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 .
Response to Amendment
The amendment filed January 30th, 2026 has been entered. Claims 1-5 remain pending in the application.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see Applicant Arguments/Remarks, filed January 30th, 2026, with respect to the rejection of claims 1-3 and 5 under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground of rejection is made in view of Katagiri, and further in view of Nagumo.
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.
Claims 1-5 are 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 1 recites the limitation “and an increasing annular dimension from the other end side toward the one end side.” It is unclear which dimension is increasing (width, length, diameter, etc.) and the claim is therefore indefinite. For the purpose of compact prosecution, the Examiner has interpreted the claim to mean an increasing annular diameter.
Claims 2-5, which are dependent upon claim 1, are likewise 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 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.
Claims 1-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Japanese Patent Publication No. JP 2011141083 A to Katagiri et al. (hereinafter referred to as Katagiri), and further in view of Japanese Patent Publication No. JP 4644136 B2 to Nagumo et al. (hereinafter referred to as Nagumo).
Regarding claim 1, Katagiri teaches a hollow fiber membrane module (Fig. 2, hollow fiber membrane module 49) comprising: a cylindrical outer case (Fig. 9, housing 46); an inner case placed inside the outer case (Fig. 9, inner pipe 301); a plurality of hollow fiber membranes provided in an annular gap between the outer case and the inner case (¶0048 “a large number of hollow fiber membranes 48 are accommodated between the housing 46 and the inner pipe 301.”); and a pair of sealing/fixing portions that seal the annular gap on one end side and the other end side of each of the outer case and the inner case (Fig. 3, potting portions 54a and 54b) in a state where an inner hollow portion of each of the hollow fiber membranes is open and fix the plurality of hollow fiber membranes to each of the outer case and the inner case (¶0026 “The potting portions 54a and 54b close the space between the outer peripheral surfaces of the hollow fiber membrane 48 and the space between the outer peripheral surface of the hollow fiber membrane 48 and the inner peripheral surface of the housing 46. Both ends of the hollow fiber membranes 48 in the X direction are open toward the outside of the humidifying module 14 at the end surfaces of the potting portions 54a and 54b.”), the outer case being provided with a double tube portion forming an annular space radially externally of the annular gap on the one end side (Fig. 9, annular manifold 101), with a communication portion providing communication between the annular gap and the one end side of the annular space (Fig. 9, sub deriving portion 165 creates a communication channel between the annular gap where the hollow fiber membrane is held and the annular space formed by annular manifold 101), and with an outlet portion providing communication between the annular space and the outside of the outer case (Fig. 9, through hole 102 ; ¶0043 “A through hole 102 is formed in the uppermost portion of the annular manifold 101 so as to pass through the outside of the humidifying module 14 and the inside of the annular manifold 101.”), the inner case being provided with a hollow region which is open on the other end side (Fig. 9, introduction hole 302) and with a plurality of windows providing communication between the hollow region and the annular gap (Fig. 9, introduction portions 364 create a communication channel between the introduction hole 302 and the annular gap where the hollow fiber membrane is held). Katagiri does not teach wherein the annular gap has a constant annular diameter at the one end side and an increasing annular dimension from the other end side toward the one end side.
However, Nagumo teaches a hollow fiber membrane module (Fig. 3, hollow fiber membrane bundle 25 is inside humidifying device 2) comprising: a cylindrical outer case (Fig. 3, outer case 31); an inner case placed inside the outer case (Fig. 3, inner case 32); a plurality of hollow fiber membranes provided in an annular gap between the outer case and the inner case (Fig. 3, hollow fiber membrane bundle 25 is between outer case 31 and inner case 32); the inner case being provided with a hollow region which is open on the other end side (Fig. 3, inner case 32 has a hollow portion on the left side of the device and a non-hollow core member 26) and with a plurality of windows providing communication between the hollow region and the annular gap (Fig. 3, inlets 35 create communication channels between the hollow region of inner case 32 and the annular gap where the hollow fiber membrane bundle 25 is located), wherein the annular gap has a constant annular diameter at the one end side (Fig. 4, at the opening of core member 26, where cap 27 is located, the annular gap where hollow fiber membrane bundle 25 is located is constant ; see annotated figure below)
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and an increasing annular dimension from the other end side toward the one end side (Fig. 4, from cap 28 towards cap 27 the annular gap increases in size as the core 26 tapers). Nagumo further teaches wherein this tapering allows for more efficient use of the hollow fiber membrane (¶0010 “According to the humidifier of the first aspect of the present invention, since the cross-sectional area near the outlet is smaller than the cross-sectional area on the upstream side, the flow rate of the second gas near the outlet is faster than its upstream part. Thereby, the second gas increases in straightness and is provided in a plurality in the circumferential direction of the outer case, and is discharged in a well-balanced manner from all the outlets provided in the outer case in the flow direction of the second gas. As a result, the entire hollow fiber membrane is effectively used, that is, the humidification property is improved.”).
Katagiri and Nagumo are considered analogous to the claimed invention because they are in the same field of hollow fiber membrane humidifying devices. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the hollow fiber membrane module as taught by Katagiri to include the tapered inner case as taught by Nagumo, which has an annular gap with a constant annular diameter at the one end side and an increasing annular dimension from the other end side toward the one side, to more efficiently utilize the hollow fiber membrane module.
Regarding claim 2, Katagiri and Nagumo teach the hollow fiber membrane module as applied to claim 1 above. Katagiri further teaches wherein the communication portion is provided around an entire circumference (¶0049 “A plurality of lead-out portions 65 and 165 opening toward the inside of the annular manifold 101 are formed at the end portion in the -X direction of the housing 46. In addition, you may form a derivation leading-out part over the perimeter of the circumferential direction of the housing 46 like the modification of the 2nd embodiment mentioned above.”).
Regarding claim 3, Katagiri and Nagumo teach the hollow fiber membrane module as applied to claim 1 above. Katagiri further teaches wherein the outlet portion is provided in at least one place in a circumferential direction (Fig. 9, through hole 102 is placed in a circumferential direction).
Regarding claim 4, Katagiri and Nagumo teach the hollow fiber membrane module as applied to claim 1 above. Nagumo further teaches wherein the inner case is provided with a widened portion having a width in a direction perpendicular to a direction from the one end side toward the other end side which increases from the one end side toward the other end side (Fig. 3, inner case 32 tapers in diameter from one end side to the other end side), and the widened portion is provided with the plurality of windows (Fig. 3, inlets 35 are present at the widened portion of inner case 32). Nagumo further teaches wherein this tapering allows for more efficient use of the hollow fiber membrane (¶0010 “According to the humidifier of the first aspect of the present invention, since the cross-sectional area near the outlet is smaller than the cross-sectional area on the upstream side, the flow rate of the second gas near the outlet is faster than its upstream part. Thereby, the second gas increases in straightness and is provided in a plurality in the circumferential direction of the outer case, and is discharged in a well-balanced manner from all the outlets provided in the outer case in the flow direction of the second gas. As a result, the entire hollow fiber membrane is effectively used, that is, the humidification property is improved.”). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the hollow fiber membrane module as taught by Katagiri to include the tapered inner case as taught by Nagumo to more efficiently utilize the hollow fiber membrane module.
Regarding claim 5, Katagiri and Nagumo teach the hollow fiber membrane module as applied to claim 1 above. Katagiri further teaches a dehumidification/humidification device (¶0001 “The present invention relates to a humidification module.”) comprising: the hollow fiber membrane module as applied to claim 1 above; a wet gas supply device that supplies a wet gas to the hollow region (¶0034 “Here, the cathode off gas containing the condensed water introduced into the humidifier module 14 from the cathode off gas introduction part 64 flows so as to be ejected from the -Z direction toward the +Z direction, and then into the membrane storage chamber 43.”); and a dry gas supply device that supplies a dry gas having a humidity lower than that of the wet gas to each of the inner hollow portions of the plurality of hollow fiber membranes from the sealing/fixing portion of the one end side (Fig. 1, cathode gas is fed from air pump 32 ; ¶0025 “That is, in this embodiment, the cathode gas (second fluid) circulates inside the hollow fiber membrane 48, and the cathode offgas (first fluid) containing condensed water circulates outside (inside the housing 46). Thus, moisture moves from the cathode offgas which has been wetted by the fuel cell 11 to generate electricity, to the cathode gas. As a result, the cathode gas can be humidified in advance before the fuel cell 11 is supplied.” ; Fig. 8, F1 indicates the flow direction of cathode gas, it can be seen that it enters through the sealing/fixing portion of the one end side).
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RACHEL MARIE SLAUGOVSKY whose telephone number is (571)272-0188. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8:30 am - 5:30 pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jennifer Dieterle can be reached at (571) 270-7872. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/RACHEL MARIE SLAUGOVSKY/Examiner, Art Unit 1776
/Jennifer Dieterle/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1776
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