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: inconsistent terminology and lack of clarity.
Appropriate correction is required.
Regarding par. [0096], description of item 34 is given as “seal support device” in several places and then describes “seal support surface”. Correction is required for clarity and consistency.
Regarding par. [0036] and [0120], the description that “the last five or/up to ten folds” in par. [0036] and “the last five up to/or ten folds” appears to be a typo but also creates a lack of clarity. These phrases are ambiguous because they do not clearly indicate whether the intended range is five to ten folds, exactly five folds or exactly ten folds, or any number up to ten folds. Correction is required for clarity and consistency.
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 1-20 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 1, The phase “at least partially continuously at least in sections” renders the scope of the claim unclear because it is not reasonably ascertainable whether the seal must be continuous around the entire circumference, continuous only around a portion of the circumference, continuous within each of multiple sections, or discontinuous/segmented. The terms “partially”, “continuously”, and “in sections”, when used together without further structural boundaries, create ambiguity as to the required circumferential extent and continuity of the seal. Claims 2-20 are rejected due to their dependency upon claim 1.
Regarding claim 10, recitation of “the folds at the inflow side include folds comprising fold bases exempt from the elongate adhesive sections at least in a rim region”. The scope of this limitation is unclear because the claim does not clearly identify what constitutes the “rim region” or whether the “rim region” is a region of the filter bellows, a region of the fold bases, or a region of the inflow side. Additionally, the phrase “folds at the inflow side” is unclear because the folds themselves have inflow and outflow sides, rather than being clearly located “at” the inflow side.
Regarding claim 11, recitation of “fold tips visible at the outflow side” but does not clearly define from what perspective or in what assembled state the fold tips must be visible, particularly because claim 1 recites a cover element arranged at the clean-side outlet surface. It is therefore unclear whether the fold tips must be visible from the exterior of the assembled filter element, visible through openings of the cover element, or merely present at the outflow side.
Regarding claim 14, recitation of “fold tips of the folds comprise second adhesive gaps”. It is unclear how a fold tip, which is a portion of the folded filter medium, can “comprise” an adhesive gap. The claim does not clearly indicate whether the second adhesive gaps are gaps in the first adhesive tracks located at the fold tips, gaps formed by omitted adhesive sections at the fold tips, or separate structural features of the fold tips themselves.
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.
Claims 1 and 4-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Canfield (US20210129068A1) in view of Bouhanna (US8398735B2), and further in view of Kloss (US20180169559A1) and Mbadinga-Mouanda (US20140014572A1).
Regarding claim 1, Canfield discloses a filter element for filtering a fluid, the filter element comprising: a filter bellows comprising a folded filter medium with folds (Canfield par. [0069] “filter media pack”); a reinforcement frame, wherein the filter bellows is arranged in the reinforcement frame (Canfield par. [0069] “support frame”); at least one seal arranged at an outer circumferential side of the filter medium at the raw side inlet surface or at the clean side outlet surface of the filter bellows (Canfield par. [0069] “seal” 108); elongate adhesive sections arranged at in inflow side of the folds or at an outflow side of the folds (Canfield par. [0071] describes “utilize strategically placed intermittent glue beads (also referred to as glue bead sections) on the opposed surfaces of the filter media” and “glue beads fix the alignment of the pleat panels and provide improved rigidity to the media pack 102”); and a cover element associated with the filter bellows (Canfield par. [0069] “outer cover”).
Canfield does not expressly disclose that the folded filter medium is “zigzag-shaped”, does not use the exact terminology “raw side inlet surface” and “clean side outlet surface” does not explicitly disclose elongate adhesive sections arranged “along an unwinding of the folds” in “first adhesive tracks” and does not explicitly disclose that the cover element at the clean side outlet surface comprises a plurality of openings and is fixedly connected to the seal.
Mbadinga-Mouanda is directed to a filter for filtering fluids and teaches a filter element having a zigzag-folded filter medium with a raw side and a clean side (Mbadinga-Mouanda par. [0002] and par. [0111]). Mbadinga-Mouanda further teaches adhesive sections arranged along lines of adhesive on the filter medium, including on the raw side and/or clean side, wherein the adhesive lines extend between fold tips and fold bases and are not continuous but include interruptions (Mbadinga-Mouanda pars. [0050]-[0052]). Mbadinga-Mouanda par. [0121] further teaches that “a plurality of elongate adhesive sections 122 extends along straight lines of adhesive 101” and that the “lines of adhesive 101 extend equidistantly parallel to each other and perpendicularly to the fold edges F”, thereby teaching or suggesting the claimed elongate adhesive sections arranged along first adhesive tracks of a zigzag folded filter medium.
Bouhanna is directed to a pleated filter element with a support grid for supporting and regulating spacing of pleated filter media. Bouhanna teaches a pleated filter media secured to a frame member, a support grid positioned on a downstream side of the filter element, and the support grid having openings for fluid flow (Bouhanna summary col. 1 and 2). Bouhanna further teaches that the support grid has web members that “divide the aperture 24 into a plurality of openings 58 that are of ample size to pass the fluid stream 30” and that the support grid is provided at the downstream side of the pleated filter media and secured along its periphery portions to the frame member (Bouhanna col. 3; col. 5). Bouhanna also teaches that the frame member may include an elastomeric seal, including polyurethane (Bouhanna col. 5) teaching the use of a downstream support grid/cover element having a plurality of openings for fluid flow and connected to a frame/seal structure.
Kloss is directed to a filter element for gas filtration having a folded filter medium body, a sealing element, a lateral band, and an optional support grid. Kloss teaches that a support grid may be arranged at the inflow side or at the or at the outflow side, i.e., at the side which is neighboring the sealing element or which is opposite the sealing element, optionally on both sides, a support grid can be arranged (Kloss par. 0027]). Kloss further teaches that the support grid may be a plastic material or metal such as expanded metal or perforated sheet metal, and that the support grid is adhesively connected to a leg of a lateral band located at the inflow or outflow side (Kloss par. [0027-[0028]). Kloss also teaches that the lateral band can carry the sealing element, that the sealing element is adhesively connected to a leg of the lateral band, and that a U-shaped lateral band may have one leg positioned at the inflow side and another leg positioned at the outflow side as a carrier of the sealing element or support grid (Kloss pars. [0015]-[0016], [0028]). Kloss therefore teaches or suggests integrating a support grid/cover structure with the peripheral seal-support structure of a folded filter element.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the filter element of Canfield to include the zigzag-folded raw-side/clean-side adhesive-track configuration taught by Mbadinga-Mouanda and to provide the clean-side grid/structure as taught by Kloss. Canfield teaches that deep pleated filter media packs suffer from insufficient rigidity and distortion under pressure differentials, and teaches using glue bead sections to maintain spacing and dimensional stability of pleat panels. Mbadinga-Mouanda teaches using adhesive sections along lines of adhesive on raw and/or clean sides of a zigzag-folded filter medium to stabilize folds and reduce collapse risk. Bouhanna teaches that pleated filter media may collapse due to fluid forces and that a downstream support grid with openings supports the pleated media while allowing fluid flow. Kloss teaches that a support grid can be arranged at an inflow or outflow side and adhesively connected to a lateral band that also carries or supports the sealing element. A person of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to combine these teachings to improve stability of the pleated filter media, maintain pleat spacing, resist collapse or deformation from fluid forces, preserve open flow paths through the filter, and integrate the support grid/cover with the peripheral sealing structure. Combining the teaches of these references to do so would have yielded the predictable result of a reinforced pleated filter element having adhesive-stabilized folds, a downstream flow-through cover/support grid, and a peripheral seal-support arrangement.
Regarding claim 4, the combination of Canfield, Bouhanna, Mbadinga-Mouanda and Kloss discloses the filter element according to claim 1, wherein the first adhesive tracks at the inflow side and the first adhesive tracks at the outflow side are arranged offset relative to each other, viewed in a transverse direction of the filter bellows (Canfield pars. [0014-0017] and [0039] teaches glue bead sections applied on opposed surfaces of the filter media and arranged in relation to the pleat folds, Mbadinga-Mouanda pars. [0050-56] further teaches adhesive lines on both the raw side and clean side and teaches that the interruptions of the clean-side and raw side adhesive lines are configured so that they don’t overlap and also teaches laterally varying adhesive line arrangements in pars. [0121 and 0134-0136].
Regarding claim 5, the combination of Canfield, Bouhanna, Mbadinga-Mouanda and Kloss discloses the filter element according to claim 1, wherein at least the first adhesive tracks at the outflow side are configured, at least in sections, to relieve tension for a compensation of a length change of the first adhesive tracks in relation to the filter medium or to the seal (Mbadinga-Mouanda pars. [0015 and 0050-0056] teaches that the adhesive lines are not continuous but interrupted at spacings, and further teaches that interruptions connect neighboring flow areas so pressure differences can be compensated and collapse risk can be reduced).
Regarding claim 6, the combination of Canfield, Bouhanna, Mbadinga-Mouanda and Kloss discloses the filter element according to claim 5, wherein the first adhesive tracks at the outflow side and at the inflow side each comprise first adhesive gaps (Mbadinga-Mouanda par. [0051] and [0056] “adhesive are not continuous but interrupted at regular spacings”), wherein the elongate adhesive sections and the first adhesive gaps of each one of the first adhesive tracks are arranged alternatingly to relieve tension for the compensation of a length change of the first adhesive tracks in relation to the filter medium or to the seal (Mbadinga-Mouanda pars. [0015 and 0050-0056]).
Regarding claim 7, the combination of Canfield, Bouhanna, Mbadinga-Mouanda and Kloss discloses the filter element according to claim 6, wherein the elongate adhesive sections at the inflow side and the first adhesive gaps at the outflow side are arranged alternatingly along the unwinding of the folds, or wherein the elongate adhesive sections at the outflow side and the first adhesive gaps at the inflow side are arranged alternatingly along the unwinding of the folds (Mbadinga-Mouanda par. [0055-0056], [0113-0114] teaches raw-side and clean-side adhesive lines with interruptions arranged such that the interruptions of the clean-side and raw-side adhesive lines do not overlap, thereby providing overlap between adhesive sections of one side and interruptions of the other side while par. [0132] teaches that adhesive sections on one side can project past interruptions on the opposite side).
Regarding claim 8, the combination of Canfield, Bouhanna, Mbadinga-Mouanda and Kloss discloses the filter element according to claim 6, wherein the first adhesive gaps of the first adhesive tracks at the inflow side or the first adhesive gaps of the first adhesive tracks at the outflow side include first adhesive gaps extending across fold tips of the folds (Mbadinga-Mouanda par. [0054], [0113] teaches that at the clean side an interruption of the line of adhesive is provided that surrounds the clean-side fold tip, so that the folds at the clean side are not glued together in the area of the fold tips).
Regarding claim 9, the combination of Canfield, Bouhanna, Mbadinga-Mouanda and Kloss discloses the filter element according to claim 6, wherein the elongate adhesive sections of the first adhesive tracks at the inflow side or the elongate adhesive sections of the first adhesive tracks at the outflow side include elongate adhesive sections extending across fold tips of the folds (Canfield pars. [0010], [0039-0040],[0094])( (Mbadinga-Mouanda par. [0050-0052], [0113] also teaches lines of adhesive extending between the fold tips and fold bases and applied on the raw side and/or clean side of the folded filter medium) .
Regarding claim 10, the combination of Canfield, Bouhanna, Mbadinga-Mouanda and Kloss discloses wherein the folds at the inflow side include folds comprising fold bases exempt from the elongate adhesive sections at least in a rim region ((Mbadinga-Mouanda par. [0051-0056], [0113-0114] teaches that the adhesive lines may be interrupted and that adhesive placement may be selected at particular regions between fold tips and fold bases, including interruptions between fold tips and fold bases and clean-side interruptions surrounding fold tips, Canfield pars. [0031-32] likewise teaches discrete glue bead sections rather than continuous glue along ever portion of every pleat, and teaches laterally spaced glue bead sections along pleat folds and in view of these teachings it would have been obvious to omit adhesive sections from fold bases in selected rim regions as a routine optimization of adhesive placement).
Regarding claim 11, the combination of Canfield, Bouhanna, Mbadinga-Mouanda and Kloss discloses the filter element according to claim 6, wherein the folds comprise fold tips visible at the outflow side, wherein one or more of the first adhesive gaps are arranged on the fold tips visible at the outflow side (Mbadinga-Mouanda pars. [0111-0113]).
Regarding claim 12, the combination of Canfield, Bouhanna, Mbadinga-Mouanda and Kloss discloses the filter element according to claim 6, wherein the elongate adhesive sections include elongate adhesive sections arranged at the inflow side and extending into fold bases of the folds, and wherein the first adhesive gaps include first adhesive gaps arranged at the outflow side and extending into fold bases of the folds (Mbadinga-Mouanda pars. [0050-0052], [0113] teaches adhesive lines on the raw side and clean side extending between fold tips and fold bases and pars. [0053-0060], [0120-0124] also teaches interruptions of those adhesive lines between the fold tips and fold bases, including interruptions arranged relative to the fold tips and fold bases such that starting and ending points of the adhesive sections are defined along the adhesive lines).
Regarding claim 13, the combination of Canfield, Bouhanna, Mbadinga-Mouanda and Kloss discloses the filter element according to claim 6, wherein the elongate adhesive sections include elongate adhesive sections arranged at the inflow side and extending into fold bases of the folds, or wherein the first adhesive gaps include first adhesive gaps arranged at the outflow side and extending into fold bases of the folds (Mbadinga-Mouanda pars. [0050-0056], [0113-0116], [0120-0124] as discussed in the rejection of claim 12, Mbadinga-Mouanda teaches adhesive lines on raw and clean sides extending between fold tips and fold bases, with adhesive sections and interruptions along those lines).
Applicant is advised that should claim 12 be found allowable, claim 13 will be objected to under 37 CFR 1.75 as being a substantial duplicate thereof. When two claims in an application are duplicates or else are so close in content that they both cover the same thing, despite a slight difference in wording, it is proper after allowing one claim to object to the other as being a substantial duplicate of the allowed claim. See MPEP § 608.01(m).
Regarding claim 14, the combination of Canfield, Bouhanna, Mbadinga-Mouanda and Kloss discloses the filter element according to claim 6, wherein, at the outflow side, fold tips of the folds comprise second adhesive gaps, wherein the second adhesive gaps are arranged in relation to a transverse direction of the filter bellows such that, on neighboring ones of the first adhesive tracks at the outflow side, the second adhesive gaps are arranged on different ones of the fold tips of the folds (Mbadinga-Mouanda pars. [0057-0060], [0116], [0120-0124] teaches interruptions in lines of adhesive and teaches embodiments in which the starting and ending points of the interruptions are oriented along straight lines or displaced patterns, including arrow-shaped or zigzag-shaped arrangements of interruptions and also teaches in pars. [0121-0124] that interruptions of neighboring adhesive lines can be displaced relative to each other. It would have been obvious to arrange outflow-side adhesive gaps of neighboring adhesive tracks on different fold tips in the transverse direction to distribute flexibility and flow communication across the filter bellows while avoiding alignment of all weakened/gap regions at the same fold tip).
Regarding claim 15, the combination of Canfield, Bouhanna, Mbadinga-Mouanda and Kloss discloses the filter element according to claim 6, wherein, in relation to the unwinding of the folds and viewed in a transverse direction of the filter bellows, the elongate adhesive sections of neighboring ones of the first adhesive tracks at the inflow side are arranged at a same level and wherein the first adhesive gaps of said neighboring ones of the first adhesive tracks at the inflow side are arranged at a same level (Mbadinga-Mouanda par. [0057] teaches that at least two lines of adhesive have interruptions arranged at the same spacing relative to the fold tips and relative to the fold base, such that straight lines formed by the starting and ending points of the individual sections of the adhesive lines extend parallel to the fold edges).
Regarding claim 16, the combination of Canfield, Bouhanna, Mbadinga-Mouanda and Kloss discloses the filter element according to claim 6, wherein, in relation to the unwinding of the folds and viewed in a transverse direction of the filter bellows, the elongate adhesive sections of neighboring ones of the first adhesive tracks at the outflow side are arranged at a same level and wherein the first adhesive gaps of said neighboring ones of the first adhesive tracks at the outflow side are arranged at a same level (Mbadinga-Mouanda pars. [0050-0057] teaches adhesive sections and interruptions on the raw side and clean side and teaches an embodiment in which at least two lines of adhesive have interruptions arranged at the same spacing relative to fold tips and fold bases, with starting and ending points of adhesive sections aligned along straight lines parallel to the fold edges).
Regarding claim 17, the combination of Canfield, Bouhanna, Mbadinga-Mouanda and Kloss discloses the filter element according to claim 6, wherein the elongate adhesive sections have a first length and the first adhesive gaps have a second length, wherein the first length and the second length are identical (Mbadinga-Mouanda pars. [0121-0131] teaches adhesive sections and interruptions/gaps along adhesive lines, including embodiments in which interruptions of identical length are arranged along the adhesive lines, and further teaches that identical or different lengths of interruptions may be provided).
Regarding claim 18, the combination of Canfield, Bouhanna, Mbadinga-Mouanda and Kloss discloses the filter element according to claim 6, wherein the first adhesive tracks at the inflow side are arranged parallel and equidistantly to each other, and wherein the first adhesive tracks at the outflow side are arranged parallel and equidistantly to each other (Mbadinga-Mouanda par. [0050] and [0121]).
Regarding claim 19, the combination of Canfield, Bouhanna, Mbadinga-Mouanda and Kloss discloses the filter element according to claim 6, wherein the first adhesive gaps of the first adhesive tracks at the inflow side are arranged, uniformly distributed, across the inflow side and wherein the first adhesive gaps of the first adhesive tracks at the outflow side are arranged, uniformly distributed, across the outflow side (Mbadinga-Mouanda par. [0051-0060], [0120-0131] teaches lines of adhesive that are not continuous but interrupted at regular spacings, and further teaches adhesive interruptions arranged along multiple adhesive lines in repeated patterns, including straight-line, V-shaped, zigzag-shaped, and W-shaped patterns across the filter medium. Canfield pars. [0031-0032] also teaches multiple sets of glue bead sections spread out laterally along the width of the filter media sheet and preferably spaced no more than two inches apart).
Regarding claim 20, the combination of Canfield, Bouhanna, Mbadinga-Mouanda and Kloss discloses the filter element according to claim 6, wherein the first adhesive tracks at the inflow side and at the outflow side extend perpendicularly to fold tips of the folds (Mbadinga-Mouanda par. [0050] teaches that lines of adhesive extend between fold tips and fold bases and that at least two lines of adhesive are applied parallel to each other and perpendicularly to the direction of the fold edges).
Claims 2-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Canfield (US20210129068A1) in view of Bouhanna (US8398735B2), and further in view of Kloss (US20180169559A1) and Mbadinga-Mouanda (US20140014572A1) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Boothe (US3853529).
Regarding claim 2, the combination of Canfield, Bouhanna, Mbadinga-Mouanda and Kloss discloses the filter element according to claim 1.
Neither Canfield, Bouhanna, Mbadinga-Mouanda nor Kloss disclose that the cover element is connected by at least one second adhesive track to fold tips of the folds, wherein the at least one second adhesive track is arranged fluidically downstream on the cover element and extends transversely to the folds, wherein the at least one second adhesive track passes at least partially through the openings of the cover element.
Boothe is directed to a pleated air filter cartridge having a pleated filtering material and a downstream support structure adhesively joined to the filtering material. Boothe teaches a filter cartridge comprising a filter panel including “a flexible sheet of pleated filtering material and a corresponding pleated support web adhesively joined to said filtering material” (Boothe claim 1), wherein the “support web is secured to the downstream side of said filtering material” (Boothe claim 2). Boothe further teaches that the support web includes spaced sinuous wire supports and spaced straight wire supports forming a plurality of apertures therebetween (Boothe claim 1), and that the air flows “through apertures 13 between the support wires 11 and 12” (Boothe col. 6). Boothe also teaches that “the filtering material is secured by adhesive to the wires surrounding each aperture 13”, such that the filtering material will not billow through the apertures (Boothe col. 6), and further claims that the filtering material and wire supports are secured by “an adhesive seal extending completely around each said aperture” (Boothe claim 8), collectively teaching, or suggests, adhesively connecting a downstream apertured support web/cover to pleated filtering material at the apertures/openings of the support web to restrain movement of the pleated filtering material relative to the support web. Booth further teaches adhesive applied to a support web extending in directions relative to the pleated filtering material, including support wires that extend along the pleats and support wires that traverse the pleats/support web arrangement. Specifically, Boothe teaches “sinuous wire supports extending across said pleats of said filtering material and coinciding therewith” and “straight wire supports extending along said pleats of said filtering material and transversing said sinuous wire supports” (Boothe claim 1). Boothe also teaches that the “entire web 10 is coated with an adhesive 16” and that the web is joined to the filtering material by adhesive (Boothe col. 3). Accordingly, Boothe also teaches or suggests adhesive extending along the downstream apertured support web in track-like paths associated with the support wires and apertures, including adhesive paths extending transversely relative to portions of the pleated filtering and securing the support web to the pleated filtering material around the openings.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify the filter element of Canfield, Kloss, Bouhanna and Mbadinga-Mouanda, to adhesively connect the downstream cover/support grid to the fold tips of the pleated filter medium by an adhesive track arranged on the downstream side of the cover/support grid and extending transversely to the folds, as suggested by Boothe. Canfield teaches that the glue bead sections improve rigidity, dimensional stability, and spacing of pleated filter media, while Bouhanna teaches a downstream support grid with openings for supporting pleated media against fluid forces, and Kloss teaches integrating a support grid with an adhesive/sealing peripheral structure. Boothe further teaches that a downstream apertured support web can be adhesively joined to pleated filtering material, including adhesive around the apertures, to prevent the filtering material from billowing through the apertures. In view of these teachings, a person of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to provide adhesive tracks on or through the openings of the downstream cover/support grid to connect the cover/support grid to the fold tips of the pleated filter medium, because doing so would predictably restrain movement of the fold tips relative to the downstream cover, prevent billowing or vibration of the pleated media through the openings, maintain pleat spacing, and preserve fluid flow through the openings.
Regarding claim 3, the combination of Canfield, Bouhanna, Mbadinga-Mouanda, Kloss and Boothe discloses the filter element according to claim 2, wherein the elongate adhesive sections include adhesive sections arranged at the outflow side of the folds on the fold tips of the folds (Canfield par. [0039] and claim 23), wherein the cover element is connected to the elongate adhesive sections arranged at the outflow side of the folds on the fold tips of the folds (Boothe claim 1 teaches a downstream apertured support web adhesively joined to the pleated filtering material, including “a corresponding pleated support web adhesively joined to said filtering material”); because the rejection of claim 2 already modifies the downstream cover/support grid of the combined Canfield/Kloss/Bouhanna/Mbadinga-Mouanda filter element to be adhesively connected through the cover openings to the fold tips as taught or suggested by Boothe, it would have been obvious to connect that downstream cover/support grid to the existing outflow-side fold-tip adhesive sections taught by Canfield and Mbadinga-Mouanda in order to use the adhesive-stabilized fold-tip regions as the attachment locations for the downstream cover, thereby further restraining fold-tip movement, preventing billowing or vibration through the cover openings, maintaining pleat spacing, and improving stability of the pleated filter medium).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WILLIAM ADDISON GEISBERT whose telephone number is (703)756-5497. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 7:30-5:00 EDT.
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/W.A.G./Examiner, Art Unit 1779
/Bobby Ramdhanie/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1779
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