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 .
Rejection under 35 U.S.C. 103(a)
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103(a) which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
(a) A patent may not be obtained though the invention is not identically disclosed or described as set forth in section 102 of this title, if the differences between the subject matter sought to be patented and the prior art are such that the subject matter as a whole would have been obvious at the time the invention was made to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which said subject matter pertains. Patentability shall not be negatived by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 13-25 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Morton et al. (2021/0145996) in view of Mullen et al. (2021/0299318), Starkweather et al. (2020/0254122), and Shuman et al. (2004/0052702).
Morton et al. (2021/0145996) discloses, in figs. 1A-9, a disinfection system forming a tunnel for sterilizing objects, parcels and/or baggage, which includes
Regarding claims 13, 25,
at least fourteen UVC emitting light bulbs or at least eighteen UVC emitting light bulbs 160 positioned at four sides around shrouds 100 for emitting UVC light with wavelength of 254 nm (see figs. 1A, 1B, 2A, 3I, [0011], [0012], [0013], [0015], [0021], [0022], [0024], [0025], [0027], [0028], [0030], [0035]-[0038], [0046], [0059], [0067], [0070], [0071], [0077], [0075], [0121], [0126], [0136]-[0138], [0141], [0163]); and
a roller assembly 358 operated by a motor that causes the roller assembly to convey objects at a rate of between about 0.10 m/second and about 0.50 m/second from an entry end of the tunnel to an exit end of the tunnel such that the travel time between the entry end of the tunnel and the exit end of the tunnel is less than about 5 seconds, or less than or equal to about 30 seconds; wherein the system is capable of inactivating at least 99.9% or 99.99% of germs (bacteria and viruses) passing through the tunnel within the travel time (see figs. 3B-3J, [0122], [0126], [0137], [0141], [0158], [0163], [0209]).
Regarding claim 14, wherein the tunnel has at least sixteen UVC emitting light bulbs (see [0121], [0136]).
Regarding claim 15, wherein the system is capable of inactivating at least 99.99% of germs (bacteria and viruses) passing through the tunnel within the travel time (see [0122], [0126], [0137], [0141], [0158], [0163], [0209]).
Regarding claim 16, wherein the travel time is less than or equal to about 10 seconds, and wherein the baggage disinfection system is capable of inactivating 99.9% of germs (bacteria and viruses) passing through the tunnel within the travel time (see [0122], [0126], [0137], [0141], [0158], [0163], [0209]).
Regarding claim 17, wherein the travel time is less than or equal to about 10 seconds, and wherein the baggage disinfection system is capable of inactivating 99.99% of germs (bacteria and viruses) passing through the tunnel within the travel time (see [0122], [0126], [0137], [0141], [0158], [0163], [0209]).
Regarding claim 18, wherein the travel time is less than or equal to about 8 seconds, and wherein the baggage disinfection system is capable of inactivating 99.9% of germs (bacteria and viruses) passing through the tunnel within the travel time (see [0122], [0126], [0137], [0141], [0158], [0163], [0209]).
Regarding claim 19, wherein the travel time is less than or equal to about 8 seconds, and wherein the baggage disinfection system is capable of inactivating 99.99% of germs (bacteria and viruses) passing through the tunnel within the travel time (see [0122], [0126], [0137], [0141], [0158], [0163], [0209]).
Regarding claim 20, wherein the tunnel has at least eighteen UVC emitting light bulbs (see [0121], [0136]).
Regarding claim 21, wherein the travel time is less than or equal to about 8 seconds, and wherein the baggage disinfection system is capable of inactivating 99.9% of germs (bacteria and viruses) passing through the tunnel within the travel time (see [0122], [0126], [0137], [0141], [0158], [0163], [0209]).
Regarding claim 22, wherein the travel time is less than or equal to about 8 seconds, and wherein the baggage disinfection system is capable of inactivating 99.99% of germs (bacteria and viruses) passing through the tunnel within the travel time (see [0122], [0126], [0137], [0141], [0158], [0163], [0209]).
Regarding claim 23, wherein the UVC emitting light bulbs emit light at a wavelength of between about 250 nm and about 260 nm (see [0015], [0025], [0030], [0038], [0046], [0059], [0071], [0077], [0126], [0141], [0163]).
Morton et al. (2021/0145996) discloses all the features as discussed above except Sars-Cov-2 viruses or mutations as recited in claims 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22, and 25; an ozone sensor that issues a signal if the amount of ozone detected is in excess of an acceptable limit of ozone emission as recited in claim 24; and the UVC light bulbs having nominal wattage of 25W or higher as recited in claim 25.
Using the UVC light to inactivate the Sars-Cov-2 viruses or mutations is considered to be obvious variation in design, since it is well known in the art as Mullen et al. (2021/0299318) discloses, in figs. 1-12, an UVC device using UVC light to inactivate 90-99% of SARS-CoV-2 viruses of objects (see [0021], [0025], [0080], [0107], [0111]), thus would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to use the UVC light to inactivate the Sars-Cov-2 viruses or mutations in the Morton et al. (2021/0145996) disinfection system for inactivating the Sars-Cov-2 viruses or mutations as Morton et al. (2021/0145996) discloses the UVC light used to disinfect pathogen, germs or bacteria.
Using the ozone sensor that issues a signal if the amount of ozone detected is in excess of an acceptable limit of ozone emission is also considered to be obvious variation in design, since it is well known in the art as Starkweather et al. (2020/0254122) discloses, in figs. 1-24, an UVC light system for disinfecting objects, using an ozone sensor 164 (see fig. 1, [0053]) which is well known in the art for detecting the ozone in an environment to issue a signal if the amount of ozone detected is in excess of an acceptable limit of ozone emission, thus would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to use the ozone sensor in the Morton et al. (2021/0145996) disinfection system for providing a signal if the amount of ozone detected is in excess of an acceptable limit of ozone emission. Since, the ozone can be harmful to the environment or hazardous to human health.
Using the plurality of UVC emitting light bulbs having nominal wattage of 25W or higher for disinfecting the objects is considered to be obvious variation in design, since it is well known in the art as Shuman et al. (2004/0052702) discloses, in figs. 1A-16, a sterilization apparatus for sterilizing objects, using the plurality of UVC emitting light bulbs 161 (see figs. 5, 6) having nominal wattage of 25W or higher for disinfecting the objects (see [0115], [0179], [0181], [0191], [0207]), thus would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to use the plurality of UVC emitting light bulbs having nominal wattage of 25W or higher for disinfecting the objects in the Morton et al. (2021/0145996) disinfection system for sterilizing micro-organism, bacteria, yeast, fungi, or mold spores.
Claims 1-12 are allowable.
The Reasons for Allowable Subject Matter
The prior art fails to disclose a baggage disinfection system forming a tunnel, which includes a bottom drawer light bulb assembly that slides in and out of an opening on a side wall of a frame, the bottom drawer light bulb assembly having a base with at least one opening containing a cooling fan and further containing at least two ultraviolet light bulbs that are oriented in the bottom drawer light bulb assembly in a direction that is perpendicular to rollers; a tunnel frame connected to a conveyor assembly, the tunnel frame comprising a roof assembly and two opposing wall assemblies that together support the roof assembly, wherein each of the roof assembly and two opposing wall assemblies contain a gap that extend at least a part of the distance between an entry end of the tunnel frame and an exit end of the tunnel frame; a top drawer light bulb assembly that slides in and out of the gap in the roof assembly, the top drawer light bulb assembly containing at least two ultraviolet light bulbs that are oriented in the top drawer light bulb assembly in a direction that is perpendicular to the rollers; a first side drawer light bulb assembly that slides in and out of the gap in a first of the two opposing wall assemblies, the first side drawer light bulb assembly containing at least two ultraviolet light bulbs that are oriented in the first side drawer light bulb assembly in a direction that is perpendicular to the rollers; and a second side drawer light bulb assembly that slides in and out of the gap in a second of the two opposing wall assemblies, the second side drawer light bulb assembly containing at least two ultraviolet light bulbs that are oriented in the second light bulb assembly in a direction that is perpendicular to the rollers as recited in claim 1.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KIET TUAN NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)272-2479. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 8-6.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Robert H. Kim can be reached on 571-272-2293. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 703-872-9306.
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/KIET T NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2881