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 § 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.
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 1, 5-12, 14-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ouyang et al. (CN 113915987 A) in view of Baeghbali et al. (US 2018/0045462 a1) and Pitman (US 5,501,032).
Ouyang et al. discloses a mobile drying system and method (Fig. 1) comprising: at least one portable platform 104; a dryer 413 disposed on the at least one platform 104; and an air supply system 402-408 disposed on the at least one platform 104 and configured to provide hot air to the dryer 413 (Fig.1). However, Ouyang does not disclose a refractance window dryer and a water supply system disposed on the at least one platform and configured to provide hot water to the refractance window dryer. Baeghbali et al. discloses a drying method and system for drying food products comprising a refractance window dryer 110 (FIG. 1), a water supply system140, 142, 170 (Fig. 1) configured to provide hot water to the refractance window dryer (Fig. 1). Pitman teaches a concept of disposing a water supply system 14 on a platform (Figs. 1-2). Therefore, it would have been obvious to someone with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the mobile drying system of Ouyang et al. to substitute the refractance window dryer with a water supply system of Baeghbali et al. for the dryer of Ouyang in order to use circulating water as a means to carry thermal energy to materials to be dehydrated, allow quicker drying time, save energy and preserve the nutritional value and quality of food products and to further modify the mobile drying system and method to dispose the water supply system on a plat form as taught by Pitman in order to provide convenient to farmers to perform drying on site so as to effectively reduce the use cost.
Regard claim 5, Baeghbali et al. discloses the refractance window dryer comprises a drying chamber 148 (Fig. 1) comprising a belt 190 (Fig. 1) and at least one hot water tank 170 (Fig. 1) disposed under the belt (Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 6, Baeghbali et al. discloses the refractance window dryer further comprises an exit cooling section 144 (Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 7, Abonyi et al. discloses wherein the water supply system is further configured to provide a cooled solution to the exit cooling section (see arrows into and out off 144).
Regarding claim 8, Baeghbali discloses wherein the cooled solution comprises water (paragraph [0025]).
Regarding claim 9, glycol compound is known in the art as an ideal choice for cooling system.
Regarding claims 10-11, Baeghbali et al. discloses the water supply system further comprises a tank 144 for holding a cleaning agent (tank 144 is capable of being used to hold cleaning agent comprising a bromide solution).
Regarding claim 12, Baeghbali et al. discloses the refractance window dryer comprises a first hot water section (Fig. 1, portion of 170 near 122) and a second hot water section (Fig. 1, portion of 170 near 124), the first hot water section comprising a first temperature and the second hot water section comprising a second temperature.
Regarding claim 14, Pitman discloses wherein the water supply system 14, 22-32 further comprises a water line 22’ 26’, 28 configured for cleaning one or more components of the mobile drying system (applicator 28 is capable of being used to clean one or more components of the mobile drying system).
Regarding claim 15, Baeghbali et al. discloses wherein the refractance window dryer further comprises a mixer 130 for preparing a product to be dried.
Regarding claim 16, Ouyang discloses a generator 202 to provide power for at least one of the refractance window dryer, the water supply system, or the air supply system.
Regarding claim 18, Ouyang discloses wherein the mobile drying system is positioned at or near a location where the plant product is harvested (translation, page 2, contents of the invention, first paragraph).
Regarding claim 19, Ouyang discloses the plant product comprises a slurry containing plant material (translation, page 2, lines 4-6).
Regarding claim 20, Baeghbali et al. discloses wherein drying the plant product comprises applying the plant product to a belt in the refractance window dryer (abstract, Fig. 1).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-4 and 13 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JESSICA J YUEN whose telephone number is (571)272-4878. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9am-5pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, MICHAEL G HOANG can be reached at (571) 272-6460. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/Jessica Yuen/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3762
JY
Prosecution Insights