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 invention I in the reply filed on 6/30/26 is acknowledged.
Claims 10, 15-17 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.
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.
Claims 7-8, 12-14, 18, 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by KR 10-0743932 B1 [Ho], the translation of which was previously provided and will be referenced herein.
Regarding Claim 7:
Ho discloses a self-sanitizing handrail system (abstract), comprising:
an elongate handle extending along a central axis and comprising an exterior surface graspable by users of the handrail system (Fig. 6 (2)); and
an annular sanitizing module positioned around the handle (abstract) and transportable linearly along the central axis of the handle (Fig. 6 – see arrows),
wherein the sanitizing module comprises a sanitizer including a light module configured to emit sanitizing light directed against the exterior surface of the handle to sanitize pathogens located on the exterior surface (Fig. 6 (13)).
Regarding Claim 8:
Ho discloses the handrail system of claim 7, wherein the sanitizing module comprises:
an annular outer housing which extends circumferentially around the exterior surface of the handle and forms a chamber in which the sanitizer is received (see e.g. Fig. 5); and
wherein the sanitizer comprises an annular cradle which physically supports a plurality of the light modules which are circumferentially spaced about the exterior surface of the handle (Fig. 6 (13)).
Regarding Claim 12:
Ho discloses the handrail system of claim 7, further comprising a control unit coupled to the handle (pg 5 “when the user presses the switch or when the body part including the finger is close to the sensor, the power supply of the power supply unit is turned on at the same time as the ultraviolet lamp is applied. At this time, when the user slowly moves the slider 14 several times to the handle 2, ultraviolet rays are irradiated to the handle 2 to sterilize”),
and comprising a motor coupled to the sanitizing module ((15a)),
wherein the motor is configured to transport the sanitizing module linearly along the central axis of the handle, and a controller configured to control the activation of the motor (see Pg 6 second paragraph).
Regarding Claim 13:
Ho discloses the handrail system of claim 12, wherein the controller comprises a sanitizer controller module configured to control the operation of the light module of the sanitizer. Pg 5 second paragraph.
Regarding Claim 14:
Ho discloses a self-sanitizing handrail system, comprising:
an elongate handle extending along a central axis and comprising an exterior surface graspable by users of the handrail system (Fig. 6 (2)),
an annular sanitizing module positioned around the handle (abstract) and comprising an outer housing (see e.g. Fig. 5) and a sanitizer positioned in the housing of the housing and configured to sanitize by a sanitizing light emitted by the sanitizer pathogens located on the exterior surface of the handle (Fig. 6 (13)); and
a control unit coupled to the handle (pg 5 “when the user presses the switch or when the body part including the finger is close to the sensor, the power supply of the power supply unit is turned on at the same time as the ultraviolet lamp is applied. At this time, when the user slowly moves the slider 14 several times to the handle 2, ultraviolet rays are irradiated to the handle 2 to sterilize”) and comprising a motor coupled to the sanitizing module ((15a)), wherein the motor is configured to transport the sanitizing module linearly along the central axis of the handle in response to activation of the motor, and a controller configured to control the activation of the motor (as described at pg 6, second paragraph).
Regarding Claim 18:
Ho discloses the handrail system of claim 14, wherein the controller is configured to continuously transport the sanitizing module between a first position located at a first end of the handle, and a second position located at a second end of the handle longitudinally opposite the first end (as described at pg 6, second paragraph).
Regarding Claim 20:
Ho discloses the handrail system of claim 14, wherein the sanitizer of the sanitizing module includes one or more light modules configured to emit the sanitizing light directed against the exterior surface of the handle to sanitize pathogens located on the exterior surface. See Fig. 6 (13).
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.
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ho in view of US 2018/0343847 A1 [Ervin].
Regarding Claim 9:
Ho teaches the handrail system of claim 7, but fails to specify that the light module comprises a printed circuit board (PCB) and a light emitting diode (LED) coupled to the PCB and configured to emit the sanitizing light directed against the exterior surface of the handle.
Ervin teaches UV disinfection systems comprising a UVC LED coupled to a PCB. Para 32. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective time of filing to use the PCB mounted UVC LEDs as the UV sterilization light source of Ho. One would have been motivated to do so since Ervin teaches that such an arrangement is effective to provide a sterilizing UV light source.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-6 allowed.
Claims 11 and 19 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 11,179,488 B2 teaches a similar rod sanitizing members.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WYATT A STOFFA whose telephone number is (571)270-1782. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 0700-1600 EST.
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WYATT STOFFA
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2881
/WYATT A STOFFA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2881
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