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 Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ahn et al. (“Ahn”, US 2021/0111420 A1) in view of Kim et al. (“Kim”, US 2016/0240870 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Ahn discloses a fuel cell humidifier including a humidification module including a housing and a plurality of hollow fiber membranes arranged in the housing, a first cap having an air discharge port for supplying the humidified air to the fuel cell stack and coupled to a first termination end of the humidification module, the air discharge port being spaced apart from the humidification module, and a bypass tube for transferring the condensate water generated from the humidified air to the interior space of the housing through with the off-gas flows, and a first end of the bypass tube is positioned in the air discharge port, and the bypass tube is in fluid communication with the interior space of the housing through a second end of the bypass tube ([0015]).
The fuel cell humidifier may further include a second cap having an air inlet port for receiving the air supplied form the outside and coupled to a second termination end of the humidification module at the opposite side of the first termination end ([0016]).
Ahn teaches an air outlet port, which would expand the humidified air and induce condensation.
Ahn does not expressly teach a condensation induction portion formed to extend from the air outlet port.
However, Kim is also directed to fuel cells ([0003]) and teaches the use of a diffuser ([0055]; see also Figs. 3-6) which causes sudden adiabatic expansion of the high-temperature and high-humidity fluid, thus lowering the temperature of the fluid based on the first law of thermodynamics ([0055]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the effective filing date of the invention to modify the air outlet port of Ahn with the diffuser of Kim to uniformize pressure distribution of the fluid and overcome decrease of efficiency (Kim, [0057]).
As to claims 2 and 3, Kim teaches a diffuser (Figs. 3-6), which has a larger diameter and cross-sectional area than the air outlet port.
As to claim 4, Ahn depicts the air outlet port at an angle (see Fig. 3). Ahn modified by Kim, as discussed above, would read on the claimed limitation.
As to claim 5, Ahn teaches the first cap may have a rib configured to prevent the condensate water from being transferred to the fuel cell stack through the air discharge port, the reb being disposed in the air discharge port ([0023]).
As to claims 6 and 8, Ahn teaches the rib and screw thread are both formed on an inner surface of the air outlet port ([0024]). Since the diffuser of Kim is formed extending from the air outlet port, Ahn modified by Kim as discussed above would read on claims 6 and 8.
As to claim 7, Ahn teaches a screw thread for providing a spiral path to the condensate water may be formed on the inner surface of the air discharge port ([0024]).
As to claim 9, Ahn teaches the bypass tube may include a first tube fixed to the first cap and a second tube fixed to the humidification module, and the first and second tubes may be detachably coupled ([0026]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL H. LEE whose telephone number is (571)272-2548. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30-5:00.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Michael Orlando can be reached at 5712705038. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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DANIEL H. LEE
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1746
/DANIEL H LEE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1746
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