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
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 1-6, 8-15, and 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al. (US 2007/0053803) in view of Catalano (US 2019/0351369).
Regarding claim 1, the reference Lee et al. discloses a scrubber system (1000), comprising: a lower body (i.e., the lower section of element 1701 to which casters 1703 are attached, as best shown in Fig. 2a); a scrubber located in the lower body, the scrubber including a reactor (1300) and a wet treatment performer (1500) connected to the reactor (1300), and the scrubber being configured in the form of a chiffonier (see paras. [0117]; [0131]; [00133]; Figs. 2a-3, 9b, 10a); and an upper body located on the lower body (i.e., the upper section of element 1701, as shown in Fig. 2a); the scrubber purifying the harmful gas and discharging a purified gas outside of the upper body (see paras. [0090]; [00160]; Fig. 2a).
The reference Lee et al. is, however, silent with respect to the provision of a pump located in the upper body for pumping a harmful gas from a manufacturing device into the reactor. However, as evidenced by the reference Catalano (see para. [0024]; Fig. 1), it is conventional in the art to provide a pump upstream of an exhaust gas abatement device for pumping a harmful gas from a manufacturing device into the exhaust gas abatement device.
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Lee et al. and Catalano, and modified the scrubber system of Lee et al. to include a pump at any suitable location upstream of the reactor (1300) of Lee et al., including in a gas supply section (1100) within the upper body of the scrubber system of Lee et al., for the intended purpose of pumping a harmful gas from a manufacturing device into the reactor (1300), because, as evidenced by the reference Catalano (see para. [0024]; Fig. 1), it is conventional in the art to provide a pump upstream of an exhaust gas abatement device for pumping a harmful gas from a manufacturing device into the exhaust gas abatement device.
Regarding claim 2, the references Lee et al. and Catalano teach the scrubber system, wherein the reactor (1300) is adjacent to the wet treatment performer (1500), and the reactor (1300) is connected to the wet treatment performer (1500) through a gas connection pipe (1353, 1513) (see Lee et al.: para. [0084]; Fig. 2a).
Regarding claim 3, the reference Lee et al. does not disclose wherein: the scrubber includes a plurality of reactors and a plurality of wet treatment performers, and wherein the plurality of reactors are respectively connected to the plurality of wet treatment performers by gas connection pipes. The reference Catalano teaches a compact point of use exhaust gas abatement device comprising: a housing (104) having a plurality of inlets (101a-101d) respectively coupled to a plurality of process chambers (102a-102d) in which each of the process chambers gas streams is isolated from the other gas streams; a plurality of oxidation devices (105a-105d) and a corresponding plurality of wet scrubber columns (106a-106d) located in the housing (104) (see paras. [0025]-[0027]; Fig. 1); each oxidation device (105a-105d) coupled to a respective one of the plurality of inlets (101a-101d) to receive a gas stream from a corresponding process chamber (see paras. [0012]; [0024]; Fig. 1); and a common wet scrubber solution reservoir (107) located in the housing (104) and attached to the plurality of wet scrubber columns (106a-106d) (see paras. [0026]; [0027]; Fig. 1).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Lee et al. and Catalano, and modified the scrubber system of Lee et al. to include a plurality of reactors (1300) and a plurality of wet treatment performers (1500), wherein the plurality of reactors are respectively connected to the plurality of wet treatment performers by gas connection pipes (1353,1513), as claimed by applicant, and suggested by Catalano, since the reference Catalano teaches that such a modification advantageously provides for reduction and/or elimination of the development of unwanted byproducts, by maintaining total separation of individual effluent gas streams exhausted from separate manufacturing devices until the effluent gas streams are sufficiently abated (see para. [0022]; Figs. 1, 2).
Regarding claim 4, the references Lee et al. and Catalano teach the scrubber system, wherein the lower body further includes at least one spare installer for installing at least one additional scrubber (see Catalano: para. [0023]).
Regarding claim 5, the references Lee et al. and Catalano teach the scrubber system, wherein: a gas supply pipe (1111) supplying harmful gas from the manufacturing device through the pump is further connected to the reactor (1300), and a gas discharge pipe (1561) discharging purified gas is further connected to the wet treatment performer (1500) (see Lee et al.: paras. [0086]; [0160]; Figs. 2a, 13a).
Regarding claim 6, the references Lee et al. and Catalano teach that the upper body can comprise a first gas supply pipe (1111) supplying harmful gas from the manufacturing device through a gas inlet, a gate valve (1113) connected to the first gas supply pipe (1111), a second gas supply pipe connecting the gate valve to the pump, and a third gas supply pipe connecting the pump to the reactor (1300) (see Lee et al. para. [0086]; Fig. 2a).
Regarding claim 8, the reference Lee et al. discloses a scrubber system (1000), comprising: a lower body (i.e., the lower section of element 1701 to which casters 1703 are attached, as best shown in Fig. 2a); a scrubber located in the lower body, the scrubber including a reactor (1300) and a wet treatment performer (1500) connected to the reactor (1300), and the scrubber being configured in the form of a chiffonier (see paras. [0117]; [0131]; [00133]; Figs. 2a-3, 9b, 10a); and an upper body located on the lower body (i.e., the upper section of element 1701, as shown in Fig. 2a); the scrubber purifying the harmful gas and discharging a purified gas outside of the upper body (see paras. [0090]; [00160]; Fig. 2a).
The reference Lee et al. is, however, silent with respect to the provision of a first pump located in the upper body for pumping a harmful gas from a first manufacturing device into the reactor. The reference Lee et al. also fails to disclose a first scrubber and a second scrubber adjacent to each other in the lower body as claimed by applicant.
The reference Catalano teaches a compact point of use exhaust gas abatement device comprising: a housing (104) having a plurality of inlets (101a-101d) respectively coupled to a plurality of process chambers (102a-102d) in which each of the process chambers gas streams is isolated from the other gas streams; a plurality of oxidation devices (105a-105d) and a corresponding plurality of wet scrubber columns (106a-106d) located in the housing (104) (see paras. [0025]-[0027]; Fig. 1); each oxidation device (105a-105d) coupled to a respective one of the plurality of inlets (101a-101d) to receive a gas stream from a corresponding process chamber (see paras. [0012]; [0024]; Fig. 1); and a common wet scrubber solution reservoir (107) located in the housing (104) and attached to the plurality of wet scrubber columns (106a-106d) (see paras. [0026]; [0027]; Fig. 1). The reference Catalano further teaches a pump (103a-103d) arranged upstream of each oxidation device (105a-105d) for pumping a harmful gas from a manufacturing device into the respective oxidation device (105a-105d) (see para. [0024]; Figs. 1, 2).
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Lee et al. and Catalano, and modified the scrubber system of Lee et al. to include a first pump at any suitable location upstream of the reactor (1300) of Lee et al., including in a gas supply section (1100) within the upper body of the scrubber system of Lee et al., for the intended purpose of pumping a harmful gas from a first manufacturing device into the reactor (1300), because, as evidenced by the reference Catalano (see para. [0024]; Fig. 1), it is conventional in the art to provide a pump upstream of an exhaust gas abatement device for pumping a harmful gas from a manufacturing device into the exhaust gas abatement device.
It also would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Lee et al. and Catalano, and modified the scrubber system of Lee et al. to include a first scrubber and a second scrubber adjacent to each other in the lower body as claimed by applicant, and suggested by Catalano, since the reference Catalano teaches that such a modification advantageously provides for a compact scrubber system which may be used to separately treat individual effluent gas streams exhausted from separate manufacturing devices (see para. [0022]; Figs. 1, 2).
Regarding claim 9, the references Lee et al. and Catalano teach the scrubber system, wherein: the first reactor (1300) is adjacent to the first wet treatment performer (1500), and the first reactor (1300) is connected to the first wet treatment performer (1500) through a first gas connection pipe (1353,1513) (see Lee et al.: para. [0084]; Fig. 2a).
Regarding claim 10, the references Lee et al. and Catalano teach the scrubber system, wherein: the second reactor (1300) is adjacent to the second wet treatment performer (1500), and the second reactor (1300) is connected to the second wet treatment performer (1500) through a second gas connection pipe (1353,1513) (see Lee et al.: para. [0084]; Fig. 2a).
Regarding claim 11, the references Lee et al. and Catalano teach the scrubber system, wherein: a gas supply pipe (1111) supplying the first harmful gas from the first manufacturing device through the first pump is further connected to the first reactor (1300), and a gas discharge pipe (1561) discharging the first purified gas is further connected to the first wet treatment performer (1500) (see Lee et al.: paras. [0086]; [0160]; Figs. 2a, 13a).
Regarding claim 12, the references Lee et al. and Catalano teach the scrubber system, wherein: a gas supply pipe (1111) supplying the second harmful gas from the second manufacturing device is further connected to the second reactor (1300), and a gas discharge pipe (1561) discharging the second purified gas is further connected to the second wet treatment performer (1500) (see Lee et al.: paras. [0086]; [0160]; Figs. 2a, 13a).
Regarding claim 13, the references Lee et al. and Catalano teach that the upper body can comprise a first gas supply pipe (1111) supplying the first harmful gas from the first manufacturing device through a first gas inlet, a first gate valve (1113) connected to the first gas supply pipe (1111)), a second gas supply pipe connecting the first gate valve to the first pump, and a third gas supply pipe connecting the first pump to the first reactor (1300) (see Lee et al. para. [0086]; Fig. 2a).
Regarding claim 14, the references Lee et al. and Catalano teach that the upper body can further comprise a second pump for supplying a second harmful gas from a second manufacturing device into the second reactor (1300) (see Catalano: para. [0024]; Figs. 1, 2).
Regarding claim 15, the references Lee et al. and Catalano teach that the upper body can comprise a fourth gas supply pipe (1111) supplying the second harmful gas from the second manufacturing device through a second gas inlet, a second gate valve (1113) connected to the fourth gas supply pipe (1111), a fifth gas supply pipe connecting the second gate valve to the second pump, and a sixth gas supply pipe connecting the second pump to the second reactor (1300) (see Lee et al. para. [0086]; Fig. 2a).
Regarding claim 18, the reference Lee et al. teaches a scrubber system comprising a first scrubber system (1000, 2000) and a second scrubber system (1000, 2000) connected with each other in parallel such that when waste gas cannot be smoothly supplied to the first scrubber system, the waste gas is caused to be delivered to the second scrubber system through a connection tube (1704) (see paras. [0097]; Fig. 4). The reference Lee et al. teaches that each scrubber system (1000, 2000) comprises: a lower body (i.e., the lower section of element 1701 to which casters 1703 are attached, as best shown in Fig. 2a); a scrubber located in the lower body, the scrubber including a reactor (1300) and a wet treatment performer (1500) connected to the reactor (1300), and each scrubber being configured in the form of a chiffonier (see paras. [0117]; [0131]; [00133]; Figs. 2a-4, 9b, 10a); and an upper body located on the lower body (i.e., the upper section of element 1701, as shown in Fig. 2a); the scrubber purifying the harmful gas and discharging a purified gas outside of the upper body (see paras. [0090]; [00160]; Fig. 2a). The reference Lee et al. is silent with respect to the provision of a first pump located in the upper body for pumping a harmful gas from a first manufacturing device into the reactor (1300) of the first or second scrubber system (1000, 2000). The reference Lee et al. also fails to disclose having the first scrubber system and the second scrubber system in the form of a single chiffonier.
The reference Catalano teaches a compact point of use exhaust gas abatement device comprising: a housing (104) having a plurality of inlets (101a-101d) respectively coupled to a plurality of process chambers (102a-102d) in which each of the process chambers gas streams is isolated from the other gas streams; a plurality of oxidation devices (105a-105d) and a corresponding plurality of wet scrubber columns (106a-106d) located in the housing (104) (see paras. [0025]-[0027]; Fig. 1); each oxidation device (105a-105d) coupled to a respective one of the plurality of inlets (101a-101d) to receive a gas stream from a corresponding process chamber (see paras. [0012]; [0024]; Fig. 1); and a common wet scrubber solution reservoir (107) located in the housing (104) and attached to the plurality of wet scrubber columns (106a-106d) (see paras. [0026]; [0027]; Fig. 1). The reference Catalano further teaches a pump (103a-103d) arranged upstream of each oxidation device (105a-105d) for pumping a harmful gas from a manufacturing device into the respective oxidation device (105a-105d) (see para. [0024]; Figs. 1, 2).
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Lee et al. and Catalano, and modified the scrubber system of Lee et al. to include a first pump at any suitable location upstream of the reactor (1300) of Lee et al., including in a gas supply section (1100) within the upper body of the scrubber system of Lee et al., for the intended purpose of pumping a harmful gas from a first manufacturing device into the reactor (1300) of the first or second scrubber systems (1000, 2000) of Lee et al., because, as evidenced by the reference Catalano (see para. [0024]; Fig. 1), it is conventional in the art to provide a pump upstream of an exhaust gas abatement device for pumping a harmful gas from a manufacturing device into the exhaust gas abatement device.
It also would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Lee et al. and Catalano, and arranged the first scrubber and second scrubber systems (1000, 2000) of Lee et al. in the form of a single chiffonier instead of separate chiffoniers, since the reference Catalano teaches that such a modification advantageously provides for a compact scrubber system with two distinct scrubber systems having a common wet scrubber solution reservoir (see paras. [0022]; [0026]; Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 19, the references Lee et al. and Catalano teach the scrubber system, wherein: the first reactor (1300) is adjacent to the first wet treatment performer (1500), and the first reactor (1300) is connected to the first wet treatment performer (1500) through a first gas connection pipe (1353,1513), the second reactor (1300) is adjacent to the second wet treatment performer (1500), and the second reactor (1300) is connected to the second wet treatment performer (1500) through a second gas connection pipe (1353,1513) (see Lee et al.: para. [0084]; Fig. 2a).
Regarding claim 20, the references Lee et al. and Catalano teach the scrubber system, wherein: a gas supply pipe (1111) supplying the first harmful gas from the first manufacturing device through the first pump is further connected to the first reactor (1300) and the second reactor (1300), and a gas discharge pipe (1561) discharging the first purified gas is connected to the first wet treatment performer (1500) and the second wet treatment performer (see Lee et al.: paras. [0086]; [0160]; Figs. 2a, 4, 13a).
Claims 7, 16, and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al. in view of Catalano as applied to claims 1 and 8 above, and further in view of Garnett (US 2005/0196330).
Regarding claim 7, the references Lee et al. and Catalano teach that the upper body can comprise a first gas discharge pipe (1561) connected to the wet treatment performer to discharge purified gas purified in the scrubber, and a second gas discharge pipe (1565) discharging purified gas from the first gas discharge pipe (see Lee et al.: paras. [00160]; [0161]; Fig. 13b). The references Lee et al. and Catalano are, however, silent with respect to the second gas discharge pipe (1565) discharging purified gas from the first gas discharge pipe to a house scrubber device through a gas outlet. However, 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 second gas discharge pipe discharge purified gas from the first gas discharge pipe to a house scrubber device as claimed by applicant, since the reference Garnett teaches that once exhaust gases from manufacturing processes, such as chemical production and semiconductor manufacture, have been treated in an exhaust gas abatement device to remove toxic, explosive and/or corrosive components from the exhaust gases, the treated exhaust gases may suitably be combined with other exhaust gases for further treatment in a common exhaust gas treatment device before being released into the atmosphere (see Garnett: paras. [0001]; [0012]).
Regarding claim 16, the references Lee et al. and Catalano teach that the upper body can comprise a first gas discharge pipe (1561) connected to the first wet treatment performer (1500) to discharge the first purified gas purified in the first scrubber, and a second gas discharge pipe (1565) discharging the first purified gas from the first gas discharge pipe (see Lee et al.: paras. [00160]; [0161]; Fig. 13b).The references Lee et al. and Catalano are, however, silent with respect to the second gas discharge pipe (1565) discharging purified gas from the first gas discharge pipe to a first house scrubber device through a gas outlet. However, 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 second gas discharge pipe discharge purified gas from the first gas discharge pipe to a first house scrubber device as claimed by applicant, since the reference Garnett teaches that once exhaust gases from manufacturing processes, such as chemical production and semiconductor manufacture, have been treated in an exhaust gas abatement device to remove toxic, explosive and/or corrosive components from the exhaust gases, the treated exhaust gases may suitably be combined with other exhaust gases for further treatment in a common exhaust gas treatment device before being released into the atmosphere (see Garnett: paras. [0001]; [0012]).
Regarding claim 17, the references Lee et al. and Catalano teach that the upper body can comprise a third gas discharge pipe (1561) connected to the first wet treatment performer (1500) to discharge the first purified gas purified in the second scrubber, and a fourth gas discharge pipe (1565) discharging the second purified gas from the third gas discharge pipe (see Lee et al.: paras. [00160]; [0161]; Fig. 13b). The references Lee et al. and Catalano are, however, silent with respect to the fourth gas discharge pipe (1565) discharging purified gas from the third gas discharge pipe (1561) to a second house scrubber device through a gas outlet. However, 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 fourth gas discharge pipe discharge purified gas from the third gas discharge pipe to a second house scrubber device as claimed by applicant, since the reference Garnett teaches that once exhaust gases from manufacturing processes, such as chemical production and semiconductor manufacture, have been treated in an exhaust gas abatement device to remove toxic, explosive and/or corrosive components from the exhaust gases, the treated exhaust gases may suitably be combined with other exhaust gases for further treatment in a common exhaust gas treatment device before being released into the atmosphere (see Garnett: paras. [0001]; [0012]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Lessanework T Seifu whose telephone number is (571)270-3153. The examiner can normally be reached M-T 9:00 am - 6:30 pm; F 9:00 am - 1:00 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Claire Wang can be reached at 571-270-1051. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/LESSANEWORK SEIFU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1774
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