Obviousness

Obviousness Analysis of US Patent 12296061 under 35 U.S.C. § 103

This analysis identifies combinations of prior art references that would render the independent claims (Claims 1, 11, and 18) of US Patent 12296061 obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art (POSA) as of the priority date of March 23, 2011. The motivation for combining these references is rooted in the known desire to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of sanitization processes, particularly for high-touch surfaces.

Primary Reference for Obviousness: DE102008063887A1

Reference: DE102008063887A1 (Dorma Gmbh + Co. Kg), titled "Window or door, has fitting with manually operated element e.g. door handle, and UV radiation sources formed for bactericidal UV irradiation of manually operated element and arranged at wing element," published on July 1, 2010.

Analysis of DE102008063887A1:
DE102008063887A1 explicitly teaches a fitting for a manually operated element, such as a door handle, equipped with UV radiation sources for bactericidal UV irradiation. This directly addresses the core concept of sanitizing a door handle using germicidal UV light. Inherent in the disclosure of a "fitting" arranged for irradiation of a door handle are the following elements, as understood by a POSA:

• Housing defining an interior cavity configured to accept the object (door handle) with a sanitizing surface. The "fitting" functions as a housing that surrounds or partially encloses the door handle, creating an interior space (cavity) for the handle.
• At least one germicidal light source disposed within the interior cavity, providing germicidal light. The reference explicitly states "UV radiation sources formed for bactericidal UV irradiation" which are arranged within or at the fitting to irradiate the door handle.
• Housing structure: Any practical "fitting" or housing configured to surround a door handle for irradiation would necessarily comprise structural elements akin to a "first end wall," a "sidewall," and a "second end wall" with an "opening" for user access to the handle. The "posterior" end would be proximate to the door/wall, and the "anterior" end would be where a user accesses the handle, as defined in US12296061B2's description.

Therefore, DE102008063887A1 provides a strong foundation for rendering the independent claims obvious.

Obviousness of Claim 1

Claim 1: An apparatus comprising a housing with first and second end walls and a sidewall defining an interior cavity to accept an object with a sanitizing surface, and at least one germicidal light source within the cavity.

Obviousness Argument: Claim 1 is rendered obvious by DE102008063887A1 alone. As discussed, the "fitting" of DE102008063887A1 constitutes a housing that defines an interior cavity around a door handle (the object with a sanitizing surface). The "UV radiation sources" are the germicidal light sources disposed within this cavity. The structural components of a housing (end walls and sidewalls) and an opening for access are inherent design choices for such a "fitting" to enclose and sanitize a door handle. A POSA would understand that a structure configured to irradiate a door handle would include these basic containment and access elements.

Obviousness of Claim 11

Claim 11: An apparatus comprising a housing with a posterior wall, a sidewall, and an anterior wall defining an interior cavity, and at least one germicidal light source within, where the posterior wall interior surface, the anterior wall interior surface, and the sidewall interior surface are UV reflective and configured to reflect germicidal light toward the object.

Obviousness Argument: Claim 11 is rendered obvious by combining DE102008063887A1 with the well-known principle of using reflective surfaces in UV sterilization applications, as exemplified by prior art such as US6656424B1 (Uvas, Llc), titled "Ultraviolet area sterilizer and method of area sterilization using ultraviolet radiation," published December 2, 2003.

Motivation to Combine: A POSA, seeking to improve the efficiency and efficacy of the door handle sanitization system taught by DE102008063887A1, would be motivated to incorporate UV reflective surfaces. It is a fundamental engineering principle in UV disinfection to use reflective materials or coatings on the interior surfaces of a sterilization chamber to maximize the amount of UV radiation reaching the target object and reduce energy waste. This principle is explicitly recognized in the description of US12296061B2, which states that reflective surfaces "may increase the efficiency and efficacy of the sources of a sanitizing agent."

US6656424B1, for instance, discloses an ultraviolet area sterilizer that includes reflective surfaces to optimize UV exposure. While US6656424B1 describes a general area sterilizer and not specifically a door handle sanitizer, the teaching of using reflective interior surfaces within a housing to enhance UV sterilization is directly applicable. Therefore, a POSA would find it obvious to apply the known benefit of UV reflective surfaces from general UV sterilization devices like US6656424B1 to the door handle sanitizing fitting of DE102008063887A1, thereby optimizing the germicidal light distribution towards the door handle.

Obviousness of Claim 18

Claim 18: An apparatus comprising a housing with a first end wall, a sidewall, and a second end wall (opposite the first) having a curved structure and defining an opening into the interior cavity, and at least one germicidal light source within.

Obviousness Argument: Claim 18 is rendered obvious by combining DE102008063887A1 with a prior art reference that teaches the use of curved structures for reflective surfaces in UV sanitization, such as US6656424B1 (Uvas, Llc), published December 2, 2003.

Motivation to Combine: To further enhance the sanitization coverage and efficiency of the door handle system disclosed in DE102008063887A1, a POSA would be motivated to use a curved structure for the second end wall (anterior end wall). The purpose of such a curved structure, especially when made reflective (as established in the argument for Claim 11), is to optimally reflect and direct germicidal light towards the object. US12296061B2 itself illustrates various anterior structures, including hemispherical, conical, or frustoconical domes, all designed to reflect radiation (Description, FIG. 1, FIG. 13, FIG. 14).

US6656424B1, in its disclosure of an ultraviolet area sterilizer, shows the use of various reflector shapes, including curved designs, to improve the distribution and focusing of UV light. It is a routine design choice for a POSA in the field of UV sanitation to select and implement specific shapes for reflective surfaces, including curved ones, to achieve desired light distribution and maximize irradiation of a target object within a confined space. Applying this known design principle from general UV sterilizers like US6656424B1 to the door handle fitting of DE102008063887A1 to optimize the reflection of germicidal light towards the handle would be an obvious modification.