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 .
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
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 1, 7 and their dependent claims 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.
Claim 1 recites the limitation “the ion-exchange resin” on line 17. It is not clear if this limitation is the same as “the inactive ion-exchange resin” earlier recited in the claim or not.
Claim 7 recites the limitation “an/the ion-exchange resin”. It is not clear if this “ion-exchange resin” is the same as “an/the inactive ion-exchange resin” as recited earlier in Claim 1, or if it is different altogether. Examiner interprets it to be different. This limitation is recited additional times in Claim 7 and Claim 8.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
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(s) 1 & 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Al-Samadi, (US 2011/0315631), in view of Jessen et al., (“Jessen”, US 8,585,906).
Regarding Claims 1 & 7, Al-Samadi discloses a regeneration system, (See Abstract), for regenerating at least one regeneration container which has an accommodation space for confining therein an inactive ion-exchange resin, (Resin Container IX-A, See Figure 5, See paragraph [0037]), the regeneration system comprising: a flow-path control device which is actuated to be operable in a first circulation state, where an accommodation liquid inside the accommodation space is driven to continuously circulate through a first circulation path which passes through the accommodation space, (Shut-off valves in System of Figure 5 in which MV and FRV/PRV are used to direct liquid into Resin Container IX-A, See paragraph [0037]), and a second circulation state, where the accommodation liquid is driven to continuously circulate through a second circulation path which passes through the accommodation space, (See Figure 4, See paragraph [0041]); a first tank which is switchable to be in fluid communication with the accommodation space such that a first liquid inside said first tank is permitted to flow into the accommodation space to serve as the accommodation liquid and to be driven by said flow-path control device to continuously circulate through said first circulation path, (RO/NF Conc. Tank holds concentrate liquid that is directed via selection of valving to Resin Container IX-A, See Figure 4 or 5, See paragraph [0037] & [0041]), to force the first liquid to mix and react with the inactive ion-exchange resin that contains first cations, (See paragraph [0018], [0037] & [0041], hardness ions which are divalent are exchanged with monovalent cations from IeX resin), and such that after the first cations on the ion-exchange resin are exchanged with second cations to obtain a regenerated ion-exchange resin in a reacted first liquid, (See paragraph [0018], [0037] & [0041], hardness ions which are divalent are exchanged with monovalent cations from IeX resin), the reacted first liquid inside the accommodation space is permitted to flow back into said first tank, (SEe paragraph [0041], steps b)-f) are repeated, indicating it is recirculated back through RO/NF membrane to RO/NF Conc. Tank 28); a second tank which is switchable to be in fluid communication with said first circulation path such that a second liquid, which has a regenerant salt containing the second cations in said second tank, is permitted to be introduced into said first circulation path to mix with the first liquid, and such that the first cations are permitted to react with the regenerant salt of the second liquid to obtain a resulting salt containing the first cations and to obtain the regenerated ion-exchange resin, (Regenerant Tank 21 communicates via valving with Resin Container IX-A, See Figure 3 and 5, See paragraph [0051]); a first filtration element disposed to filter the first liquid in said first circulation path so as to collect a first portion of the resulting salt that is regenerant entrained in the first liquid, (RO/NF membranes 6, See Figures 3 & 5, See paragraph [0049], [0051], [0058]); a third stream which is switchable to be in fluid communication with the accommodation space such that after the reacted first liquid flows back into said first tank, (Influent 1 is switchable to communicate with Resin Container IX-A, See Figure 4 & 5, See paragraph [0041]), a third liquid inside said third stream is permitted to be introduced into the accommodation space to serve as the accommodation liquid and to be driven by said first flow-path control device to continuously circulate through said second circulation path to force the third liquid to mix with the regenerated ion-exchange resin, (See Figure 4 & 5, See paragraphs [0037] & [0041], influent liquid is mixed/blended with concentrate as it is directed through Resin Container IX-A), and such that a second portion of the resulting salt, which remains inside the accommodation space, is permitted to be entrained in the third liquid and circulates through said second circulation path, (See Figure 4 & 5, See paragraphs [0037] & [0041], influent liquid is mixed/blended with concentrate as it is directed through Resin Container IX-A, the salt from concentrate is entrained in third liquid (influent)); and a second filtration element disposed to filter the third liquid in said second circulation path so as to collect the second portion of the resulting salt entrained in the third liquid, (Prefilter 4 or Filter 5, See Figure 4 or 5, See paragraphs [0050] & [0051]).
Al-Samadi does not disclose a third tank holding the third stream.
Jessen discloses a third tank holding the third stream, (City Water Supply 108 or Washout Water Tank 112, See Figure 3A, See column 9, lines 30-37, Jessen). Additional features of this embodiment are included as part of the overall combination and are claim mapped to in subsequent disclosures.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have modified the regeneration system of Al-Samadi by incorporating a third tank holding the third stream as in Jessen in order to provide a “pressurized portable water supply…to provide a motive flow”, (See column 49, lines 51-53, Jessen), “reducing the need to add make-up water from the city water supply for rinsing” and “minimizes water consumption”, (See column 52, lines 49-53, Jessen).
Regarding Claim 7, modified Al-Samadi discloses a water softening apparatus for converting a hard water into a soft water, (See paragraphs [0003], [0007], [0034], Al-Samadi), said water softening apparatus comprising: said regeneration system as claimed in claim 1, (see rejection of Claim 1 above); a container module including containers, each of said containers having an accommodation space for confining therein an ion-exchange resin, (Resin Containers IX-A or IX-B, See Figure 5, See paragraph [0037], Al-Samadi), a first selected one of said containers being coupled to a source of the hard water to serve as a softening container in which the ion-exchange resin is active so as to convert the hard water into the soft water, (One of Resin Containers IX-A or IX-B, See Figure 5, See paragraph [0037], [0041], Al-Samadi), a second selected one of said containers being coupled to said regeneration system to serve as said at least one regeneration container, (The other of Resin Containers IX-A or IX-B, See Figure 5, See paragraph [0037], [0041], Al-Samadi), in which the ion-exchange resin is inactive, so as to permit the ion-exchange resin inside said at least one regeneration container to be regenerated by said regeneration system, (See paragraph [0018], [0037] & [0041], Al-Samadi; hardness ions which are divalent are exchanged with monovalent cations from IeX resin).
Claim(s) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Al-Samadi, (US 2011/0315631), in view of Iizuka et al., (“Iizuka”, US 2002/0017495).
Regarding Claim 6, modified Al-Samadi discloses the regeneration system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: a sensor unit provided to measure a concentration of the first cations of the first liquid in said first circulation path, such that the second liquid is introduced into said first circulation path in response to the concentration of the first cations being higher than a predetermined value.
Iizuka discloses a sensor unit provided to measure a concentration of the first cations of the first liquid in said first circulation path, such that the second liquid is introduced into said first circulation path in response to the concentration of the first cations being higher than a predetermined value, (See paragraphs [0010], [0023], & [0025], Iizuka).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have modified the regeneration system of modified Al-Samadi by incorporating a sensor unit provided to measure a concentration of the first cations of the first liquid in said first circulation path, such that the second liquid is introduced into said first circulation path in response to the concentration of the first cations being higher than a predetermined value as in Iizuka in order to “provide a water softening device that reliably prevents the leakage of hardness components, even when there is fluctuation in the raw water quality or when there are changes in the properties of the ion exchange resin”, (See paragraph [0008], Iizuka).
Allowable Subject Matter
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: after conducting searching and consideration of the prior art in the relevant fields of technology, the Examiner has determined that the closest prior art such as Al-Samadi, (US 2011/0315631), or Jessen et al., (“Jessen”, US 8,585,906), do not disclose each and every feature of dependent Claims 2 or 8 alone or in combination with each other. As a result, the Examiner indicates that these claims and the claims depending from them are considered allowable.
Claims 2-5, and 8-10 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JONATHAN M PEO whose telephone number is (571)272-9891. The examiner can normally be reached M-F, 9AM-5PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Bobby Ramdhanie can be reached at 571-270-3240. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JONATHAN M PEO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1779
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