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 with traverse of claims 1-11 in the reply filed on 2/11/2025 is acknowledged. Based on Applicant’s claim amendments filed with the reply on 2/11/2025, it apparent that claims 12-15 depend from the same independent claim of the elected group. Based on these amendments and Applicant’s remarks, the restriction requirement is withdrawn.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a) as being anticipated by JP20000233099 herein referred to as “JP”.
As to claim 1, JP discloses a system comprising:
a machine for processing textiles and configured to treat, within the same, textiles with a gaseous mixture comprising ozone gas (claim 1: storage and drying device for clothes, towels, and the like); and
a dehumidification system connected to, or integrated into, the machine and configured to reduce a humidity of the gaseous mixture (claim 1: dehumidifier is disposed in the air flow chamber; in Figures see air circulation chamber 4, dehumidifier 12, ozone generator 13).
Claim(s) 1-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by WO 2017/218832, related corresponding US App. No. 2023/0181779 relied on for reference, and referred to as “Golkowski”.
As to claim 1, Golkowski discloses a system comprising:
a machine for processing textiles and configured to treat, within the same, textiles with a gaseous mixture comprising ozone gas (para 12, 70, 78: clothes drying machine, using free radicals such as ozone; see Fig. 1A plasma generator 30 for generating ozone); and
a dehumidification system connected to, or integrated into, the machine and configured to reduce a humidity of the gaseous mixture (Fig. 1F see dryer 148; para 231 describes dryer 148 may be a dehumidifier utilizing a refrigeration system; at para 149 the refrigeration system useful because this approach reduces and/or eliminates condensation that could form in or on an item that is sterilized/disinfected).
As to claim 2, Golkowski discloses wherein the dehumidification system comprises at least one of a dehumidifier compressor, a condenser, a desiccant dehumidifier, and a membrane- based dehumidifier (para 231: desiccant dryer, for example).
As to claim 3, Golkowski discloses wherein the machine comprises a chamber and a drum in the chamber, the drum configured to receive the textiles to be processed (Fig. 1A, for example, at rotatable drying drum 10).
As to claim 4, Golkowski discloses wherein the system comprises an ozone generator configured to produce and provide the ozone gas (claim 2 and para 138: ozone generator 30).
As to claim 5, Golkowski discloses wherein the dehumidification system comprises a closed-circuit cooler configured to cool a zone via which the gaseous mixture passes in the dehumidification system, so that dew is produced in said zone (Abstract: closed loop circulation system; see Fig. 1F for dryer 148, which reads on a dehumidification system).
As to claim 6, Golkowski discloses wherein the dehumidification system comprises a condenser and a water discharge line which comprises a discharge outlet and a gas anti-leakage system configured to discharge via the same water formed by dew formed at the condenser when the system is in operation, and the gas anti-leakage system is also configured to prevent ozone from escaping to the environment via the water discharge line when the system is in operation, the gas anti-leakage system comprising a syphon, and/or two water discharge valves which are sequentially located along the water discharge line. (As discussed above, Golkowski discloses a refrigeration system. A refrigeration system includes a condenser which is responsible for removing heat from the refrigerant. A condenser inherently collects condensate. At para 149, Golkowski notes that this approach reduces and/or eliminates condensation that could form on the item being cleaned. Figs. 1F and 1G show an embodiment with a dryer feature. At Fig. 1G, there is use of a plasma valve and other valving mechanism throughout as managed by the controller 12, which controls anti-leaking of gas.)
As to claim 7, Golkowski discloses further comprising a filter via which the dehumidification system is connected to, and can receive the gaseous mixture from, the textile processing machine, wherein the filter is configured to filter the gaseous mixture, the filter being a strainer filter (para 117 discloses use of filter elements at various locations to remove particulate matter and/or materials from the gas being passed from the flow distributor to the ozone generator and/or vaporized, and various types of filters may be used, including charcoal filters, HEPA filters, etc. para 120 describes use of one or more filter elements in the outflow pathway to exit or recycling of gas).
As to claim 8, Golkowski discloses further comprising a circulation pump configured to return to the textile processing machine the gaseous mixture the humidity of which is reduced by the dehumidification system during an operation of the system (para 142, the blower may include a pump, such as a circulation pump).
As to claim 9, Golkowski discloses further comprising one or more measurement units configured to measure the temperature and/or humidity of the gaseous mixture (para 42: temperature and humidity sensors).
As to claim 10, Golkowski discloses further comprising a programmable control unit and an interface connected to the control unit, the interface configured to control the machine and/or the dehumidification system, the programmable control unit is PLC-based (para 318, programmable controllers and computing devices, not limited to custom hard-wire logic, ASICs, or FPGAs with custom programming and program logic to implement operating techniques).
As to claim 11, Golkowski discloses comprising one or more measurement units configured to measure the temperature and/or humidity of the gaseous mixture; wherein the programmable control unit is operationally connected to the one or more measurement units and configured to process measurements made by the one or more measurement units during an operation of the system (see disclosure regarding sensors above relating to temperature and humidity, see also para 150 regarding sensors overview and controller 12 in communication with these sensors at para 42).
As to claim 12, Golkowski discloses a method for processing textiles, comprising operating the system of claim 1 by:
treating, in the machine for processing textiles, textiles with a gaseous mixture that comprises ozone gas (see above use of ozone gas for treating textiles); and
using the dehumidification system for reducing a humidity of the gaseous mixture (use of a dryer 148 that is a dehumidifier utilizing a refrigeration system).
As to claim 13, Golkowski discloses wherein the textiles are garments, and the garments comprise at least one of dyed garments, jeans, knits, or garments comprising denim or wool (para 181: fabric articles such as towels, cloths, masks, gowns, gloves, etc. are cleaned therein).
As to claim 14, Golkowski discloses wherein the dehumidification system reduces the relative humidity of the gaseous mixture so that a condensation of the humidity in the textile processing machine is reduced or prevented (para 148: humidity is sensed and controlled by the controller; para 0171: In several embodiments, moisture control/humidity regulation (e.g., self-regulation or control) is important to reduce or avoid unwanted condensation. Without control, in some contexts, moisture deposition can cause adverse effects on the articles being sterilized/disinfected.).
As to claim 15, Golkowski discloses further comprising one or more additional textile processing steps (Fig. 3A-3C, see additional processing phases, for example).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RITA P ADHLAKHA whose telephone number is (571)270-0378. The examiner can normally be reached M-F, 8-5pm EST.
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/RITA P ADHLAKHA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1711