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 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.
Claims 1-7 and 9-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over JP 2018167167A [hereinafter Ushio] in view of US 20090084734A1 [hereinafter Yencho].
Regarding Claim 1:
Ushio teaches a fluid treatment device (see annotated Fig. 3 below and para. [001]: “The present invention relates to a water treatment apparatus, and more particularly to an apparatus that performs treatment by irradiating ultraviolet light on water”) comprising:
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an inner tube (Fig. 3- second pipe 12);
an outer tube (Fig. 3- third pipe 13) that is provided so as to surround the inner tube;
a discharge space (Fig. 3- discharge space 10) in which a discharge gas is filled in a space sandwiched between the inner tube and the outer tube (para. [0041]: “A predetermined discharge gas is filled in the discharge space 10 between the second tube 12 and the third tube 13”);
a first electrode (Fig. 3- first electrode 21) and a second electrode (Fig.3 – second electrode 22) that are configured to apply a voltage to the discharge space (para. [0043]: “When a voltage is applied between the first electrode 21 and the second electrode 22, a voltage is applied to the discharge space 10”); and
a flow path (Fig. 3 - flow path enclosed in the first pipe 11) that is provided inside the inner tube and through which a treatment target fluid flows (para. [0050]: “The liquid 2 to be treated which flows through the inside of the first pipe 11 is water to be treated, more specifically, water containing hydrogen peroxide”).
However, Ushio does not specifically note that wherein the flow path includes a fluid control part that guides the treatment target fluid so as to approach an inner peripheral wall of the inner tube.
Yencho teaches wherein the flow path includes a fluid control part that guides the treatment target fluid so as to approach an inner peripheral wall of the inner tube (see annotated Fig. 4 below and paras. [0113, 0204]: “A series of baffles oriented substantially along the direction of flow of a fluid … through which the fluid being purified passes.” Fig. 4 also shows a series battle plates 21-N locate inside the tube 40 and guide the flow along the tube axis direction).
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Ushio teaches irradiating water flowing through a first pipe using ultraviolet light generated from the shrouding discharge structure. Yencho teaches that placing baffle plates in a UV-water treatment chamber to regulate straight-through flow. Therefore, it would have been obvious for an ordinary skilled person in the art, before the effective time of filing, to modify the water-flow first pipe of Ushio to include the baffle plates/flow control members as taught by Yencho. As Yencho explains that, placing baffle plates inside a tube to form serial sub-chambers would restrict the water flow inside the tube, increases dwell time and UV exposure, and provides significantly improved purification compared with otherwise similar system without baffles. As such, one of ordinary skilled person would have been motivated to add the baffle structure of Yencho into Ushio’s water-flow pope to control the water flow, reduce direct short pass flow through the irradiated region, and improve the amount and uniformity of UV irradiation received by the water.
Regarding Claim 2:
Yencho in view of Ushio teaches the fluid treatment device of claim 1. Ushio further teaches wherein the flow path includes a flow path tube (Fig. 3- first pipe 11) inserted through the inner tube (para. [0040]).
Regarding Claim 3:
Yencho in view of Ushio teaches the fluid treatment device of claim 1. Yencho further teaches wherein the flow path extends in a tube axis direction of the inner tube, and the fluid control part is inserted into the flow path and occupies a half or more of a cross-sectional area of the flow path when viewed in the tube axis direction (paras. [0199, 0233]: annotated Fig. 4 shows that the flow path extends in the tube axis direction of the tube, and each flow control part/baffle plate is inserted into the flow path. “The baffles 21 divide the chamber formed by each tube 40 into subchambers 22-1 through 22-N” and “subchambers 22-n each having a 4.0 inch (100 mm) inside diameter … The baffles 21-i were constructed…with center hole 263 (FIG. 9) diameters of 1.5 inches (38 mm)”).
Regarding Claim 4:
Yencho in view of Ushio teaches the fluid treatment device of claim 3. Yencho further teaches wherein the fluid control part is provided in 20% or more of a region of the flow path in the tube axis direction facing the discharge space (Figs. 2 and 3 show a series of baffle plates disposed inside the tube and provide more than 20% of the region of the flow path in the tube axis direction).
Regarding Claim 5:
Yencho in view of Ushio teaches the fluid treatment device of claim 3. Yencho further teaches wherein the fluid control part is a baffle plate intermittently provided in the tube axis direction (Figs. 2 and 3 show a series of baffle plates intermittently provided in the tube axis direction).
Regarding Claim 6:
Yencho in view of Ushio teaches the fluid treatment device of claim 2. Ushio further teaches wherein the inner tube and the flow path tube are disposed so as to have a gap between the inner tube and the flow path tube (see annotated Fig. 3, a gap between the second pipe 12 and the first pipe 11).
Regarding Claim 7:
Yencho in view of Ushio teaches the fluid treatment device of claim 1. Ushio further teaches wherein the outer tube is covered with an ultraviolet reflection part (paras. [0044-0046]: “the water treatment apparatus 1 includes a reflection layer 3…on the inner wall of the third tube 13… The reflective layer 31 is made of a material capable of reflecting excimer light (first light) and fluorescence (second light)”).
Regarding Claim 9:
Yencho in view of Ushio teaches the fluid treatment device of claim 3. Ushio further teaches wherein the fluid control part is formed with, at an end in the tube axis direction, a flow forming part that maintains a flow of the treatment target fluid (Figs. 4 and 9: each baffle plate 21 includes a central opening 263 which, together with the lamp 20, forms an annular opening 23 which forms and maintains flow of water from one sub-chamber to the next while forcing the water through a narrow channel).
Regarding Claim 10:
Yencho in view of Ushio teaches the fluid treatment device of claim 2. Ushio further teaches wherein the flow path tube is longer than the inner tube and protrudes from both ends of the inner tube in the tube axis direction (as shown in Fig. 3 the first pipe 11 is long than the second pipe 12 and protrudes from both ends of the second pipe 12 in the pipe axis direction).
Claims 8 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ushio view of Yencho, further in view of US20200234941A1 [hereinafter Yagyu].
Regarding Claim 8:
Ushio view of Yencho teaches the fluid treatment device of claim 1. However, the combined references do not specifically teach wherein the first electrode is provided in the outer tube and the second electrode is provided in the inner tube, and a high voltage is applied to the second electrode and a low voltage is applied to the first electrode. Yagyu teaches wherein the first electrode is provided in the outer tube and the second electrode is provided in the inner tube, and a high voltage is applied to the second electrode and a low voltage is applied to the first electrode (Fig. 1 and paras. [0052-0053]: the ultraviolet sterilizer 1 includes an outer tube 22 and an inner tube 23, with annular inner space S1 between them. An outer electrode 25 on the outer peripheral surface of outer tube 22 while an inner electrode 26 on the inner peripheral surface of inner tube 23. The “outer electrode 25 functions as a ground electrode (low-voltage electrode), and the inner electrode 26 functions as a high-voltage supply electrode”).
Ushio teaches a coaxial excimer lamp structure in which voltage is applied between an inner-side electrode and an outer-side electrode to generate discharge in the annular discharge space. Yagyu teaches the same type of double-tube excimer lamp arrangement and expressly provides the outer electrode as a ground/low voltage electrode and the inner electrode as a high violate supply electrode. Therefore, it would have been obvious for an ordinary skilled person in the art, before the effective time of filing, to configure the electrode polarity of Ushio such that the electrode provided on the inner tube side is connected to the high voltage side and the electrode provided on the outer tube side is connected to the low voltage side, as taught in Yagyu, since such a configuration is a known electrode-polarity arrangement for applying voltage across the annular discharge space of a coaxial excimer lamp.
Regarding Claim 13:
Ushio view of Yencho teaches the fluid treatment device of claim 1. However, the combined references do not specifically teach wherein the outer tube is provided with, on an outer surface of the outer tube, an attenuation part that attenuates ozone generation light. Yagyu teaches wherein the outer tube is provided with, on an outer surface of the outer tube, an attenuation part that attenuates ozone generation light (para. [0032]: “The light outputted from the ultraviolet output region of the outer tube 22 in the excimer lamp 20 is absorbed also in an oxygen-containing layer (air layer) in the lamp storage chamber 12, thereby generating ozone”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for an ordinary skilled person in the art, before the effective time of filing, to provide an ozone generation light attenuation layer as taught in Yagyu, to the outer tube of Ushio’s excimer lamp. Since Ushio’s excimer lamp emits short-wavelength ultraviolet which can generate ozone in air, adding an attenuation part on the outer tube would reduce ozone generation and protect surrounding components from short-wavelength UV/zone exposure.
Claims 11-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ushio view of Yencho, further in view of US 20060087118A1 [hereinafter Andre].
Regarding Claim 11:
Ushio view of Yencho teaches the fluid treatment device of claim 2. However, the combined references do not specifically teach wherein the flow path tube includes, respectively at both ends, corresponding one of a fluid introduction part and a fluid lead-out part, and the fluid introduction part and the fluid lead-out part each have a flow path diameter smaller than a flow path diameter of the flow path tube.
Andre teaches tubular fluid-carrying end form 22 having an internal flow passage 24 and configured to be connected to another fluid connector/housing (see Fig. 1 and para. [0028] of Andre). As such, add the tubular endform from Andre to each side of the inner tube of Ushio would result in a flow introduction part and a fluid lead out part, each having a reduced size and through which the fluid can enter and exit the flow path.
Therefore, it would have been obvious for an ordinary skilled person in the art, before the effective time of filing, to provide the inlet and outlet ends of Ushio’s water flow pipe with such a reduced-diameter tubular endform portions so hate external water supply and discharge lines can be securely connected, as a known tube-end connecting structure to both ends of water-flow pipe to facilitate connection to external tubing and to prevent the inlet/outlet joints from separating or leaking under water pressure.
Regarding Claim 12:
Ushio view of Yencho, further in view of Andre teaches the fluid treatment device of claim 11. Andre further teaches wherein at least one of the fluid introduction part and the fluid lead-out part is provided with a recess recessed in a direction orthogonal to the tube axis direction of the flow path tube (para. [0029]: “The projections 36 and 42 form a smaller diameter recess or annular groove 46 therebetween”).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JING WANG whose telephone number is (571)272-2504. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30-17:00.
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/JING WANG/Examiner, Art Unit 2881
/WYATT A STOFFA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2881
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