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 § 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 10-18 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.
Regarding claims 10-18, claim 10 recites the limitation "the solution circulation concentrating device" in lines 1-2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Applicant can recite "a solution circulation concentrating device" to overcome this rejection.
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) 1-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al (KR 20140078264 with ref made to Espacenet Machine Translation of KR20140078264 Obtained 10 October 2025) taken in combination with Al-Garni et al (US 2015/0001745).
Regarding claim 1, Kim teaches a system for generating purified rainwater via solar energy (title, abstract), Kim teaches the system comprises evaporator tank 40 having heat shield 41 below solar concentrating cover 50 to evaporate water and therefore concentrate leftover water, solution collecting tray 30, supply pipes 80 and drain pipe 60 has built in filter 61 provide for inlets and outlets via valve 70 to storage tank 40, the cover 50 shape is shown as pyramidal but other designs can be square, cylindrical, etc (See Fig 1-3, [0022-0038]).
However Kim does not teach wherein the solar absorber is rotatable as claimed.
Al-Garni teaches a spherical desalination device for solar evaporation of water via a rotating shell upon which sunlight is focused to cause evaporation (title abstract), Al-Garni teaches rotating spherical shell 10 having inner surface that collects condensation from internal evaporation trays 16a-g that is fed water via dispenser 18 and the shell is rotated via external motor 50 to cause rotation to collect purified liquid condensation and collected in tray 16h (see Figs 1-2, [0014-0021]).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the system and method of use of system of Kim in view of Al-Garni to incorporate rotating solar concentrating shell to both remove condensate from the shell as well as therefore improve solar transparency by removing the condensate to thereby improve evaporation as suggested by Al-Garni.
Regarding claim 2, modified Kim teaches all limitations as set forth above, and Al-Garni further teaches adding honeycomb surface textures and fins for absorption (see Fig 3, [0022]), therefore the skilled artisan would find obvious to modify to wherein the evaporator is of a conical structure, a plurality of annular evaporator grooves are formed in a side wall of the evaporator, and an outer surface of the side wall of the evaporator is coated with a solar heat adsorption coating.
Regarding claim 3, modified Kim teaches all limitations as set forth above including spray nozzle 18 of Al-Garni as set forth above.
Regarding claim 4-6, modified Kim teaches all limitations as set forth above, including Al-Garni teaches motor 50 and rotating belt 52 along connecting rod 54 via groove that is attached with rotating shell 10 (Figs 1-2, [0019]), and Kim has taught the shell may be of various shapes as set forth above.
Regarding claim 7, modified Kim teaches all limitations as set forth above, Kim is silent to universal wheels, however this is a design choice related to making the system portable or mobile, which is held to be obvious, see MPEP 2144.04 (V).
Regarding claim 8, modified Kim teaches all limitations as set forth above including filter, which is known through obvious design choice to be selected as a plurality of filter screens are arranged in the filter tank in sequence without unexpected results.
Regarding claim 9, modified Kim teaches all limitations as set forth above, Al-Garni further teaches water storage tank 24 with circulating pump 44 to inlet line 48 (Fig 1, [0018]), thereby rendering obvious wherein a circulating pump and a liquid inlet valve are arranged on the liquid inlet pipe; a liquid outlet valve is arranged on the liquid outlet pipe; a rainwater discharge valve is arranged on the rainwater discharge pipe.
Regarding claim 10, Kim teaches a method of operating a system for generating purified rainwater via solar energy (title, abstract), Kim teaches the system comprises evaporator tank 40 having heat shield 41 below solar concentrating cover 50 to evaporate water and therefore concentrate leftover water, solution collecting tray 30, supply pipes 80 and drain pipe 60 has built in filter 61 provide for inlets and outlets via valve 70 to storage tank 40, the cover 50 shape is shown as pyramidal but other designs can be square, cylindrical, etc (See Fig 1-3, [0022-0038]), Kim teaches that in operation the valves are used to be opened and closed to supply water to be evaporated as well as removed collected fresh water therefore being responsive to rain and sun conditions as claimed ([0022-0028,0031-0038]).
However Kim does not teach wherein the solar absorber is rotatable as claimed.
Al-Garni teaches a spherical desalination device for solar evaporation of water via a rotating shell upon which sunlight is focused to cause evaporation (title abstract), Al-Garni teaches rotating spherical shell 10 having inner surface that collects condensation from internal evaporation trays 16a-g that is fed water via dispenser 18 and the shell is rotated via external motor 50 to cause rotation to collect purified liquid condensation and collected in tray 16h (see Figs 1-2, [0014-0021]).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the system and method of use of system of Kim in view of Al-Garni to incorporate rotating solar concentrating shell to both remove condensate from the shell as well as therefore improve solar transparency by removing the condensate to thereby improve evaporation as suggested by Al-Garni.
Regarding claim 11, modified Kim teaches all limitations as set forth above, and Al-Garni further teaches adding honeycomb surface textures and fins for absorption (see Fig 3, [0022]), therefore the skilled artisan would find obvious to modify to wherein the evaporator is of a conical structure, a plurality of annular evaporator grooves are formed in a side wall of the evaporator, and an outer surface of the side wall of the evaporator is coated with a solar heat adsorption coating.
Regarding claim 12, modified Kim teaches all limitations as set forth above including spray nozzle 18 of Al-Garni as set forth above.
Regarding claim 13-15, modified Kim teaches all limitations as set forth above, including Al-Garni teaches motor 50 and rotating belt 52 along connecting rod 54 via groove that is attached with rotating shell 10 (Figs 1-2, [0019]), and Kim has taught the shell may be of various shapes as set forth above.
Regarding claim 16, modified Kim teaches all limitations as set forth above, Kim is silent to universal wheels, however this is a design choice related to making the system portable or mobile, which is held to be obvious, see MPEP 2144.04 (V).
Regarding claim 17, modified Kim teaches all limitations as set forth above including filter, which is known through obvious design choice to be selected as a plurality of filter screens are arranged in the filter tank in sequence without unexpected results.
Regarding claim 18, modified Kim teaches all limitations as set forth above, Al-Garni further teaches water storage tank 24 with circulating pump 44 to inlet line 48 (Fig 1, [0018]), thereby rendering obvious wherein a circulating pump and a liquid inlet valve are arranged on the liquid inlet pipe; a liquid outlet valve is arranged on the liquid outlet pipe; a rainwater discharge valve is arranged on the rainwater discharge pipe.
Pertinent Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Ahmed et al (US 10,829,913) teaches water generator. Al-Arifi et al (US 2013/0001164) teaches solar desalination unit. Gode (US 5,645,693) teaches solar desalination unit. Javet (US 3,640,330) teaches rotating heat exchanger unit.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JONATHAN MILLER whose telephone number is (571)270-1603. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 9 - 5.
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/JONATHAN MILLER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1772