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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I (claims 1-13) in the reply filed on 1/30/26 is acknowledged.
Claims 14-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 1/30/26.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: Grammatical error in line 1: “A system for maintenance solar components..”. The suggested change is: “A system for the maintenance of solar components..”.
Claim 5 is objected to because of the following informalities: Grammatical error in line 2: “..to couple to with a manifold..”. The suggested change is: “..to couple to a manifold..”.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 3-4, 11-13 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.
Claim 3 recites the limitation: “…the condensate collection element in the first position if configurable to form a condensate channel configured to deliver water to the condensate reservoir…”. It is unclear whether or not being configurable to form a condensate channel is necessary for the condensate collection element to be in the first position or if, alternatively, the limitation requires that the condensate collection element be in the first position and configurable to form a condensate channel in order to deliver water to the condensate reservoir. For examination purposes it has been assumed that the limitation reads as follows: “...the condensate collection element in the first position is configurable to form a condensate channel configured to deliver water to the condensate reservoir..”.
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.
Claims 1-2, 5, 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wei et al. (CN113414206A).
Regarding claims 1-2, 5, 10, Wei et al. teaches a system for the maintenance of solar components (see abstract), comprising: a condensate reservoir 908 (see pages 8-9 of the translation, reservoir 908 is capable of containing condensate, such as dew, that is directed to the reservoir 908 through piping 912), a wiping element 1007, a motor 1001 (see figures 7-8, pages 7-9 of the translation), and a fluid delivery element 9 (see figures 5-6, pages 8-9 of the translation); wherein the fluid delivery element 9 is configured to transport a fluid from the condensate reservoir 908 to a solar component 3, 4 (see figures 1-3, page 8 of the translation), and the motor 1001 is configured to operate the wiping element 1007 via a controller (see external master console of page 6 of the translation) (see also pages 7-9 of the translation) (reads on claim 1); a condensate collection element 901 further comprising a plurality of nucleation sites for water condensation (see figure 5, pages 8-9 of the translation, the condensate collection element 901 is capable of accommodating condensation at a plurality of areas of its surface) (reads on claim 2); the fluid delivery element 9 comprises a pump 909, configured to couple to with a manifold 910; wherein the manifold 910 and the pump 909 are operable to deliver the fluid to a nozzle 911 configured to deliver the fluid to the solar component 3, 4 via a maintenance signal from the controller (see pages 6, 8-9 of the translation, figures 4-5) (reads on claim 5); a heat exchanger 5 configured to communicate a condensate fluid to the condensate reservoir 908 (see pages 8-9 of the translation, figures 2-3, the heat exchanger 5 is capable of heating condensate fluid that then flows towards the condensate collection element 901 and the condensate reservoir 908) (reads on claim 10).
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.
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
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.
Claims 3-4, 11-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wei et al. (CN113414206A) as applied to claim 1, and further in view of Long et al. (CN115680973A).
Regarding claims 3-4, Wei et al. teaches the limitations of claim 1. Wei et al. also teaches that the condensate collection element 901 in a first position is configurable to form a condensate channel configured to deliver water to the condensate reservoir 908 (see figures 1, 5, pages 8-9 of the translation. Wei et al. does not teach that the condensate collection element is configured to collapsibly fold from a first position to a second position. Long et al. teaches a water collection and power generation device (see abstract) and that a condensate collection element 1 configured to collapsibly fold from a first position to a second position, the condensate channel (see fluid channels created by stripes and triangles, as shown in figures 6-7) comprises a hydrophobic coating (reads on claim 4), thereby allowing for improved water collection efficiency and self-cleaning (see pages 4-6 of the translation, figures 1-2). Since Wei et al. and Long et al. both teach water collection devices it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant invention that the condensate collection element in the system by Wei et al. may be configured to collapsibly fold from a first position to a second position so as to allow for improved water collection efficiency and self-cleaning, as shown to be known and conventional by Long et al.
Regarding claim 11, Wei et al. and Long et al. together teach the limitations of claim 3. Wei et al. also teaches in pages 4-7 of the translation a battery, a charge controller, and an inverter (see page 4 of the translation); wherein the solar component 3, 4 comprising a photovoltaic cell 3 is configured to transmit a PV current to the charge controller configured to communicate a charge current to the battery configured to deliver a voltage to the inverter configured to deliver a circuit voltage to the motor 1001 and the controller.
Regarding claims 12-13, Wei et al. and Long et al. together teach the limitations of claim 11. Wei et al. does not teach an actuator configured to manipulate the condensate collection element between the first position and the second position or that the controller comprises a clock configured to a deliver a folding signal to the actuator based upon a time reference setting. Long et al. teaches a water collection and power generation device (see abstract) and that an actuator 13 may be configured to manipulate the condensate collection element 1 between the first position and the second position (reads on claim 12), whereby the controller further comprises a clock (see timing module) configured to a deliver a folding signal to the actuator 13 based upon a time reference setting, thereby automating the folding/unfolding of the condensate collection element and allowing for improved water collection efficiency and self-cleaning (see pages 5, 7-8 of the translation, figure 2). Since Wei et al. and Long et al. both teach water collection devices it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant invention that an actuator may be included in the system by Wei et al. configured to manipulate the condensate collection element between the first position and the second position and the controller may comprise a clock configured to a deliver a folding signal to the actuator based upon a time reference setting so as to automate the folding/unfolding of the condensate collection element and allow for improved water collection efficiency and self-cleaning, as shown to be known and conventional by Long et al.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-9 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: The closest prior art of record is Wei et al. (CN113414206A). Wei et al. fails to teach/disclose all of the limitations of claim 6. Furthermore, no other prior art was located that fairly suggested the claimed invention in whole or in part along with the requisite motivation for combination to anticipate or render the claimed invention obvious.
Conclusion
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/TINSAE B AYALEW/EXAMINER, Art Unit 1711