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 § 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 1-3,6,7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being clearly anticipated by Korean reference(KR10-2021-0011204A).
Korean reference in figure 1 teaches a fuel cell membrane humidifier(humidifier 100) performing moisture exchange between a first fluid and a second fluid comprising a mid case(housing 110), a second fluid inlet(wet air supply port 112) configured to introduce the second fluid into the mid case, a second fluid outlet(wet air discharge port 114) configured to discharge the second fluid to outside, a partition wall(partition wall 120) partitioning an inner space of the mid case into a first space(first space 110a) and a second space(110b), and an active bypass portion(bypass unit 140) configured to adjust a flow rate of the second fluid flowing in the first space and the second space according to a flow rate of the second fluid introduced through the second fluid inlet(examiner noting para 0089 stating “the bypass section 140 includes a first check valve 142 arranged to pass through the bulkhead 120”, wherein a check valve reads on “an active bypass portion”, with the second fluid flow rate adjusted upon interaction with the check valve. Examiner also notes para 0094 stating “when the first check valve 142 and the second check valve 144 are open, some of the moist air supplied to the first space 110a can be bypassed directly to the second space 110b through the first check valve 142 and the second check valve 144 without passing through the humidifying membrane cartridge 130, thereby reducing the amount of moistening of the inflow gas supplied to the fuel cell stack).
With regards to claim 2, Korean reference further teaches wherein the active bypass portion comprises a bypass hole(noting bypass hole in figure 1) formed by penetrating the partition wall, and a bypass hole opening/closing device(check valve 142) configured to open/close the bypass hole according to a flow rate of the second fluid introduced through the second fluid inlet.
With regards to claim 3, Korean reference further teaches wherein the bypass hole opening/closing device comprises a single valve member(142) formed on the partition wall to cover the bypass hole.
With regards to claim 6, Korean reference further teaches wherein the bypass hole opening/closing device comprises a flexible material(check valve including a flexible material to provide for one way transmission of fluid across the valve) having a shape that is deformed as a pressure applied thereto increases and returns to an original shape when the pressure decreases.
With regards to claim 7, Korean reference further teaches caps(caps shown in figure 2) formed at both ends of the mid case, and at least one cartridge(membrane cartridge 130) arranged in the mid case and configured to accommodate a plurality of hollow fiber membranes.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4,5 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Claim 4 recites “wherein the bypass hole opening/closing device comprises a dual valve member formed on the partition wall to cover the bypass hole from both sides.”. Korean reference teaches a bypass hole opening/closing device, however Korean reference does not teach or suggest wherein the bypass hole opening/closing device comprises a dual valve member formed on the partition wall to cover the bypass hole from both sides.
Claim 5 recites “wherein the bypass hole opening/closing device comprises a double valve member formed on the partition wall to cover the bypass hole from both sides while at least a portion of the members overlapping each other.”. Korean reference teaches a bypass hole opening/closing device, however Korean reference does not teach or suggest wherein the bypass hole opening/closing device comprises a double valve member formed on the partition wall to cover the bypass hole from both sides while at least a portion of the members overlapping each other.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ROBERT A HOPKINS whose telephone number is (571)272-1159. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Thurs 6am-4pm.
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/ROBERT A HOPKINS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1776
February 11, 2026