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 § 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.
Claim(s) 1-8, 10, 12-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being US 2016/0040303 by Gershon et al (Gershon).
Regarding claim 1, Gershon discloses a photocatalyst decomposition system comprising:
a gas phase generation apparatus (100, figs. 1-4; [15]) configured to convert a liquid phase containing a decomposition object into a gas phase; and
a photocatalyst member (101-106, figs. 1-4; [15]) configured to come into contact with the gas phase to decompose the decomposition object by light from a light source ([14]-[17]),
wherein the photocatalyst member includes a base material ([15]-[17]) formed of a porous material ([16]-[17]) and a photocatalyst layer provided on a surface of the base material ([15]-52]).
Regarding claim 2, Gershon discloses the photocatalyst decomposition system according to claim 1, wherein the photocatalyst member is also configured to come into contact with the liquid phase to decompose the decomposition object (figs. 1-4; [15]-52]).
Regarding claim 3, Gershon discloses the photocatalyst decomposition system according to claim 1, wherein an outer surface of the photocatalyst member and a surface of a pore in the photocatalyst member have electrical continuity (figs. 1-4; [15]-52]).
Regarding claim 4, Gershon discloses the photocatalyst decomposition system according to claim 1, wherein a transparent conductive thin film layer (101, figs. 1-4; [16]) is provided on a surface of the photocatalyst layer or between the base material and the photocatalyst layer ([15]), and the photocatalyst layer and the transparent conductive thin film layer are electrically connected to each other (figs. 1-4; [15]-52]).
Regarding claim 5, Gershon discloses the photocatalyst decomposition system according to claim 1, further comprising: a configuration ([33]) configured to adjust a potential by at least one pair of electrodes in contact with the photocatalyst member (figs. 1-4; [15]-52]).
Regarding claim 6, Gershon discloses the photocatalyst decomposition system according to claim 1, further comprising: at least two of the photocatalyst members ([15]-[42]); a proton conductive film (103, figs. 1-4; [24]) provided between the at least two photocatalyst members (figs. 1-4); and a pair of electrodes connected to the at least two photocatalyst members, respectively (figs. 1-4; [15]-52]), wherein a potential is adjustable by the electrodes ([33]), and a gas or water vapor is supplied to the at least two photocatalyst members, respectively ([16], [35]).
Regarding claim 7, Gershon discloses the photocatalyst decomposition system according to claim 5, wherein a generated substance is separated by adjusting the potential by the electrode ([33]-[35]).
Regarding claim 8, Gershon discloses the photocatalyst decomposition system according to claim 1, further comprising: a housing (fig. 4) configured to accommodate the photocatalyst member, wherein the light source is sunlight ([17], [37]), and a transparent window (16]-[17]), a lens [47]), or an optical path is provided in the housing ([47]), and the sunlight is emitted to the photocatalyst member via the transparent window, the lens, or the optical path (figs. 1-4; [15]-52]).
Regarding claim 10, Gershon discloses the photocatalyst decomposition system according to claim 1, wherein the base material transmits light having a wavelength of at least visible light or ultraviolet light (figs. 1-4; [15]-52]).
Regarding claim 12, Gershon discloses the photocatalyst decomposition system according to claim 1, wherein the porous material forming the base material contains SiO.sub.2, Al.sub.2O.sub.3, TiO.sub.2, MgO, ZnO, CaCO.sub.3, CaO, SnO, or a transparent carbon nanotube ([22]).
Regarding claim 13, Gershon discloses the photocatalyst decomposition system according to claim 1, wherein the photocatalyst layer is at least one of substances listed in the following (1) to (4): (1) BiVO.sub.4 doped with Rh or black phosphorus, or BiVO.sub.4, (2) SrTiO.sub.3 doped with Rh, Ir, La, or Al, or SrTiO.sub.3, (3) LaON, TiO.sub.2, GaP, SnNb.sub.2O.sub.6, or NaTaO.sub.3 doped with La, or NaTaO.sub.3, and (4) TaON, LaTiO.sub.2N, TaON, Ta.sub.3N.sub.5, SrTa.sub.2ON, LaTa.sub.2ON, ZnRh.sub.2O.sub.4, Sm.sub.2Ti.sub.2O.sub.5S.sub.2, Y.sub.2Ti.sub.2O.sub.2S.sub.5, g-C.sub.3N.sub.4, Ga.sub.3N.sub.4, Cu.sub.0.25Ag.sub.0.25In.sub.0.25ZnS.sub.2, or CuAgZnSnS.sub.4 (22]-[24]).
Regarding claim 14, Gershon discloses the photocatalyst decomposition system according to claim 1, wherein particles of a co-catalyst material are supported on, or a thin film of the co-catalyst material is provided on at least a part of the photocatalyst layer ([31]).
Regarding claim 15, Gershon discloses the photocatalyst decomposition system according to claim 14, wherein the co-catalyst material is WO.sub.3, Rh/Cr.sub.2O.sub.3, Ag, Rh/SrTiO.sub.3, Pt, CoO, Co.sub.3O.sub.4, IrO.sub.2, PtO.sub.2, phosphorus, NiO, RuO.sub.2, AgSbO.sub.3, or ZnRhO.sub.x ([31].
Regarding claim 16, Gershon discloses the photocatalyst decomposition system according to claim 1, further comprising: a light supply apparatus (fig. 3) configured to supply light to the photocatalyst member and the gas phase generation apparatus; and a collection apparatus (fig. 3) configured to collect a gas phase generated by decomposition by the photocatalyst member (figs. 1-4; [15]-52]).
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.
Claim(s) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gershon as applied to claim 8 above, further in view of US 8,790,754 to Rangan et al (Rangan).
Regarding claim 9, Gershon discloses the photocatalyst decomposition system according to claim 8, but does not explicitly disclose which Rangan discloses:
light condensed outside the housing is introduced into the housing through an optical fiber and emitted to the photocatalyst member (col. 8, lines 30-37).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to the one with ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have light condensed outside the housing introduced into the housing through an optical fiber and emitted to the photocatalyst member as taught by Rangan in the system of Gershon so as to create the most energy, thus limiting the amount of outside voltage that must be applied (Vb), thus increasing the efficiency (col. 8, lines 11-13; Rangan).
Claim(s) 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gershon.
Regarding claim 11, Gershon discloses the photocatalyst decomposition system according to claim 1, but does not explicitly disclose that the base material has a pore width of 10 μm to 500 μm and a porosity of 40% to 95%.
However, Gershon discloses in [16]-18] that the base material (base electrodes) have pores. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have the base material with a pore width of 10 μm to 500 μm and a porosity of 40% to 95%, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art (MPEP 2144.05).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 12,304,814 to Tozawa et al.
US 12,270,114 to Guerra
US 9,364,808 to Yoon
US 2021/0040625 to Guerra
US 2020/0407859 to Kobayashi et al
US 2019/0322797 to Ullah et al.
All references above describe general state of art.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAPINDER SINGH whose telephone number is (571)270-1774. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Mark Laurenzi can be reached at (571) 270-7878. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DAPINDER SINGH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3746
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