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 Species C, figure 3, in the reply filed on 04/20/2026 is acknowledged. Applicant identified claims 1-20 as reading on the elected species.
However, claims 3, 5 and 12 call for a common return header (60) which corresponds to non-elected species B, figure 2, as disclosed in PGPub paragraphs 0026 and 0028.
Claims 1-20 are pending. Claims 3, 5 and 12 are withdrawn from consideration as being drawn to a nonelected invention.
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 “a three-way valve in fluid communication with the output of the cold common heat exchanger” of claim 17, and the “a (another) three-way valve in fluid communication with the output of the hot common heat exchanger” of claims 18-19, must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
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.
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(4) because reference character “20” has been used to designate both the enclosure/housing of each module 54, 55, and 56 of figure 1, and a desiccant pipe that connects pump 24 and common heat exchanger 4, in figure 2.
The drawings are objected to because of the following informalities: In figure 2, the arrows depicting the liquid desiccant flow and the liquid desiccant piping are incorrect. For instance, the head of the arrows connecting pumps 24 to basin 30 should point out towards each pump 24. Similarly, the arrows connecting the modules 54, 55, 55, and 56 to the common supply header 62 should point out towards the modules 54, 55, 55 and 56. The top most arrow depicted as “LD” should connect the three-way valve 414 with the common supply header 62 and not to the top of module 56. See also PGPub paragraph 0029 of the instant specification.
In figure 3, “holding tank 30” is depicted pointing to a desiccant pipe, not to any tank. Also, it is unclear what/how/where the connection of the refrigerator 302 and the holding tank 314 is. In this regard, it is unclear in figure 3 how the energy-economizing brine heat exchanger 320 can receive diluted liquid desiccant 318 [par. 0034] since it is unclear in figure 3 how the diluted liquid desiccant 318 flows (pumped) [par. 0035] from the holding tank 314 to the exchanger 320.
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.
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they include the following reference character(s) not mentioned in the description: 9, 13 and 31 (all in figure 1). Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d), or amendment to the specification to add the reference character(s) in the description in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(b) 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. 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 Objections
Claims 16-20 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Regarding claim 16, in line 20, “…the concentrator” should read --…the concentrator portion--.
Regarding claim 17, in line 2, “…substantially the same…” should read --…at substantially the same…--.
Regarding claims 18-20, the claims are objected by virtue of their dependency on claim 16.
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.
Claims 10-15 are 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.
Regarding claim 10, the claim recites the limitation “the liquid desiccant output” in line 12. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
For the purpose of this examination, the claim has been interpreted to mean, in line 12:
--a liquid desiccant output--.
Regarding claims 11 and 13-15, the claims are rejected by virtue of their dependency on claims 10 and 16.
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 1-2, 4, 6-11 and 13-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mongar (US 2015/0292754) in view of Maisey et al. (US 9,631,824, herein “Maisey”).
Regarding claim 1, Mongar discloses:
a liquid desiccant air conditioning system (LDAC) (1) (figs. 2-8) comprising,
an initial module (54), comprising at least a housing (20) with a media pad (21) and a desiccant distributor (23) configured to disburse liquid desiccant from the desiccant distributor (23) to the media pad (21) (fig. 2) [par. 0040];
a terminal module (56) in fluid communication with the initial module (54) (fig. 2), the terminal module (56) comprising:
at least a housing (20) with a media pad (21) and a desiccant distributor (23) configured to disburse liquid desiccant from the desiccant distributor (23) to the media pad (21) (fig. 2) [par. 0040];
at least a first basin (30) in fluid communication with the initial module (54) to receive liquid desiccant from the media pad (21) (fig. 2) [par. 0040];
an air intake (25) in fluid communication with the initial module (54) to receive untreated air (3) and direct the untreated air (3) to the initial module (54) (fig. 2) [par.0046];
an air exhaust (39) in fluid communication with the terminal module (56) to exhaust treated air (3) from the LDAC (1) (fig. 2) [par. 0046];
a plurality of heat exchangers (22) in fluid communication with at least the first basin (30) and each of the desiccant distributors (23), wherein the plurality of heat exchangers (22) is in fluid communication with a refrigerant (5/6) that is operationally coupled to the liquid desiccant (at each exchanger 22) to exchange thermal energy between the refrigerant (5/6) and the liquid desiccant (fig. 2) [par. 0047].
Mongar discloses a respective heat exchanger (22) of a plurality of heat exchangers (22), instead of a common heat exchanger, in fluid communication with each of the desiccant distributors (23), and also discloses the plurality of heat exchangers (22), instead of a common heat exchanger, in fluid communication with a refrigerant (5/6) that is operationally coupled to the liquid desiccant to exchange thermal energy between the refrigerant (5/6) and the liquid desiccant (at each of the plurality of heat exchangers 22).
Maisey, also directed to a liquid desiccant air conditioning system (figures 1-3B), teaches that is old and known in the art to incorporate a single common heat exchanger (107) in fluid communication with a basin (103) (fig. 1) and each of a plurality of desiccant distributors (109) (seen in fig. 2A), wherein the common heat exchanger (107) is in fluid communication with a refrigerant (also flowing through exchanger 107, fig. 1) that is operationally coupled to the liquid desiccant to exchange thermal energy between the refrigerant and the liquid desiccant (fig. 1) [col. 10, lines 4-7].
It would have been obvious to one of skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to replace the plurality of heat exchangers (22) of Mongar with a single common heat exchanger like the one disclosed by Maisey in fluid communication with the first basin and with the refrigerant of cooling source (51) to exchange thermal energy between the refrigerant and the liquid desiccant, for the purpose of ease of installation or to have a more compact economic device (1).
Regarding claim 2, the combination of Mongar and Maisey discloses:
at least one liquid desiccant pump (Mongar, 24) in fluid communication with at least the first basin (Mongar, 30) (Mongar, fig. 2) [Mongar, par. 0040] and a liquid desiccant input of the common heat exchanger (Maisey, 107), upon modification.
Regarding claim 4, Mongar discloses:
at least one intermediate module (55) comprising at least a housing (20) with a media pad (21) and a desiccant distributor (23) configured to disburse liquid desiccant from the desiccant distributor (23) to the media pad (21) (fig. 2).
Regarding claim 6, the combination of Mongar and Maisey discloses:
at least a second basin (Mongar, 30), wherein the first basin (Mongar, 30) is associated with the initial module (Mongar, 54) and the second basin (Mongar, 30) is associated with the terminal module (Mongar, 56) (Morgan, fig.2), wherein the first (Morgan, 30) and second basin (Morgan, 30) are in fluid communication with the common heat exchanger (Maisey, 7), upon modification.
Regarding claim 7, the combination of Mongar and Maisey discloses:
the first basin (Mongar, 30) and second basin (Mongar, 30) being in fluid communication such that the first basin (Mongar, 30) is downstream of the second basin (Mongar, 30), and the second basin (Mongar, 30) is upstream of the first basin (Mongar, 30) and downstream of the common heat exchanger (Maisey, 107), upon modification.
Regarding claim 8, the combination of Mongar and Maisey discloses:
a common supply header (seen in Maisey’s figure 1) in fluid communication with a liquid desiccant output of the common heat exchanger (Maisey, 7) (seen in Maisey’s figure 1) and each desiccant distributor (Mongar, 23), upon modification.
Regarding claim 9, the combination of Mongar and Maisey does not disclose:
a three-way valve in fluid communication with the common heat exchanger and each desiccant distributor and at least the first basin to distribute liquid desiccant from the common heat exchanger to each desiccant distributor and the first basin.
However, valves adapted to control desiccant flow between different components of desiccant air conditioning systems are known in the art and the arrangement of such valves possesses no inventiveness. For instance, it would have been obvious to one of skill in the art to arrange a 3-way valve along the liquid desiccant pipe of the combination of Mongar and Maisey to bypass the common heat exchanger and direct the liquid desiccant directly to the desiccant distributors according to measured humidity and temperature of the air stream to be treated. Further, Maisey discloses that the desiccant pipework shall have valves of appropriate size and type for isolation of parts and systems and control of fluids as necessary [col. 10, lines 42-45].
Regarding claim 10, Mongar discloses:
a method of using liquid desiccant to condition an air stream (3) (figs. 2-8), comprising:
moving an air stream (3) through a liquid desiccant air conditioning system (LDAC) (1) from an air intake (25) through at least an initial module (54) and a terminal module (56) to an air exhaust (39) such that the air stream (3) contacts a media pad (21) in each of the initial module (54) and terminal module (56) (fig. 2) [par. 0040];
causing a liquid desiccant to flow from a desiccant distributor (23) through the media pad (21) in each of the initial module (54) and terminal module (56) wherein the liquid desiccant contacts the air stream (3) (fig. 2) [par. 0040];
collecting the liquid desiccant in a basin (30) (fig. 2) [par. 0040];
pumping the liquid desiccant from the basin (30) to a liquid desiccant input of a plurality of heat exchangers (22) (fig. 2) [par. 0047];
exchanging thermal energy between the liquid desiccant and a refrigerant (5/6) in each of the plurality of heat exchanger (22) (fig. 2) [par. 0047]; and
supplying liquid desiccant from a liquid desiccant output of each of the plurality of heat exchangers (22) to the desiccant distributor (23) of each of the initial module (54) and the terminal module (56).
Mongar discloses a respective heat exchanger (22) of a plurality of heat exchangers (22), instead of a common heat exchanger, in fluid communication with each of the desiccant distributors (23), and also discloses the plurality of heat exchangers (22), instead of a common heat exchanger, in fluid communication with a refrigerant (5/6) that is operationally coupled to the liquid desiccant to exchange thermal energy between the refrigerant (5/6) and the liquid desiccant (at each of the plurality of heat exchangers 22).
Maisey, also directed to a liquid desiccant air conditioning system (figures 1-3B), teaches that is old and known in the art to incorporate a single common heat exchanger (107) in fluid communication with a basin (103) (fig. 1) and each of a plurality of desiccant distributors (109) (seen in fig. 2A), wherein the common heat exchanger (107) is in fluid communication with a refrigerant (also flowing through exchanger 107, fig. 1) that is operationally coupled to the liquid desiccant to exchange thermal energy between the refrigerant and the liquid desiccant (fig. 1) [col. 10, lines 4-7].
It would have been obvious to one of skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to replace the plurality of heat exchangers (22) of Mongar with a single common heat exchanger like the one disclosed by Maisey in fluid communication with the first basin and with the refrigerant of cooling source (51) to exchange thermal energy between the refrigerant and the liquid desiccant, for the purpose of ease of installation or to have a more compact economic device (1).
Regarding claim 11, the combination of Mongar and Maisey discloses:
the liquid desiccant from the common heat exchanger (Maisey, 107) being at substantially the same temperature and concentration at the desiccant distributor (Mongar, 23) for both the initial module (Mongar, 54) and the terminal module (Mongar, 56) (it is noted, Maisey’s supply header, seen in Maisey’s fig. 1, is connected to a liquid desiccant output of Maisey’s exchanger 107, wherein Maisey’s supply header supplies liquid desiccant simultaneously to all desiccant distributors 109, seen in Maisey’s fig. 2A, at substantially the same temperature and concentration).
Regarding claim 13, Mongar discloses:
exchanging thermal energy (between the liquid desiccant and the refrigerant 5/6) comprises using a compressor refrigerant system (connected to cooling source 51) [par. 0047].
Regarding claim 14, the combination of Mongar and Maisey discloses:
moving the air stream (Monger, 3) through at least one intermediate module (Mongar, 55), causing liquid desiccant to flow from a desiccant distributor (Mongare, 23) through the media pad (Mongar, 21) of the at least one intermediate module (Mongar, 55) (fig. 2), and supplying liquid desiccant from the output of the common heat exchanger (Maisey, 107) to the desiccant distributor (Mongar, 23) of the at least one intermediate module (Mongar, 55), upon modification.
Regarding claim 15, the combination of Mongar and Maisey discloses:
supplying liquid desiccant from the common heat exchanger (Maisey, 107) comprises supplying a portion of the liquid desiccant to the desiccant distributor (Mongar, 23) or each of the initial module (Mongar, 54), the at least one intermediate module (Mongar, 55), and the terminal module (Mongar, 56) (Mongar, fig. 2), and a portion of the liquid desiccant to the first basin (Mongar, 30), upon modification (se also, Mongar, par. 0047).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 16-20 are allowed.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GUSTAVO A HINCAPIE SERNA whose telephone number is (571)272-6018. The examiner can normally be reached 9am-5:30pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Len Tran can be reached at 571-272-1184. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/GUSTAVO A HINCAPIE SERNA/Examiner, Art Unit 3763
/LEN TRAN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3763
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