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 Status
Claims 1, 10-12, 16 and 20 are rejected.
Claims 2-9 and 13-15 are withdrawn.
Claims 17-19 are objected.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they do not include the following reference sign(s) mentioned in the description: reference number 3150. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election of Species B, as shown in Fig. 7, Species c, as shown in Fig. 8, and Species VI, as shown in Figs. 11(a)-11(c), in the reply filed on June 10, 2026, is acknowledged. Because applicant did not distinctly and specifically point out the supposed errors in the restriction requirement, the election has been treated as an election without traverse (MPEP § 818.01(a)).
Applicant indicated that claims 1, 10-12 and 16-20 are readable on the elected species. Accordingly, claims 2-9 and 13-15 are withdrawn from further consideration because they are drawn to non-elected species.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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, 10-12, 16 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lee (US 2020/0030749).
With respect to claim 1, Lee discloses a membrane filtration system 100, as shown in Fig. 1, having: a treatment tank 300 (filtration tank) into which feed water to be treated is introduced, as shown in Fig. 1; at least one separation membrane module 700 (filtration apparatus) configured to perform filtration in a state in which at least a part of the filtration apparatus 700 is submerged in the feed water, as shown in Fig. 1; a reciprocating portion 200 (driving unit) for reciprocating motion of the filtration apparatus 700, as shown in Fig. 1; a wheel block 513 (first rail) configured to reciprocate together with the filtration apparatus 700, as shown in Fig. 6; a guide rail 511 (second rail) configured to guide the reciprocating motion of the filtration apparatus 700, as shown in Fig. 6; and a rolling wheel 514 (free-roller) located between the first and second rails 513, 511, the free-roller 514 being movable relative to both the first and second rails 513, 511 (roller 514 rotates with respect to both rails), as shown in Fig. 6.
With respect to claim 10, Lee discloses wherein the filtration system 100 comprises a plurality of the filtration apparatuses, as shown in Fig. 1, each of the filtration apparatuses comprises: a support frame 600 (skid frame), as shown in Fig. 1; and a plurality of membrane modules 700 installed in the skid frame 600, as shown in Fig. 1, the skid frame 600 comprises: a supporting frame 250, as shown in Fig. 5; a lower horizontal frame 620, as shown in Fig. 23; an upper horizontal frame located between the supporting frame 250 and the lower horizontal frame 720, as shown in Fig. 23 (see paragraph 0168, upper frames are fixed to a separate frame); and a plurality of vertical members configured to connect the supporting frame 250, the upper horizontal frame, and the lower horizontal frame 620 to each other, as shown in Fig. 23, the supporting frame 250 has a bottom surface that faces the free-roller, as shown in Fig. 5, and the first rail 513 is mounted on the bottom surface of the supporting frame 250, as shown in Fig. 5.
With respect to claim 11, Lee discloses wherein each of the membrane modules 700 comprises: an upper frame 710 (upper header) having a first outlet port at one end thereof, as shown in Fig. 22; a lower frame 720 (lower header) having a second outlet port at one end thereof, as shown in Fig. 22; and a filtration membrane 730 configured to fluidly communicate with the upper header 710 and the lower header 720, as shown in Fig. 22, the upper horizontal frame comprises: an upper cross pipe configured to allow one end of the upper header to be coupled thereto via the first outlet port, as shown in Fig. 23; an upper cross bar configured to allow the other end of the upper header to be coupled thereto, as shown in Fig. 23; a first upper horizontal member configured to connect one end of the upper cross pipe and one end of the upper cross bar to each other, as shown in Fig. 23; and a second upper horizontal member configured to connect the other end of the upper cross pipe and the other end of the upper cross bar to each other, as shown in Fig. 23, and the lower horizontal frame 620 comprises: a lower cross pipe configured to allow one end of the lower header to be coupled thereto via the second outlet port, as shown in Fig. 23; a lower cross bar configured to allow the other end of the lower header to be coupled thereto, as shown in Fig. 23; a first lower horizontal member configured to connect one end of the lower cross pipe and one end of the lower cross bar to each other, as shown in Fig. 23; and a second lower horizontal member configured to connect the other end of the lower cross pipe and the other end of the lower cross bar to each other, as shown in Fig. 23.
With respect to claim 12, Lee discloses the supporting frame 250 including: a pair of parallel bars respectively having the first rail 513 mounted thereon, as shown in Figs. 1 and 5; and at least one connecting bar configured to connect the pair of parallel bars to each other, as shown in Fig. 1, and the vertical members are coupled to the connecting bar, as shown in Fig. 1.
With respect to claim 16, Lee discloses wherein the filtration system 100 further comprises a guide frame provided on the filtration tank 300, the guide frame has a top surface that faces the free-roller 514, and the second rail 511 is mounted on the top surface of the guide frame, said guide frame being the surface where the rail 511 is attached, as shown in Fig. 6.
With respect to claim 20, Lee discloses wherein the supporting frames of the plurality of filtration apparatuses are separably coupled to each other, as shown in Fig. 1, and each of the filtration apparatuses further comprises a link rod 220 (lifting hook receiver) provided on the supporting frame 600, as shown in Fig. 1.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 17-19 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: Claim 17 would be allowed because the prior art of record does not show or suggest wherein the filtration system further comprises a pivot member having a central hole, a first end of the pivot member is pivotably coupled to the guide frame, a second end of the pivot member is a two-pronged end having first and second fingers, a rotating shaft connected to a rotation axis of the free-roller extends through the central hole of the pivot member, and a protrusion provided at the supporting frame is disposed in a gap between the first and second fingers, in combination with any remaining limitations in the claim. Lee lacks these limitations and it would have not been obvious to modify because there is no reason or suggestion to do so and the system would not operate as intended.
Claims 18-19 would be allowed due to their dependency on claim 17.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MADELINE GONZALEZ whose telephone number is (571)272-5502. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-5:30.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Benjamin Lebron can be reached at 571-272-0475. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MADELINE GONZALEZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1773
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