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
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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) 1-10, 12-15 and 17-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee (US 2015/0353379) taken in combination with Coon (US 6,663,750).
Regarding claim 1, Lee teaches a system and method of use of the system for desalination (title, abstract) wherein the system 4200 is designed for flotation on a body of water/sea surface, having hydrophobic microporous plate member 4270 that forms membrane for water distillation from water in liquid feed chamber 4204, the liquid fed from inlet 4210, a solar collecting PV panel 4201 disposed above chamber with heat conducting plate/film 4203, wherein incident solar heat causes evaporation of the liquid in liquid feed chamber 4204, the microporous plate membrane 4270 is mounted on a support structure where The hydrophobic microporous membrane is made from hydrophobic polymer materials that are selected from the group consisting of polypropylene (PP), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), polyethelene (PE), and combinations thereof and he support plate material is selected from the group consisting of porous carbon fiber plates, porous glass fiber plates, porous plastic plates, fiberglass-reinforced plastic materials, carbon fiber composite materials, vinyl ester, epoxy materials, porous Teflon plates, porous glass plates, porous aluminum plates, porous stainless steel plates, and combinations thereof, in operation solar heat heats liquid in the feed chamber 4204 that vaporizes forming vapor 4213 in air space 4219 and then condenses form condensation chamber liquid 4209 (see Fig 2F, [0056-0064]).
However Lee teaches feed is fed to chamber, and therefore does not teach a wick connected to the membrane and extending through the floating hydrophobic member, wherein the wick is configured to extend into the body of water and draw water from the body of water and direct the drawn water to the membrane.
Coon teaches an in situ water desalination system for taking up saline water with wick for solar vaporization via concentrated solar rays to treat salinity in a body of water (title, abstract), Coon teaches the in situ desalination units 10 are floatable on surface of water 14 in field having a housing 22 with upper chamber 26 and lower chamber 28 that comprises wick 52 on a support 54 with fibrous membrane 56 which heat water via reflector structure 36 causing water to evaporate in upper chamber and remove salts from the water being treated (see Figs 1, 6-7, C6:L48-C8:L9).
Both Lee and Coon are substantially directed to floating water evaporation systems and methods of use that evaporate water in a chamber to which the water being treated is introduced. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the system of Lee, which introduces water into an evaporation chamber with an inlet, with the wicking support and membrane structure of Coon, motivated to use a passive treated water introduction via a wick versus an inlet which requires and active introduction mechanism to the treatment chamber.
Regarding claim 2, in modified Lee as set forth above both wick and membrane top surface are hydrophilic, i.e. water move on these surfaces.
Regarding claims 3-7 and 9-10, in modified Lee as set forth above, Lee further teaches the solar layer comprises solar PV panel with that is hydrophobic on insulator base with wettable hydrophilic coating where the wettable transparent materials that can be used for this application include (but not limited to): hydrophilic transparent polymer materials (e.g., hydrophilic acrylate or methacrylate polymer), super-hydrophilic and transparent thin films of TiO22 nanotube arrays, transparent hydrophilic TiO.sub.2 thin film, hydrophilic sol-gel derived SiO2/TiO2 transparent thin film, polyalcohol diepoxide, polyvinylpyrrolidone and polydimethacrylamide-copolymers with polymerizable α-unsaturated groups plus polyisocyanates and anionic surfactants, hydrophilic polyacrylic acid network-structured materials, hydrophilic transparent resin, transparent hydrophilic paint, hydrophilic glass fibers, hydrophilic glass beads, hydrophilic transparent gel materials, hydrophilic organic transparent gel, hydrophilic cellulose thin (transparent) film, hydrophilic transparent plastic fibers, porous poly(methyl methacrylate) films, Ti-containing mesoporous silica thin films, porous transparent hydrophilic plastic films (see [0045], the added layers necessarily having a micro-patterned surface).
Regarding claim 8, Lee further teaches an embodiment where liquid level is controlled by adjusting vertical distance of the liquid (see [0112]).
Regarding claim 12, Lee teaches a system and method of use of the system for desalination (title, abstract) wherein the system 4200 is designed for flotation on a body of water/sea surface, having hydrophobic microporous plate member 4270 that forms membrane for water distillation from water in liquid feed chamber 4204, the liquid fed from inlet 4210, a solar collecting PV panel 4201 disposed above chamber with heat conducting plate/film 4203, wherein incident solar heat causes evaporation of the liquid in liquid feed chamber 4204, the microporous plate membrane 4270 is mounted on a support structure where The hydrophobic microporous membrane is made from hydrophobic polymer materials that are selected from the group consisting of polypropylene (PP), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), polyethelene (PE), and combinations thereof and he support plate material is selected from the group consisting of porous carbon fiber plates, porous glass fiber plates, porous plastic plates, fiberglass-reinforced plastic materials, carbon fiber composite materials, vinyl ester, epoxy materials, porous Teflon plates, porous glass plates, porous aluminum plates, porous stainless steel plates, and combinations thereof, in operation solar heat heats liquid in the feed chamber 4204 that vaporizes forming vapor 4213 in air space 4219 and then condenses form condensation chamber liquid 4209 (see Fig 2F, [0056-0064]).
However Lee teaches feed is fed to chamber, and therefore does not teach a wick connected to the membrane and extending through the floating hydrophobic member, wherein the wick is configured to extend into the body of water and draw water from the body of water and direct the drawn water to the membrane.
Coon teaches an in situ water desalination system for taking up saline water with wick for solar vaporization via concentrated solar rays to treat salinity in a body of water (title, abstract), Coon teaches the in situ desalination units 10 are floatable on surface of water 14 in field having a housing 22 with upper chamber 26 and lower chamber 28 that comprises wick 52 on a support 54 with fibrous membrane 56 which heat water via reflector structure 36 causing water to evaporate in upper chamber and remove salts from the water being treated (see Figs 1, 6-7, C6:L48-C8:L9).
Both Lee and Coon are substantially directed to floating water evaporation systems and methods of use that evaporate water in a chamber to which the water being treated is introduced. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the system of Lee, which introduces water into an evaporation chamber with an inlet, with the wicking support and membrane structure of Coon, motivated to use a passive treated water introduction via a wick versus an inlet which requires and active introduction mechanism to the treatment chamber.
Regarding claims 13-14, in modified Lee as set forth above, Lee further teaches the solar layer comprises solar PV panel with that is hydrophobic on insulator base with wettable hydrophilic coating where the wettable transparent materials that can be used for this application include (but not limited to): hydrophilic transparent polymer materials (e.g., hydrophilic acrylate or methacrylate polymer), super-hydrophilic and transparent thin films of TiO22 nanotube arrays, transparent hydrophilic TiO.sub.2 thin film, hydrophilic sol-gel derived SiO2/TiO2 transparent thin film, polyalcohol diepoxide, polyvinylpyrrolidone and polydimethacrylamide-copolymers with polymerizable α-unsaturated groups plus polyisocyanates and anionic surfactants, hydrophilic polyacrylic acid network-structured materials, hydrophilic transparent resin, transparent hydrophilic paint, hydrophilic glass fibers, hydrophilic glass beads, hydrophilic transparent gel materials, hydrophilic organic transparent gel, hydrophilic cellulose thin (transparent) film, hydrophilic transparent plastic fibers, porous poly(methyl methacrylate) films, Ti-containing mesoporous silica thin films, porous transparent hydrophilic plastic films (see [0045]).
Regarding claim 15, Lee further teaches an embodiment where liquid level is controlled by adjusting vertical distance of the liquid (see [0112]).
Regarding claim 17, Lee teaches a system and method of use of the system for desalination (title, abstract) wherein the system 4200 is designed for flotation on a body of water/sea surface (note: source of contaminated water is not given significant patentable weight), having hydrophobic microporous plate member 4270 that forms membrane for water distillation from water in liquid feed chamber 4204, the liquid fed from inlet 4210, a solar collecting PV panel 4201 disposed above chamber with heat conducting plate/film 4203, wherein incident solar heat causes evaporation of the liquid in liquid feed chamber 4204, the microporous plate membrane 4270 is mounted on a support structure where The hydrophobic microporous membrane is made from hydrophobic polymer materials that are selected from the group consisting of polypropylene (PP), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), polyethelene (PE), and combinations thereof and he support plate material is selected from the group consisting of porous carbon fiber plates, porous glass fiber plates, porous plastic plates, fiberglass-reinforced plastic materials, carbon fiber composite materials, vinyl ester, epoxy materials, porous Teflon plates, porous glass plates, porous aluminum plates, porous stainless steel plates, and combinations thereof, in operation solar heat heats liquid in the feed chamber 4204 that vaporizes forming vapor 4213 in air space 4219 and then condenses form condensation chamber liquid 4209 (see Fig 2F, [0056-0064]).
However Lee teaches feed is fed to chamber, and therefore does not teach a wick connected to the membrane and extending through the floating hydrophobic member, wherein the wick is configured to extend into the body of water and draw water from the body of water and direct the drawn water to the membrane.
Coon teaches an in situ water desalination system for taking up saline water with wick for solar vaporization via concentrated solar rays to treat salinity in a body of water (title, abstract), Coon teaches the in situ desalination units 10 are floatable on surface of water 14 in field having a housing 22 with upper chamber 26 and lower chamber 28 that comprises wick 52 on a support 54 with fibrous membrane 56 which heat water via reflector structure 36 causing water to evaporate in upper chamber and remove salts from the water being treated (see Figs 1, 6-7, C6:L48-C8:L9).
Both Lee and Coon are substantially directed to floating water evaporation systems and methods of use that evaporate water in a chamber to which the water being treated is introduced. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the system of Lee, which introduces water into an evaporation chamber with an inlet, with the wicking support and membrane structure of Coon, motivated to use a passive treated water introduction via a wick versus an inlet which requires and active introduction mechanism to the treatment chamber.
Regarding claims 18-19, in modified Lee as set forth above, Lee further teaches the solar layer comprises solar PV panel with that is hydrophobic on insulator base with wettable hydrophilic coating where the wettable transparent materials that can be used for this application include (but not limited to): hydrophilic transparent polymer materials (e.g., hydrophilic acrylate or methacrylate polymer), super-hydrophilic and transparent thin films of TiO22 nanotube arrays, transparent hydrophilic TiO.sub.2 thin film, hydrophilic sol-gel derived SiO2/TiO2 transparent thin film, polyalcohol diepoxide, polyvinylpyrrolidone and polydimethacrylamide-copolymers with polymerizable α-unsaturated groups plus polyisocyanates and anionic surfactants, hydrophilic polyacrylic acid network-structured materials, hydrophilic transparent resin, transparent hydrophilic paint, hydrophilic glass fibers, hydrophilic glass beads, hydrophilic transparent gel materials, hydrophilic organic transparent gel, hydrophilic cellulose thin (transparent) film, hydrophilic transparent plastic fibers, porous poly(methyl methacrylate) films, Ti-containing mesoporous silica thin films, porous transparent hydrophilic plastic films (see [0045]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 11, 16 and 20 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: Regarding each of claims 11, 16 and 20, the prior art does not teach or fairly suggest the claims system and method for interfacial evaporation of water from a water body, wherein the membrane comprises a micro-patterned surface, wherein the micro-patterned surface defines a surface area sufficient for a flux of 0.5 kg/m2/h, wherein the flux is an evaporation rate of water from the body of water expressed as area-normalized flow rate. Lee (US 2015/0353379) and Coon (US 6,663,750) are regarded as the closest relevant prior art.
Lee teaches a system and method of use of the system for desalination (title, abstract) wherein the system 4200 is designed for flotation on a body of water/sea surface (note: source of contaminated water is not given significant patentable weight), having hydrophobic microporous plate member 4270 that forms membrane for water distillation from water in liquid feed chamber 4204, the liquid fed from inlet 4210, a solar collecting PV panel 4201 disposed above chamber with heat conducting plate/film 4203, wherein incident solar heat causes evaporation of the liquid in liquid feed chamber 4204, the microporous plate membrane 4270 is mounted on a support structure where The hydrophobic microporous membrane is made from hydrophobic polymer materials that are selected from the group consisting of polypropylene (PP), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), polyethelene (PE), and combinations thereof and he support plate material is selected from the group consisting of porous carbon fiber plates, porous glass fiber plates, porous plastic plates, fiberglass-reinforced plastic materials, carbon fiber composite materials, vinyl ester, epoxy materials, porous Teflon plates, porous glass plates, porous aluminum plates, porous stainless steel plates, and combinations thereof, in operation solar heat heats liquid in the feed chamber 4204 that vaporizes forming vapor 4213 in air space 4219 and then condenses form condensation chamber liquid 4209 (see Fig 2F, [0056-0064]) and the solar layer comprises solar PV panel with that is hydrophobic on insulator base with wettable hydrophilic coating where the wettable transparent materials that can be used for this application include (but not limited to): hydrophilic transparent polymer materials (e.g., hydrophilic acrylate or methacrylate polymer), super-hydrophilic and transparent thin films of TiO22 nanotube arrays, transparent hydrophilic TiO.sub.2 thin film, hydrophilic sol-gel derived SiO2/TiO2 transparent thin film, polyalcohol diepoxide, polyvinylpyrrolidone and polydimethacrylamide-copolymers with polymerizable α-unsaturated groups plus polyisocyanates and anionic surfactants, hydrophilic polyacrylic acid network-structured materials, hydrophilic transparent resin, transparent hydrophilic paint, hydrophilic glass fibers, hydrophilic glass beads, hydrophilic transparent gel materials, hydrophilic organic transparent gel, hydrophilic cellulose thin (transparent) film, hydrophilic transparent plastic fibers, porous poly(methyl methacrylate) films, Ti-containing mesoporous silica thin films, porous transparent hydrophilic plastic films (see [0045]).
Coon teaches an in situ water desalination system for taking up saline water with wick for solar vaporization via concentrated solar rays to treat salinity in a body of water (title, abstract), Coon teaches the in situ desalination units 10 are floatable on surface of water 14 in field having a housing 22 with upper chamber 26 and lower chamber 28 that comprises wick 52 on a support 54 with fibrous membrane 56 which heat water via reflector structure 36 causing water to evaporate in upper chamber and remove salts from the water being treated (see Figs 1, 6-7, C6:L48-C8:L9).
However neither of Lee nor Coon fairly teaches or suggests wherein the membrane comprises a micro-patterned surface, wherein the micro-patterned surface defines a surface area sufficient for a flux of 0.5 kg/m2/h, wherein the flux is an evaporation rate of water from the body of water expressed as area-normalized flow rate, which improves evaporation rates of the system and method.
Pertinent Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Mount (US 3,159,554) teaches a solar still with wick. Peever (US 2014/0209450) teaches dewatering with a wicking material. Jang (US 2020/0101420) teaches hydrophobic coated solar desalination. McDonald (US 11,767,233) teaches groundwater treatment system with capillary media. Cruz (US 2024/0051845) teaches membrane desalination. Zhang (US 2026/0048342) teaches solar desalination with a wick.
Conclusion
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/JONATHAN MILLER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1772
