Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application is being examined under the pre-AIA first to invent provisions.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species 1 (claims 2, 6), Species B (amended claim 1), claims 11-13, 19, 21, 23, 35, 38, Species a (claim 39), claims 42, 54, Species II (claim 56) and 64 in the reply filed on 9/17/2026 is acknowledged.
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species 9 (claims 11, 13: fiberglass), Species B (amended claim 1), Species iv (claim 21: a metal organic framework (MOF)) and Species c (claim 38: a plurality of corrugated substrate panels and a plurality of generally flat substrate panels) in the reply filed on 9/17/2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 3-5, 7-10, 40, 55 and 57 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.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 9/17/2026.
Note: claims 7-9 depend on claim 5 (Species 4) which applicant did not elect without traverse.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities:
-Line 6: delete “is”.
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.
Claims 6, 23 and 38-40 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Recitation of “said sorbent composition” in line 2 of claim 6 and bridging lines 1-2 of claim 23 lacks a positive antecedent basis.
The term “generally flat” in claims 38-39 is a relative term which renders the claim indefinite. The term “generally flat” is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention.
The term “substantially aligned” in claims 38-39 is a relative term which renders the claim indefinite. The term “substantially aligned” is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1, 12, 19, 21, 38-39, 42, 54, 56 and 64 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/102(a)(2) as being anticipated by US 2024/0082815 A1 to General Electric Company (hereinafter “GE”).
Regarding claim 1, GE discloses a substrate structure comprising:
a plurality of substrate panels (see para [0010] - "...FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a substrate coated with the fluid capture material..."; para [0049] - "...FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional diagram of a substrate 16 including the fluid capture material 44 (i.e., a fluid capture coating substrate 42)..."; see Fig. 3 showing a plurality of panels 42 and 44; see para [0050] disposed in spatially fixed relation; see para [0050]) disposed in a stack defining a fluid flow path between adjacent pairs of said plurality of substrate panels (see Fig. 5 showing the embodiment of Fig. 3; para [0049] - "...FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional diagram of a substrate 16 including the fluid capture material 44 (i.e., a fluid capture coating substrate 42)..."; Fig. 5 shows Ambient air entering and dry air leaving the capture material 44, therefor the material is defining the path the fluid takes through the embodiment) between adjacent pairs of said plurality of sorbent panels (see para [0010] - "...FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a substrate coated with the fluid capture material..."; para [0049] - "...FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional diagram of a substrate 16 including the fluid capture material 44 (i.e., a fluid capture coating substrate 42)..."; see Fig. 3 showing a plurality of panels that are adjacent to each other. Since the entire cross-section comprises these panels, the fluid must be traveling through various pairs of adjacent sorbent panels), wherein each of said plurality of substrate panels comprise a sorbent compatible substrate material (see para [0050] - " As illustrated, each channel 46 generally includes a wall 48 that has the fluid capture material 44 bound to its surface. As such, a gas flow that flows through the channels of the fluid capture coated substrate 42 may contact the fluid capture material 44, and thus, facilitate the binding of a target fluid... with the fluid capture material 44"; para [0004] - "The fluid capture material includes a sorbent material that binds one or more fluids including water.");
the sorbent capable of absorbing water (see paragraph [0004]), wherein the sorbent comprising at least one solvent disposed on at least a portion of the plurality of substrate panels in a liquid state (see para [0047]: ...first layer of the fluid capture material 44 may be pre-wetted. pre-wetting includes providing a suitable solvent to first layer, such as toluene, ethanol, water or a combination thereof."); a polymer binder (para [0059] - ". A third example of water-binding fluid capture material 44 includes multiple binder materials 36 capture material 44 may include binder materials 36 such as PVA, PAA, and poly(methyl/phenylsilsesquioxane)..."; all 3 examples are polymers); and a solvent (para [0059] - "water-binding fluid capture material 44 may be prepared by mixing 1.78 g of an aqueous solution of 7.5% PVA [80% hydrolyzed] and 1.5% PAA with 3.5 g deionized water. "), wherein said solvent dissolves or emulsifies said binder (para [0059] - "A solution of 0.08 g Wacker MP-SOE silicone emulsion diluted with 0.5 g deionized water was added to this mixture") wherein the sorbent in a dry state adheres the portion of the plurality of substate panels in the stack to one another by virtue of exposed polymeric binder.
Regarding claim 12, GE teaches a single structural unit (see Figure 3).
Regarding claim 19, GE inherently teaches that the dry state of a sorbent composition including polymeric binder as described above results from evaporation of at least one solvent from the liquid state of the sorbent composition (see para [0047]: ...first layer of the fluid capture material 44 may be pre-wetted. pre-wetting includes providing a suitable solvent to first layer, such as toluene, ethanol, water or a combination thereof.").
Regarding claim 21, GE teaches sorbent comprising MOF (see Table 1 in paragraph [0051]).
Regarding claims 38-39, GE teaches that said plurality sorbent panels comprise a first plurality of corrugated sorbent panels and a second plurality of generally flat sorbent panels (see Fig. 3 showing many panels of various shapes, some of which are flat, such as the outside walls, and others corrugated with ridges and grooves, such as the interior panels) wherein said first plurality of corrugated sorbent panels and said second plurality of generally flat sorbent panels disposed in alternating spatially fixed adjacent relation defining a plurality of fluid flow channels (para [0050] - " As illustrated, each channel 46 generally includes a wall 48 that has the fluid capture material 44 bound to its surface. As such, a gas flow that flows through the channels of the fluid capture coated substrate 42 may contact the fluid capture material 44, and thus, facilitate the binding of a target fluid with the fluid capture material 44”; para [0004] - "The fluid capture material includes a sorbent material that binds one or more fluids including water. ") running parallel to corrugates in the first plurality of corrugated sorbent panels (see para [0009] - para [0010] - "FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of an embodiment for producing a fluid capture material using a binder and sorbent combination to be used in the fluid capture system of FIG. l , in accordance with the present disclosure FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a substrate coated with the fluid capture material of FIG. 2 , in accordance with the present disclosure"; see Fig. 2 and 3 showing a cross section with both the corrugated and flat panels. Fig. 5 shows the air flowing through the entire cross section, so the flow must be parallel for each type of panel.).
Regarding claim 42, GE teaches a framework configured to maintain said plurality of substrate panels in fixed spatial relation in said stack (see Figure 3; para [0024] - "...sorbent material 34 is generally a material capable of adsorbing fluids such as water... the sorbent material 34 may include metal-organic frameworks (MOFs)...") configured to contain said plurality of sorbent panels disposed in spatially fixed relation defining a fluid flow path between adjacent pairs of said plurality of sorbent panels (see para [0050] - " As illustrated, each channel 46 generally includes a wall 48 that has the fluid capture material 44 bound to its surface. As such, a gas flow that flows through the channels of the fluid capture coated substrate 42 may contact the fluid capture material 44, and thus, facilitate the binding of a target fluid... with the fluid capture material 44"; para [0004] - "The fluid capture material includes a sorbent material that binds one or more fluids including water. ").
Regarding claim 54, GE teaches a method for forming a substrate structure, the method comprising the steps of: stacking a plurality of planar substrate panels, wherein said plurality of substrate panels are disposed in a stack defining a fluid flow path between adjacent pairs of said plurality of substrate panels, and wherein each of said plurality of substrate panels comprise a sorbent compatible substrate material (see Fig. 2-3, 5; said plurality sorbent panels comprise a first plurality of corrugated sorbent panels and a second plurality of generally flat sorbent panels (see Fig. 3 showing many panels of various shapes, some of which are flat, such as the outside walls, and others corrugated with ridges and grooves, such as the interior panels) wherein said first plurality of corrugated sorbent panels and said second plurality of generally flat sorbent panels disposed in alternating spatially fixed adjacent relation defining a plurality of fluid flow channels (para [0050] - " As illustrated, each channel 46 generally includes a wall 48 that has the fluid capture material 44 bound to its surface. As such, a gas flow that flows through the channels of the fluid capture coated substrate 42 may contact the fluid capture material 44, and thus, facilitate the binding of a target fluid with the fluid capture material 44”; para [0004] - "The fluid capture material includes a sorbent material that binds one or more fluids including water. ") running parallel to corrugates in the first plurality of corrugated sorbent panels (see para [0009] - para [0010] - "FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of an embodiment for producing a fluid capture material using a binder and sorbent combination to be used in the fluid capture system of FIG. l , in accordance with the present disclosure FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a substrate coated with the fluid capture material of FIG. 2 , in accordance with the present disclosure"; see Fig. 2 and 3 showing a cross section with both the corrugated and flat panels. Fig. 5 shows the air flowing through the entire cross section, so the flow must be parallel for each type of panel.).
Regarding claim 56, GE teaches corrugating at least a portion of at least one of said substrate panels of said adjacent pairs thereby creating said fluid flow path (see Figure 3).
Regarding claim 64, GE teaches applying a sorbent to said substrate structure (see Figure 2; paragraph [0057]).
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 2, 11, 13, 23 and 35 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over GE.
GE teaches the substrate structure of claim 1 and 12 as described above.
GE teaches that the substrate panels are made of metal substrates (e.g., aluminum, titanium, Inconel or stainless steel)(see paragraph [0044]), polymer or polymer composite including polyesters, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyamides, polysulfones, polyvinylchloride, cellulosic polymer, polyamides including nylon, etc. (see paragraph [0045]).
Claims 2, 11 and 13 differ from GE in reciting that the plurality of substrate panels comprises fiberglass or aluminum-borosilicate fiberglass.
Fiberglass or aluminum-borosilicate fiberglass are well-known in the art of substrate materials.
The selection of a known material based on its suitability for its intended use supported a prima facie obviousness determination in Sinclair & Carroll Co. v. Interchemical Corp., 325 U.S. 327, 65 USPQ 297 (1945).
Claims 23 and 35 differ from GE in reciting that sorbent composition comprises a sorbent of about 75 wt. % to about 85 wt. %; a polymer binder of about 5 wt. % to about 30 wt. %; a rheology modifier of about 0.25 wt. % to about 5.0 wt. %; and a solvent comprising the remaining wt. %, wherein said solvent dissolves or emulsifies said polymer binder.
GE disclose a sorbent of a specified wt. % (see para [0059] - " water binding fluid capture material 44 may include binder materials 36 such as PVA, PAA, and poly(methyl/phenylsilsesquioxane)... mixing 1.78 g of an aqueous solution of 7.5% PVA [80% hydrolyzed] and 1.5% PAA with 3.5 g deionized water ..."; after para [0071] - Claim 19 - " wherein the fluid capture material comprises greater than 90% by weight of the sorbent material..."), a water uptake capacity of about 25% (para [0057] - "...an equilibrium water uptake of 26-28%..."; see para [0058] - para [0059]), and wherein the sorbent-binder material makes up 50% of the sorbent material (para [0034] - "...the amount of binder material 36 and sorbent material 34 may be such that the sorbent-binder material 38 includes greater than 50%, of the sorbent material...").
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to optimize the sorbent wt. %, the polymer binder wt. %, a rheology modifier wt. % and any other properties of the solvent through routine experimentation for desired water uptake capacity.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOHN KIM whose telephone number is (571)272-1142. The examiner can normally be reached Maxi Flex.
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/John Kim/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1772
JK
10/8/26
