DETAILED ACTION
Status of Claims:
Claims 1-5, 8, 11, and 14 are pending.
Claims 1-5, 8, 11, and 14 are amended.
This Action is made Final.
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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 9/16/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. The applicant argue that the amendments have overcome the 112 rejections. This argument is not persuasive because the claims are still unclear. For example, the application argues that “claim 1 is amended to clarify that the system is assembled in a housing”. This does not clarify if the housing is a required part of the system or if only the features within the housing are part of the system.
The previous drawing objection is withdrawn, as the feature has been removed from the claims.
It is noted that the applicant has not addressed any distinctions between what they believe to be the instant invention and what was cited as related prior art.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(4) because reference character “7” has been used to designate both the “injector outlet” and the “treated gas outlet”. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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 1-5, 8, 11, and 14 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.
The claims are generally narrative and indefinite, failing to conform with current U.S. practice. They appear to be a literal translation into English from a foreign document and are replete with grammatical and idiomatic errors.
Regarding Claim 1:
The claim states a “system…assembled in a housing…” It is not clear if the housing is part of the system or not. If the housing is intended to be a structural feature of the system the claim should be phrased, for example a “system…comprising a housing, wherein the housing comprises…”
The claim states “a flow of water is controlled”. It is not clear if this is the water that is being treated and should be “a flow of the water is controlled” or any water. Further it is not clear if the flow of water is a structural feature or a function of the valve(see MPEP 2173.05(p)).
The claim requires both “treated gas outlets” and “outlet connections through injector outlet hoses”. It is not clear if these are the same feature or not.
The claim states “each oxidizing gas generating equipment is located externally and/or internally to the housing”. It is not clear if the word “each” is requiring multiple oxidizing generating gas equipment or not. Further it is not clear if the oxidizing gas generating equipment is part of the system if it can be external from the housing. The claims require that the system is assembled in the housing.
The claim states “having one or more overpressure safety valves”. It is not clear what has one or more over pressure safety valves. Is this limitation directed to the housing, the system or a specific feature of the system?
The claim states “each oxidizing gas generating equipment is…incorporated into the system through extraction hoses and a series of conduits with connections”. It is not clear if the extraction hoses and conduits are part of the system or the means by which the oxidizing gas generating equipment is intended to be connected to the system. It is further not clear if a “series of conduits” is intended to mean multiple conduits connected in series or not. It is further not clear of “conduits” are distinct form hoses or include the hoses.
The claim refers to “an area to be treated”. It is not clear if this “area” is part of the system or not.
The claim states “the housing having external connection fittings”. It is not clear if the connection fittings are part of the system because it is not clear if the housing is part of the system.
It is generally not clear what the system is limited to, specifically it is not clear which features are intended to be part of the system and which features are intended to be connectable to the system. It is also not clear how the different features are intended to be connected or interact with each other. It is recommended that the applicant rewrite the claim in full rather than cross out and insert new language within the current body of the claim.
Regarding Claim 3:
The claim states “a hose is introduced onto the water to be treated”. This limitation renders the claim indefinite because it is not clear if the hose is part of the system or not. Specifically, it appears that the hose is external from the housing and claim 1 states that the system is “assembled in a housing”
Regarding Claim 4:
The claim states “the system is implemented in compartments remote from the housing”. It is not clear how or if the limitations that follow are intended to limit the system as the system is limited to be within the housing.
Regarding Claim 14:
The claim states “the housing includes an access door to its interior equipped with LED lighting”. It is not clear if this limitation is intended to limit the system to include LED lighting and an access door or only the housing.
The remaining claims are indefinite as they depend from indefinite claims.
Due to the numerous clarity issues proper claim matching with the prior art cannot be done. However, what appears to be the most relevant prior art is outline below.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Lu (CN 204848404, English machine translation provided), Parra (ES 1235291, English machine translation provided), Guion (USPN 10,897,920), and Lynn (US 2011/0030730). Lu teaches a system for treatment of water comprising at least a housing (shell) with one or more water inlets and outlet (water inlet pipe and water outlet pipe) (see abstract) wherein the inlet is divided into at least one branch (see fig. 1, there are multiple branches of piping). Lu further teaches at least one regulator means (valves) (see abstract), a pneumatic injection unit (venturi) (see abstract) and equipment for generating oxidizing gas (ozone generator) (see abstract). Lu further teaches a controller (circuit controller board 8) (see pg. 4, 2nd paragraph), flow sensors (see pg. 4, 2nd paragraph), one way valves (see pg. 4 7th paragraph) and external connectors (see fig. 1). Parra teaches a system for the treatment of water and air comprising at least a housing (housing 1), water inlets and outlets (intakes 2 and outlets 21), branches (two branches 3 and 4) assisted by at least one regulation means (regulating keys 5), a pneumatic injection unit (venturi injection chamber), equipment for generating oxidizing gas (equipment 9) (see abstract). Parra further teaches at least controllers, sensors, mixers (see abstract). Lynn teaches a system for distributing liquid with an oxidizing gas (ozone) to remote locations (see Abstract, whole document).
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CLAIRE A NORRIS whose telephone number is (571)272-5133. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 7:30-5 F: 8-12.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ramdhanie Bobby 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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/CLAIRE A NORRIS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1779 10/13/2026
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