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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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.
Claim(s) 1-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Peltz (US 20210086124 A1) in view of Lee (US 20130264885 A1).
At paragraphs 112 and 113, Peltz discloses the following:
Par [0112] Referring now to FIG. 8, a simplified block diagram of a filter system 852 is shown according to an example. As shown in FIG. 8, the filter system 852 includes a particulate filter 800 and an electromagnetic field generator 854. The particulate filter 800 can be similar or identical to the particulate filters 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600 shown and described above with respect to FIGS. 1-6 [emphasis added]. For example, the particulate filter 800 can include a porous filter substrate 810, which includes a first surface 812 and a second surface 814. As described above, the porous filter substrate 810 is configured to filter a gas flowing through the porous filter substrate 810 between the first surface 812 and the second surface 814.
Par [0113] The particulate filter 800 can also include a plurality of conductors 820 coupled to the porous filter substrate 810. The conductors 820 can be approximately parallel to each other along the porous filter substrate 810. Additionally, the particulate filter 800 can include a plurality of input nodes 822 in signal communication with the plurality of conductors 820 and configured to receive a voltage signal from an input signal source 824. The plurality of conductors 820 are configured to generate an electric field on at least one of the first surface 812 or the second surface 814 of the porous filter substrate 810 in response to the plurality of input nodes 822 receiving the voltage signal from the input signal source 824. As described above, when the electric field is generated, the electric field can repel and remove particulates accumulated on the porous filter substrate 810, and/or repel particulates to inhibit the particulates from accumulating on the porous filter substrate 810.
For claim 1, Peltz discloses a filter (110) for filtering an air flow, comprising: a filter element with a bellows made of a pleated filter medium (Fig. 6; pars [0052] and [0068]). Peltz teaches the filter element includes a particulate filter and an electromagnetic field generator, i.e., integrated into the filter element (par [0007]). Peltz does not appear to disclose that the electromagnetic field generator is a coil arrangement. Nonetheless, Lee discloses a coil arrangement (unit cell 80, which is made up of a first spiral 70 and a second spiral 72, in Fig. 6). Lee further discloses that inductive coupling (i.e., first spiral 70 and second spiral 72) is often used to wirelessly transfer power between two coils when a wired connection is not convenient or practical. It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art at the effective filing date of the current invention for the filter of Peltz to include the coil arrangement of Lee to provide power between two coils and avoid the usage of wired connections.
For claims 2-4, the teaching of Peltz and Lee is set forth above and discloses wherein a surface of the filter element is provided with the coil arrangement for inducing an electrical voltage—Peltz teaches “conductors 120 are configured to generate the electric field on at least one of the first surface 112 or the second surface 114 of the porous filter substrate” at par [0064], and Lee teaches “[i]nductive coupling is made possible by four primary components: a source, a generating coil, a receiving coil, and a drain. The source provides a current which flows through the generating coil to produce an electromagnetic field. The electromagnetic field propagates from the generating coil to the receiving coil and induces a voltage across the receiving coil which is then used to power the drain.” at par [0002]). Lastly, Peltz discloses wherein the surface having the coil arrangement is a surface of the bellows on an untreated gas side (“the conductors 120 are configured to generate the electric field on at least one of the first surface 112 or the second surface 114 of the porous filter substrate…the conductors 120 can be coupled to the first surface 112 of the porous filter substrate 110 and the second surface 114 of the porous filter substrate 110…the conductors 120 can be coupled to only the first surface 112 or the conductors 120 can be coupled to only the second surface 114” at par [0064]), and accordingly teaches wherein the coil arrangement is attached to the surface of the bellows (par [0064]).
Regarding claim 5, the prior art is relied upon as set forth above. The combined teaching of Peltz and Lee discloses the filter element at least one edge strip and the at least one edge strip is fastened to the bellows (see Peltz pars [0055], [0057], whereas, at least one edge strip attaches the filter element to the frame) but does not explicitly state wherein the surface having the coil arrangement is [at] a surface of the edge strip, whereas an additional coil arrangement at the surface of the edge strip is considered location of parts. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the effective filing date of the current invention to locate the coil arrangement at a surface of the edge strip to propagate electromagnetic field since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art and relocating coil arrangement at a surface of the edge strip would not have changed the function of the device. See MPEP § 2144.04(VI-C).
For claims 6-8, the prior art is relied upon as set forth above. Peltz discloses further wherein the filter medium has at least one layer and the coil arrangement is arranged on a surface of the at least one layer; wherein the coil arrangement is formed by a print on the filter element; and wherein the coil arrangement is formed by a nonwoven layer, which is provided with one of metallic fibers, conductive metallic particles, a conductive paste, graphene, or graphene oxides (par [0065]).
For claim 9, the prior art is relied upon as set forth above. Lee further discloses wherein the coil arrangement is formed by concentric lines on the filter element (Fig. 6).
For claim 10, the prior art is relied upon as set forth above. Peltz discloses the wherein the surface of the filter element is provided with conducting elements (“the conductors 120 can be coupled to the porous filter substrate” at par [0065]), which are electrically conductively connected to the coil arrangement (Lee teaches “Inductive coupling is made possible by four primary components: a source, a generating coil, a receiving coil, and a drain. The source provides a current which flows through the generating coil to produce an electromagnetic field. The electromagnetic field propagates from the generating coil to the receiving coil and induces a voltage across the receiving coil which is then used to power the drain.” at par [0002]).
Regarding claim 11, the prior art is relied upon as set forth above. Peltz further discloses wherein the filter medium is formed from nonwoven material, multilayer nonwoven material, multilayer nonwoven material with microfibers, multilayer nonwoven material with an active carbon layer, multilayer nonwoven material with a functional finish against allergens and/or microbiological substances, or from multilayer nonwoven material with an active carbon layer and with a functional finish against allergens and/or microbiological substances, and/or wherein the coil arrangement is formed from one of metallic fibers, fibers with conductive metallic particles, a paste with electrically conductive particles, graphenes, or graphene oxides (“the porous filter substrate 110 is a non-woven material and/or a non-fibrous material”; “the conductors 120 can include a plurality of conductive fibers (e.g., carbon nanotube fibers and/or graphite fibers)” at par [0065]).
Regarding claim 12, the prior art is relied upon as set forth above. The combined teaching discloses a housing in which the filter is accommodated (Peltz discloses “frame” at pars [0055], [0057]; Figs. 2-3, 6) and the coil arrangement of the filter element (Peltz par [0064]). The combined prior art does not explicitly teach wherein the housing is equipped with a coil arrangement for generating an electromagnetic field, and the coil arrangement of the housing and the coil arrangement of the filter element are positioned relative to each other in such a way as to provide for generation of an induced voltage in the coil arrangement of the filter element. Peltz does disclose coil arrangements that are coupled (par [0107]). Nonetheless, these features (i.e., the coil arrangement of the housing and the coil arrangement of the filter element) are considered as duplication of parts and location of parts. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the effective filing date of the current invention to duplicate the coil arrangement of the filter element to have a coil arrangement located in the housing, since it has been held that mere duplication of the essential working parts of a device involves only routine skill in the art and since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. In the instant case, duplication of the coil arrangement is obviously beneficial as an alternative to direct wired connections for power transfer (Lee par [0006]). See MPEP §§ 2144.04(VI-B); 2144.04(VI-C).
Regarding claim 13, the prior art is relied upon as set forth above. Peltz further discloses wherein the induced voltage generated in the coil arrangement of the filter element is distributed by a line system having conducting elements on a surface of the bellows (Figs. 2-3, 6), so that an increased electrical charge is generated on the surface of the bellows, which increases a particle separation rate (par [0064]).
Regarding claim 14, the prior art is relied upon as set forth above. Peltz further discloses a filter in a filter assembly (Figs. 2-3, 6; par [0064]). Under the broadest reasonable interpretation, the filter assembly of the combined teaching in prior art is structurally the same and is capable of being installed in a vehicle cabin. The phrase “assembly is arranged in an interior cabin of a motor vehicle” is considered an intended use. The instant invention is an apparatus. Apparatus claims are distinguished from the prior art in terms of structure rather than intended use or function. See MPEP § 2114.
Regarding claim 15, the prior art is relied upon as set forth above. Peltz further discloses a filter in a filter assembly (Figs. 2-3, 6; par [0064]). A method for increasing an electrostatic charge of the filter according to claim 1, comprising: providing the filter in a filter assembly. As such, one of ordinary skill in the art at the effective filing date of the current invention would obviously recognize the filter disclosed by the prior art as set forth above in its normal and usual operation would necessarily perform the method of increasing an electrostatic charge with the method step of providing the filter in a filter assembly as disclosed in the prior art to Peltz with a reasonable expectation for success.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. However, the prior art provided below should be reviewed and considered in response to this action.
US 20210086123 A1: particulate filter, comprising: a porous filter substrate comprising a first surface and a second surface, wherein the porous filter substrate is configured to filter gas flowing through the porous filter substrate between the first surface and the second surface; a plurality of conductors coupled to the porous filter substrate, wherein the plurality of conductors are approximately parallel to each other along the porous filter substrate; and a plurality of input nodes in signal communication with the plurality of conductors and configured to receive a voltage signal from an input signal source, wherein the plurality of conductors are configured to generate an electric field on at least one of the first surface or the second surface of the porous filter substrate. (Like Peltz above.)
US 20210129054 A1: teaches vehicles include consumable components, including oil and air filters; pleated filter 4 includes one or more conductive threads 20 on the filter medium 18, structure 22, and the conductive thread 20 may be arranged in a regular pattern or randomly on the filter medium 18. The conductive thread 20 arranged in a grid-like pattern, or may be arranged in other regular patterns.; Figs. 1A, 1B.
US 20210129632 A1: Figs. 1, 2; pars [0018]-[0023].
US 3938018: an induction charging system to provide a means for non-contact battery charging whereby an inductive coil on the primary side aligns with a horizontal inductive coil on a secondary device.
US 20050116683 A1 & US 20060061323 A1: a primary unit for use in a power transfer system having a power transfer surface shaped and arranged such that a secondary device, separable from the primary unit, can be placed in a working disposition on or in proximity to the surface to receive power from the primary unit without requiring direct electrically conductive contacts between the primary unit and the secondary device.
US 20080087589 A1: a filter cartridge which has a coil arrangement; whereas, the coil arrangement supplies the filter cartridge with electrical energy using electromagnetic induction.
US 20090212637 A1: suitable for use with essentially any inductive power supply a circular coil of wire suitable for generating an electromagnetic field.
US 20150279543 A1: a coil mounting structure for a device that comprises a primary coil to be supplied with an alternating current, and a secondary coil arranged facing the primary coil and configured to supply an electric power to a load provided in a housing by using an induced voltage generated by an electromagnetic field produced by the primary coil.
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/SONJI TURNER/Examiner, Art Unit 1776 January 22, 2026w
/Jennifer Dieterle/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1776