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: please also insert the WIPO publication number and date after the PCT application number and date in the Cross Reference to Related Applications section.
Appropriate correction is required.
Examiner suggests rewriting some of the section headings to more closely conform to the recommended headings below.
The following guidelines illustrate the preferred layout for the specification of a utility application. These guidelines are suggested for the applicant’s use.
Arrangement of the Specification
As provided in 37 CFR 1.77(b), the specification of a utility application should include the following sections in order. Each of the lettered items should appear in upper case, without underlining or bold type, as a section heading. If no text follows the section heading, the phrase “Not Applicable” should follow the section heading:
(a) TITLE OF THE INVENTION.
(b) CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS.
(c) STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT.
(d) THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT.
(e) INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A READ-ONLY OPTICAL DISC, AS A TEXT FILE OR AN XML FILE VIA THE PATENT ELECTRONIC SYSTEM.
(f) STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR A JOINT INVENTOR.
(g) BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION.
(1) Field of the Invention.
(2) Description of Related Art including information disclosed under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98.
(h) BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION.
(i) BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S).
(j) DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION.
(k) CLAIM OR CLAIMS (commencing on a separate sheet).
(l) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE (commencing on a separate sheet).
(m) SEQUENCE LISTING. (See MPEP § 2422.03 and 37 CFR 1.821 - 1.825). A “Sequence Listing” is required on paper if the application discloses a nucleotide or amino acid sequence as defined in 37 CFR 1.821(a) and if the required “Sequence Listing” is not submitted as an electronic document either on read-only optical disc or as a text file via the patent electronic system.
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, 2, 8 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 “contaminated water” on line 18. It is not clear if this limitation is the same as “contaminated water” on line 3 of Claim 1, or a different “contaminated water”. Examiner interprets it to be the same.
Claim 1 recites the limitation “backwashing” on line 19. It is not clear if this limitation is the same as “backwashing” on line 16 of Claim 1, or a different “washing water”. Examiner interprets it to be the same.
Claim 1 recites the limitation “washing water” on line 20. It is not clear if this limitation is the same as “washing water” on line 16 of Claim 1, or a different “washing water”. Examiner interprets it to be the same.
Claim 2 recites the limitation “the discharge hole”. It is not clear to which “discharge hole” this limitation refers, since the preceding claim recites “multiple discharge holes”.
The term “gradually” in claim 8 is a relative term which renders the claim indefinite. The term “gradually” is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention. It is not clear what distinguishes “gradually” denser from “normal” gradation of density or “rapid” gradation of density.
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.
Claim(s) 1-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jang et al., KR101400313 B1, (“Jang”, “Machine Translation of KR101400313”, 79 total pages, published 2014), in view of Lee et al., KR 200257526Y1, (“Lee”, “Machine Translation of KR 200257526Y1”, 12 total pages, published 2001).
Regarding Claims 1-8, Jang discloses water treatment equipment comprising: a guide part (10) having a conical body (11) open up and down, (Diffuser 37, See Figures 1 & 4, See paragraph [0052]), an inflow pipe (12) extending downward from the conical body (11) to guide contaminated water into a filtration tank (F), (Inlet Pipe 35 connected to bottom of Diffuser 37, See Figures 1 & 4, See paragraph [0052]), and an annular support surface (13) having multiple discharge holes (131) disposed to be spaced apart in a circumferential direction from each other, (Support Plate 49 with Drain Holes 49a, See Figure 1 & 4, See paragraph [0055]), with the annular support surface (13) being disposed along an upper edge of the conical body (11), (Plate 49 forms upper edge of Diffuser 37 as shown in Figures 1 & 4); a tubular filter part (20) having a fixed frame (21) configured to dispose multiple compartments (21a) divided along an inner circumferential edge of the annular support surface (13) and a curtain filtration layer (22) inserted into each of the compartments (21a), (Curtain Filter 41 sectioned into compartments, See Figure 1, See paragraph [0057]; figure demonstrates filter 41 broken into different sections), with the tubular filter part (20) installed in a tubular shape on the annular support surface, (Curtain Filter 41 is cylindrical and positioned on Plate 49, See Figures 1 & 4); a discharge pipe part (30) having multiple buoyancy tubes (31) disposed respectively under the discharge holes (131) of the annular support surface (13) to enable fluid communication therebetween, (Stoppers 59 for Drainage Holes 49a moved by Buoyant Tubes 63, See Figures 1 & 4, See paragraphs [0096]-[0099]), and a duct (33) being in fluid communication with the multiple buoyancy tubes (31) and extending to the outside of the filtration tank (F), (Drain Pipe 19, See Figures 1 & 4, See paragraph [0095]); and a filter washing part (50) configured to spray washing water for backwashing on the tubular filter part (20), (Washing Device 51 spraying on Filter Module Part 39, See Figure 4, See paragraphs [0051]-[0057]), wherein the tubular filter part (20) allows contaminated water guided into the guide part (10) to pass through the tubular filter part (20) in a radial direction for filtration, (Filter Module 39 filters spray, See Figure 4, See paragraph [0052]), and during backwashing, contaminants stripped from filter media of the tubular filter part and washing water are discharged through the discharge pipe part (30) to the outside of the filtration tank, (See paragraphs [0079]-[0086]).
Jang does not disclose a hinged cover (132) configured to open and close each of the discharge holes (131).
Lee discloses a hinged cover (132) configured to open and close each of the discharge holes (131), (Float 31 positioned like lever/cover that opens and blocks Water Supply Valve 30 (inherently has discharge hole), alternatively Water Detection Unit 42 of Unit 40 which floats as well is positioned like lever/cover that opens and blocks Channel 24, See Figure 1, See page 3, paragraphs 6 & 7, Lee). Additional features of this embodiment are included as part of the overall combination and are claim mapped to in the Additional Disclosures section below.
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 water treatment equipment of Jang by incorporating a hinged cover (132) configured to open and close each of the discharge holes (131) as in Lee for “including a buoy blocking water from being supplied any more when the water…reaches a predetermined water level” so that “thus the quality and reliability of the product can be significantly improved by the above effect”, (See page 3, last paragraph, Lee).
Additional Disclosures Included:
Claim 2: The water treatment equipment of claim 1, wherein the discharge hole (131) is located in an inner area of the compartment (21 a), (Drain Valve 57 under Curtain Filter 41, See Figure 4, See paragraph [0055], Jang).
Claim 3: The water treatment equipment of claim 1, wherein the discharge pipe part (30) comprises: the multiple buoyancy tubes (31) having upper through-holes and lower through-holes, (Connecting Members 61/Buoyant Tubes 63, See paragraph [0103], [0106], Jang); a buoyancy ball (32) configured to open and close the hinged cover (132) by moving up and down according to a water level inside each of the buoyancy tubes (31), (Float (shaped like ball) 31 positioned like lever/cover that opens and blocks Water Supply Valve 30 (inherently has discharge hole), alternatively Water Detection Unit 42 (shaped like oblong float) of Unit 40 which floats as well is positioned like lever/cover that opens and blocks Channel 24, See page 3, paragraphs 6 & 7, Lee; and See paragraphs [0102]-[0107], Jang); and the duct (33) disposed to be in fluid communication with lower parts of the multiple buoyancy tubes (31), (Drain Pipe 19, See Figures 1 & 4, See paragraph [0095], Jang), with the duct (33) having a valve (V3) provided on an end part of a pipe thereof, (Valve 60 on Channel 24, See Figure 1, See paragraph 1 of page 3, Lee).
Claim 4: The water treatment equipment of claim 1, wherein the inflow pipe (12) comprises a branch pipe (15) extending to the outside of the filtration tank (F) by branching off from the inflow pipe, and a valve (V1) provided on an end part of the branch pipe (15), (See Figure 4, See paragraphs [0052] & [0108], Jang).
Claim 5: The water treatment equipment of claim 1, wherein the guide part (10) comprises one or more fine mesh filter parts (40; 41, 42) having concentric structures, (Fine Mesh Filters 43 & 45 concentrically arranged, See Figure 4, See paragraph [0058], Jang), with the tubular filter part (20) and disposed on the annular support surface (13), (Filter Module 39 arranged on/around Support Plate 49/Diffuser 37 in which Filter Module 39 includes Curtain Filter 41, First, Second Fine Filter Mesh Filter 43, 45, See Figure 4, See paragraphs [0057] & [0058], Jang).
Claim 6: The water treatment equipment of claim 1, wherein the fixed frame (21) defines the multiple compartments (21a) through a perforated screen (211) having a tubular shape disposed on an inner circumferential edge of the annular support surface (13) along a circumference thereof, a tubular fixed mesh (212) disposed outside the perforated screen (211) on the annular support surface, with the tubular fixed mesh (212) being concentric with the perforated screen (211) and having an increased diameter, and multiple partition walls (213) disposed to be spaced apart from each other in a circumferential direction between the perforated screen (211) having a tubular shape and the tubular fixed mesh (212).
Claim 7: The water treatment equipment of claim 1, wherein the curtain filtration layer (22) is provided with one or more fibrous filter media (221), (Curtain Filter 41 has fibrous filter material built inside, See Figure 4, See paragraph [0060], Jang).
Claim 8: The water treatment equipment of claim 5, wherein the curtain filtration layer (22) and the one or more fine mesh filter parts (40; 41, 42) are formed and arranged to be denser gradually in a radial direction, (Fine Mesh Filters 45 then 43 then Curtain Filter 41, See Figure 4, See paragraphs [0061] & [0062], Jang).
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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