DETAILED ACTION
This detailed action is in response to the amendments and arguments filed on 04/29/2026, and any subsequent filings.
Notations “C_”, “L_” and “Pr_” are used to mean “column_”, “line_” and “paragraph_”.
Claim 9 is canceled. Claims 1-8 and 10-12 are pending.
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 .
Response to Arguments
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The Applicant argues that the cited prior art does not disclose the features of the amended Claim 1 (pgs. 13-15). This argument is unpersuasive because this is directed towards the amended claim.
In response to applicant's argument that the cutting head of reference Hodges is not a grinding propeller because a grinding propeller breaks up solids into small pieces (pg. 15), a recitation of the intended use of the claimed invention must result in a structural difference between the claimed invention and the prior art in order to patentably distinguish the claimed invention from the prior art. If the prior art structure is capable of performing the intended use, then it meets the claim. Furthermore, the cutting head of Hodges is designed to “cut through” sediments (Hodges, C7/L10-20).
In response to applicant's argument that the examiner's conclusion of obviousness is based upon improper hindsight reasoning (pg. 16-17), it must be recognized that any judgment on obviousness is in a sense necessarily a reconstruction based upon hindsight reasoning. But so long as it takes into account only knowledge which was within the level of ordinary skill at the time the claimed invention was made, and does not include knowledge gleaned only from the applicant's disclosure, such a reconstruction is proper. See In re McLaughlin, 443 F.2d 1392, 170 USPQ 209 (CCPA 1971).
Response to Amendment
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.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1 and 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Patent US5149433A (‘Lien’) in view of U.S. Publication US20190136810A1 (‘Niwa’) and in further view of U.S. Publication US20080023040A1 (‘Hancock’) and in further view of International Application WO2012136561A1 (‘Mayr’) and in further view of U.S. Patent US10350653B1 (‘Dabney’) and in further view of U.S. Publication US20190383225A1 (‘Medoro’) and in further view of U.S. Publication US20160040639A1 (‘McCarthy’).
The Applicant’s claims are directed towards an apparatus.
Regarding Claims 1 and 6, Lien teaches a machine for the filtration, disinfection and purification of fuel in contaminated tanks (abstract), comprising:
an inlet (Fig. 1, C4/L39-41, fuel outlet 14a) for the fuel from the tank (Fig. 1, C4/L39-41, fuel tank 14);
a suction hose (Lien, Fig. 1, C4/L45-47, line 18 comprises pump 16) for directing fuel towards the inlet;
a filtration system comprised of a coarse-grain filter (Fig. 1, C4/49-53, prefilter 20) and a fine-grain filter (Fig. 1, C4/L53-55, first ultrafiltration unit 22) configured to filter the fuel received through the inlet (Fig. 1, C4/L53-55);
a pump (Fig. 1, C5/L65-67, fuel injector pump 46) responsible for circulating the fuel inside said machine (Fig. 1, C5/L65-67);
wherein fuel flowing from the inlet passes through both the coarse grain filter and the fine grain filter before passing through the pump (Fig. 1, C4/L50-55);
control means (Fig. 1, C6/L11-15, control 56) that is used to take measurements of flow rates (C6/L19-23, senses differential pressure) as well as to activate or deactivate components of the system (C6/L22-32).
Lien does not teach an extendable suction lance comprising: a first end connected to the suction hose; a second end having a periphery defining an opening, the second end adapted to receive the fuel; and a grinding propeller disposed within the second end of the extendable suction lance, wherein the grinding propeller has a first diameter smaller than a second diameter of the second end of the suction hose, a radiation chamber configured to apply radiation on the filtered fuel; a flowmeter and at least two electrovalves, wherein the flowmeter and the at least two electrovalves are disposed between the pump and the radiation chamber and are adapted to control the flow rate passing through the radiation chamber; a centrifuge with a turbine filter to remove the water contained in the fuel; and an electrical panel that is used to take measurements of the temperature in the radiation chamber, flow rates, radiated litres, as well as to activate or deactivate each of the components of the system.
Niwa also relates to a machine for the filtration, disinfection and purification of fuel in contaminated tanks (Fig. 1-2, [0052]), including an extendable suction lance (Fig. 1, [0065] and [0080], connecting mechanism 18) comprising:
a first end connected to the suction hose (Fig. 2, [0065]);
a second end having a periphery defining an opening, the second end adapted to receive the fuel (Fig. 2).
Hancock also relates to a machine for the filtration, disinfection and purification of fuel in contaminated tanks ([0002]), including a grinding propeller (Fig. 1, [0069-0070], mechanical shear system 108) disposed within the second end of the extendable suction lance (Fig. 1, [0069-0070] and [0090]. Fig. 4, [0093])), wherein the grinding propeller has a first diameter smaller than a second diameter of the second end of the suction hose (Fig. 4, [0093]).
Mayr also relates to a machine for the filtration, disinfection ([0008]) and purification of fluid ([0002-0003] and [0228]) in contaminated tanks ([0081]), comprising:
a radiation chamber (Fig. 3, [0195], UV reactor 10) configured to apply radiation on the filtered fluid (Fig. 3, UV reactor 10 is downstream of filter unit 3, [0181] and [0195]);
a flowmeter (Fig. 3, [0169-0171], via slide valve 23, control unit 5 can input mass flow), wherein the flowmeter and the at least two valves (Fig. 3, [0169-0172], slide valves 23, check valve after slide 23 and control valve 21) are disposed between the pump (Fig. 3, supply line 2 draws off water using a feed pump, [0013] and [0173-0174]) and the radiation chamber (Fig. 3)
and are adapted to control the flow rate passing through the radiation chamber ([0171], flow rates in the entire system are regulated or controlled via slide 23);
and control means (Fig. 4, [0216-0217], control unit 5) via an electrical panel (Fig. 4, [0217-0218], user interface 42 can be a touch screen) that is used to take measurements of the temperature in the radiation chamber, flow rates, radiated litres ([0127]), as well as to activate or deactivate each of the components of the system ([0156]).
Medoro also relates to a machine for filtration and purification of fuel (abstract), including a flowmeter including an electrovalve (metering unit 2 is formed by an electrovalve, [0041], Fig. 1).
McCarthy also relates to a machine for the filtration and purification of fuel in contaminated tanks (abstract), comprising a centrifuge (cyclone separator 26, [0030], Fig. 1) with a turbine filter (cyclonic filter 20, [0029], Fig. 1).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include the extendable suction lance of Niwa and the machine of Lien because a fuel tank may experience deformation (i.e. expansion and contraction) which may vary the height of the fuel tank (Niwa, [0032] and [0080]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the grinding propeller of Hancock and the machine of Lien and Niwa, because mechanically shearing improves suction lift over that which a pump could achieve along (Hancock, [0070]) and provides several important benefits (Hancock, [0081]), such as reducing particle size of scale which can clog nozzles used to mobilize the sludge or damage equipment in the recirculation system (Hancock, [0082-0084]). It would have been obvious to combine the radiation chamber of Mayr and the machine of Lien, Niwa and Hancock to reduce microbial concentration or biofilm formation (Dabney, C4/L33-35) as oil and fuel storage tanks are the perfect place for microorganism colonization (Dabney, C9/L19-22). It would have been obvious to include a flowmeter, disposing the flowmeter and at least two valves between the pump and the radiation chamber, and a control means, as demonstrated by Mayr, in the machine of Lien, Niwa, Hancock, Mayr and Dabney to regulate the pressure and flow of the system fluid (Mayr, [0171-0172]). It would have been obvious to combine the flowmeter of the combination of Lien, Niwa, Hancock, Mayr and Dabney and the electrovalve of Medoro, to control fuel flow (Medoro, abstract). It would have been obvious to combine the centrifuge of McCarthy in the machine of the combination of Lien, Niwa, Hancock, Mayr, Dabney and Medoro to prevent water contaminants from reaching the fuel injectors before shutdown (Lien, C8/L29-34).
Additional Disclosures Included:
Claim 6: one or more sensors/indicators for changing or cleaning filters (Mayr, [0150-0151], if the pressure difference between two pressure sensors exceeds a threshold, flushing of the filter is triggered), for the temperature (Mayr, [0052] and [0200]) and for the process time (Mayr, [0078] and [0134]).
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Patent US5149433A (‘Lien’), U.S. Publication US20190136810A1 (‘Niwa’), U.S. Publication US20080023040A1 (‘Hancock’), International Application WO2012136561A1 (‘Mayr’), U.S. Patent US10350653B1 (‘Dabney’), U.S. Publication US20190383225A1 (‘Medoro’) and U.S. Publication US20160040639A1 (‘McCarthy’) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of U.S. Publication US 20120318749 A1 (‘Stokes’).
The Applicant’s claim is directed towards an apparatus.
Regarding Claim 2, the combination of Lien, Niwa, Hancock, Mayr, Dabney, Medoro and McCarthy teaches the machine for the filtration, disinfection and purification of fuel in contaminated tanks of Claim 1, including that the radiation chamber allows the application of ultraviolet light type A and B with different wavelength combinations (radiation emission mats 41 and 42 may emit radiation of wavelengths between 300 nm and 600 nm, Dabney, C19, L62-64, Fig. 1), except that the radiation chamber allows the application of ultraviolet light type C.
Stokes also relates to a machine for the filtration, disinfection and purification ([0014]) of fuel ([0014]), including radiation chambers that allows the application of ultraviolet light type C ([0041]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for the radiation chamber of the combination of Lien, Niwa, Hancock, Mayr, Dabney, Medoro and McCarthy to also allow the application of ultraviolet light type C, as demonstrated by Stokes, because bacterial DNA is known to have a peak absorption at a wavelength of 260 nm (Stokes, [0034]) so UV radiation at this wavelength can be absorbed by the DNA, thereby deactivating the DNA (Stokes, [0004]) and disinfecting the fuel (Stokes, [0006]).
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Patent US5149433A (‘Lien’), U.S. Publication US20190136810A1 (‘Niwa’), U.S. Publication US20080023040A1 (‘Hancock’), International Application WO2012136561A1 (‘Mayr’), U.S. Patent US10350653B1 (‘Dabney’), U.S. Publication US20190383225A1 (‘Medoro’) and U.S. Publication US20160040639A1 (‘McCarthy’) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of U.S. Publication US 20120037098 A1 (‘Wey’) and U.S. Publication US20200161069A1 (‘Ramanand’).
The Applicant’s claim is directed towards an apparatus.
Regarding Claim 3, the combination of Lien, Niwa, Hancock, Mayr, Dabney, Medoro and McCarthy teaches the machine for the filtration, disinfection and purification of fuel in contaminated tanks of Claim 1, except that the radiation chamber allows the application of infrared rays on the filtered fuel, with different wavelength combinations.
Wey also relates to a machine (abstract) for the filtration (filters 33, [0026] and Fig. 1) of fuel in contaminated tanks, where a radiation chamber allows the application of infrared rays (an infrared radiation source 11 disposed in the fuel tank, [0025] and Fig. 1) on the filtered fuel (fuel can be filtered by filters 33 prior to exposure to infrared radiation source 11, Fig. 1), with different wavelength combinations ([0026]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for the radiation chamber of the combination of Lien, Niwa, Hancock, Mayr, Dabney, Medoro and McCarthy to allow the application of infrared rays on the filtered fuel, with different wavelength combinations, as demonstrated by Wey, to excite the fuel (Wey, abstract) to improve both fuel consumption and emissions (Wey, [0006]). Furthermore, infrared rays are included in a germicidal wavelength range (Ramanand, [0040]).
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Patent US5149433A (‘Lien’), U.S. Publication US20190136810A1 (‘Niwa’), U.S. Publication US20080023040A1 (‘Hancock’), International Application WO2012136561A1 (‘Mayr’), U.S. Patent US10350653B1 (‘Dabney’), U.S. Publication US20190383225A1 (‘Medoro’) and U.S. Publication US20160040639A1 (‘McCarthy’) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Shalatov (US20190030477A1), Owen (US20050152146A1), U.S. Patent US5336418A (‘Rawlins’), Ramanand (US20200161069A1), and Smith (US20140199207A1).
The Applicant’s claim is directed towards an apparatus.
Regarding Claim 4, the combination of Lien, Niwa, Hancock, Mayr, Dabney, Medoro and McCarthy teaches the machine for the filtration, disinfection and purification of fuel in contaminated tanks of Claim 1, including that the radiation chamber incorporates panels with different wavelengths (Dabney, C19, L49-51) and a fuel circulation circuit (Lien, Fig. 1), except for a plurality of LEDs, a magnifying lens, a transparent tank and cooling fans.
Shalatov also relates to a machine (abstract) for the filtration ([0038]) of fuel ([0005]), including a radiation chamber (ultraviolet radiation source 50, [0048], Fig. 2) that incorporates panels with a plurality of LEDs ([0048-0049]) with different wavelengths ([0053-0054]).
Owen also relates to a machine for disinfection (abstract), where a radiation chamber includes a magnifying lens (lens, 214, [0054], Fig. 16).
Rawlins also relates to a machine for the filtration, disinfection and purification of fuel in contaminated tanks (abstract), including a transparent tank with a fuel circulation circuit (Fig. 1).
Smith also relates to a machine for the disinfection and purification of fuel (abstract), where a radiation chamber includes cooling fans ([0039]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for the radiation chamber to incorporate panels with a plurality of LEDs with different wavelengths, as demonstrated by Shalatov, in the machine of the combination of Lien, Niwa, Hancock, Mayr, Dabney, Medoro and McCarthy to deliver emitted radiation (Shalatov, [0048-0049]). It would have been obvious to combine the magnifying lens of Owen and the radiation chamber of the combination of Lien, Niwa, Hancock, Mayr, Dabney, Medoro and McCarthy so that the light intensity is magnified to achieve certain power densities (Owen, [0026] and [0054]) in order to obtain a light intensity that is suitable for disinfection (Ramanand, [0040]). It would have been obvious to combine the transparent tank of Rawlins and the fuel circuit of the combination of Lien, Niwa, Hancock, Mayr, Dabney, Medoro and McCarthy for viewing contamination and non-contamination (Rawlins, C1/L65-C2/L4). It would have been obvious to combine the cooling fans of Smith and the radiation chamber of the combination of Lien, Niwa, Hancock, Mayr, Dabney, Medoro and McCarthy to prevent overheating of the light (Smith, [0039]).
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Patent US5149433A (‘Lien’), U.S. Publication US20190136810A1 (‘Niwa’), U.S. Publication US20080023040A1 (‘Hancock’), International Application WO2012136561A1 (‘Mayr’), U.S. Patent US10350653B1 (‘Dabney’), U.S. Publication US20190383225A1 (‘Medoro’) and U.S. Publication US20160040639A1 (‘McCarthy’) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of U.S. Patent US5997812A (‘Burnham’).
The Applicant’s claim is directed towards an apparatus.
Regarding Claim 5, the combination of Lien, Niwa, Hancock, Mayr, Dabney, Medoro and McCarthy teaches the machine for the filtration, disinfection and purification of fuel in contaminated tanks of Claim 1, including an adjustable ventilation system (Mayr, [0054] and [0181]) with temperature gauges (Mayr, [0052] and [0092]), except allowing the temperature to be controlled in a range desired throughout a duration of a process.
Burnham also relates to a machine (abstract) for the filtration, disinfection (C4, L26-27) and purification of fuel (C4, L32-34), including an adjustable ventilation system (C22, L5) with temperature gauges that allow the temperature to be controlled (C22, L9-10) in a range desired throughout a duration of a process (C11, L35-39).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for the adjustable ventilation system with temperature gauges to allow the temperature to be controlled in a range desired throughout a duration of a process, as demonstrated by Burnham, in the machine of the combination of Lien, Niwa, Hancock, Mayr, Dabney, Medoro and McCarthy to maintain a temperature high enough for optimum generation of UV radiation (Burnham, C21, L62-64) but low enough as required or useful for handling combustible or otherwise flammable fluids (Burnham, C11, L35-39).
Claims 7-8 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Patent US5149433A (‘Lien’), U.S. Publication US20190136810A1 (‘Niwa’), U.S. Publication US20080023040A1 (‘Hancock’), International Application WO2012136561A1 (‘Mayr’), U.S. Patent US10350653B1 (‘Dabney’), U.S. Publication US20190383225A1 (‘Medoro’) and U.S. Publication US20160040639A1 (‘McCarthy’) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of U.S. Patent US10371105B1 (‘Grovatt’).
The Applicant’s claims are directed towards an apparatus.
Regarding Claims 7-8 and 11, the combination of Lien, Niwa, Hancock, Mayr, Dabney, Medoro and McCarthy teaches a system for the filtration, disinfection and purification of fuel in contaminated tanks comprising:
the cleaning machine according to Claim 1 (see Claim 1 analysis above) incorporating a fuel intake port (Lien, Fig. 1, inlet of pre-filter 20);
a high-pressure discharge hose (Lien, Fig. 1, C5/L65-67, pump supply line 44) for directing high-pressure fuel from a fuel outlet port of the machine to the fuel tank (Lien, Fig. 1);
a return hose (Lien, Fig. 1, C5/L34-38, fuel return line 38), which removes excess pressure by returning excess fuel to the tank (Lien, Fig. 1, C5/L34-38);
an automatic filter self-cleaning system (Mayr, [0089-0092] and [0181-0185], backwashing) which reverses the flow, sending the fouled fluid to an additional tank where it is drained (Mayr, [0163], through backwash line 6, contaminated medium can be discharged into a collection point).
The combination of Lien, Niwa, Hancock, Mayr, Dabney, Medoro and McCarthy does not teach a system for the opening and sealing of the tank with connectors for the suction hose and return hose, and with a hermetic closure.
Grovatt also relates to a system for treatment of fuel (abstract), including a system for the opening and sealing of the tank with connectors (connectors 130, C7, L23, Fig. 1B) for the suction hose and return hose (inlet 132A and outlet 132B can have connectors 130, C10, L5-7, Fig. 1B), which prevents odors and spills while working (C4, L23-26); and
a system for the opening and sealing (seals 606, 607 (Fig. 6) ensure fuel does not escape from fuel treatment module 104, C4, L23-26, Fig. 3) of the tank with a hermetic closure so that the tank is sealed (C4, L23-26).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include the system for the opening and sealing of the tank with connectors for the suction hose and return hose, and with a hermetic closure of Grovatt in the device of the combination of Lien, Niwa, Hancock, Mayr, Dabney, Medoro and McCarthy to ensure that fuel does not escape (Grovatt, C4, L23-26).
Additional Disclosures Included:
Claim 8: the extendable suction lance has a length that is adjustable, the extendable suction lance being configured so that once inserted inside the fuel tank the length adjusts based on a height of the fuel tank (Niwa, Fig. 1, [0065] and [0080], connecting mechanism 18), allowing fuel to be suctioned from the bottom of said fuel tank.
Claim 11: one or more sensors/indicators for changing or cleaning filters (Mayr, [0150-0151], if the pressure difference between two pressure sensors exceeds a threshold, flushing of the filter is triggered), for the temperature (Mayr, [0052] and [0200]) and for the process time (Mayr, [0078] and [0134]).
Claims 10 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Patent US5149433A (‘Lien’), U.S. Publication US20190136810A1 (‘Niwa’), U.S. Publication US20080023040A1 (‘Hancock’), International Application WO2012136561A1 (‘Mayr’), U.S. Patent US10350653B1 (‘Dabney’), U.S. Publication US20190383225A1 (‘Medoro’), U.S. Publication US20160040639A1 (‘McCarthy’) and U.S. Patent US10371105B1 (‘Grovatt’) as applied to claim 7 above, and further in view of U.S Publication US20100051057A1 (‘Delaney’).
The Applicant’s claims are directed towards an apparatus (Claim 10) and a method (Claim 12).
Regarding Claim 10, the combination of Lien, Niwa, Hancock, Mayr, Dabney, Medoro, McCarthy and Grovatt teaches the system for the filtration, disinfection and purification of fuel in contaminated tanks according to Claim 7, except that the discharge hose is connected at its end located inside the tank to a rotating jet that allows the rotation and the cleaning of the walls and bottom of the tank as the fuel under pressure flows out.
Delaney also relates to a system (abstract) for the filtration (filter 20, Fig. 1 and [0015]) of fuel (liquid 12 can be fuel, [0015] and Fig. 1) in contaminated tanks (tank 10, [0014] and Fig. 1), wherein the discharge hose (pipe 28, [0015] and Fig. 1) is connected at its end (Fig. 1) located inside the tank to a rotating jet (rotary cleaning apparatus 32, [0015] and Fig. 1) that allows the rotation and the cleaning (as cleaning head 36 rotates, spray streams cover the entire interior surface of tank 10, [0015], Fig. 1) of the walls and bottom of the tank (Fig. 1) as the fuel under pressure flows out (liquid 12 flows through cleaning head 36, [0015] and Fig. 1).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to connect a discharge hose of the device of the combination of Lien, Niwa, Hancock, Mayr, Dabney, Medoro, McCarthy and Grovatt to a rotating jet that allows the rotation and the cleaning of the walls and bottom of the tank as the fuel under pressure flows out, as demonstrated by Delaney, to clean liquid storage tanks (Delaney, abstract), including fuel storage tanks (Delaney, [0002]), as fuel has a tendency to encourage the growth of algae on tank walls and floating in the stored fuel (Delaney, [0002]).
Claim 12: A method (Lien, C2/L28-29) for the filtration, disinfection and purification of fuel in contaminated tanks using the system according to claim 7 (see analysis of Claim 7) comprising the following operating stages:
a first stage consisting of suctioning the contents of the tank, by means of the suction hose (Lien, Fig. 1, C4/L45-47, line 18 comprises pump 16) and an extendable suction lance (Niwa, Fig. 1, [0065] and [0080], connecting mechanism 18);
a second stage of filtering with the coarse filter (Lien, Fig. 1, C4/49-53, prefilter 20), separating biological residues and coarse solid impurities of a first size (Lien, Fig. 1, C4/L49-53);
a third stage of newly filtering the fuel, with the fine filter (Lien, Fig. 1, C4/L53-55, first ultrafiltration unit 22) separating biological residues and solid impurities of a second size smaller than the first size (Lien, C4/L56-65);
a fourth stage of removing the water contained in the fuel by means of the turbine filter (McCarthy, cyclonic filter 20, [0029], Fig. 1) arranged in the centrifuge (McCarthy, cyclone separator 26, [0030], Fig. 1);
a fifth stage of radiating with ultraviolet and/or infrared rays to kill living organisms by means of the radiation chamber (Mayr, Fig. 3, [0195], UV reactor 10); and
a sixth stage of returning the fuel to the tank by means of a high-pressure hose (pipe 28, Delaney, [0015] and Fig. 1) with enough pressure to cause a rotating high-pressure jet (Delaney, [0015]) installed at the end of said hose to work (Delaney, Fig. 1) (It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include a stage of returning the fuel to the tank by means of a high-pressure hose with enough pressure to cause a rotating high-pressure jet in the device of the combination of Lien, Niwa, Hancock, Mayr, Dabney, Medoro, McCarthy and Grovatt, as demonstrated by Delaney, to clean liquid storage tanks (Delaney, abstract), including fuel storage tanks (Delaney, [0002]), as fuel has a tendency to encourage the growth of algae on tank walls and floating in the stored fuel (Delaney, [0002])).
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 BOI-LIEN THI NGUYEN whose telephone number is (703)756-4613. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Friday, 8 am to 6 pm.
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/BOI-LIEN THI NGUYEN/Examiner, Art Unit 1779
/Bobby Ramdhanie/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1779
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