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
Claims 9-16 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 12/18/25.
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 1-8 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.
Re Claim 1, it is unclear what the metes and bounds of “having an open-cell foam structure” is. It is unclear whether this is foam or only has structure like that of foam.
Re Claim 1, it is also unclear whether “a fine bubble” is literally a single bubble.
It is further unclear whether the gas supply device also supplies the liquid, from the claim language “wherein the gas supply device… while supplying the liquid from the liquid supply device.” It is noted that this claim is not a method claim nor is a controller claimed to control what appears to be a process. It is also unclear how the gas supply generates a (single) fine bubble through the open cell foam structure, if it is configured to supply gas to the gap, and not directly to the foam structure.
Claims 2-8 are rejected as they depend from Claim 1 without curing the deficiency. Claim 3 makes it more unclear with the phrasing “while continuously supplying the fine bubble”. It is unclear if one bubble is somehow maintained or more than one bubble is being supplied.
Re Claim 6, it is unclear what the metes and bounds of “a grounded conductive resin” is, as conductive can be relative and subjective.
Re Claim 7 it is unclear what the metes and bounds of “fine pores” is as fine doesn’t appear to have any sizing bounds.
Further examination on the merits is precluded in light of the unascertainable claim scope.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JASON Y KO whose telephone number is (571)270-7451. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 9:00-6:00.
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JASON Y. KO
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1711
/JASON Y KO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1711
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