DETAILED ACTION
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, 8, 11, 12, and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ackermann et al. US Patent 9,095,807.
Regarding claim 1, Ackermann teaches a fluid purification apparatus, comprising (see Figure 11 and Examiner-markup below):
a frame portion (surrounding rear structure including rear wall 116), forming a space formed therein (forming a circular space)(column 7 lines 2-4);
a cover portion (considered as the portion encapsulating the modules 105) covering the space of the frame portion and coupled to the frame portion as assembled in Figure 9; and
a plurality of purification modules a cyclone elements 105 each comprising a vortex member as guide vane 7 plus central core 8, wherein each purification module passes through the frame portion and the cover portion (column 5 lines 65-67), and is in communication with the outside exterior and the space in the frame portion (Figure 11 shows the body 105 extending from the front partition through the back partition allowing air to flow therethrough, column 7 lines 5-7), wherein
each purification module 105 comprises:
a body portion forming a part of an exterior (the cylindrical walls of each module 105 form the body portion within the dashed box) and having an inner portion that is in communication with the outside and the space in the frame portion to form a flow path through which a fluid from the outside flows (the right side body 105 is considered as the inner portion since it is the downstream part of the cylinder); and
a vortex formation member (considered as guide vane 7 and central axis 8) accommodated in the body portion 105 (Figures 10 and 11) and provided to turn the fluid flowing from the outside into the body portion into a vortex such that dust mixed in the fluid from the outside is centrifuged from the fluid while flowing in the vortex in the body portion (column 5 lines 5-20 and column 7 lines 5-7).
Regarding claim 2, the cover portion comprises (Figure 11, and Examiner-mark up figure below):
a first cover considered as the front partition and its right cylindrical side wall at the inflow side to which an intake part of each purification module 105 is coupled (column 7 line 30); and
a second cover considered as the middle partition and its right cylindrical side wall following the front partition (first cover) after a space and is coupled to a middle part of each purification module 105 (column 7 lines 30-37).
Regarding claim 3, Ackermann teaches the first cover comprises a surface and is considered as a first plate that forms the exterior and further comprises openings for each module to be coupled and extend along the thickness through the frame (see below).
Regarding claim 4, the second cover includes a second plate as the middle partition which further includes openings for the purification modules to extend through its thickness (see mark-up of figure 11 below).
Regarding claim 8, each module 105 comprises a hollow (see Figure 11 in the cutaway of the top module) in an extension direction through the plates (along the length of each module 105). Each module comprises an opening 113 at the intake for contaminated air and an opening on the outlet 14 on the other end of the module (column 7 lines 15-30).
Regarding claim 11, the body portion of each module extends through the partitions/frames laterally (along the extension direction) where the intake end is at the inflow side exposed to the atmosphere (outside) and the other end of the module is within the frame portion (column 7 lines 27-30). Each vortex member comprises a plurality of vanes 7 (Figure 7) within each cyclone module 105, and are spaced apart from one another within the body portion and along the extension direction (Figure 7 and column 7 line 15).
Regarding claim 12, the vortex member further comprises a first member (guide vane 7) adjacent to the intake side (first end of the extension direction) of the body portion and produces a vortex shape or cyclone swirl with the body portion during operation (column 5 line 15).
Regarding claim 13, the first vortex member within a cyclone element comprises a vortex axis which is considered the central axis along core 8 and a plurality of blades or guide vanes 7 that extend radially from the central axis to the inner wall of the body (Figure 7, column 5 lines 7-14).
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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.
Claims 5, 6, 7, 9, and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ackermann et al. US Patent 9,095,807 in view of Kim et al. US Patent 8,619,423.
Regarding claims 5, 6 and 7, Ackermann does not explicitly teach:
a first frame which is located between the first cover and the second cover, an inside of which is sealed by the first cover and the second cover;
a second frame which is disposed to face the first frame with the second cover therebetween, and has a space formed therein through which the fluid passing through each purification cyclone element flows; and
a coupling frame which is disposed to face the second cover with the second frame therebetween, and has a space formed therein for accommodating a filter member through which the fluid passes.
wherein the first frame comprises:
a first frame outer periphery which forms an exterior; and
a first frame space which is formed to be surrounded by the first frame outer periphery, is sealed by the first cover and the second cover, and is in communication with an inside of the body portion of each cyclone element, into which the centrifuged dust flows;
wherein the second frame comprises:
a second frame outer periphery which forms an exterior; and
a second frame space which is formed to be surrounded by the second frame outer periphery, and is sealed by the second cover, the coupling frame and a filter member that is accommodated in the coupling frame, and through which the fluid from which the dust has been separated flows.
However, Kim Figure 2 teaches a fan module comprising at least a first frame behind a cover 116, a second frame 144 and a third frame 132. The first frame is behind a cover 116 and precedes the second frame 114. The coupling frame is analogous to the third frame 132 which is disposed to face the second frame and has a circular inner space for the fan modules. Each frame forms an outer periphery which forms part of the exterior (Figure 1) and is in communication with the fan modules and is further sealed by guide pipes 142 (analogous to the covers).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to modify Ackermann by including the first, second, and coupling frames in Kim to provide securing and fitting means for the module and a purification apparatus. The modification would have amounted to using a known multipart housing construction for a known centrifugal separator.
Regarding claims 9, Ackerman does not teach the frame portion comprises: a first frame having a first frame space formed therein into which the centrifuged dust flows; and a second frame having a second frame space formed therein into which the fluid from which the dust has been separated flows.
However, Kim Figure 2 teaches a fan module comprising at least a first frame behind a cover 116, a second frame 144 and a third frame 132. Each frame comprises a central opening space to allow a fan module within.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to modify Ackermann by including the first, second, and coupling frames in Kim to provide securing and fitting means for the module and a purification apparatus. The modification would have amounted to using a known multipart housing construction for a known centrifugal separator.
With regards to the opening at the second frame for discharging fluid, Ackermann does teach a discharge section 126 as an opening port. The combination above with Kim would have included a second frame here, thus Ackermann in view of Kim would teach a second frame space formed therein into which the fluid from which the dust has been separated flows.
Regarding claim 10, Ackermann teaches that each module comprises a purification discharge port 26 penetrating on the outer periphery in communication with the inner body portion and frame (column 7 lines 25-30).
Claims 14 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ackermann et al. US Patent 9,095,807 in view of Brockmann US Patent 4,289,611.
Regarding claims 14, Ackermann does not explicitly teach a second vortex forming member located adjacent to the second end in the extension direction of the body portion and forms the flow of the fluid flowing into the body portion into a vortex shape.
However, Brockmann teaches a multistage cyclone separator comprising a dust collection chamber 12 with two vortex members 1b and 2b each with its own set of helical blades arranged serially on the same central axis (Figure 1, column 3 lines 30-40). This arrangement increases filtering capacity capable of removing large dust particles and small dust particles efficiently (column 2 lines 30-60). Thus, one having ordinary skill in the art would find it obvious to modify Ackermann by providing a second set of vortex members on the same central axis as the first vortex member and located at the end of the body for efficient dust removal. The modification would provide a predictable outcome to one having ordinary skill in the art to increase fluid flow suction of the contaminated air and provide additional power to drive the air further into the purification apparatus while effectively removing both large and small dust particles.
Regarding claim 15, Ackermann teaches the body of the cyclone element is tapered where the smaller diameter is at the intake and increases along the lateral airflow direction.
The combination of Ackermann and Brockmann as disclosed above would have provided a second set of a vortex member downstream of Ackermann’s first vortex member aligned on the same central axis. The modification would further provide the second vortex forming member to have a reduced cross-sectional area along a direction toward the first end in the extension direction of the body portion, and wherein an interior of the second vortex forming member comprises a vortex hollow which is formed to penetrate through and communicates with the interior inner portion of the body portion and the interior of space in the frame portion, and through which the fluid from which the dust has been removed flows.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SHARON PREGLER whose telephone number is (571)270-5051. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, In Suk Bullock can be reached at (571) 272-5954. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SHARON PREGLER/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1772
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