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 Objections
Claim 13 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 13 should read “[[a]] the sterilization module of claim 1;” for the best possible antecedent basis.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim 15 is 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 15 recites the limitation "the external coupling portion" in line 4 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. For the purpose of examination, it is interpreted that there is some external coupling portion.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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 1-8 and 10-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kim (US 2020/0041115 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Kim (US 2020/0041115 A1) teaches –
A sterilization module (Title, Abstract, Figs. 1-16 light source unit 300) comprising:
an ultraviolet unit (Fig. 2, light emitting chip 131 disposed on light source module 200) comprising
a light source comprising light emitting elements configured to generate ultraviolet rays (there are a plurality of light emitting chips 131 according to par. 60);
a first case (Fig. 2, the components lower than the chip 131 including the housing 100 of the chip, the circuit board, and the second cover 410) comprising
a partition wall at least partially surrounding an edge of the ultraviolet unit (the device 100 is shown as having a wall that surrounds the chip 131 as shown in fig. 2),
the first case covering a rear surface of the ultraviolet unit (the second cover 410 covers the back side of the chip);
a second case covering a front surface of the ultraviolet unit (Fig. 2 first cover 310 and the associated parts above the chip 131), and comprising
a first support configured to support the ultraviolet unit (waterproof member 260 acts to position and hold in place the housing and the UV chip 131 within the device, par. 58),
a light opening configured to pass ultraviolet rays emitted from the light source (Fig. 2 open region 305),
a case coupling portion configured to be coupled to the first case (protrusions 307, par. 94), and
a sealing portion (fastening hole 390 and fastening member 495) configured to
contact and press the partition wall to seal an area between the first case and the sealing portion (par. 87, the fastening hole and member act to indirectly contact the chip and the surrounding wall on the source 100 and press it to seal the interior of the device, including the area between the source an hole/member); and
a protective window arranged on the light opening and supported by the second case (waterproof film 271, par. 58).
Regarding claim 2, Kim further teaches the first support is configured to support an edge of the ultraviolet unit such that the ultraviolet unit is spaced apart from the first case (the waterproof member 260 positions the chip 131 in such a way that it is spaced apart from the lower body 430 as shown in fig. 12).
Regarding claim 3, Kim further teaches the first support comprises an edge support area configured to support the edge of the ultraviolet unit (Fig. 12 shows the assembled device, where the member 260 has protrusions 61-62 and 64-65 that, by means of grooves 67 and 68 are compressed to help secure the device components in place with a tight seal thus help supporting the UV unit; par. 80) and a separation prevention area configured to block rearward separation of the ultraviolet unit supported by the edge support area (grooves 67 and 68 are compressed to prevent separation of the two cases to secure the UV unit in place, par. 80).
Regarding claim 4, Kim further teaches the separation prevention area is elastically deformable (par. 80 discloses the grooves are deformed).
Regarding claim 5, Kim further teaches the second case further comprises a second support configured to support an edge of the protective window (second gasket 275 in fig. 2).
Regarding claim 6, Kim further teaches he ultraviolet unit further comprises a substrate on which the light source is installed, and a wire connected to the substrate (par. 101, the circuit board 201 has connector 251 for a cable 253).
Regarding claim 7, Kim further teaches the ultraviolet unit further comprises a connector arranged on a rear surface of the substrate (Fig. 12 connector 215) and configured to connect the wire to the substrate (par. 101), and the first case comprises an accommodation groove configured to accommodate the connector (Fig. 2 cable hole 415).
Regarding claim 8, Kim further teaches the second case further comprises a wire withdrawal portion (the lower half of second cover 310) having a wire through hole through which the wire is configured to pass (Figs. 2 and 12, the wire 253 extends into the connector at least a short distance into the second cover 310 through the wide opening at the second recess 323).
Regarding claim 10, Kim further teaches the first case comprises a second case coupling portion configured to be assembled with the case coupling portion (fig. 12 grooves 407, par. 94), any one of the case coupling portion and the second case coupling portion comprises a locking protrusion, and another one of the case coupling portion and the second case coupling portion comprises a locking groove into which the locking protrusion is insertable (fig. 21 grooves 407 and protrusions 307 read on these coupling portions).
Regarding claim 11, Kim further teaches the sealing portion comprises a first sealing area (Fig. 2 fastening hole 390) configured to seal an area between the first sealing area and an end of the partition wall (the hole 390 in part helps seal the partition wall of the source 100 as set forth above and some end of the wall is sealed), and a second sealing area (Fig. 2 fastening member 495) configured to seal an area between the second sealing area and an outer portion of the partition wall (the member 495 in part helps seal the partition wall of the source 100 as set forth above and some outer portion is sealed).
Regarding claim 12, Kim further teaches the second case includes one body (the second gasket 275) comprising an elastic material (par. 85).
Regarding claim 13, Kim further teaches –
An electronic device comprising: a sterilization module of claim 1 (see figs. 16-17); and a module installation member comprising a fastener on which the sterilization module is configured to be installed (par. 112 discloses a coupling member of the reservoir 501 that the module is secured by).
Regarding claim 14, Kim further teaches the first case of the sterilization module comprises an external coupling portion configured to be installed on the electronic device (connector guide portion 423, par. 112), and the module installation member comprises a module coupling portion configured to be coupled to the external coupling portion (Fig. 17, the hole that the device is installed in in the reservoir 501 is a module coupling portion that the casing 410 is connected to and thus the connector guide portion 423 is coupled to).
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 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim (US 2020/0041115 A1) as applied to claim 13 above and further in view of Park (US 2007/0034239).
Regarding claim 15, Kim is set forth above with regards to claim 13 but appears to be silent with regards to the second case being arranged between the module installation member and the first case, the sealing portion being pressed by the partition wall.
Park (US 2007/0034239) teaches a sterilization module in an electronic device (abstract) including a module installation portion with a fastener (Fig. 3 cover member 220 is retained by adhesion member 270; par. 44) and it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device disclosed by Kim such that the device is retained in the reservoir 510 as shown in fig. 17 by a adhesion member and cover member 220 as taught by Park such that the device is compressed from top to bottom such that he sealing portion of the second case is pressed by the partition wall by coupling of the external coupling portion to the module coupling portion to arrive at the claimed invention. One would have been motivated to do so to securely fasten the device to the bottom of the reservoir as desired and to avoid dislodging of the device to arrive at an improved electronic device.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 9 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The prior art, alone or in combination, fails to teach or fairly suggest each and every limitation of the claimed invention presented in claim 9. The prior art considered to be the closest prior art is Kim.
Kim teaches all the limitations of claim 8, but does not disclose nor fairly suggest an insertion groove into which the cut area of the wire withdrawal portion is inserted and based on the second case and the first case being coupled to each other, the cut area inserted into the insertion groove is configured to be narrowed such that the wire withdrawal portion and the wire are brought into contact with each other. Therefore claim 9 is allowable over the prior art.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BRENDAN A HENSEL whose telephone number is (571)272-6615. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Thu 8:30 - 7pm;.
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/BRENDAN A HENSEL/ Examiner, Art Unit 1758
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