DETAILED CORRESPONDENCE
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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of claims 1-10 in the reply filed on 7 Jul. 2026 is acknowledged.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112(b)
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 1-10 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 “a water collection tank of a cooling tower” where it is unclear if the cooling tower is the same or different than the previously recited “A cooling tower”.
Claims 2-10 depend upon claim 1.
Claim 4 recites the limitation "said bosses". There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 6 recites the limitation "their". There is unclear what the antecedent for this limitation is.
Claim 6 recites the limitation "said joining points". There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 7 recites the limitation "the reciprocal connection". There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 7 recites the limitation "said adjacent panels". There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 8 recites the limitation "said constraint means". There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 8 recites the limitation "said edges". There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 8 recites the limitation "said holes". There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 8 recites the limitation "said pins". There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 9 recites the limitation "said superposed panels". There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 10 recites the limitation "said water collection tank”. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 10 recites the limitation "said bottom”. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 1-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kulick et al. WO 2020/106919 (hereafter Kulick) and further in view of Krell et al. US 2015/0211818 (hereafter Krell).
Regarding claim 1, Kulick teaches a cooling tower (¶2-4) including a thermal exchange pack (pack containing panels 10), said thermal exchange pack comprising a plurality of reticular panels (10), each panel defining a longitudinal plane (plane of paper in Fig 1) and a sagittal plane (plane alone 18 extending out of the paper in Fig 1) normal to said longitudinal plane, crossing at a main axis (18) and extending corrugated on said longitudinal plane, so as to make fins (12) recurrent along said main axis, arranged in two rows symmetrical to said sagittal plane (as shown in Figs 1-3), extending along respective secondary axes (Δ1 in Fig 1), transversal to said main axis and mutually parallel, each fin comprising at least a top crest (upper portion of 12) more spaced from said longitudinal plane than the rest of said fin,
said panels being mutually stacked in said pack, so that each longitudinal plane is spaced from an adjacent longitudinal plane by means of said fins (¶4, ¶6, ¶20), and
wherein said pack is positioned so that each longitudinal plane is parallel to the bottom (¶16, where the packs are horizontal).
Kulick does not teach wherein said pack is positioned so that each longitudinal plane is parallel to the bottom of a water collection tank of a cooling tower.
Krell teaches a cooling tower (Fig 1) with thermal exchange packs (Fig 2) wherein said pack is positioned so that each longitudinal plane is parallel to the bottom of a water collection tank (20) of a cooling tower in order to collect the water (¶64).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the cooling tower (¶2-4) of Kulick by incorporating the water collection tank (20) of Krell in order to collect the water (¶64).
Regarding claim 2, Kulick in view of Krell teaches all the limitations of claim 1. Kulick further teaches wherein each panel further defines first end edges (20, 22) extending parallel to said main axis on opposite sides of said panel in respect of said sagittal plane, and second central edges (edges along 18) extending parallel to said main axis and adjacent to said sagittal plane on opposite sides of said panel in respect of said sagittal plane, wherein each fin defines a first end (end near 30 in Fig 3) at said first edge and a second end (end opposite first end not shown in Fig 3) at said second edge.
Regarding claim 3, Kulick in view of Krell teaches all the limitations of claim 2. Kulick further teaches wherein each fin comprises a plurality of boss (30, 30a, 26a), each boss protruding transversally to said longitudinal plane starting from said crest (as shown in Fig 3).
Regarding claim 4, Kulick in view of Krell teaches all the limitations of claim 1. Kulick further teaches wherein each of said bosses (30) is defined by a flat support step (step to flat surface of 30) protruding from said crest (as shown in Fig 3).
Regarding claim 5, Kulick in view of Krell teaches all the limitations of claim 1. Kulick further teaches wherein each of said fins comprises at least a blade (as labeled below) extending parallel to said secondary axis and configured to increase the surface of thermal exchange of said panel.
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Regarding claim 6, Kulick in view of Krell teaches all the limitations of claim 1. Kulick further teaches wherein each fin defines at least to reticular walls (as shown in Fig 2 where the fins have tow rectangular walls which meet at the crest) on sides opposite to said crest, each wall being defined by pairs of sinusoidal segments crossing at their inflection points or mutually π/2 out-of-phase, and said blade extends, at least at a reticular wall of said fin, along each of said joining points of said sinusoidal segments (as shown in Figs 1-3).
Regarding claim 7, Kulick in view of Krell teaches all the limitations of claim 1. Kulick further teaches constraint means (means comprising 26a) configured to allow the reciprocal connection of said adjacent panels, comprising a plurality of holes (26b) arranged between said fins at said longitudinal plane on each row, and a plurality of pins (26a) arranged at said bosses on each row.
Regarding claim 8, Kulick in view of Krell teaches all the limitations of claim 1. Kulick further teaches wherein said constraint means define, for each of said rows, at least three constraint directions (where the pin/hole constraint would constrain at all directions parallel to the longitudinal plane) parallel to said main axis and arranged at the first edge, at the second edge and between said edges, and each row comprises a plurality of said holes (26b) aligned along said constraint directions at side longitudinal plane, a plurality of pins (26a) aligned along said constraint directions at said first edge on said first end and between said edges, and a plurality of said holes or said pins along said constraint direction at said second edge on said second end (as shown in Figs 1-3).
Regarding claim 9, Kulick in view of Krell teaches all the limitations of claim 1. Kulick further wherein said panels are so stacked that said fins of said superposed panels are mutually crossed (¶4, ¶6, ¶16, ¶20).
Regarding claim 10, Kulick in view of Krell teaches all the limitations of claim 1.
Kulick does not teach wherein the pack is above said water collection tank, wherein each of said longitudinal planes is parallel to said bottom of said collection tank.
Kulick teaches wherein said pack is positioned so that each longitudinal plane is parallel to the bottom (¶16, where the packs are horizontal).
Krell teaches a cooling tower (Fig 1) with thermal exchange packs (Fig 2) wherein said pack is positioned so that each longitudinal plane is parallel to the bottom of a water collection tank (20) of a cooling tower in order to collect the water (¶64).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the cooling tower (¶2-4) of Kulick by incorporating the water collection tank (20) of Krell in order to collect the water (¶64).
The modification would have resulted in wherein the pack is above said water collection tank, wherein each of said longitudinal planes is parallel to said bottom of said collection tank.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to STEPHEN HOBSON whose telephone number is (571)272-9914. The examiner can normally be reached 9am-5pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jennifer Dieterle can be reached at 571-270-7872. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/STEPHEN HOBSON/Examiner, Art Unit 1776
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