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 Interpretation
In the claims, the phrase “across the outlet passage” is given its broadest reasonable interpretation because is it not defined in the specification. Figures 2, 3 and 5 appear to show the baffle and row of teeth extending across the inlet passage, so the outlet passage is taken to mean any part of the flow path between the inlet and the outlet.
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, 4-12, 14 and 16-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Humbert, Jr. et al. (3,508,383).
Humbert, Jr. et al. ‘383 teach an air filter comprising a filter housing (2) with a cylindrical middle wall (2) extending between upper (3’) and lower (9) end caps and defining an internal cavity that includes a cylindrical filter media (10). A middle clamp ring (5) delineates the middle part into an upper part (3) including an air inlet (7) and a lower part (4), while an air outlet (8) extends through the upper end cap. An inlet baffle (29) is connected to the upper end cap via a bold (23) and seal (45) and surrounds the upper end of the filter. The baffle (29) functions as a frame that supports a row of rectangular prismatic spaced teeth (vanes 40) that function to evenly distribute air away from the outlet and over the filter. The teeth extend over an air outlet path downstream of the inlet and also extend over the upper outlet path from a side perspective. The air inlet (7) is a pipe that has a circular cross-section. An axis of the air inlet is transverse to the housing wall and an axis of the outlet is transverse to the entrance axis (see figures, col. 2, line 5 to col. 3, line 29).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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) 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Humbert, Jr. et al. ‘383 in view of Klug et al. (6,419,718).
Humbert, Jr. et al. ‘383 disclose all of the limitations of the claims except that there is a second baffle extending from the other end of the housing. Klug et al. 718 discloses a cylindrical gas filter arrangement with an inlet baffle skirt and a second baffle extending from an opposite end (see abstract, figure 2). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify the filter of Humbert, Jr. et al. ‘383 by using a second baffle in order to distribute gas flow and guide separated residue to a waste outlet.
Claim(s) 2, 3 and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Humbert, Jr. et al. ‘383 in view of DE 102010008273 A1.
Humber, Jr. et al. ‘383 disclose all of the limitations of the claims except that the entrance axis intersects the housing wall to define a preferred angle therebetween. DE ‘273 discloses a cylindrical air filter with an air inlet (26) that can be curved and contoured with a vessel wall (44) to form a nozzle (30) with an outflow opening (32) (see figures 5-8, abstract, pages 6-7 of the machine-generated English translation). Regarding the angle, a round tangential inlet pipe will have a center axis that intersects the vessel wall with an angle of about 60° (looking down on the filter, the angle between the inlet pipe axis and a line tangential to the vessel wall). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify the filter of Humbert, Jr. et al. ‘383 by using the angled inlet of DE ‘273 in order to provide for a swirling inlet flow that distributes gas and particulates evenly around the filter. Regarding the exact angle, the examiner understand that the drawings are not to be taken to scale, however absent a proper showing of criticality or unexpected results, the angle is considered to be a parameter that would have been routinely optimized by one having ordinary skill in the art in order to facilitate more even flow distribution over the filter surface.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The additional references listed on the attached PTO-892 form disclose fluid filter arrangements and inlet baffles.
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/FRANK M LAWRENCE JR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1776
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