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 § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102:
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by LePoudre (US 2020/0096212).
Regarding claim 1, LePoudre discloses:
a compressorless air conditioning system (100) (fig. 1) [par. 0059], comprising:
a heat-to-mass extractor (106) configured to extract moisture from air [abs., lines 6-8 and par. 0080] in a conditioned space [par. 0017, lines 1-2] without increasing the temperature of the air [par. 0080], the heat-to-mass extractor (106) comprising:
a liquid desiccant [abs., lines 6-7];
a collector (126) (fig. 1) [par. 0043]; and
a regenerator (“regeneration system”), wherein the regenerator (“regeneration system”) and the collector (126) are fluidically coupled via the liquid desiccant (through circuit 166) (fig. 1) [par. 0044];
a mass-to-heat converter (108) configured to reduce a temperature of the air in the conditioned space [par. 0082] via evaporation of water [par. 0048], wherein the mass-to-heat converter (108) is physically disconnected from the heat-to-mass extractor (106) (seen in fig. 1); and
a control system (150) [par. 0066] communicably coupled with the mass-to-heat converter (108) [par. 0066 and 0067] and the heat-to-mass extractor (106) [par. 0066 and 0098].
Regarding claim 2, LePoudre discloses:
the control system (150) is wirelessly coupled with the heat-to-mass extractor (106) and the mass-to-heat converter (108) [par. 0066].
Regarding claim 3, LePoudre discloses:
the compressorless air conditioning system comprising a ductless air conditioning system (it is noted, the plenum 104 where the converter 108 and the extractor 106 are located is read exactly as it is disclosed in LePoudre: a plenum, not a duct, similar to the plenum/box/compartment depicted as heat-to-mass extractor 14 of the instant specification figure 1, for instance).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103:
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 4, 7-11, 14 and 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over LePoudre.
Regarding claim 4, LePoudre does not specifically disclose:
the liquid desiccant being configured to purify air in the conditioned space.
However, LePoudre discloses that the liquid desiccant has a high concentration salt solution [par. 0031]. It is old and known in the art that the presence of salt can sanitize the liquid desiccant to prevent microbial growth [par. 0031] and salt, when utilized in high concentrations can be utilized to purifier air (just as in the instant specification, PGPub 0055). It would have been obvious to one of skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to take advantage of the properties of high concentration of salt on the liquid desiccant to purify air in the conditioned space.
Regarding claim 7, LePoudre discloses:
a compressorless air conditioning system (100) (fig. 1) [par. 0059], comprising:
a heat-to-mass extractor (106) configured to utilize a liquid desiccant [abstract] to control humidity in a conditioned space [par. 0080], wherein the heat-to-mass extractor (106) utilizes heat as a source of energy [par. 0143] (as it applies to the embodiment of figure 1, where the regenerator 52/11 of figure 5 is equivalent to the “regenerator system” of figure 1. Par. 0062);
a mass-to-heat converter (108) configured to utilize water [par. 0048] to control temperature in the conditioned space [par. 0082]; and
a control system (150) communicably coupled with the heat-to-mass extractor (106) [par. 0066 and 0098] and the mass-to-heat converter (108) [par. 0066 and 0067].
LePoudre does not disclose:
The source of energy being low grade heat.
LePoudre does disclose, however, that the type of energy input can include electrical power, mechanical power, or heat, and depends on the technology used for regeneration of the liquid desiccant [par. 0143].
It would have been obvious to one of skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have low grade heat (heat values of less than 277°C) as a source of energy as a matter of an obvious design choice, according to the user’s needs, and in order to optimize the temperature for the liquid desiccant regeneration.
Regarding claim 8, LePoudre discloses:
the low-grade heat being associated with a hot water system (since the regenerator 52/11 is associated with the use of a hot-water system -a gas boiler with a condenser-, where the gas boiler is used to separate water from the liquid desiccant, see par. 0143].
Regarding claim 9, LePoudre discloses:
the mass-to-heat converter (108) being physically disconnected from the heat-to-mass extractor (106) (seen in fig. 1).
Regarding claim 10, LePoudre discloses:
the compressorless air conditioning system comprising a ductless air conditioning system (it is noted, the plenum 104 where converter 108 and the extractor 106 are located is read exactly as it is disclosed in LePoudre: a plenum, not a duct, similar to the undisclosed plenum/box/compartment depicted as heat-to-mass extractor 14 of the instant specification figure 1, for instance).
Regarding claim 11, LePoudre does not specifically disclose:
the liquid desiccant being configured to purify air in the conditioned space.
However, LePoudre discloses that the liquid desiccant has a high concentration salt solution [par. 0031]. It is old and known in the art that the presence of salt can sanitize the liquid desiccant to prevent microbial growth [par. 0031] and salt, when utilized in high concentrations can be utilized to purifier air (just as in the instant specification, PGPub 0055). It would have been obvious to one of skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to take advantage of the properties of high concentration of salt on the liquid desiccant to purify air in the conditioned space.
Regarding claim 14, LePoudre discloses:
a compressorless air conditioning system (100) (fig. 1) [par. 0059], comprising:
a heat-to-mass extractor (106) configured to utilize a liquid desiccant [abs., lines 6-7] from air in a conditioned space [par. 0017, lines 1-2];
a mass-to-heat converter (108) configured to reduce a temperature of the air in the conditioned space via evaporation of water [par. 0040; par. 0056, lines 1-2; par. 0082], wherein the mass-to-heat converter (108) is physically disconnected from the heat-to-mass extractor (106) (seen in fig. 1); and
a control system (150) [par. 0066] communicably coupled with the mass-to-heat converter (108) [par. 0066-0067] and the heat-to-mass extractor (106) [par. 0066 and par. 0098].
LePoudre does not specifically disclose:
the liquid desiccant being configured to purify air in the conditioned space.
However, LePoudre discloses that the liquid desiccant has a high concentration salt solution [par. 0031]. It is old and known in the art that the presence of salt can sanitize the liquid desiccant to prevent microbial growth [par. 0031] and salt, when utilized in high concentrations can be utilized to purifier air (just as in the instant specification, PGPub 0055). It would have been obvious to one of skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to take advantage of the properties of high concentration of salt on the liquid desiccant to purify air in the conditioned space.
Regarding claim 18, LePoudre discloses:
a compressorless air conditioning system (100) (fig. 1) [par. 0059], comprising:
a heat-to-mass extractor (106) configured to utilize a liquid desiccant [abs., lines 6-7] to extract moisture [par. 0080] from air in a conditioned space [par. 0017, lines 1-2];
a mass-to-heat converter (108) configured to utilize water to reduce a temperature of the air in the conditioned space [par. 0040; par. 0056, lines 1-2; par. 0082]; and
a control system (150) [par. 0066] comprising:
a humidistat coupled to the heat-to-mass extractor (106) (it is noted, although LePoudre does not specifically disclose a humidistat, LePoudre discloses operations of the system 100 that necessarily implies the presence of a humidistat/hygrostat that, through the control system 150, controls those operations) (see for instance, par. 0024 –“the air can be delivered as reduced humidity air”-, par. 0028 –“the system can be used to control or condition a temperature and a humidity of the air stream being provided to the enclosed space”-, par. 0059 –“the design of the system 100 can facilitate cooling the air to the discharge set point temperature over a large range of humidity levels”, etc.).
a thermostat coupled to the mass-to-heat converter (108) (it is noted, although LePoudre does not specifically disclose a thermostat, LePoudre discloses operations of the system 100 that necessarily implies the presence of a thermostat or temperature controller that, through the control system 150, controls those operations) (see for instance, par. 0024 –“the air can be delivered as reduced temperature or reduced humidity air”-, par. 0028 –“the system can be used to control or condition a temperature and a humidity of the air stream being provided to the enclosed space”-, par. 0059 –“the design of the system 100 can facilitate cooling the air to the discharge set point temperature over a large range of humidity levels”, etc.).
wherein the compressorless air conditioning system is a ductless air conditioning system (it is noted, the plenum 104 where converter 108 and the extractor 106 are located is read exactly as it is disclosed in LePoudre: a plenum, not a duct, similar to the undisclosed plenum/box/compartment depicted as heat-to-mass extractor 14 of the instant specification figure 1, for instance).
Regarding claim 19, LePoudre discloses:
the heat-to-mass extractor (106) and the mass-to-heat converter (108) being physically uncoupled (seen in fig. 1).
Regarding claim 20, LePoudre discloses:
air output from the mass-to-heat converter (108) mixing with air in the conditioned space (once the air flowing from the converter 108 is delivered to the conditioned space through dampers 120, fig. 1); and air output from the heat-to-mass extractor (106) mixes with the air in the conditioned space (once the air flowing from the extractor 106 is delivered to the conditioned space through dampers 120, fig. 1).
Claims 5-6, 12-13, 16-17 and 21-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over LePoudre in view of Karnik (US 2020/0284452).
Regarding claims 5-6, LePoudre does not disclose:
a plurality of heat-to-mass extractors and a plurality of mass-to-heat converters.
It is noted, the mere duplication of parts has no patentable significance unless a new and unexpected result is produced. MPEP 2144.04, section VI, part B. In this case, duplicating one or more of the heat-to-mass extractor and the mass-to-heat converter will further optimize cooling capacity according to the user’s needs. Further, Karnik, also directed to a comprerssorless cooling system (figs. 1-2) [par. 0003] teaches that the use of a plurality of heat-to-mass extractors (23, 23) and a plurality of mass-to-heat converters (2, 4) are old and known in the art, and provide greater cooling efficiency as compared to systems with a single heat-to-mass extractors and a single mass-to-heat converters [par. 0010] according to the user’s needs.
Regarding claims 12-13, LePoudre does not disclose:
a plurality of heat-to-mass extractors and a plurality of mass-to-heat converters.
It is noted, the mere duplication of parts has no patentable significance unless a new and unexpected result is produced. MPEP 2144.04, section VI, part B. In this case, duplicating one or more of the heat-to-mass extractor and the mass-to-heat converter will further optimize cooling capacity according to the user’s needs. Further, Karnik, also directed to a comprerssorless cooling system (figs. 1-2) [par. 0003] teaches that the use of a plurality of heat-to-mass extractors (23, 23) and a plurality of mass-to-heat converters (2, 4) are old and known in the art, and provide greater cooling efficiency as compared to systems with a single heat-to-mass extractors and a single mass-to-heat converters [par. 0010] according to the user’s needs.
Regarding claims 16-17, LePoudre does not disclose:
a plurality of heat-to-mass extractors and a plurality of mass-to-heat converters.
It is noted, the mere duplication of parts has no patentable significance unless a new and unexpected result is produced. MPEP 2144.04, section VI, part B. In this case, duplicating one or more of the heat-to-mass extractor and the mass-to-heat converter will further optimize cooling capacity according to the user’s needs. Further, Karnik, also directed to a comprerssorless cooling system (figs. 1-2) [par. 0003] teaches that the use of a plurality of heat-to-mass extractors (23, 23) and a plurality of mass-to-heat converters (2, 4) are old and known in the art, and provide greater cooling efficiency as compared to systems with a single heat-to-mass extractors and a single mass-to-heat converters [par. 0010] according to the user’s needs.
Regarding claims 21-22, LePoudre does not disclose:
a plurality of heat-to-mass extractors and a plurality of mass-to-heat converters.
It is noted, the mere duplication of parts has no patentable significance unless a new and unexpected result is produced. MPEP 2144.04, section VI, part B. In this case, duplicating one or more of the heat-to-mass extractor and the mass-to-heat converter will further optimize cooling capacity according to the user’s needs. Further, Karnik, also directed to a comprerssorless cooling system (figs. 1-2) [par. 0003] teaches that the use of a plurality of heat-to-mass extractors (23, 23) and a plurality of mass-to-heat converters (2, 4) are old and known in the art, and provide greater cooling efficiency as compared to systems with a single heat-to-mass extractors and a single mass-to-heat converters [par. 0010] according to the user’s needs.
Claims 23-25 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over LePoudre in view of Assaf (US 2007/0234743).
Regarding claim 23, LePoudre discloses:
an air conditioning system (100) (fig. 1) [par. 0059], comprising:
an extractor (106) configured to move moisture between a conditioned space and an external space [abs., lines 6-8; par. 0080; par. 0017, lines 1-2], the extractor (106) comprising:
a liquid desiccant [abs., lines 6-7];
a collector (126) (fig. 1) [par. 0043]; and
a regenerator (“regeneration system”), and wherein the regenerator (“regeneration system”) and collector (126) are fluidically coupled via the liquid desiccant (through circuit 166) (fig. 1) [par. 0044];
a converter (108) positioned in the conditioned space and physically disconnected from the extractor (106); and
a control system (150) [par. 0066] communicably coupled with the extractor (106) [par. 0066 and par. 0098] and the converter (108) [par. 0066-0067].
LePoudre does not disclose:
the regenerator comprising a compressor.
Assaf teaches that liquid desiccant regenerator systems (2) (fig. 1) comprising a desiccant heater (22) receiving heat from a steam generator (24) which receives gas from a turbine (26) which receives the gas from a gas compressor (28), are old and known in the art.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to simply substitute one known element for another to obtain predictable results. See MPEP-2143 (I) (B). In the instant case, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to simply substitute the regenerator of LePoudre for the known regenerator of Assaf to obtain the predictable result of optimizing heat transfer based on the user's requirements. Further, LePoudre discloses that the regenerator (52/11) can be selected as a gas boiler with a condenser which receives a type of energy that may include mechanical power [par. 0143], which is the type of power provided by the gas compressor (28) to the gas turbine (26) of Assaf.
Regarding claim 24, the combination of LePoudre and Assaf discloses:
the regenerator (Assaf, 2, 4) further comprises a heat exchanger (Assaf, 38) coupled with the compressor (Assaf, 28) (Assaf, fig. 1) [Assaf, par. 0015].
Regarding claim 25, the combination of LePoudre and Assaf discloses:
the compressor (Assaf, 28) being thermally coupled with the liquid desiccant (Assaf) (it is noted, in Assaf, the compressor 28 is fed by air form exchanger 38 which is in fluid communication with evaporator 40, which is connected to desiccant reservoir 16) [par. 0015].
Claim 29 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Baker (US 5,383,337) in view of Rockwell (US 1,789,194).
Regarding claim 29, Baker discloses:
a water evaporator (10) (figs. 1-7), comprising:
media (12);
a sump (18) configured to hold water [col. 2, lines 43-60];
a pump (34) configured to pump the water from the sump (18) to the media (12), wherein the water flows over the media (12) and returns to the sump (18) (figs. 1-7) [col. 2, lines 31-68];
a fan (at one end of duct D) (fig. 7) configured to force air across the media (12) [col. 3, lines 58-64];
means for chlorinating the water [col. 3, line 66 – col. 4, line 1].
Baker does not disclose:
a carbon filter positioned to collect chlorine from air after the air is forced across the media.
Rockwell teaches that the use of carbon filters configured to collect chlorine from contaminated air, is old and known in the art [page 1, lines 5-9 and 64-74; page 2, lines 30-35]. It would have been obvious to one of skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to incorporate into Baker the teachings of Rockwell to have a carbon filter positioned to collect chlorine from air after the air is forced across the media, in order to optimize air quality supplied to the home or air building disclosed by Baker.
Claim 30 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Baker and Rockwell, and further in view of Nakamura (US 6,235,188)
Regarding claim 30, the combination of Baker and Rockwell does not disclose:
the means for chlorinating the water comprising an electrolyzer.
Nakamura teaches that an electrolyzer (4) can be used to purified and sterilized water [Abstract].
It would have been obvious to one of skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to incorporate into the combination of Baker and Rockwell the teachings of Nakamura to have the means for chlorinating the water comprising an electrolyzer, in order to purify and sterilize the water, optimizing performance of the water evaporator system.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 28 is allowed.
Claims 15 and 26-27 are 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.
Conclusion
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/GUSTAVO A HINCAPIE SERNA/Examiner, Art Unit 3763
/LEN TRAN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3763
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