DETAILED ACTION
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election of claims 1-18 in the reply filed on 03/18/2026 is acknowledged. Because applicant did not distinctly and specifically point out the supposed errors in the restriction requirement, the election has been treated as an election without traverse (MPEP § 818.01(a)).
Claims 19-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected method, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 03/18/2026.
Claim Objections
Claim 8 is objected to because of the following informalities: “is configured” should be changed to “are configured”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 11 is objected to because of the following informalities: “configured to particulates” should be changed to “configured to remove particulates”. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 1-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Dhau USPA 2020/0030731 A1.
Regarding claim 1, Dhau discloses a cabin air filtration system (paragraph 21) comprising: a frame (figure 4: frame 140); and a renewable sorption layer within the frame (paragraph 148), the renewable sorption layer configured to clean air from one or more of air pollutants from outside of an automobile and inside the automobile (paragraph 21).
Regarding claim 2, Dhau discloses that the frame includes a metal housing (paragraph 111) with a mesh arrangement connected to the metal housing (paragraphs 71 and 149).
Regarding claim 3, Dhau discloses that the renewable sorption layer is an activated carbon (paragraph 148).
Regarding claim 4, Dhau discloses that the activated carbon is regenerable (paragraph 99).
Regarding claim 5, Dhau discloses that the activated carbon is selected from one or more of a carbon felt, carbon granules, and/or carbon particles (paragraph 93).
Regarding claim 6, Dhau discloses a fabric filter (paragraph 148: particle trapping layer is a fabric), the fabric filter arranged on an upper surface of the cabin air filtration system, the upper surface configured to face outward within a cabin air intake of the automobile (figures 6 and 7A: trapping layer 130 is arranged on upper surface of adjacent layer which faces outward and is capable of facing outwards within a cabin air intake of an automobile, if installed to do so).
Regarding claim 7, Dhau discloses that the fabric filter is replaceable and detachable from the frame of the cabin air filtration system (paragraphs 53 and 112).
Regarding claim 8, Dhau discloses that the frame and the renewable sorption layer are configured to tolerate heat during a regeneration process (paragraph 42: heat source is used to regenerate, which implies that the components can tolerate at least some level of heat).
Regarding claim 9, Dhau discloses that the sorption layer is configured to filter gases and hydrocarbon gases and/or volatile organic compounds (paragraph 21).
Regarding claim 10, the cabin air filtration system of Dhau is sized to fit within some hypothetical existing cabin air filter (see paragraph 21).
Regarding claim 11, Dhau discloses a cabin air filtration system for an automobile (paragraph 21), the cabin air filtration system comprising: a first layer, the first layer configured to remove particulates; and a second layer, the second layer configured to remove volatile compounds and gases (paragraph 148: sorbent layer and particle-trapping layer).
Regarding claim 12, Dhau discloses that the first layer includes a fabric filter (paragraph 148).
Regarding claim 13, Dhau discloses that the second layer is a renewable sorption layer within a frame (figure 4), the frame including a metal housing (paragraph 111) with a mesh arrangement connected to the metal housing (paragraphs 71 and 149).
Regarding claim 14, Dhau discloses that the renewable sorption layer is an activated carbon (paragraph 148).
Regarding claim 15, Dhau discloses that the activated carbon is regenerable (paragraph 99).
Regarding claim 16, Dhau discloses that the activated carbon is selected from one or more of a carbon felt, carbon granules, and/or carbon particles (paragraph 93).
Regarding claim 17, Dhau discloses that the first layer is a fabric filter (paragraph 148: particle trapping layer is a fabric), the fabric filter arranged on an upper surface of the cabin air filtration system, the upper surface configured to face outward within a cabin air intake of the automobile (figures 6 and 7A: trapping layer 130 is arranged on upper surface of adjacent layer which faces outward and is capable of facing outwards within a cabin air intake of an automobile, if installed to do so).
Regarding claim 18, Dhau discloses that the fabric filter is replaceable and detachable from the frame of the cabin air filtration system (paragraphs 53 and 112).
Conclusion
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/CHRISTOPHER P JONES/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1776