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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) was filed on 03/26/2025. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
“on order to” in Paragraph [0004], Lines 5-6 should read “in order to”.
“MERV” and “HEPA” in Paragraph [0040] should be spelled out prior to using the abbreviations.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Objections
Claims 1, 3, 5, 7, 14, and 16 are objected to because of the following informalities:
“from atmosphere” in Claim 1, Line 1 should read “from the atmosphere”.
“to atmosphere” in Claim 1, last two lines should read “to the atmosphere”.
“to atmosphere” in Claim 3, Line 2 should read “to the atmosphere”.
“from atmosphere” in Claim 5, Line 9 should read “from the atmosphere”.
“to atmosphere” in Claim 7, Line 4 should read “to the atmosphere”.
“to atmosphere” in the last line of Claim 11 should read “to the atmosphere”.
“MERV” and “HEPA” in Claim 14 should be spelled out prior to using the abbreviations.
“FTIR” in Claim 16 should be spelled out prior to using the abbreviations.
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 1-20 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.
Claims 1, 5, and 11 disclose the limitation “an essentially closed loop”. It is unclear what is meant by the loop being “essentially” closed or how this would differ from the loop being just “closed”.
Claims 2-4, 6-10, and 12-20 are rejected due to their dependence upon rejected independent Claims 1, 5, and 11, respectively.
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.
Claim(s) 5-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Dickson (US Patent No: 3,063,253).
Regarding Claim 5: Dickson discloses an air curtain system (Figure 1) comprising a first air stream (stream defined by passage 52); and a second air stream (stream defined by passage 53); wherein the first air stream is directed to flow in a first direction, wherein the second air stream is directed to flow in a second direction, and wherein the first direction and the second direction are substantially parallel (Figure 2); wherein the first air stream is configured to recirculate within an essentially closed loop system (air recirculating through chambers 40 & 43, exiting through opening 46); and wherein the second air stream is configured to pull in air from the atmosphere (air drawn in through opening 20).
Regarding Claim 6: Dickson discloses the air curtain system of Claim 5, wherein the first air stream is configured to flow in a first channel (52, 54), and wherein the second air stream is configured to flow in a second channel (53, 55).
Regarding Claim 7: Dickson discloses the air curtain system of Claim 6, wherein the first channel has a first opening configured to open to a chamber or containment area (29a), wherein the first channel has a second opening (63) configured to open to the second channel, and wherein the second channel has an opening (20) configured to open to the atmosphere.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-4 and 11-20 are allowed. The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: The prior art fails to disclose an air curtain system for separating a gas or vapor from atmosphere, the air curtain system comprising a first channel; a second channel adjacent and parallel to the first channel, the second channel including an inlet and an outlet; a first blower configured to direct airflow through the first channel; and a second blower configured to direct airflow through the second channel; wherein the first channel is configured to form an essentially closed loop such that the first blower recirculates air through the first channel; wherein the inlet of the second channel is configured to allow the second blower to draw in atmospheric air; wherein the first channel has a first opening configured to open to a chamber or containment area, wherein the first channel has a second opening configured to open to the second channel, and wherein the second channel has an opening configured to open to atmosphere. Dickson discloses an air curtain system with first and second air streams; however, Dickson fails to disclose first and second blowers, the first blower recirculating air through the first channel. Ohwada (US Patent No: 7,037,189) and Tsubata (US Publication No: 2009/0137198) both disclose air curtain systems with first and second adjacent air streams (O: Figure 1, No. 10a-b; T: Figure 1, No. “A” & “B”); however, neither Ohwada nor Tsubata disclose first and second adjacent channels or first and second blowers as claimed. The prior art fails to disclose an air curtain system as claimed in Claims 1-4 and 11-20; therefore, Claims 1-4 and 11-20 are allowed.
Claims 8-10 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The prior art fails to disclose an air curtain system as claimed in Claim 7, wherein the first and second air streams are propelled by first and second blowers, respectively.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL L SEHN whose telephone number is (571)270-3564. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30 AM-6 PM, every other Friday off.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Courtney Heinle can be reached at 571-270-3508. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MICHAEL L SEHN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3745
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