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 § 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 1-5, 7-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ng et al. (USPN 6039460).
With regard to claim 1,
Ng et al. disclose a radiation source assembly comprising: a UV transparent sleeve (12, see column 3, lines 20-25) that has a length dimension extending in an axial direction (See figs); a base that is fixed to an end of the UV transparent sleeve and comprising (i) a protruding structure (56) that protrudes outwardly from a remaining part (64) of the base in the axial direction; and (ii) a plurality of electrical contacts (62) that are disposed in the protruding structure; a UV lamp (10) that is disposed within the UV transparent sleeve and is electrically coupled to the plurality of electrical contacts (via 52); and means (threads of 56) for clamping the radiation source assembly to a radiation module.
With regard to claim 2,
Ng et al. disclose the radiation source assembly of claim 1, wherein the protruding structure is a cylindrical structure (See figures).
With regard to claim 3,
Ng et al. disclose the radiation source assembly of claim 1, wherein a sealing element (72) is provided on the protruding structure that is configured to form a seal with part of the radiation module (see fig. 7).
With regard to claim 4,
Ng et al. disclose the radiation source assembly of claim 3, wherein the sealing element is an O-ring, a face seal, a radial seal, and/or a deformable element (see fig. 7, column 5, lines 10-15).
With regard to claim 5,
Ng et al. disclose the radiation source assembly of claim 1, wherein the means for clamping includes a threaded fastener (threads of 56) having a threaded surface that is configured to engage a corresponding threaded surface on the radiation module.
With regard to claim 7,
Ng et al. disclose a lamp device comprising: (i) at least one UV radiation source assembly that includes (a) a protruding structure (56) that protrudes axially at one end of the UV radiation source assembly; (b) a plurality of electrical contacts (62) that are disposed in the protruding structure; and (c) a UV lamp (10) that is electrically connected (via 52) to the plurality of electrical contacts to receive electrical power transferred by the electrical contacts; (ii) a radiation module (74) that is configured to be mechanically coupled to the UV radiation source assembly, and includes a radiation module connector (74) with a receptacle that is configured to receive the protruding structure of the UV radiation source assembly (see figures); and (iii) a retaining device (threads of 56) that is configured to affix or secure the UV radiation source assembly to the radiation module when they are mechanically coupled.
With regard to claim 8,
Ng et al. disclose the lamp device according to claim 7, wherein the retaining device exerts a clamping force (via threads of 56) on the UV radiation source assembly and the radiation module when they are mechanically coupled.
With regard to claim 9,
Ng et al. disclose the lamp device according to claim 7, wherein the protruding structure is a cylindrical structure (See figs).
With regard to claim 10,
Ng et al. disclose the lamp device according to claim 9, further comprising an O-ring (72) that is positioned around the cylindrical structure.
With regard to claim 11,
Ng et al. disclose the lamp device according to claim 7, wherein the receptacle is a cylindrically-shaped recess (see figs).
With regard to claim 12,
Ng et al. disclose the lamp device according to claim 7, wherein the retaining device is positioned on an outer perimeter of the UV radiation source assembly (See figs).
With regard to claim 13,
Ng et al. disclose the lamp device according to claim 7, wherein the retaining device is selected from at least one of a threaded fastener, a bayonet fastener, and a snap fastener (threads of 56).
With regard to claim 14,
Ng et al. disclose the lamp device according to claim 7, wherein the retaining device includes a threaded fastener with a threaded surface (threads of 56) that configured to engage a corresponding threaded surface on the radiation module (threads of 74).
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 6, 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ng et al. (as above), in view of Elku et al. (USPN 2008/0182455).
With regard to claims 6, 15,
Ng et al. disclose the respective source assembly and lamp device according to claims 1, 7. While Ng et al. do not disclose the protruding structure or contacts therein to protrude obliquely, Elku et al. do disclose such a configuration (protrusion 110, contacts 108). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to incorporate this concept of Elku et al. into the device of Ng et al. in order to increase resistance to disconnection of the protrusion portion.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. USPN 8866105.
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/CHRISTOPHER M RAABE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875
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