DETAILED ACTION
This Office action response to a Request for Continued Examination filed on 01/13/2026. Claims 1-19 are presented for examination consideration.
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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after allowance or after an Office action under Ex Parte Quayle, 25 USPQ 74, 453 O.G. 213 (Comm'r Pat. 1935). Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, prosecution in this application has been reopened pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 01/13/2026 has been entered.
Response to Applicant
The previous Notice of Allowance (mailed on 11/21/2025) has been vacated in consideration with Applicant’s submitted Information Disclosure Statement (filed 01/13/2026) to re-open prosecution.
Applicant's RCE submission (filed 01/13/2026) and Claim Amendments and Arguments (filed 10/15/2025) with respect to the rejection of the claims are moot in view of new ground(s) of rejection in the RCE.
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 of this title, 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 set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied 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.
Claims 1, 2, 5, and 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhong et al. (CN206055200U and Zhong hereinafter), in view of Nozue (JP2008111493A and Nozue hereinafter), and in further view of Umino et al. (JP2017020914A and Umino hereinafter).
Regarding claim 1, Zhong discloses a management system for a vacuum heat insulating body (items 103, 1 of Fig. 1 and abstract & ¶[0007-0009_0035_0038-0039] & claim 1 from Espacenet Translation shows and indicates management system of Fig. 1 {monitoring system that is extrapolated to be a management system for a cryogenic liquid storage tank 1 to perform the management functions of monitoring tank 1 parameters so as maintain the vacuum insulation layer 103, and the prediction of the service life of the tank 1 so as maintain the integrity of the vacuum insulation layer 103} for vacuum heat insulating body 103 {vacuum insulation layer 103}), the management system comprising: an inspection device that inspects heat insulation performance of a vacuum heat insulating body (item 3 of Fig. 1 and abstract & ¶[0009_0012_0038 & 0041] & claims 1_4_8 from Espacenet Translation shows and indicates inspection device 3 {vacuum sensor 3 that is a thermocouple sensor} that inspects heat insulation performance of vacuum heat insulating body 103 through the vacuum degree of the vacuum insulating layer 103 of the storage tank 1 {indicated in ¶[0041]}); a storage portion that stores information regarding the inspected heat insulation performance (Fig. 1 and abstract & ¶[0009_0030 & 0038] & claims 1_8 from Espacenet Translation is interpreted to indicate storage portion processor-storage {storage within the processor} stores information regarding the inspected heat insulation performance inspection device 3); an estimating portion that estimates a remaining life, which is the rest of a life of the vacuum heat insulating body, from a time-lapse change of the heat insulation performance stored in the storage portion (Fig. 1 and ¶[0012-0013_0038 & 0041] from Espacenet Translation is interpreted to indicate estimating portion 3-estimation-section {section of the thermocouple sensor 3 measures the vacuum degree of the vacuum insulation layer 103 through the vacuum degree leakage rate of the cryogenic liquid storage tank jacket of Formula 1 of the storage tank 1 and calculates the estimated remaining life of the integrity of the vacuum insulation layer 103 by the service life of the cryogenic liquid storage tank 1, where if the service life is less than six months, it issuing an alarm message of the associated equipment to inform the user} estimates the remaining life, which is the rest of the life of vacuum heat insulating body 103, from the time-lapse change of the heat insulation performance that is stored in storage portion processor-storage); and a determining portion that determines whether or not the remaining life is a predetermined period of time or more (Fig. 1 and ¶[0012-0013_0038 & 0041] from Espacenet Translation is interpreted to indicate determining portion 3-determining-section {section of thermocouple sensor 3 that determines the service life of the integrity of the vacuum insulation layer 103 by the service life of the cryogenic liquid storage tank 1 through the vacuum degree leakage rate of the cryogenic liquid storage tank jacket of Formula 1 of the storage tank 1 and calculates the estimated remaining life} that determines whether or not the remaining life is a predetermined period of time or more).
Zhong, discloses the claimed invention except to explicitly disclose a vacuum heat insulating body that includes a gas adsorbing member; a storage portion that stores information regarding the inspected heat insulation performance; an estimating portion that estimates a remaining life, which is the rest of a life of the vacuum heat insulating body, from a time-lapse change of the heat insulation performance stored in the storage portion; and a determining portion that determines whether or not the remaining life is a predetermined period of time or more.
Nozue disclose a vacuum heat insulating body that includes a gas adsorbing member (items 5, 9 of Fig. 1 and ¶[0041 & 0065] from Espacenet Translation shows and indicates vacuum heat insulating body 5 {vacuum heat insulating space 5} that includes gas adsorbing member 9).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate a vacuum heat insulating body that includes a gas adsorbing member into the device of Zhong. One would have been motivated in the management system of Zhong and have the vacuum heat insulating body that includes a gas adsorbing member, in order to provide a high gas barrier property to improve shape characteristics and high reliability, as indicated by Nozue in the abstract and ¶[0015], in the management system of Zhong.
However, Zhong and Nozue do not explicitly disclose a storage portion that stores information regarding the inspected heat insulation performance; an estimating portion that estimates a remaining life, which is the rest of a life of the vacuum heat insulating body, from a time-lapse change of the heat insulation performance stored in the storage portion; and a determining portion that determines whether or not the remaining life is a predetermined period of time or more.
Umino disclose a storage portion that stores information regarding the inspected heat insulation performance (item 4 if Figs. 1-2 & item 13 of Fig. 2 and abstract & ¶[0018-0025 & 0027-0029] from Espacenet Translation shows and indicates storage portion 13-RAM {RAM of the ECU 13 that temporarily stores data and programs} that stores information regarding the inspected heat insulation performance of vacuum heat insulating body 4 {vacuum layer/chamber/tank 4, indicated in abstract & ¶[0018-0022_0024-0025 & 0027]}); an estimating portion that estimates a remaining life, which is the rest of a life of the vacuum heat insulating body, from a time-lapse change of the heat insulation performance stored in the storage portion (item 14 of Fig. 2 & items P1, P2, k1 of Fig. 3A & item k2 of Figs. 3B-4 and abstract & ¶[0022] from Espacenet Translation shows and indicates estimating portion 14 {rise rate calculation unit 14 that calculates a pressure rise rate k1 (Pa/day) in the vacuum layer 4 based on a plurality of first pressures P1 detected periodically; where the rise rate calculation unit 14 calculates the pressure rise rate k1 in the vacuum layer 4 when no liquid is passing from the previous time to the current time by calculating the difference between the first pressure P1 measured this time (today) and the first pressure P1 measured last time (the previous day), and calculates the pressure difference k2 (Pa) in the vacuum layer 4 between when no liquid is passing and when liquid is passing by calculating the difference between the current first pressure P1 and the current second pressure P2} that estimates the remaining life, which is the rest of the life of vacuum heat insulating body 4, from the time-lapse change of the heat insulation performance that is stored in storage portion 13-RAM); and a determining portion that determines whether or not the remaining life is a predetermined period of time or more (item 15 of Fig. 2 & items 2, 3 of Figs. 1-2 & items T2, k2 of Figs. 3B-4 and abstract & ¶[0022-0023 & 0025-0026] from Espacenet Translation shows and indicates determining portion 15 {determination/judgment unit 15 that judges the following: whether the double pipe for liquefied hydrogen 1 has reached its durability limit; judges that the double pipe 1 for liquefied hydrogen is at its service limit if the current first pressure P1 is greater than the second threshold value T2 [Pa]; judges that a leak point exists in the outer tube 3; and if the pressure difference k2 is less than or equal to the third threshold value T3, it judges that a leak point exists in the inner tube 2} that determines whether or not the remaining life is a predetermined period of time or more).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate a storage portion that stores information regarding the inspected heat insulation performance; an estimating portion that estimates a remaining life, which is the rest of a life of the vacuum heat insulating body, from a time-lapse change of the heat insulation performance stored in the storage portion; and a determining portion that determines whether or not the remaining life is a predetermined period of time or more into the device of modified Zhong. One would have been motivated in the management system of modified Zhong and have the estimating portion that estimates a remaining life, which is the rest of a life of the vacuum heat insulating body, from a time-lapse change of the heat insulation performance stored in the storage portion; and the determining portion that determines whether or not the remaining life is a predetermined period of time or more, in order to provide a method and the device for determining the service life of a structure for liquefied hydrogen, where the method and device is enabling the determination of the degradation of the thermal insulation function of the vacuum layer of the structure to be determined with high accuracy, as inferred by Umino in the abstract, in the management system of modified Zhong.
Regarding claim 2, modified Zhong discloses a management system, wherein the heat insulation performance is internal pressure of the vacuum heat insulating body (Umino: Figs. 2-3C and abstract & ¶[0019-0022 & 0039] from Espacenet Translation shows and indicates where the heat insulation performance is internal pressure P1 and/or P2 of vacuum heat insulating body 4 through inspection device 11).
Regarding claim 5, modified Zhong discloses a management system, wherein when the remaining life is less than the predetermined period of time, the determining portion determines a period that is the remaining life or less, as a usable period of the vacuum heat insulating body (Umino: Figs. 1-2 and abstract & ¶[0022-0023 & 0025-0026] from Espacenet Translation shows and indicates when the remaining life is less than the predetermined period of time, determining portion 15 determines the period that is the remaining life or less, as the usable period of vacuum heat insulating body 4 by reaching the durability limit of management system 1).
Regarding claim 6, modified Zhong discloses a management system, wherein the heat insulation performance is internal pressure of the vacuum heat insulating body (Umino: Figs. 2-4 and abstract & ¶[0019-0022 & 0039] from Espacenet Translation shows and indicates where the heat insulation performance is internal pressure P1 and/or P2 of vacuum heat insulating body 4 through inspection device 11); when the internal pressure of the vacuum heat insulating body is lower than first predetermined pressure, the determining portion determines that the vacuum heat insulating body is usable (Umino: Figs. 1-4 and abstract & ¶[0022-0023 & 0025-0026] from Espacenet Translation shows and indicates when internal pressure P1 and/or P2 of vacuum heat insulating body 4 is lower than first predetermined pressure of T1, determining portion 15 determines that vacuum heat insulating body 4 is usable); when the internal pressure of the vacuum heat insulating body is the first predetermined pressure or higher and is lower than second predetermined pressure higher than the first predetermined pressure, the determining portion determines that the vacuum heat insulating body is usable this time but is unusable next time (Umino: Figs. 1-4 and abstract & ¶[0022-0023 & 0025-0026] from Espacenet Translation shows and indicates when internal pressure P1 and/or P2 of vacuum heat insulating body 4 is first predetermined pressure of T1 of or higher and is lower than second predetermined pressure of T2 higher than the first predetermined pressure of T1, determining portion 15 determines that vacuum heat insulating body 4 is usable this time but is unusable next time); and when the internal pressure of the vacuum heat insulating body is the second predetermined pressure or higher, the determining portion determines that the vacuum heat insulating body is unusable (Umino: Figs. 1-4 and abstract & ¶[0022-0023 & 0025-0026] from Espacenet Translation shows and indicates when internal pressure P1 and/or P2 of vacuum heat insulating body 4 is the second predetermined pressure of T2 or higher, determining portion 15 determines that vacuum heat insulating body 4 is unusable).
Examiner’s Reason for Allowance of Independent Claim 4 and Dependent Claims 3 and 9 to 11
Independent Claim 4 has been fully considered and is allowed due to defining the following structural limitation:
“The heat insulation performance of the vacuum heat insulating body changes through the first period in which a change rate of the heat insulation performance is constant”.
“The second period which is continuous with the first period and in which the change rate is variable”.
“The third period which is continuous with the second period and in which the change rate is constant”.
“The life is a total period including the first period and the second period”.
Examiner’s Reason for Allowance of Independent Claim 7 and Dependent Claims 12-14, 16, and 18
Independent Claim 7 has been fully considered and is allowed due to defining the following structural limitation:
“The ordering portion that places the order for the vacuum heat insulating body based on the determination result of the determining portion”.
“The order receiving portion that receives the order”.
Examiner’s Reason for Allowance of Independent Claim 8 and Dependent Claims 15, 17, and 19
Independent Claim 8 has been fully considered and is allowed due to defining the following structural limitation:
“Where the storage portion associates identification information of the inspection device with identification information of the vacuum heat insulating body inspected by the inspection device”.
“Where the storage portion stores the identification information of the inspection device and the identification information of the vacuum heat insulating body”.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-4 and 7-19 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Regarding independent claim 4, the prior art taken either singularity or in combination fails to anticipate or fairly suggest the limitations of the independent claim, in such a manner that a rejection under 35 U.S.C. 102 or 103 would be improper. The prior art fails to teach a combination of limitations of a management system for a vacuum heat insulating body, the management system comprising: …the heat insulation performance of the vacuum heat insulating body changes through a first period in which a change rate of the heat insulation performance is constant, a second period which is continuous with the first period and in which the change rate is variable, and a third period which is continuous with the second period and in which the change rate is constant; and the life is a total period including the first period and the second period, as recited in combination in independent claim 4. After careful review of the specification and the claim in the application and a search of the prior art, considering the claim as a whole, the aforementioned recited limitations in combination in independent claim 4 it is believed to render the claim individually patentable and the claims respectively dependent thereto patentable over the prior art of record. Therefore, claims 3 and 9-11 are allowed.
Regarding independent claim 7, the prior art taken either singularity or in combination fails to anticipate or fairly suggest the limitations of the independent claim, in such a manner that a rejection under 35 U.S.C. 102 or 103 would be improper. The prior art fails to teach a combination of limitations of a management system for a vacuum heat insulating body, the management system comprising: …an ordering portion that places an order for the vacuum heat insulating body based on a determination result of the determining portion; and an order receiving portion that receives the order, as recited in combination in independent claim 7. After careful review of the specification and the claim in the application and a search of the prior art, considering the claim as a whole, the aforementioned recited limitations in combination in independent claim 7 it is believed to render the claim individually patentable and the claims respectively dependent thereto patentable over the prior art of record. Therefore, claims 12-14, 16, and 18 are allowed.
Regarding independent claim 8, the prior art taken either singularity or in combination fails to anticipate or fairly suggest the limitations of the independent claim, in such a manner that a rejection under 35 U.S.C. 102 or 103 would be improper. The prior art fails to teach a combination of limitations of a management system for a vacuum heat insulating body, the management system comprising: …wherein the storage portion associates identification information of the inspection device with identification information of the vacuum heat insulating body inspected by the inspection device, and stores the identification information of the inspection device and the identification information of the vacuum heat insulating body, as recited in combination in independent claim 8. After careful review of the specification and the claim in the application and a search of the prior art, considering the claim as a whole, the aforementioned recited limitations in combination in independent claim 8 it is believed to render the claim individually patentable and the claims respectively dependent thereto patentable over the prior art of record. Therefore, claims 15, 17, and 19 are allowed.
Conclusion
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/GUILLERMO J EGOAVIL/Examiner, Art Unit 2847
/TIMOTHY J THOMPSON/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2847