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 .
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.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Peterson et al (US 20140377675; hereinafter Peterson) in view of Fisher (US 1565318) and Matsubara et al (US 6475256; Matsubara) or Boehde et al (US 5502984; Boehde) or Brombach et al (US 4816156; hereinafter Brombach) or Laval, Jr. (US 3947364; hereinafter Laval) or Smith (US 2518084).
As regarding claim 1, Peterson discloses the claimed invention for a compressed air-moisture separating unit (figs. 2-3) for a multistage turbo compressor system, the compressed air-moisture separating unit comprising: a cylindrical compressed air-moisture separation chamber housing module (118) that enables condensed moisture to be separated from compressed air when the compressed air compressed by a turbo air compression unit flows in; a compressed air inlet module (122) that is formed by penetrating one side of an upper part of the compressed air-moisture separation chamber housing module (118) and is separated from a central axis of the compressed air-moisture separation chamber housing module on purpose such that the compressed air discharged from the turbo air compression unit flows in and whirls inside the compressed air-moisture separation chamber housing module.
Peterson does not disclose an intra-compressed air moisture-removal flow guide vane module. Fisher teaches an intra-compressed air moisture-removal flow guide vane module (7 of figs. 1 and 3). Both Peterson and Fisher are directed to cyclonic separator having tangential inlet. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention was made to provide an intra-compressed air moisture-removal flow guide vane module as taught by Fisher in order to stabilize the inner vortex and prevent short-circuit flow, thereby increasing residence time and improving separation efficiency while reducing re-entrainment.
Peterson as modified discloses wherein the cylindrical compressed air-moisture separation chamber housing module has a top wall (Fisher – annotated fig. 1) inclined to guide the compressed air introduced from the compressed air inlet module (Fisher - 4) into the cylindrical compressed air-moisture separation chamber housing module, such that the condensed moisture is separated from the compressed air by friction with the top wall; intra-compressed air moisture-removal flow guide vane module (Fisher – 7 of figs. 1 and 3) that facilitates whirling of the compressed air flowing in the compressed air-moisture separation chamber housing module and induces friction with the compressed air to remove the condensed moisture from the compressed air; an intra-compressed air moisture-removal filtering housing module (130) configured to remove the condensed moisture from the compressed air flowing in the compressed air-moisture separation chamber housing module and discharge the compressed air to an outside of the compressed air-moisture separation chamber housing module, and comprising: a moisture-removed compressed air discharge passage element (132 of fig. 3) that is positioned coaxially inside the compressed air-moisture separation chamber housing module (118) and extends through the top wall (Fisher – annotated fig. 1) to the outside.
Peterson as modified does not disclose an intra-compressed air moisture-removal filtering element extending from a lower end of the moisture-removed compressed air discharge passage element and having a truncated cone shape to increase a flow rate of the compressed air whirling and flowing along an outer circumferential edge surface of the intra-compressed air moisture-removal filtering element while reducing a flow rate of the compressed air flowing in the intra-compressed air moisture-removal filtering element, whereby floating droplets fall due to the inertia. However, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention was made to provide an intra-compressed air moisture-removal filtering element extending from a lower end of the moisture-removed compressed air discharge passage element and having a truncated cone shape to increase a flow rate of the compressed air whirling and flowing along an outer circumferential edge surface of the intra-compressed air moisture-removal filtering element while reducing a flow rate of the compressed air flowing in the intra-compressed air moisture-removal filtering element, whereby floating droplets fall due to the inertia in order to enhance cyclonic separator performance, since it was known in the art as shown in Matsubara (5 of fig. 6) or Boehde (50 fig. 6) or Brombach (26 of fig. 1) or Laval (29 of fig. 1) or Smith (12 of fig. 1).
Peterson as modified discloses a condensed moisture discharging mesh module (108 of fig. 3) that enables the condensed moisture removed from the compressed air and condensed moisture droplets floating inside the compressed air-moisture separation chamber housing module (118) to be formed and discharged as moisture to the outside, wherein the compressed air flowing in through the compressed air inlet module (122) flows through the compressed air inlet module and then an inner upper end portion of the compressed air-moisture separation chamber housing module and then the intra-compressed air moisture-removal flow guide vane module (Fisher – 7 of figs. 1 and 3) to an inside of the intra-compressed air moisture-removal filtering housing module (130) such that the compressed air from which the condensed moisture has been removed is discharged to the outside, wherein removal of the condensed moisture is performed due to friction of the compressed air flowing in the compressed air-moisture separation chamber housing module (118) through the compressed air inlet module (122) against the inner upper end portion of the compressed air-moisture separation chamber housing module, friction against the intra-compressed air moisture-removal flow guide vane module (Fisher – 7 of figs. 1 and 3), friction of the compressed air against an inner wall of the compressed air-moisture separation chamber housing module and an outer wall of the intra-compressed air moisture-removal filtering housing module (130), and friction of the compressed air against an inner wall of a lower end portion of the intra-compressed air moisture-removal filtering housing module (130).
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Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1 have been considered but are moot because of the new ground of rejection.
Conclusion
CN 101956693 is also considered a closest prior art reference; however, it is not relied upon in the present rejection, teaches a cyclonic air separator including a whirling vane (7) and a discharge passage element having a truncated cone shape (8 of fig. 1).
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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/DUNG H BUI/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1773
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