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 Objections
Claims 1 and 11 are objected to because of the following informalities:
In claim 1 “a case having an inlet and a outlet” should read “a case having an inlet and an outlet”
In claim 11 “has the shape of a cylinder and configured to” should read “has the shape of a cylinder and is configured to”
Appropriate correction is required.
Specification
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because it exceeds the 150 word maximum. A corrected abstract of the disclosure is required and must be presented on a separate sheet, apart from any other text. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority based on an application filed in Korea on December 19th, 2022. It is noted, however, that applicant has not filed a certified copy of the application as required by 37 CFR 1.55. The office attempted to retrieve the foreign application through the priority document exchange program on May 19th, 2024 but was unsuccessful. See ‘Document indicating retrieval request was unsuccessful’ sent on May 19th, 2024.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-4 and 9-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by U.S. Patent Publication No. US 2021/0262678 A1 to Pi (hereinafter referred to as Pi).
Regarding claim 1, Pi teaches a humidifier (Fig. 1) comprising: a case having an inlet and an outlet opened upward (Fig. 2, housing 1 has air inlet 5 and air outlet 7 which is opened upward); a humidification reservoir disposed within the case (Fig. 2, evaporator 3), configured to produce mist (¶0003 “In an evaporative humidifier, airflow is generated by a fan. When the airflow passes through an evaporator, liquid water adhering to the evaporator is evaporated and discharged together with the airflow”), and having an open top so that the produced mist rises therethrough (Fig. 2, mist is discharged through outlet 7); a blower fan disposed below the humidification reservoir (Fig. 3, fan 4 is below water trough 2 and evaporator 3) , and configured to generate an ascending air stream within the case (¶0003 “In an evaporative humidifier, airflow is generated by a fan.”); and a flow path heater disposed within the case (Fig. 7, air heating device 14), and configured to heat the ascending air stream blown from the blower fan (¶0040 “the air heating device 14 is mounted at the bottom of the housing 1 and arranged between the air inlet 5 and the air inlet end of the fan 4. When the fan 4 rotates, the external airflow enters the humidifier from the air inlet 5, is heated by contacting the air heating device 14, and then enters the airflow channel 11 to contact the evaporator 3”), wherein a discharge flow path is defined above the humidification reservoir, through which the ascending air stream and the mist produced in the humidification reservoir flow to the outlet (Fig. 7, outlet 7 defines a discharge flow path above water trough 2), wherein a blower flow path is defined inside the case, through which the ascending air stream blown from the blower fan flows to the discharge flow path (Fig. 7, air flow from fan 4 travels through airflow channel 11 to outlet 7), and wherein the flow path heater is disposed in the blower flow path (¶0040 “the external airflow enters the humidifier from the air inlet 5, is heated by contacting the air heating device 14, and then enters the airflow channel 11 to contact the evaporator 3” ; see annotated figure below for exact airflow pathways).
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Regarding claim 2, Pi teaches the humidifier as applied to claim 1 above, further comprising a motor cover spaced inward from an inner surface of the case, on which a blower motor configured to rotate the blower fan is disposed (Fig. 2, circled portion depicts motor 13 spaced inward from an inner surface of case 11 ; ¶0031 “an upward protrusion may be provided at the middle of the evaporative water trough 2, and a cavity is formed in the protrusion, so that the motor 13 may be mounted in the cavity” ; the cavity reads on the motor cover), wherein the blower flow path comprises a lower blower flow path defined between the motor cover and the case, through which the ascending air stream blown from the blower fan flows, and wherein the flow path heater is disposed in the lower blow fan path (see annotated figure below).
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Regarding claim 3, Pi teaches the humidifier as applied to claim 1 above, wherein the humidification reservoir has an internal space where water is stored and mist flows (Fig. 3, water trough 2), and wherein the blower flow path comprises an upper blower flow path defined between the case and the humidification reservoir and extending upward, wherein the internal space extends upward and communicates with the open top of the humidification reservoir, and wherein the discharge flow path is located above the upper blower flow path and the internal space, and extends upward and communicates with the outlet (see annotated figure below).
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Regarding claim 4, Pi teaches the humidifier as applied to claim 3 above, wherein the internal space includes a mist flow path which communicates with the open top of the humidification reservoir (Fig. 7, water evaporates out of evaporator 3 and forms a mist flow path which exits the humidifier through the outlet 7), and through which the mist produced from the humidification reservoir rises, wherein the upper blower flow path and the mist flow path are merged together at the discharge flow path (Fig. 7, the upper blower flow path and mist flow path will merge at the very top of the humidifier before both exiting said humidifier ; see annotated figure below).
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Regarding claim 9, Pi teaches the humidifier as applied to claim 1 above, further comprising a diversion guide (Fig. 6, tapered surface 31) disposed above the humidification reservoir(¶0036 “the tapered surface 31 is provided at the inner side of the upper portion of the evaporator 3”), and wherein the diversion guide guides the ascending air stream passed through the blower flow path to an upper side of the humidification reservoir (see annotated figure below).
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Regarding claim 10, Pi teaches the humidifier as applied to claim 9 above, wherein the diversion guide extends laterally upward (Fig. 6, tapered surface 31 extends laterally upward).
Regarding claim 11, Pi teaches the humidifier as applied to claim 10 above, wherein the humidification reservoir has the shape of a cylinder (Figs. 5-6 show the humidification reservoir which has a cylindrical shape) and is configured to store water (¶0030 “The evaporator 3 is configured to absorb the water in the evaporative water trough 2”), wherein the diversion guide has an annular shape that extends along a periphery of the humidification reservoir (Fig. 6, tapered surface 31 extends along the periphery of the evaporator and has an annular shape), wherein a perimeter of a lower end of the diversion guide is smaller than a perimeter of an upper end of the humidification reservoir, wherein a perimeter of an upper end of the diversion guide is larger than the perimeter of the upper end of the humidification reservoir (see annotated figure below).
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Although Pi does not explicitly teach wherein the lower end of the diversion guide is inserted into the open top of the humidification reservoir, when the structure recited in the reference is substantially identical to that of the claimed invention, claimed properties or functions are presumed to be inherent. That is to say that the lower end of the diversion guide as taught by Pi is capable of insertion through the top of the humidification reservoir, as the perimeter of the lower end of the diversion guide is smaller than the perimeter of an upper end of the humidification reservoir. See MPEP § 2112.01(I).
Regarding claim 12, Pi teaches the humidifier as applied to claim 9 above, wherein the diversion guide has a guide opening allowing at least a portion of the ascending air stream passed through the blower flow path to enter the discharge flow path (Fig. 3 depicts a cross section of the humidifier where it can be seen that there is an opening between the diversion guide and the wall of the humidifier case allowing for the formation of path 11).
Regarding claim 13, Pi teaches the humidifier as applied to claim 12 above, wherein the guide opening is slanted upward toward the inside (Fig. 7, the guide opening is a tapered surface that slants upwards towards the inside of the housing).
Regarding claim 14, Pi teaches the humidifier as applied to claim 13 above, wherein the guide opening is a plurality of guide openings spaced laterally upward from the upper end of the humidification reservoir and arranged around the periphery of the humidification reservoir (Fig. 5 depicts the diversion guide as an annular member ; Fig. 7 shows that the guide opening surrounds the water tank 6 around the entire periphery).
Regarding claim 15, Pi teaches the humidifier as applied to claim 12 above, wherein the diversion guide comprises a water collection guide protruding from a periphery of the guide opening (see annotated figure below ; the diversion guide is a surface so any water that contacts said surface will collect at least temporarily, reading on a “water collection guide”).
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Regarding claim 16, Pi teaches the humidifier as applied to claim 15 above, wherein the water collection guide protrudes toward the discharge flow path (see annotated figure above ; the diversion guide and therefore the water collection guide protrudes upwards and towards the case of the humidifier where the discharge flow path is located).
Regarding claim 17, Pi teaches the humidifier as applied to claim 1 above, further comprising a guide wall disposed above the humidification reservoir, spaced inward from an inner surface of the case, and extending upward, wherein the discharge flow path comprises: an outer discharge flow path defined between the case and the guide wall; and an inner discharge flow path defined inside the guide wall (see annotated figure below).
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Regarding claim 18, Pi teaches the humidifier as applied to claim 17 above, further comprising a tank disposed above the humidification reservoir (Fig. 2, water tank 6 is above evaporator 3), and configured to store water, wherein the tank is spaced inward from an inner surface of the case and extends upward, and wherein the inner discharge flow path is defined between the guide wall and the tank (see annotated figure above, the inner flow path is between water tank 6 and evaporator (guide wall) 3).
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.
Claims 5-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Pi, and further in view of Ahmed, S. E. Flow and heat transfer enhancement in the tube heat exchangers, Heat Mass Transfer, Vol. 51 (August 30, 2015), pp. 1607-1630 (hereinafter referred to as Ahmed).
Regarding claim 5, Pi teaches the humidifier as applied to claim 1 above, wherein the flow path heater includes a tube configured to generate heat (¶0040 “the air heating device 14 may separately heat the water and the airflow by means of a resistor or an electromagnetic coil, which is not described in detail herein.”). Pi does not teach a plurality of fins penetrated by the tube and arranged in the direction in which the tube extends.
However, Ahmed teaches that the performance of heat exchangers can be approved upon with inclusion of fins as a way to increase the surface area (Pg. 1608 “The effective heat exchangers should provide the maximum wall surface area between the two fluids, and the minimum resistance to fluid flow. So, the performance can be affected by the addition of fins or by using tubes of various kinds to provide the required heat transfer surface area.”).
Pi is considered analogous to the claimed invention because it is in the same field of humidifiers. Ahmed is considered analogous to the claimed invention because it is reasonably pertinent to a particular problem with which the inventor was concerned (efficient heat transfer). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the humidifier as taught by Pi to include the fins as taught by Ahmed to increase the surface area between the two fluids and subsequently improve the heat transfer efficiency. Furthermore, such a substitution of heat exchangers would results in a predictable result (heat transfer between the heating device and the airflow); a simple substitution of one known element for another to obtain predictable results supports a prima facie case of obviousness. See MPEP § 2143(I)(B).
Regarding claim 6, Pi and Ahmed teach the humidifier as applied to claim 5 above. Pi further teaches wherein the blower flow path is a flow path having an annular cross-section defined along the inner periphery of the case (Fig. 3 depicts a cross-section of the humidifier where it can be seen that airflow path 11 extends along the entire inner periphery of the case), and wherein the tube is disposed on an annular cross-section of the blower flow path (Fig. 7, air heating device 14 extends along the bottom of fan 4 and air contacts said heating device on either side through inlets 5, therefore reading on disposal on an annular cross-section of the blower flow path). Although Pi does not explicitly teach wherein the tube has the shape of a loop, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art that the air heating device 14 extends along the bottom periphery of the device in order to contact the air entering through both air inlets 5 (see Fig. 7) and a loop would therefore be an acceptable shape. See MPEP § 2144.04(IV)(B).
Regarding claim 7, Pi and Ahmed teach the humidifier as applied to claim 5 above. Ahmed further teaches wherein a surface of the plurality of fins where heat exchange occurs extends vertically (Fig. 2 depicts plate fins which extend in a vertical direction).
Regarding claim 8, Pi and Ahmed teach the humidifier as applied to claim 5 above. Pi further teaches wherein the tube is spaced inward from an inner surface of the case (Fig. 7, air heating device 14 is space inward from the interior of the case), and wherein the surface of the plurality of fins where heat exchange with the ascending air stream occurs faces in a lateral direction (Fig. 7, the air enters through inlets 5 and will contact the air heating device 14 in a lateral direction as it ascends upwards to flow path 11 ; with the modification of the air heating device 14 to include the fins as taught by Ahmed, such a modification would result in the fins also facing the ascending airstream in a lateral direction).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Kim (US 2023/0204249) teaches a humidifying device with a humidification reservoir, a blower, and several air flow paths within the humidifying device.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RACHEL MARIE SLAUGOVSKY whose telephone number is (571)272-0188. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8:30 am - 5:30 pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jennifer Dieterle can be reached at (571) 270-7872. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/RACHEL MARIE SLAUGOVSKY/Examiner, Art Unit 1776
/Jennifer Dieterle/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1776