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 § 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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 1 and 2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Flerlage et al- US2022/0146297. As to claim 1, Flerlage et al disclose a main body (chamber 106);an internal flow path (see arrows fig. 1D) that is located in an interior of the main body (106) and through which a gas flows; and a plurality of ribs (132) that are located in the internal flow path and with which the gas introduced into the internal flow path collides, wherein the dust collection adapter is mounted on an adapter-receiving component (opening flange receiving inlet 108) located at an inlet (204) of a gas meter (202), see figs. 1 and 2 and par[040] et seq. Further, it is noted that Flerlage et al do not disclose an “adapter”, per se. However, Flerlage et al do disclose a “dust trap” 100 which is “connected to a gas meter 202” as shown in fig. 2 for collecting dust and it is adapted to the shape of the inlet 204 of the gas meter 202, see fig. 2. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to have indicated the dust trap 100 of Flerlage et al as an adapter since it is adapted to the shape of the inlet of the gas meter as depicted in fig. 2. As to claim 2, the dust collection adapter/trap 100 main body (chamber 106) is divided into two main body segments (base 126 and frame 112), and the dust collection adapter (trap100) is mounted on the adapter-receiving component (opening for inlet caving 108) by joining the main body segments together and the inlet 108 may be provided to fixedly connect the multifunctional dust trap 100 with the gas meter 202, see par[042].
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Flerlage et al as applied to claims 1 and 2 above, and further in view of WO 2012/169202 (Satou et al), see translation. As to claim 3, Flerlage et al includes a shut-off valve (near 208a) at the inlet to the gas meter but fails to include one at the adapter-receiving component i.e. inlet opening for cavity 108 along with gas passing through the shut-off valve introduced into the internal flow path. In a related prior art device, Satou et al disclose placement of a shut-off valve 7 in the inlet 3 followed by flow through a filter 14 to remove particles prior to entering flow meter 10, see translation and fig. 1A. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to have included a shut-off valve in the inlet flow path of Flerlage et al. in order to control the flow through into the filter as well as the flow into the gas meter as disclosed by Satou et al.
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Flerlage et al as applied to claims 1 and 2 above, and further in view of JP2001-296154 (Masato et al), see translation. As to claim 3, Flerlage et al lack a teach for a shutoff valve at the inlet of the gas meter with gas flowing through the shut-off valve although there is a shut-off valve at the exit of the filter dust trap 100. In a related prior art device, Masato et al disclose a gas measuring device including a shutoff valve 2 at the inlet at passage 1a followed by a dust collector 4 where the flow continues to sensor 5, see fig. 1/2 and translation. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to have included a shut-off valve in the inlet of the gas meter as disclosed by Masato et al to control the flow of gas into the inlet and the filter/dust collector prior entrance into the gas metering portion to eliminate damage of the meter and obtain more accurate results.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The additional prior cited on PTO-892 include state of the art gas meters.
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NF
Examiner
Art Unit 2855
/N.S.F/Examiner, Art Unit 2855
/LAURA MARTIN SWEENEY/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2855
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