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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of claims 1, 4-5, 7-14, and 17-18 in the reply filed on 5 Nov. 2025 is acknowledged.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112(b)
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 4 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 4, the phrase "preferably" renders the claim indefinite because it is unclear whether the limitation(s) following the phrase are part of the claimed invention. See MPEP § 2173.05(d).
Claim 12 recites the limitation "the at least one heating tube". There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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, 4-5, 7-14, and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hidetoshi JP2008045803 published 28 Feb. 2008 as translated by EPO (hereafter Hidetoshi).
Regarding claim 1, Hidetoshi teaches an air dehumidification system (Fig 2), comprising:
a conditioner (34) for absorbing moisture from air (¶24) into a liquid desiccant (D);
a desiccant dryer (37) for evaporating the absorbed moisture from the liquid desiccant to evaporated moisture (¶30);
a condenser (39) for condensing the evaporated moisture (¶27);
a heat transfer medium flow circuit (circuit comprising exchangers 39 and 37) arranged such that heat removed from the evaporated moisture during condensation in the condenser is absorbed by the heat transfer medium, and such that said heat is used in evaporation of the absorbed moisture from the liquid desiccant, the heat transfer medium comprising a refrigerant (as shown in Fig 2, ¶26);
wherein the condenser comprises at least one cooling tube (tubes 39 shown in Fig 2) forming part of the heat transfer medium flow circuit and having a first surface (heat exchange surface) for condensation of evaporated moisture thereon,
wherein the heat transfer medium flow circuit comprises a compressor (35) downstream (where in a circuit all points are both upstream and downstream of all other portions of the circuit) of the at least one cooling tube.
Regarding claim 4, Hidetoshi teaches all the limitations of claim 1. Hidetoshi further teaches wherein the condenser is arranged for discharging condensed moisture in liquid form (via pump 50), the condensed moisture in particular being water.
Regarding claim 5, Hidetoshi teaches all the limitations of claim 1. Hidetoshi further teaches wherein, in use, the pressure at which moisture is removed from the desiccant in the desiccant dryer is substantially equal to the pressure at which this moisture condenses in the condenser (where the system is fully capable of operating at the claimed pressure in accordance with MPEP 2114, 2114, 2173.05(g)).
Regarding claim 7, Hidetoshi teaches all the limitations of claim 1. Hidetoshi further teaches wherein the pressure in the desiccant dryer and/or the pressure in the condenser is subatmospheric (where the system is fully capable of operating at the claimed pressure in accordance with MPEP 2114, 2114, 2173.05(g)).
Regarding claim 8, Hidetoshi teaches all the limitations of claim 1. Hidetoshi further teaches wherein the compressor is arranged such that the mechanical power of the compressor contributes to the heat used for evaporation (where the compressor adds energy to the refrigerant fluid and would therefore add energy to the evaporation).
Regarding claim 9, Hidetoshi teaches all the limitations of claim 1. Hidetoshi further teaches wherein the compressor is arranged for pressurizing the heat transfer medium such that said heat transfer medium changes from vapour to liquid (where one of ordinary skill would understand that the compressor 35 in the refrigeration cycle would operate as claimed because the limitation is a common feature of a refrigeration cycle).
Regarding claim 10, Hidetoshi teaches all the limitations of claim 1. Hidetoshi further teaches wherein the desiccant dryer comprises at least one heating tube (tubes 37) forming part of the heat transfer medium flow circuit and having a second surface (heat exchange surface) for evaporation of the absorbed moisture from the liquid desiccant thereon, wherein the condenser comprises a bundle of tubes (tube bundle 39 shown in Fig 2).
Regarding claim 11, Hidetoshi teaches all the limitations of claim 1. Hidetoshi further teaches an additional heater (44) incorporated in the desiccant supply line to the desiccant dryer.
Regarding claim 12, Hidetoshi teaches all the limitations of claim 7. Hidetoshi further teaches wherein the system is arranged such that the heat transfer medium condenses inside the at least one heating tube (where one of ordinary skill would understand that the refrigerant would condense inside the heating tube because the limitation is a common feature of a refrigeration cycle).
Regarding claim 13, Hidetoshi teaches all the limitations of claim 1. Hidetoshi further teaches wherein the heat transfer medium flow circuit further includes a heat exchanger (33) for allowing transfer of heat from the heat transfer medium to the liquid desiccant upstream of the desiccant dryer.
Regarding claim 14, Hidetoshi teaches all the limitations of claim 1. Hidetoshi further teaches wherein the desiccant dryer and the condenser are arranged in a common enclosure (36).
Regarding claim 18, Hidetoshi teaches all the limitations of claim 1. Hidetoshi further teaches wherein one or more parts of the desiccant dryer are corrosion resistant against the liquid desiccant, or wherein the construction of the desiccant dryer is arranged to withstand the pressure of the heat transfer medium (where one of ordinary skill would understand that the parts of the desiccant dryer would be built to be compatible with the fluids it uses, such as the corrosion of the liquid desiccant and the pressure of the heat transfer medium).
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.
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.
Claim 17 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hidetoshi as applied to claim 1 above.
Regarding claim 17, Hidetoshi teaches all the limitations of claim 1.
Hidetoshi does not teach wherein the desiccant dryer comprises a packed column.
Hidetoshi further teaches where the conditioner is a packed column in order to promote heat exchange (¶8).
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 desiccant dryer (37) of Hidetoshi to comprise a packed column (¶8) in order to promote heat exchange (¶8).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to STEPHEN HOBSON whose telephone number is (571)272-9914. The examiner can normally be reached 9am-5pm.
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/STEPHEN HOBSON/Examiner, Art Unit 1776