DETAILED ACTION
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 8 is 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 prior art does not appear to teach or fairly suggest the combination of tie rod assemblies having their retainers and resilient members interior to the end plates and other assemblies exterior to the end plates simultaneously, as required by claim 8.
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) 1, 4-7, and 10-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Allen (US 11,022,330) view of Schroeter (US 2013/0022848).
Regarding claim 1, Allen teaches a three-way heat exchanger operable to transfer heat between a heat transfer fluid, liquid desiccant, and air comprising: panel assemblies arranged in series (see Fig. 5b), airflow gaps (460) defined between adjacent assemblies to allow air to flow through the exchanger, each assembly comprising a frame (402) defining a heat transfer fluid channel (404); and a vapor permeable membrane (408) positioned on the frame to define a desiccant channel separated from the heat transfer fluid channel; and clamping assemblies (bolts through 452) for exerting a clamping force on the panel assemblies comprising: a tie-rod (bolts) extending through the frames of the panel assemblies (at 452) and including opposite ends; and retainers (nuts and the heads of the bolts) connected to the opposite ends of the tie rod.
Allen does not discuss the details of the tie rods or illustrated washers, nuts, etc. nor resilient elements.
Schroeter teaches that it is old and well-known to provide tie rods with resilient elements (9) at their ends in order to accommodate size changes due to thermal expansion during use.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill to provide such resilient elements to the device of Allen in order to reduce cycling stresses on the device.
Regarding claim 4, Schroeter teaches that the resilient member is a spring (9).
Regarding claims 5-6, the applicant has provided ranges of operation which are merely stated in the disclosure without any criticality provided. As such, it would be within the ordinary skill in the art to select operating ranges and spring forces for the resilient members (which details have been left to one of ordinary skill in the prior art) sufficient for any required application, including the recited ranges as they have no criticality.
Regarding claim 7, Schroeter further teaches the use of countersunk washers (15) to maintain alignment of the resilient members (9; see Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 15, Allen teaches a three-way heat exchanger operable to transfer heat between a heat transfer fluid, liquid desiccant, and air comprising: panel assemblies arranged in series (see Fig. 5b), airflow gaps (460) defined between adjacent assemblies to allow air to flow through the exchanger, each assembly comprising a frame (402) defining a heat transfer fluid channel (404); and a vapor permeable membrane (408) positioned ont eh frame to define a desiccant channel separated fromt eh heat transfer fluid channel; and clamping assemblies (bolts through 452) for exerting a clamping force onteh pane assemblies comprising: a tie-rod (bolts) extending throughthe frames of the panel assemblies (at 452) and including opposite ends; and retainers (nuts and the heads of the bolts) connected to the opposite ends of the tie rod; Allen further teaches that the frame defines heat transfer fluid inlet and outlet ports (420, 422) defining heat transfer fluid manifolds (see Fig. 5a); the frame defines desiccant inlet and outlet ports (424, 426) which define desiccant inlet and outlet manifolds (see Fig. 5a) and that the rods of the clamping assemblies are adjacent all the fluid inlet and outlet manifolds (see fig. 5a location of tie rod accommodating holes 452).
Allen does not discuss the details of the tie rods or illustrated washers, nuts, etc. nor resilient elements.
Schroeter teaches that it is old and well-known to provide tie rods with resilient elements (9) at their ends in order to accommodate size changes due to thermal expansion during use.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill to provide such resilient elements to the device of Allen in order to reduce cycling stresses on the device.
Allen further teaches that: elastomeric seals (450) are positioned between all the inlet and between the outlet ports (see Fig. 5a) to seal the manifolds, per claim 11; and the seals are radial seals (see Fig. 5a), per claim 14.
Regarding claims 12-13, Schroeter teaches that the resilient members are springs (9) which accommodate thermal expansion (i.e. size variations) and thus maintain the seals in the combination.
Regarding claim 16, Allen further teaches that elastomeric seals (450) are positioned between all the inlet and between the outlet ports (see Fig. 5a) to seal the manifolds. Schroeter teaches that the resilient members are springs (9) which accommodate thermal expansion (i.e. size variations) and thus maintain the seals in the combination.
Regarding claim 17, Allen further teaches that the four manifolds are formed at respective corners of the frame (see Fig. 5a).
Claim(s) 2-3 and 18-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Allen in view of Schroeter, and Zaiter (US 5,580,454).
Regarding claims 2-3, Allen, as modified, does not specify hexagonal holes and rods.
Zaiter teaches that it is known to form tie rods (14) as hexagonal rods (see Fig. 1) which mate with hexagonal holes (32; Fig. 2) in order to prevent misalignment of the stacked devices joined by the rods (see abstract).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill to provide the device of Allen, as modified, with hexagonal rods and alignment holes, as taught by Zaiter, to ensure precise alignment of the stacked panels and to resist torque forces that might misalign them, as taught by Zaiter.
Regarding claims 18-20, Allen teaches a heat exchanger comprising panel assemblies (see Fig. 5b) arranged in succession, airflow gaps (460) between adjacent panel assemblies to allo air to flow throught he heat exchanger, each assembly comprising a frame (402) defining a heat transfer fluid channel (404), a first alignment hole (452) and a second alignment hole on opposite sides of the heat transfer fluid channel (e.g. the holes 452 around different manifolds; see Fig. 5a); and clamping assemblies (bolts through 452) for exerting a clamping force onteh pane assemblies comprising: a tie-rod (bolts) extending through the frames of the panel assemblies (at 452) and including opposite ends; and retainers (nuts and the heads of the bolts) connected to the opposite ends of the tie rod; first and second tie rods extend through first and second alignment holes at opposite sides of the device (as specified above).
Allen does not discuss the details of the tie rods or illustrated washers, nuts, etc. nor resilient elements.
Schroeter teaches that it is old and well-known to provide tie rods with resilient elements (9) at their ends in order to accommodate size changes due to thermal expansion during use.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill to provide such resilient elements to the device of Allen in order to reduce cycling stresses on the device.
Allen, as modified, does not specify hexagonal holes and rods.
Zaiter teaches that it is known to form tie rods (14) as hexagonal rods (see Fig. 1) which mate with hexagonal holes (32; Fig. 2) in order to prevent misalignment of the stacked devices joined by the rods (see abstract).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill to provide the device of Allen, as modified, with hexagonal rods and alignment holes, as taught by Zaiter, to ensure precise alignment of the stacked panels and to resist torque forces that might misalign them, as taught by Zaiter.
Claim(s) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Allen in view of Schroeter, and Beddome (US 6,892,797).
Regarding claim 9, Hamlin as modified, does not teach that the retainers and resilient elements are both located exterior to the end plates.
Beddome teaches that it is old and well-known to choose assemblies with either the resilient elements located interior to the end plates (e.g. Fig. 4) or with both resilient elements and retainers located exterior to the end plates (Fig. 7a).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill to locate the resilient elements and retainers exterior to the end plates in Allen, as modified, as Beddome establishes this as a known matter of design choice.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Devon Lane whose telephone number is (571)270-1858. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th, 9-4.
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/DEVON LANE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3763