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) 1-3, 14-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Van de Mortel (US 2020038776).
Regarding claim 1, Van de Mortel teaches a potable water extracting and dispensing apparatus (200) comprising: a housing (300) having a channel (inlet arrow to outlet arrow, fig. 2) extending therethrough and having an inlet end (moist air in, fig. 2) and an outlet end (arrow out of fan 222, fig. 2); a cooling assembly (202, 204, 206, 208) being mounted in the housing (fig. 2) and having a cooling member (208) positioned in the channel, the cooling assembly being configured for cooling the cooling member to cause a moisture from an air to form condensate on the cooling member (Evaporator 208 may allow heat from air adjacent to evaporator 208 to be transferred to the refrigerant inside, thereby reducing the temperature of the air. The reduction of temperature of the air may cause water to condense, paragraph 0038); a blower (220) being mounted in the housing and positioned in the channel, the blower being configured for drawing the air into the channel through the inlet end and urging the air out of the channel through the outlet end (he warm, moist air may then be channeled around evaporator 208 which may cool the air, causing moisture in the air to be condensed into water collection unit 210. Fan 220 may then move the cool dry air around the condenser, where the air may absorb heat from the refrigerant in the condenser, causing the refrigerant to condense more efficiently. The warmed air may then be expelled from the AWG 200 by fan 22, paragraph 0040); a reservoir (210) being mounted in the housing, the reservoir having an opening (the warm, moist air may then be channeled around evaporator 208 which may cool the air, causing moisture in the air to be condensed into water collection unit 210 (an opening in 210 below 208), paragraph 0040) extending into the reservoir and being in fluid communication with the channel (paragraph 0040), the opening being positioned in relation to the evaporator such that the opening is configured for receiving the condensate from the evaporator (fi. 2); a filter (216) being in fluid communication with the reservoir, the filter being configured to filter foreign matter from the condensate (paragraph 0039); and a dispensing tube (222) being in fluid communication with the filter and extending out of the housing to an open end of the dispensing tube (fig. 2).
Regarding claim 2, Van de Mortel teaches the cooling assembly is a vapor-compression refrigeration assembly (refrigerant circuit, paragraph 0035) and the cooling member of the cooling assembly is an evaporator (208), the vapor-compression refrigeration assembly further comprising a compressor (202), a condenser (204), an expansion valve (206), and a refrigerant (refrigerant, paragraph 0035), the vapor-compression refrigeration assembly being arranged such that the compressor is operable to urge the refrigerant consecutively and cyclically through each of the condenser, the expansion valve, and the evaporator (paragraph 0036-0038, fig. 2).
Regarding claim 3, Van de Mortel teaches the condenser is positioned in the channel and between the evaporator and the outlet end of the channel along a flow path extending through the channel from the inlet end of the channel to the outlet end of the channel (arrow from inlet through 208 through 204 to outlet, fig. 2).
Regarding claim 14, Van de Mortel teaches a pump (214) being mounted in the housing and being in fluid communication with the reservoir (paragraph 0039), the pump being arranged such that the pump is configured for urging water toward the reservoir from outside of the housing (paragraph 0039, fig. 2).
Regarding claim 15, Van de Mortel teaches an intake pipe (piping extending from 210 to 214 outside 200) being coupled to the pump and extending outwardly of the housing (fig. 2).
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 4-11, 13, 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Van de Mortal as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Engel et al (US 20040040322).
Regarding claim 4, Van de Mortel teaches the invention as described above but fails to explicitly teach a valve being coupled to the dispensing tube and being movable between open and closed positions, the valve being configured to permit condensate through the dispensing tube only when the valve is open.
However, Engel teaches a valve (19) being coupled to the dispensing tube (unnumbered tube, fig. 2) and being movable between open and closed positions (understood the valve is open and closed for removing water, paragraph 0089), the valve being configured to permit condensate through the dispensing tube only when the valve is open (paragraph 0089) to efficiently dispense collected water.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person skilled in the art before the effective filing date to modify the apparatus of Van de Mortel to include a valve being coupled to the dispensing tube and being movable between open and closed positions, the valve being configured to permit condensate through the dispensing tube only when the valve is open in view of the teachings of Engel to efficiently dispense collected water.
Regarding claim 5, Van de Mortel teaches the invention as described above but fails to explicitly teach a control circuit being operatively coupled to the cooling assembly and the blower; a power supply being electrically coupled to the control circuit.
However, Engel teaches a control circuit (68, 69, 70) being operatively coupled to the cooling assembly and the blower (paragraph 0062); a power supply (electrical source, being electrically coupled to the control circuit (paragraph 0077) to efficiently dispense collected water.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person skilled in the art before the effective filing date to modify the apparatus of Van de Mortel to include a control circuit being operatively coupled to the cooling assembly and the blower; a power supply being electrically coupled to the control circuit in view of the teachings of Engel to efficiently dispense collected water.
Regarding claim 6, the combined teachings teach the power supply comprises a battery (113 of Engel).
Regarding claim 7, the combined teachings teach at least one solar panel (112 of Engel) being mounted on an exterior of the housing and being electrically coupled to the battery (paragraph 0138, fig. 9a of Engel).
Regarding claim 8, the combined teachings teach the at least one solar panel includes a pair of solar panels (112, fig. 9a of Engel), each solar panel of the pair of solar panels being mounted to an associated one of a pair of lateral sides of the housing (fig. 9a of Engel).
Regarding claim 9, the combined teachings teach each solar panel of the pair of solar panels is pivotably coupled to an upper edge of the associated lateral side (fold-out solar cell panels, paragraph 0139, fig. 9a of Engel), each solar panel of the pair of solar panels being pivotable between a lowered position and a raised position (fold-out solar cell panels, paragraph 0139, fig. 9a of Engel), each solar panel of the pair of solar panels facing away from the associated lateral side when positioned in the lowered position and facing upwardly when positioned in the raised position (fold-out solar cell panels, paragraph 0139, fig. 9a of Engel).
Regarding claim 10, the combined teachings teach an input (70 with buttons and switches, paragraph 0063 of Engel) being in communication with the control circuit for controlling the control circuit (paragraph 0063 of Engel).
Regarding claim 11, the combined teachings teach the input is mounted on the exterior of the housing (70 maybe mounted on a wall, paragraph 0118, fig.9a of Engel).
Regarding claim 13, the combined teachings teach a power inlet (optional power cord, fig. 9a of Engel) being electrically coupled to the power supply and being positioned on the exterior of the housing (optional power cord, fig. 9a of Engel).
Regarding claim 17, the combined teachings teach a trailer (105 of Engel) being coupled to the housing, the housing being supported on the trailer (fig. 9b of Engel).
Claim(s) 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Van de Mortal as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Krieger (US 5173184).
Regarding claim 16, Van de Mortel teaches the invention as described above but fails to explicitly teach a ladder being coupled to the exterior of the housing for facilitating access to a top of the housing.
However, Krieger teaches a ladder (52) being coupled to the exterior of the housing for facilitating access to a top of the housing (fig. 1) to provide access to the housing.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person skilled in the art before the effective filing date to modify the apparatus of Van de Mortel to include a ladder being coupled to the exterior of the housing for facilitating access to a top of the housing in view of the teachings of Krieger to provide access to the housing.
Claim(s) 12, 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Van de Mortal and Engel as applied to claim 5 above, and further in view of Ahmed al (US 10829913).
Regarding claim 12, the combined teachings teach the invention as described above but fails to explicitly teach a power outlet being electrically coupled to the power supply and being positioned on the exterior of the housing.
However, Ahmed teaches a power outlet being electrically coupled to the power supply (AC outlet, USB Dual AC outlet, Cols. 10-11, lines, 60-16) and being positioned on the exterior of the housing (AC outlet, USB Dual AC outlet, Cols. 10-11, lines, 60-16) to provide power to external devices.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person skilled in the art before the effective filing date to modify the apparatus of the combined teachings to include a power outlet being electrically coupled to the power supply and being positioned on the exterior of the housing in view of the teachings of Ahmed to provide power to external devices.
Regarding claim 18, the combined teachings teach all the limitations of claim 18. See rejections of claims 1-17.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ELIZABETH J MARTIN whose telephone number is (571)270-3840. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30-3:00 CT pm M-F.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jerry-Daryl Fletcher can be reached at (571) 270-5054. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ELIZABETH J MARTIN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3763