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 .
Status of Claims
Claims 1-7 are currently pending
Claims 8-20 are currently withdrawn from consideration
Claims 1-7 are currently rejected
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I claims 1-7 in the reply filed on 03/27/2026 is acknowledged.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: Line 3 states “one or more UV lamps” and instead should recite for the first instance “one or more ultraviolet (UV) lamps” for further clarity. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 3 is objected to because of the following informalities: Lines 3 and 4 each state “the openings” and instead should each state “the plurality of openings” for further clarity. 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.
Claim 2 is 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 2 recites the limitation "the filter screen has a cow-catcher shape with a leading apex disposed at a most upstream location of the filter screen and is wider” on lines 2-3. It is unclear and confusing what is wider, the filter screen or the leading apex?
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.
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.
Claims 1-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Landau et al. (U.S. 2021/0347662 A1) (hereinafter “Landau”) in view of Dean et al. (U.S. 2021/0032128 A1) (hereinafter “Dean”).
Regarding Claim 1:
Landau teaches a flotation apparatus for treating a liquid medium (see FIGS. 1-4) (see paragraphs 49, 69, 73 and 80-83), the flotation apparatus comprising:
a flotation body (see FIG. 3, a pontoon boat 70 having a pair of pontoons 72 and 74) (see paragraphs 81-83);
one or more electrochemical cells connected to the flotation body to be submerged in the liquid medium from the flotation body (see FIG. 4, two electrochemical cells 130 and 150) (see paragraph 83); and
a filter screen connected to the flotation body to be submerged in the liquid medium (see FIG. 4, microporous separators 140, 142, and microporous separators 160, 162) (see paragraphs 83, 87-89, 101-103, 107 and 113), the filter screen extending downward below a surface of the liquid medium to a lowest level (see FIG. 4, microporous separators 140, 142, and microporous separators 160, 162) (see paragraphs 83, 87-89, 101-103, 107 and 113).
Landau does not explicitly teach one or more UV lamps connected to the flotation body to be submerged in the liquid medium from the flotation body, a filter screen upstream of the one or more UV lamps, the filter screen disposed at or below a lowest level of the one or more UV lamps, as recited in independent claim 1.
Dean further teaches a similar flotation apparatus (see Dean FIG. 2, an irradiation chamber 200 including one or more irradiation sources 202, 202’) (see Dean paragraphs 23, 26-27, 31, 50, 58, 75, 77-88, 107, 109, 113 and 115).
Landau and Dean are analogous inventions in the art of teaching a flotation apparatus. It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to one of ordinary skilled in the art to modify the flotation apparatus of Landau to include one or more UV lamps of Dean, wherein the filter screen of Landau is positioned upstream of the one or more UV lamps of Dean, and wherein the filter screen is disposed at or below a lowest level of the one or more UV lamps of Dean, for optimization purposes and to efficiently and effectively destroy unwanted contaminants and particles (see Dean FIG. 2, an irradiation chamber 200 including one or more irradiation sources 202, 202’) (see Dean paragraphs 23, 26-27, 31, 50, 58, 75, 77-88, 107, 109, 113 and 115).
Regarding Claim 2:
The combination of Landau in view of Dean teaches the flotation apparatus of claim 1,
wherein Landau further teaches the filter screen has a cow-catcher shape with a leading apex disposed at a most upstream location of the filter screen and is wider than the one or more UV lamps (see Landau FIG. 4, microporous separators 140, 142, and microporous separators 160, 162) (see Landau paragraphs 83, 87-89, 101-103, 107 and 113).
Regarding Claim 3:
The combination of Landau in view of Dean teaches the flotation apparatus of claim 1,
wherein Landau further teaches the filter screen has a plurality of openings to allow the liquid medium to pass therethrough, the openings being no larger than about 0.5 inches in lateral dimension across each of the openings (see Landau FIG. 4, microporous separators 140, 142, and microporous separators 160, 162) (see Landau paragraphs 83, 87-89, 101-103, 107 and 113).
Regarding Claim 4:
The combination of Landau in view of Dean teaches the flotation apparatus of claim 1, wherein Landau further teaches:
a propeller disposed between the filter screen and the one or more UV lamps (see Landau FIG. 1, a propeller 40) (see Landau paragraphs 80-81).
Regarding Claim 5:
The combination of Landau in view of Dean teaches the flotation apparatus of claim 1, wherein Dean further teaches:
a UV reactor in which the one or more UV lamps are disposed, the UV reactor having a UV-reflecting material to reflect UV radiation from the one or more UV lamps toward the liquid medium (see Dean FIG. 2, an irradiation chamber 200 including one or more irradiation sources 202, 202’) (see Dean paragraphs 23, 26-27, 31, 50, 58, 75, 77-88, 107, 109, 113 and 115).
Landau and Dean are analogous inventions in the art of teaching a flotation apparatus. It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to one of ordinary skilled in the art to modify the flotation apparatus of Landau to include one or more UV lamps of Dean, wherein the filter screen of Landau is positioned upstream of the one or more UV lamps of Dean, and wherein the filter screen is disposed at or below a lowest level of the one or more UV lamps of Dean, for optimization purposes and to efficiently and effectively destroy unwanted contaminants and particles (see Dean FIG. 2, an irradiation chamber 200 including one or more irradiation sources 202, 202’) (see Dean paragraphs 23, 26-27, 31, 50, 58, 75, 77-88, 107, 109, 113 and 115).
Regarding Claim 6:
The combination of Landau in view of Dean teaches the flotation apparatus of claim 5,
wherein Dean further teaches the UV reactor is lined with the UV-reflecting material (see Dean FIG. 2, an irradiation chamber 200 including one or more irradiation sources 202, 202’) (see Dean paragraphs 23, 26-27, 31, 50, 58, 75, 77-88, 107, 109, 113 and 115).
Landau and Dean are analogous inventions in the art of teaching a flotation apparatus. It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to one of ordinary skilled in the art to modify the flotation apparatus of Landau to include one or more UV lamps of Dean, wherein the filter screen of Landau is positioned upstream of the one or more UV lamps of Dean, and wherein the filter screen is disposed at or below a lowest level of the one or more UV lamps of Dean, for optimization purposes and to efficiently and effectively destroy unwanted contaminants and particles (see Dean FIG. 2, an irradiation chamber 200 including one or more irradiation sources 202, 202’) (see Dean paragraphs 23, 26-27, 31, 50, 58, 75, 77-88, 107, 109, 113 and 115).
Regarding Claim 7:
The combination of Landau in view of Dean teaches the flotation apparatus of claim 5,
wherein Dean further teaches the UV-reflecting material comprises PTFE, e-PTFE, sputtered aluminum, or aluminum foil (see Dean FIG. 2, an irradiation chamber 200 including one or more irradiation sources 202, 202’) (see Dean paragraphs 23, 26-27, 31, 50, 58, 75, 77-88, 107, 109, 113 and 115).
Landau and Dean are analogous inventions in the art of teaching a flotation apparatus. It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to one of ordinary skilled in the art to modify the flotation apparatus of Landau to include one or more UV lamps of Dean, wherein the filter screen of Landau is positioned upstream of the one or more UV lamps of Dean, and wherein the filter screen is disposed at or below a lowest level of the one or more UV lamps of Dean, for optimization purposes and to efficiently and effectively destroy unwanted contaminants and particles (see Dean FIG. 2, an irradiation chamber 200 including one or more irradiation sources 202, 202’) (see Dean paragraphs 23, 26-27, 31, 50, 58, 75, 77-88, 107, 109, 113 and 115).
Other References Considered
Cordemans de Meulenaer et al. (U.S. 2010/0279373 A1) (hereinafter “Corde”) teaches a system and method for treating a liquid medium.
Yang et al. (U.S. 2021/0238065 A1) (hereinafter “Yang”) teaches a system and method for electrochemical oxidation mitigation of harmful algal bloom and cyanotoxins.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AKASH K. VARMA whose telephone number is (571)272-9627. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9-5 pm.
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/AKASH K VARMA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1773
Prosecution Insights