially outward through the second filter media, as shown in Fig. 2, wherein the inlet 52 and the outlet 58 of the housing 12, 14, are on opposite ends of the housing 12, 14, as shown in Fig. 2; and wherein the first filter 74 includes a sleeve 48 (axial inlet) through which the liquid flow path extends from the inlet 52 of the housing 12, 14, into an interior of the first filter 74, as shown in Fig. 2, and the second filter 92 includes a sleeve 50 (axial outlet) through which the liquid flow path extends from an interior of the second filter 92 to the outlet 58 of the housing 12, 14, as shown in Fig. 2.
With respect to claim 2, Janik discloses wherein the first filter 74 and the second filter 92 disposed end to end along a length of the housing 12, 14, as shown in Fig. 2.
With respect to claim 3, Janik discloses wherein the liquid flow path is configured to direct the liquid radially outward through the first filter media and to direct the liquid radially inward through the second filter media, as shown in Fig. 2, the first filter media being a radial outlet of the first filter 74, as shown in Fig. 2, and the second filter media being a radial inlet of the second filter 92, as shown in Fig. 2.
With respect to claim 5, Janik discloses wherein the housing 12, 14, has a first end cap 80, and a second end cap 94, as shown in Fig. 2, a second end of the first filter 74 affixed to the first end cap 42, as shown in Fig. 2, and a second end cap 94 of the housing 12, 14, affixed to a second end of the second filter 92, as shown in Fig. 2.
With respect to claim 7, Janik discloses wherein radially inward and radially outward are opposite directions, as shown in Fig. 2.
With respect to claim 8, Janik discloses wherein the flow path includes, in order: a first portion extending through the first filter 74 in an axial direction, as shown in Fig. 2; a second portion extending through the first filter media in the one of radially inward and radially outward, as shown in Fig. 2; a third portion extending one of along an exterior of the first filter 74 in the axial direction and through an axial inlet of the first filter 74 and axial outlet of the second filter 92, as shown in Fig. 2, a fourth portion extending through the second filter media in the different one of radially inward and radially outward through the second filter media, as shown in Fig. 2, and a fifth portion extending through the second filter 92 in the axial direction, as shown in Fig. 2.
With respect to claim 10, Janik discloses wherein the first filter media and the second filter media are different types of filter media (see col. 5, lines 60-68 and col. 6, lines 1-4).
Claim(s) 1-3, 5-8 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Sang Hun (KR102260579B1) [citations are based on English Translation provided by applicant in IDS filed on November 8, 2023].
With respect to claim 1, Sang Hun discloses a filter structure, as shown in Fig. 6, having: a handle 10 (housing) having an inlet pipe 20 (inlet) and discharge holes 320 (outlet), as shown in Fig. 6; a housing body 110 (first filter) disposed in the housing 10, and including chlorine removal ball B (first filter media), as shown in Fig. 6; a second filter 200 disposed in the housing 10 and including a second filter media, as shown in Fig. 6; and a liquid flow path extending from the inlet 20 to the outlet 320 through the first filter media B and the second filter media in series, as shown in Fig. 6, the liquid flow path configured to direct the liquid one of radially inward and radially outward through the first filter media B and to direct the liquid a different one of radially inward and radially outward through the second filter media, as shown in Fig. 6, wherein the inlet 20 and the outlet 320 of the housing 10 are on opposite ends of the housing 10, as shown in Fig. 6; and wherein the first filter 110 includes an axial inlet through which the liquid flow path extends from the inlet 20 of the housing 10 into an interior of the first filter 110, as shown in Fig. 6, and the second filter 200 includes an axial outlet through which the liquid flow path extends from an interior of the second filter 200 to the outlet 320 of the housing 10, as shown in Fig. 6.
With respect to claim 2, Sang Hun discloses wherein the first filter 110 and the second filter 200 disposed end to end along a length of the housing 10, as shown in Fig. 6.
With respect to claim 3, Sang Hun discloses wherein the liquid flow path is configured to direct the liquid radially outward through the first filter media B and to direct the liquid radially inward through the second filter media, as shown in Fig. 6, the first filter media B being a radial outlet of the first filter 110, as shown in Fig. 6, and the second filter media being a radial inlet of the second filter 200, as shown in Fig. 6.
With respect to claim 5, Sang Hun discloses wherein the housing 10 has an inlet cap 120 (first end cap), and a cap 310 (second end cap), as shown in Fig. 6, a second end of the first filter 110 affixed to the first end cap 120, as shown in Fig. 6, and a second end cap 310 of the housing 10 affixed to a second end of the second filter 200, as shown in Fig. 6.
With respect to claim 6, Sang Hun discloses wherein the first end cap 120 includes the inlet 20 of the housing 10 and the second end cap 310 includes the outlet 320 of the housing 10, as shown in Fig. 6.
With respect to claim 7, Sang Hun discloses wherein radially inward and radially outward are opposite directions, as shown in Fig. 6.
With respect to claim 8, Sang Hun discloses wherein the flow path includes, in order: a first portion extending through the first filter 110 in an axial direction, as shown in Fig. 6; a second portion extending through the first filter media B in the one of radially inward and radially outward, as shown in Fig. 6; a third portion extending one of along an exterior of the first filter 110 in the axial direction and through an axial inlet of the first filter 110 and axial outlet of the second filter 200, as shown in Fig. 6, a fourth portion extending through the second filter media in the different one of radially inward and radially outward through the second filter media, as shown in Fig. 6, and a fifth portion extending through the second filter 200 in the axial direction, as shown in Fig. 6.
With respect to claim 10, Sang Hun discloses wherein the first filter media B and the second filter media are different types of filter media, as shown in Fig. 6.
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) 9 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Janik (US 4,976,852).
With respect to claims 9 and 11, Janik lacks wherein the first filter media and the second filter media are the same type of filter media; and wherein the first filter media and the second filter media are each selected from a membrane, resin beads, hollow fibers, depth fibers, a sponge based media, or a combination thereof. However, this would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art since one of ordinary skill would recognize to choose a desired material for the filter media according to a desired application (see MPEP 2144.07 which states as obvious “The selection of a known material based on its suitability for its intended use”).
Claim(s) 9 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sang Hun (KR102260579B1).
With respect to claims 9 and 11, Sang Hun lacks wherein the first filter media and the second filter media are the same type of filter media; and wherein the first filter media and the second filter media are each selected from a membrane, resin beads, hollow fibers, depth fibers, a sponge based media, or a combination thereof. However, this would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art since one of ordinary skill would recognize to choose a desired material for the filter media according to a desired application (see MPEP 2144.07 which states as obvious “The selection of a known material based on its suitability for its intended use”).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-3 and 5-11 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
In response to applicant’s argument that Friese lacks the new limitations added to claim 1: Janik and Sang Hun teach the new limitations added to claim 1, as stated above.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MADELINE GONZALEZ whose telephone number is (571)272-5502. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-5:30.
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/MADELINE GONZALEZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1773