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
Claim 1 objected to because of the following informalities: line 7 of the claim should read “…of the fold edges; and”.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a) as being anticipated by Ebnet et al. US 12,521,665.
Regarding claim 1, Ebnet teaches a filter element comprising:
a) a filter body 17 comprising a folded filter medium with fold edges 4 (Figure 7, ;
b) a first side strip 14A comprised of a fibrous material,
wherein the first side strip comprises a seal section as the lateral band section of 14A (Figure 5, column 7 lines 35-40);
wherein the seal section seals the filter body at a first end face extending transversely to the fold edges of the filter medium (Figures 5-7 and column 7 lines 35-40), and
wherein the first side strip further comprises a first tab 14B projecting away from the seal section and extending in a direction of the fold edges (column 7 line 41); and
c) a circumferential seal 17B engaging around the first tab.
Regarding claims 2 and 3, the first tab 14B is arranged terminally at the seal section 17B (Figure 7) and arranges at both sides of the first tab (Figure 4).
Regarding claims 4, 5, 6, and 7 the first tab can be single layer or multilayer (including two layers) (Figure 8, column 6 line 17) where the layers are glued (column 6 lines 59-61).
Regarding claims 8 and 9, the first tab is glued to the seal section of the first side strip and the first tab and the seal section of the first side strip are configured together as one piece. (Figure 8)
Regarding claim 10, the first side strip is comprised of a nonwoven material (column 3 line 24).
Regarding claim 11, the first tab comprises through openings to allow the circumferential seal to pass (Figure 7 where the seal surrounds the tab).
Regarding claim 12, the circumferential seal is comprised of a foamed material.
Regarding claim 13, wherein the foamed material is a polyurethane foam (column 5 line 5).
Regarding claims 14 and 15, the filter further comprises side strips on four rectangular sides thus, comprising a second side strip comprising a second tab, wherein the second side strip seals the filter body at a second end face extending transversely to the fold edges a third tab and a fourth tab, wherein the third tab and the fourth tab are arranged at the filter body between the first side strip and the second side strip, wherein the first tab, the second tab, the third tab, and the fourth tab adjoin each other in pairs and surround the filter body (Figures 3, 4, and 5).
Regarding claims 16-19, the device further comprises reinforcement elements 14B and 15B, wherein at least at the first tab one of the reinforcement elements is arranged, are circumferential plastic rings (column 7 line 40).
Regarding claim 20, the filter comprises at least one head strip 16 at an end surface of the filter body, wherein the end surface of the filter body extends perpendicularly to the seal section and along a lateral edge of the seal section (column 7 line 59).
Conclusion
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/SHARON PREGLER/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1772
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