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 without traverse of claims 1-17 in the reply filed on 13 Nov. 2025 is acknowledged.
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.
(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.
Claims 1-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and/or 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Gifford et al. US 2025/0099896 with a filing date of 14 Jan. 2022 (hereafter Gifford)
Regarding claim 1, Gifford teaches a desiccant assembly (assembly comprising desiccant 50) within a sensor housing (¶93), comprising:
a desiccant chamber (12) configured to hold a desiccant element (¶217);
a transfer window (20) positioned between the desiccant chamber and a sensor chamber of the sensor housing (¶221); and
a permeable membrane (30) covering the transfer window and configured to allow water vapor to transfer from the sensor chamber to the desiccant chamber (¶224, ¶231-232).
Regarding claim 2, Gifford teaches all the limitations of claim 1. Gifford further teaches wherein the desiccant chamber comprises a pocket (pocket defining chamber 12) defined in a surface of a desiccant assembly body, the desiccant assembly body configured to separate the desiccant chamber from the sensor chamber (¶221-222).
Regarding claim 3, Gifford teaches all the limitations of claim 2. Gifford further teaches wherein the pocket comprises a recess (recess comprising 20) defined in the surface of the desiccant assembly body, the recess comprising a transfer wall (21) within which the transfer window is defined.
Regarding claim 4, Gifford teaches all the limitations of claim 3. Gifford further teaches wherein the recess is configured to receive the desiccant element (as shown in Figs 1).
Regarding claim 5, Gifford teaches all the limitations of claim 3. Gifford further teaches wherein the desiccant element comprises an adhesive material adhered to at least one side of the transfer wall (¶224).
Regarding claim 6, Gifford teaches all the limitations of claim 1. Gifford further teaches wherein the desiccant chamber is configured to hold at least one additional desiccant element (¶93).
Regarding claim 7, Gifford teaches all the limitations of claim 1. Gifford further teaches at least one additional transfer window (window between adjacent legs 47) positioned between the desiccant chamber and the sensor chamber.
Regarding claims 8-9, Gifford teaches all the limitations of claim 1. Gifford further teaches an access component (80) configured to isolate the desiccant chamber from an environment external to the sensor chamber (¶231), wherein the access component comprises a removable chamber cover (where the chamber cover 80 would be fully capable of being removed).
Regarding claim 10, Gifford teaches all the limitations of claim 1. Gifford further teaches wherein the permeable membrane is configured so that a leak rate corresponding to a transfer of water vapor from the sensor chamber to the desiccant chamber causes prevention of condensation of water within the sensor chamber (¶105-108, ¶237, further where method of using the apparatus such as relative humidity in the sensor housing, temperature of the sensor housing, relative humidity in the chamber, and temperature of the chamber would be fully capable of preventing the condensation in accordance with MPEP 2114, 2115, 2173.05(g)).
Regarding claim 11, Gifford teaches all the limitations of claim 1. Gifford further teaches wherein the permeable membrane is configured to prevent a transfer of liquid water and particulate matter from the desiccant chamber to the sensor chamber (¶119-124, further where method of using the apparatus would be fully capable of preventing the transfer of liquid water and particulate matter in accordance with MPEP 2114, 2115, 2173.05(g)).
Regarding claim 12, Gifford teaches all the limitations of claim 11. Gifford further teaches wherein the permeable membrane comprises a material selected so that a leak rate corresponding to a transfer of water vapor from the sensor chamber to the desiccant chamber facilitates maintaining a relative humidity level within the sensor chamber at or below a humidity threshold (¶100-110, further where method of using the apparatus would be fully capable of the claimed leak rate in accordance with MPEP 2114, 2115, 2173.05(g) where the permeable membrane is selected to dry the sensor housing ¶232).
Regarding claim 13, Gifford teaches all the limitations of claim 11. Gifford further teaches wherein a set of dimensions of the transfer window is configured so that a leak rate corresponding to a transfer of water vapor from the sensor chamber to the desiccant chamber facilitates maintaining a relative humidity level within the sensor chamber at or below a humidity threshold (¶217, further where method of using the apparatus would be fully capable of the claimed leak rate in accordance with MPEP 2114, 2115, 2173.05(g) where the transfer window is selected to dry the sensor housing ¶232).
Regarding claims 14-15, Gifford teaches all the limitations of claim 1. Gifford further teaches wherein the permeable membrane comprises a polymer material, wherein the polymer material comprises expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (¶110-111).
Regarding claim 16, Gifford teaches all the limitations of claim 14. Gifford further teaches wherein the desiccant element is removeable (where Figs 1 show the element is fully capable of being removed in accordance with MPEP 2114, 2115, 2173.05(g)).
Regarding claim 17, Gifford teaches all the limitations of claim 14. Gifford further teaches wherein the desiccant assembly is disposed within the sensor housing at a location that is selected so that a mass balance associated with the sensor housing facilitates a mechanical operation of a sensor within the sensor housing (¶221, further where method of using the apparatus would be fully capable of the mass balance in accordance with MPEP 2114, 2115, 2173.05(g)).
Conclusion
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/STEPHEN HOBSON/Examiner, Art Unit 1776
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