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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement filed 01/16/2025 is acknowledged by the Examiner.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the “through-hole taper portion on an inner surface of the intermediate nozzle through-hole” in claim 4 must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
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. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. 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 § 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 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, 3, 5-6, 9-12, 15, and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Naito (WO 2004020080).
Naito discloses:
1. A slit chamber (atomizing device 12, fig. 2), comprising: a fluid guide nozzle (14) to which a raw material (inflow arrow in fig. 2) is introduced; an upstream nozzle (17) disposed downstream of the fluid guide nozzle, the upstream nozzle including an upstream nozzle fluid guide (19) for the raw material to pass through (as seen in fig. 2); an intermediate nozzle (18a) disposed downstream of the upstream nozzle, the intermediate nozzle including an intermediate nozzle atomizing channel (21 of 18a) to atomize the raw material; and a downstream nozzle (18b or 18c) disposed downstream of the intermediate nozzle, the downstream nozzle including a downstream nozzle atomizing channel (21 of 18b or 18c) to atomize the raw material that has flown the intermediate nozzle. (Note, regarding the phrase “water”, a claim is only limited by positively recited elements. Thus, "[i]nclusion of the material or article worked upon by a structure being claimed does not impart patentability to the claims." In re Otto, 312 F.2d 937, 136 USPQ 458, 459 (CCPA 1963); see also In re Young, 75 F.2d 996, 25 USPQ 69 (CCPA 1935). See MPEP 2115.)
3. The slit chamber according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate nozzle (18a) includes an intermediate nozzle through-hole (22, 23 of 18a) for flowing the raw material atomized in the intermediate nozzle atomizing channel (21) toward downstream (toward 18b), and the downstream nozzle (18b) includes a downstream nozzle through-hole (22, 23 of 18b) for flowing the raw material atomized in the downstream nozzle atomizing channel toward downstream (toward 18c, 15).
5. The slit chamber according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the intermediate nozzles (18a, 18b) are arranged in series (as seen in fig. 2).
6. The slit chamber according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the intermediate nozzle atomizing channels (21 in 18a and 18b) and/or a plurality of the downstream nozzle atomizing channels (21 in 18b or 18c) are arranged radially.
9. The slit chamber according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate nozzle has an intermediate nozzle groove (one of the additional radial flow passages 21 that is after the first one on the left, as seen in fig. 2) to which the raw material enters, and a discharge hole (22, 23) to which leaked (interpreted as “raw material which could not enter the first intermediate nozzle atomizing channel”) raw material enters (see arrows in fig. 2 showing the fluid flow).
10. The slit chamber according to claim 1, further comprising: a fastener (threaded portion shown in fig. 5) configured to tighten the upstream nozzle(17), the intermediate nozzle (18a), and the downstream nozzle (18b)(fig. 5).
11. The slit chamber according to claim 1, further comprising: a seal member (27, in the recessed portion 37 of fig. 5) disposed between the upstream nozzle and the intermediate nozzle or between the intermediate nozzle and the downstream nozzle (all these options are covered by the embodiment shown in figs. 5-7).
12. The slit chamber according to claim 1, further comprising: a plurality of the intermediate nozzles (18a, 18b), and a seal member (27) disposed between the plurality of the intermediate nozzles (as seen from figs. 2, 5-7).
13. The slit chamber according to claim 2, wherein the intermediate nozzle (18a) includes an intermediate nozzle through-hole (22, 23 of 18a) for flowing the raw material atomized in the intermediate nozzle atomizing channel (21) toward downstream (toward 18b), and the downstream nozzle (18b or 18c) includes a downstream nozzle through-hole (22, 23 of 18b or 18c) for flowing the raw material atomized in the downstream nozzle atomizing channel toward downstream (toward 15).
15. The slit chamber according to claim 3, wherein a plurality of the intermediate nozzle atomizing channels (21 in 18a and 18b) and/or a plurality of the downstream nozzle atomizing channels (21 in 18b or 18c) are arranged radially (21 seen extending radially in fig. 2).
17. The slit chamber according to claim 5, wherein a plurality of the intermediate nozzle atomizing channels (21 in 18b or 18c) and/or a plurality of the downstream nozzle atomizing channels (21 in 18b or 18c) are arranged radially.
20. An atomizing apparatus (fig. 1), comprising: a raw material tank (not shown but would be connected to the raw material supply port 10) configured to store a raw material; a liquid supply pump (11) configured to pressurize and supply the raw material in the raw material tank; and the slit chamber according to claim 1.
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 of this title, 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 2, 7, 8, 13-14, and 18-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Naito (WO 2004020080) in view of Adkins et al. (US 6631851).
Naito discloses the invention as essentially claimed, except for wherein at least one of the intermediate nozzle atomizing channel and the downstream nozzle atomizing channel includes a tapered portion; wherein at least one of the intermediate nozzle atomizing channel and the downstream nozzle atomizing channel has a shape having a smaller cross-sectional area toward downstream; and wherein at least one of the intermediate nozzle atomizing channel and the downstream nozzle atomizing channel has an inlet having a convex curvature or a concave curvature at an end.
Adkins et al. teaches tapered portions in radial atomizing nozzles are well known in the art, including wherein the taper has a shape having a smaller cross-sectional area toward downstream (see fig. 4, outer tapered portion 7 of nozzle insert 9 is smaller than the inner portion), and wherein the nozzle atomizing channel has an inlet having a convex curvature or a concave curvature at an end (concave portion of inner portion of 7 as seen in fig. 4), for the purpose of providing a rounded shape profile that ensures flow stability (col. 3, ll. 9-11), in a manner yielding predictable results and known in the art.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to modify the invention of Naito, such that at least one of the intermediate nozzle atomizing channel and the downstream nozzle atomizing channel includes a tapered portion; wherein at least one of the intermediate nozzle atomizing channel and the downstream nozzle atomizing channel has a shape having a smaller cross-sectional area toward downstream; and wherein at least one of the intermediate nozzle atomizing channel and the downstream nozzle atomizing channel has an inlet having a convex curvature or a concave curvature at an end, as taught by Adkins et al., for the purpose of using a nozzle having a rounded shape profile that ensures flow stability, in a manner yielding predictable results and known in the art.
Claims 4 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Naito (WO 2004020080) in view of Soukup (US 20130242692).
Naito discloses the invention as essentially claimed, except for wherein the intermediate nozzle includes a through-hole taper portion on an inner surface of the intermediate nozzle through-hole.
Soukup teaches related axially arranged atomizing nozzle channels (46) which include a through-hole taper portion on an inner surface of the nozzle through-hole, for the purpose of providing a channel that induces mixing [0020] and for enabling flow speed to increase for a given supply pressure, in a manner known in the art and which yields predictable results.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to modify the invention of Naito, wherein the intermediate nozzle includes a through-hole taper portion on an inner surface of the intermediate nozzle through-hole, as suggested by Soukup, for the purpose of providing a channel that induces mixing and for enabling flow speed to increase for a given supply pressure, in a manner known in the art and which yields predictable results.
Claim 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Naito (WO 2004020080) in view of Maeda (US 20220234011).
Naito discloses the invention as essentially claimed, except for further including a pressure intensifier configured to pressurize the raw material supplied from the liquid supply pump.
Maeda teaches pressure intensifiers (1) configured to pressurize the raw material (101) supplied from the liquid supply pump (102) are known to be used in atomizing systems for the purpose of cleaning the apparatus or inside the system, or for preventing contamination of the raw materials in the case where a high degree of cleanliness is required, or in the case where the apparatus is used for various pressurized raw materials ([0003]-[0004]).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to modify the invention of Naito, to include a pressure intensifier configured to pressurize the raw material supplied from the liquid supply pump, as taught by Maeda, for the purpose of cleaning the apparatus or inside the system, or for preventing contamination of the raw materials in the case where a high degree of cleanliness is required, or in the case where the apparatus is used for various pressurized raw materials, in a manner known in the art.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 20220234015 discloses tapered nozzle openings for reducing cavitation and pressure loss [0113]-[0114].
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MARINA TIETJEN, whose telephone number is 571-270-5422. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday (10:30AM-7:00PM CST).
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisors can be reached by phone. Tom Barrett can be reached at 571-272-4746, Ken Rinehart can be reached at 571-272-4881, and Craig Schneider can be reached at 571-272-3607. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MARINA A TIETJEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3753