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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I (claims 1-10) in the reply filed on 07/17/2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 11-16 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Group II. There being no allowable generic or linking claim.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a).
The drawings fail to show “treatment chamber 110” and “cable 140” as described in paragraphs [0018 and 0041] of the specification. Any structural detail that is essential for a proper understanding of the disclosed invention should be shown in the drawing. MPEP § 608.02(d). 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.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
Para. [0041]: “cap 138 has threads 135,” while 135 was designated to “O-ring”;
Para. [0042]: “cable 148” should be “cable 140”.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 1-2, 4-6, 8, and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 2022/0202975 A1 [hereinafter Grenon].
Regarding Claim 1:
Grenon teaches a light source assembly that comprises a housing unit (Fig. 1- UV light emission device 100, including light source head 106, handle 118, and base housing 126) containing:
a first board (Figs. 1/4A – PCB 112/PCB 422) that includes an array of UV light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and a first electrical connector (Fig. 4A- wing connector 416) that is connected to a first cable (Fig. 4A -ribbon cable 412) for supplying electrical power to the first board (Figs. 1-4 and paras. [0089, 0097-0098]: “the UV light source 102 installed in the light source head 106 includes a light source PCB 422 in which the UV LEDs 110 … are mounted.” The wing connector 416 is coupled to the ribbon cable 412, extending through handle 118 and couples the light source PCB 422 to the light driven circuits 400 in the base “to distribute power and other communications signals between the light driver circuits 400”); and
an interconnector board (Fig. 4A –PCB 406) that is separated from the first board (Fig. 4A: PCB 406 located in the base housing 126 which is separated from the LED PCB 422 in the light source head) and includes:
(i) a second electrical connector (Fig. 4A- wing connector 410) that is connected to the first cable (Fig. 4 and para. [0085]: “a ribbon cable 412 that is coupled to the wiring connector 410”); and
(ii) a third electrical connector (Fig. 37B- power connector 3702/3704) that is configured to connect to a second cable (Fig. 37B and para. [0169]: the base housing 124 additionally may include a power connector 3702/3704, connecting to cable 132/136 (“second cable”)).
Regarding Claim 2:
Grenon teaches the light source assembly of claim 1. Grenon further teaches wherein the second electrical connector and the third electrical connector are different types of electrical connectors (wing connector 410 (“second connector”) is an internal ribbon-cable connector while power connector 3702/3704 (“third connector”) is external male-female power connector, and thus they are different types).
Regarding Claim 4:
Grenon teaches the light source assembly of claim 2. Grenon further teaches wherein the first cable is a ribbon cable (expressly teaches cable 412 is a ribbon cable).
Regarding Claim 5:
Grenon teaches the light source assembly of claim 2. Grenon further teaches wherein the third electrical connector is a pin connector (Fig. 37B shows connector 3702 as projecting electrical pins).
Regarding Claim 6:
Grenon teaches the light source assembly of claim 1. Grenon further teaches wherein the housing unit includes:
(i)a light source housing that houses the first board and includes a transparent window (Fig. 1AS- light source shield 108) that faces the array of LEDs (Figs. 1A,1C&4A and para. [0063]: light housing 202 includes PCB 422 and light source shield 108 which “could be made of fused silica, quartz glass, or other UV translucent material”);
(ii) a base housing portion that includes the interconnector board (Fig. 4A: base housing 126 includes PCB 406); and
(iii) a mounting arm (Fig. 4A -handle 118) that is connected to the light source housing at one end and to the base housing portion at another end, and through which the first cable passes (Fig. 4A: handle 118 extending between light source head 106 and base 124, and handle 118 forms an interior chamber containing ribbon cable 412).
Regarding Claim 8:
Grenon teaches the light source assembly of claim 6. Grenon further teaches wherein the mounting arm has a maximum width dimension that is smaller than the maximum width dimension of the light source housing (Figs 1A and 3C clearly depicts handle 118 much narrower than light source housing 202).
Regarding Claim 10:
Grenon teaches the light source assembly of claim 1. Grenon further teaches wherein the interconnector board includes a safety switch (Fig. 5- safety switch 512) that is able to prevent power from being transmitted to the second electrical connector when the safety switch is triggered (Fig. 5 and paras. [0085, 0098]: PCB 406 includes an electrical control system 404 as shown in Fig. 5, which includes a safety switch 512, which cuts power to light-driven circuits and prevents power from reaching connector 410/ribbon cable 412).
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 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Grenon.
Regarding Claim 3:
Grenon teaches the light source assembly of claim 2. Although Grenon does not expressly teach that the second electrical connector has fewer conductor elements than the third electrical connector; however, Grenon discloses the same general connector arrangement as the specification, namely an internal connector 410 couple to ribbon cable 412 and a separate external pin-type male power connector 3702 coupled to external cable 136 (See Spec. [0042], describes connector 174 (“second connector”) is a ribbon connector connects to a ribbon cable while connector 176 (“third connector”) is a male pin connector connecting to external power source and also to a female terminal of cable). Since the number of conductor elements in such connectors is selected according to the required electrical connections, it would have been obvious for an ordinary skilled person in the art, before the effective time of filing, to configure Grenon’s ribbon connector to have fewer conductor elements than its pin connector since this merely involves selecting an appropriate number of contacts for the already disclosed connector types.
Regarding Claim 9:
Grenon teaches the light source assembly of claim 6. Although Grenon does not expressly disclose that the maximum width of the mounting arm is 10% to 50% of the maximum width of the light source housing. However, Grenon discloses a mounting arm/handle 118 that is narrower than the light source housing 202 and that accommodates the wiring harness extending between the base electronics and the light source. The relative width of the handle and light source housing is a result-effective design variable because the required width of each portion depends on the size and number of components accommodated therein. Accordingly, it would have been obvious for an ordinary skilled person in the art, before the effective time of filing, through routine optimization, to select the relative width, including a handle width 10%-15% of the light source housing width, as necessary to accommodate the respective components while maintaining the desired compact configuration.
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Grenon in view of US 2017/0081212A1[hereinafter Osment].
Regarding Claim 7:
Grenon teaches the light source assembly of claim 6. However, Grenon does not expressly teach wherein the base housing portion includes an end cap with a threaded portion for removably connecting the light source assembly to a structure with a corresponding threaded portion.
Osment teaches wherein the base housing portion includes an end cap with a threaded portion for removably connecting the light source assembly to a structure with a corresponding threaded portion (Figs. 2 and 4, paras. [0061-0062, 0067]: a UV chamber 2 includes a shroud portion 24 housing the UV lamp tube 21, and an end structure of sealing arrangement 6 (“base housing portion”) provide with a threaded member 61 (“end cap”) having internal threads 613 that engage corresponding 243 of the to the shroud portion 24, permitting the end assembly to be movable threading mounted to the chamber).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for an ordinary skilled person in the art, before the effective time of filing, to provide Genon’s base/end portion with such a known threaded removable mounting arrangement to permit the light source assembly to be securely and removably attached to a corresponding structure for installation and servicing.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JING WANG whose telephone number is (571)272-2504. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30-17:00.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Robert Kim can be reached at 571-272-2293. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JING WANG/Examiner, Art Unit 2881
/WYATT A STOFFA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2881
