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 § 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, 4, and 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Usada (US20150107453A1).
Claim 1: Usada teaches a hollow fiber membrane module (abstract teaches water recovery device with a hollow fiber membrane bundle), comprising: a hollow fiber membrane bundle made up of a plurality of hollow fiber membranes (See 421 in figure 3); a case of which both ends are open and in a housing interior of which the hollow fiber membrane bundle is accommodated (Figure 3 shows the case 411 with 422); a pair of sealing and fixing parts that seals respective openings at respective ends of the case in a state where a hollow interior of the hollow fiber membranes is left open and that fixes the hollow fiber membrane bundle to the case at one end side and another end side of the case (The rings 43 and 45 appear to read upon this limitation). [0041] and [0051] teach that these o-rings seal the body.); intra-membrane channels in which a first gas flows from one end side of the case to the other end side of the case through the hollow interior of the plurality of hollow fiber membranes (This would be through the fiber membrane itself. This can be seen in figure 4 as the cathode gas.); and extra-membrane channels in which a second gas flows from an inlet formed in the case to an outlet formed in the case through the housing interior (This would be through the holes on storage case 422. This is shown in figure 4 as the cathode off gas with water vapor in the off gas. Figure 6 shows the channels 52.), one of the first gas and the second gas being a dry gas and the other being a moist gas having higher humidity than that of the dry gas, whereby moisture in the moist gas is supplied into the dry gas by virtue of a membrane separation effect of the hollow fiber membranes (This is considered to be intended usage and material worked upon by the apparatus. Figure 4 does teach that there is a cathode gas and cathode off gas with water vapor.), wherein at least one of a first channel and a second channel is provided, the first channel runs through the case from one end side to the other end side and in which part of the first gas flows without passing through the intra-membrane channels (The first channel is bypass 6 as shown in figure 6. This runs from one side of the case to the other end side just like the hollow fiber membranes but it avoids passing through the intra membrane channels.), and the second channel runs through the case in a direction that intersects a direction from the one end side to the other end side of the case and through which part of the second gas flows without passing through the extra-membrane channels (Figure 6 shows the second channel at bypass 8. This runs in a direction that is perpendicular to the first gas and avoids the extra membrane channels at 52. There are also extra channels at 422d and 422f which do not go through channels 52.).
Claim 4: Usada teaches a tubular member, of which both ends are respectively fixed by the pair of sealing and fixing parts, is provided in the housing interior, and a tubular interior of the tubular member is the first channel (Bypass 6 reads upon this limitation.).
Claim 6: Usada teaches the second channel is provided so as to run through an outer wall of the case between an outer peripheral wall surface thereof and the housing interior (Figures 6 and 7 shows that the bypass is running between the central body and the case. The arrows run between the outside of the case down and passes the inside interior. There is also a separate set of holes 422d and 422f which can read upon this as well as only 52 reads upon the external membrane.).
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.
Claim(s) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as anticipated by or, in the alternative, under 35 U.S.C. 103 as obvious over Usada.
Claim(s) 2 and 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Usada in view of KR716 (KR20210114716A, applicant’s translation will be referenced.).
Rejection in view of Usada
Claim 3: Usada teaches the first channel is provided so as to run through an outer wall of the case between an outer peripheral wall surface thereof and the housing interior (The bypass channels 6 are used to completely bypass the fiber membrane bundle 421. They are seen to go through the entire membrane in figure 3. It would run through an outer wall of the case as the case end is open on both of the ends.).
If Usada does not teach this, it would have been obvious to position or have an optimal size for the membrane and bypass so that the gas can bypass the entire membrane without going through it.
Rejection in view of Usada and KR716
Claim 2: Usada does not explicitly teach said housing interior is divided into a plurality of sites by a partition wall, and said hollow fiber membrane bundle is divisionally accommodated at the plurality of sites, the first channel being provided so as to run through the partition wall. Usada teaches a hollow fiber membrane bundle.
KR716 teaches an analogous device in the abstract. It teaches in figure 7 a bundle of membranes with partition walls 300 (support plates). [0026] teaches that this is so the cartridges can be more easily removed from the housing and be replaced. KR716 shows in figure 7 that the bypass hole 303 goes through each of the partitions. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill before the effective filing date of the invention to have partitions divide the bundle into multiple parts and having the channel run through the partition wall as taught by KR716 in the device of Usada as KR716 teaches the benefit of making it easier to remove and replace the parts.
Claim 5: Usada does not explicitly teach the housing interior is divided into a plurality of sites by a partition wall, and the hollow fiber membrane bundle is divisionally accommodated at the plurality of sites, the second channel being provided so as to run through the partition wall. Usada teaches a hollow fiber membrane bundle.
KR716 teaches an analogous device in the abstract. It teaches in figure 7 a bundle of membranes with partition walls 300 (support plates). [0026] teaches that this is so the cartridges can be more easily removed from the housing and be replaced. KR716 shows in figure 10 that the bypass hole for the air 101 goes through the partition 300c as shown by the arrow. The partitions 300 can all be seen as having through holes within them. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill before the effective filing date of the invention to have partitions divide the bundle into multiple parts and having the channel run through the partition wall as taught by KR716 in the device of Usada as KR716 teaches the benefit of making it easier to remove and replace the parts.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. 20200353416.
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/P.Y.S/Examiner, Art Unit 1776 02/11/2026
/Jennifer Dieterle/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1776