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 § 112(b)
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 12 and 16 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.
Claim 12 is indefinite because the term “the inner diameter of the rod hole” lacks antecedent basis. It is unclear if the rod hole has a uniform inner diameter, when an inner diameter is not uniform, it is unclear which inner diameter is the claimed “the inner diameter”.
Claim 16 is indefinite because the terms “the diameter” in the limitation of “the diameter of the sealed passage being smaller than the diameter of the separated passage” (Emphasis Added) lacks antecedent basis. A passage could have at least two diameters, i.e., an inner diameter and an outer diameter, It is therefore unclear which diameter is the claimed “the diameter”.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1, 3–5, 7–11, 13–15, 17–20 are allowed.
Claim 12 and 16 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Kwack, US 2010/0319541 A1 (“Kwack”) in view of Zhu et al., US 2017/0106333 A1 (“Zhu”) is the closest prior art.
Regarding claim 1:
A discussion of Kwack in view of Zhu is provided in the Non-Final Office Action dated Dec. 8, 2025. The applicant includes allowable subject originally belong to claim 6 and intervening claim 2 into claim 1.
Specifically, claim 1 is allowable because modified Kwack does not the silica filtration component further comprising a second grid member, the second grid member being arranged at the opening of the silica filtration component, the second grid member being provided with a second mounting hole, with the housing being provided with a downwardly extending third mounting tube, with the third airflow inlet being arranged on the third mounting tube, and the end of the third mounting tube passing through the second mounting hole and being inserted into the gas guiding tube.
It would not have been obvious for one ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to further modify Kwack for the claimed structure because none of the prior art shows or renders such limitation as obvious.
Claims 3–5, 7–20 would be allowable because they depend on claim 1.
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.”
Response to Arguments
Claim Objections
The examiner drops the current objections because the applicant has amended the claims to overcome the current objection.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112(b)
The examiner maintains her rejections to claims 12 and 16 because the applicant fails to cure the deficiencies.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
Claims would be allowable upon fixing the 35 U.S.C. 112(b) issues.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to QIANPING HE whose telephone number is (571)272-8385. The examiner can normally be reached on 7:30-5:00 M-F.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jennifer Dieterle can be reached on (571) 270-7872. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Qianping He/Examiner, Art Unit 1776