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 § 102
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.
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.
CLAIMS 1, 2, 4-6 AND 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ortiz (US 3,724,662).
CLAIM 1 Ortiz teaches a system comprising:
a buoyant ring (22) with a perimeter, the perimeter of the buoyant ring perimeter connected to a bag (20);
wherein the bag includes filter systems (60, 62);
wherein the buoyant ring includes sections (Fig. 3); and
wherein the buoyant ring includes anchor points (Fig. 5);
CLAIM 2 wherein the filter systems include hoses attached to the bag with pumps configured to pump water out of the bag through the hoses;
CLAIM 4 wherein the filter systems are one of fibrous, mesh (62), plastic, magnetic, or metal filters;
CLAIM 5 wherein the buoyant rim is inflatable (inflatable, col. 4, ll. 53-5);
CLAIM 6 wherein the buoyant rim is closed cell foam (neoprene, col. 4, ll. 53-5); and
CLAIM 8 wherein the bag is double walled (Fig. 3).
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.
CLAIMS 3, 7 AND 9-11 /are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ortiz (US 3,724,662).
CLAIM 3 The examiner takes Official Notice of the use of rim filters on floating structures for filtering materials washing over the rims thereof.
CLAIM 7 The examiner takes Official Notice of the use of hinged buoyant rim sections on floating structures for ease of handling, deployment and storage.
CLAIM 9 The examiner takes Official Notice of the use of vents in floating structures to facilitate entry into and exit from the bag enclosure.
CLAIM 10 The examiner takes Official Notice of the use of vertical shields on the buoyant rings of floating structures for precluding the passage of floating material.
CLAIM 11 The examiner takes Official Notice of the use of weighted pulley systems on floating structures for maintaining stability.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TARA MAYO whose telephone number is (571)272-6992. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Friday 8:30AM-5:00PM EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Joseph Rocca can be reached at 571-272-8971. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/TARA MAYO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3671
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27 June 2026
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