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 .
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 final rejection. 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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on December 18th, 2025 has been entered.
Claim Status
Claims 1-5, 7, 9-15 and 43-45 are under examination.
Claims 16-42 are withdrawn.
Claim 6 and 8 are canceled.
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
Claims 1-5, 7, 9-15, and 43-45 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Morrison (U.S. PGPub US 2022/0052361 A1), hereinafter Morrison, in view of Yoshida et al. (U.S. PGPub US 2008/0110514 A1), hereinafter Yoshida.
Regarding Claim 1, Morrison teaches a hydrogen storage and thermal management system (i.e., see Figs. 6 and 18) comprising at least one liquid hydrogen storage tank (i.e., at least one of fuel tanks ref. 22, see Fig. 18 showing a fuel tank ref. 22 having both gaseous and liquid hydrogen, also see Fig. 6),
at least one gaseous hydrogen storage tank (i.e., at least another of the fuel tanks ref. 22, see [0020] and Fig. 6 indicating multiple fuel tanks ref. 22), such that the skilled artisan would appreciate that since Morrison discloses in [0020] the one or more fuel cell modules can comprise one or a plurality of fuel hydrogen cells in fluid communication with one or more fuel tanks, etc., and further discloses in [0120] the fuel tank ref. 22 is configured to use a working fluid of hydrogen as the fuel ref. 30 with fuel lines ref. 85, vessels and piping ref. 85 designed to the ASME Code and DOT Codes for the pressure and temperatures involved, whereby the working fluid is a liquid or gas, etc., this at least provides one liquid hydrogen storage tank and/or gaseous hydrogen storage tank such that as disclosed in [0122] the integrated system ref. 100 fuel supply subsystem ref. 900 further comprises the fuel tank ref. 22 in fluid communication with one more fuel cells configured to store and transport a fuel selected from the group consisting of gaseous hydrogen (GH2), liquid hydrogen (LH2), or similar fluids, etc. (also see [0029], [0056], [0125]).
Morrison further discloses at least one manifold in fluid communication with the at least one liquid hydrogen storage tank or the at least one gaseous hydrogen storage tank (i.e., at least vent line ref. 64, see Fig. 18 showing that this line is connected to the fuel tank ref. 22) to be used for off-gassing regulation and pressure management of the at least one liquid or gaseous hydrogen storage tank (i.e., see [0121] indicating that the vent ref. 64 may allow the venting of gas to the exterior environment, and see [0122] indicating control of the vents which necessarily includes the ability to open the vent for the purposes of off-gassing and pressure management as claimed), lacking any further distinction thereof as to said manifold, off-gassing regulation and/or pressure management.
Furthermore, since Morrison discloses the one manifold in fluid communication with the at least one liquid hydrogen storage tank or the at least one gaseous hydrogen storage tank, as well as discloses said vents as discussed above (see e.g. [0121]-[0122] of Morrison), the skilled artisan would appreciate that said vent(s) would at least prevent excess pressure buildup in the liquid hydrogen storage tank or the at least one gaseous hydrogen storage tank so as to vent.
Furthermore, since Morrison discloses the one manifold in fluid communication with the at least one liquid hydrogen storage tank or the at least one gaseous hydrogen storage tank, etc., and further discloses the vent(s) as discussed above, which is an identical and/or substantially identical product to that claimed, properties and/or functions such as “used for off-gassing regulation and pressure management of the at least one liquid or gaseous hydrogen storage tank” and “prevents excess pressure buildup in the liquid hydrogen storage tank or the at least one gaseous hydrogen storage tank” are presumed inherent (MPEP 2112.01, I., In re Best, 562 F.2d 1252, 1255, 195 USPQ 430, 433 (CCPA 1977)),
Morrison further discloses a hydrogen header tank (i.e., at least vaporizer ref. 72, Fig. 18, lacking any further distinction thereof as to said hydrogen header tank);
a piping pathway in fluid communication with the at least one liquid hydrogen storage tank, the at least one gaseous hydrogen storage tank, and the at least one hydrogen header tank (i.e., at least various pipes as shown in Fig. 18 which are all in fluid communication with the fuel tanks ref. 22 and vaporizer ref. 72 with the exception of the coolant circuit and the flow of oxygen from the oxygen delivery tank ref. 92), such that the skilled artisan would appreciate that the at least one liquid hydrogen storage tank, the at least one gaseous hydrogen storage tank, etc., as discussed above and shown in Fig. 6 are at least are in fluid communication with the hydrogen header tank (i.e., at least vaporizer ref. 72) so that gaseous hydrogen is supplied to the fuel cell ref. 18 as shown in Fig. 18, lacking any further distinction thereof as to said piping pathway, liquid hydrogen storage tank, gaseous hydrogen storage tank, and/or hydrogen header tank.
Morrison further discloses in [0127] if the temperature adjustment protocol indicates a fuel cell module ref. 18 requires dissipation and transfer of waste heat, the processor may select the fuel supply subsystem ref. 900 as a thermal energy destination, and the processor will actuate the coolant pump ref. 76 and appropriate valves ref. 88 in fluid communication with the coolant conduits ref. 84 connected to and in fluid communication with that fuel cell module ref. 18, so that coolant ref. 31 is moved from the fuel cell module ref. 18, through the coolant conduits ref. 84 and piping ref. 84 along a route that leads to a heat exchanger ref. 57, and in turn similarly actuates pumps and valves ref. 88 in the fuel lines ref. 85, such that coolant ref. 31 and fuel ref. 30 flow through separate conduits of the processor activated heat exchanger ref. 57 simultaneously and heat or thermal energy is transferred from the hotter coolant ref. 31, across the conduits, walls and body of the heat exchanger ref. 57, and into the colder fuel ref. 30, thereby reducing the temperature of the fuel cell module ref. 18 source and increasing the temperature of the fuel ref. 30, or more generally the fuel supply subsystem ref. 900, etc., which at least provides a cooled working fluid (i.e., at least coolant ref. 31, for example, also see [0120] for additional working fluids, whereby working fluids may include: fuel in the liquid or gaseous state, coolant ref. 31, pressurized or other air that may or may not be heated, etc., lacking any further distinction thereof as to said cooled working fluid, also see Annotated Fig. 18) transports waste heat from the at least one fuel cell to the at least one heat exchanger (i.e., at least transports waste heat to the at least one heat exchanger ref. 57 so as provide that heat or thermal energy is transferred from the hotter coolant ref. 31, across the conduits, walls and body of the heat exchanger ref. 57, and into the colder fuel ref. 30, thereby reducing the temperature of the fuel cell module ref. 18 source and increasing the temperature of the fuel ref. 30, etc., also see Annotated Fig. 18, [0013], [0020]-[0021], [0024], [0031], [0057], [0108], [0120]-[0124]) and is used to heat liquid hydrogen into a gaseous hydrogen or raise the temperature of the gaseous hydrogen (i.e., at least increasing the temperature of the fuel ref. 30, also see Annotated Fig. 18 and [0126] whereby using one or more heat exchangers ref. 57 to perform thermal energy transfer to the LH2; and Step ref. 704 transporting the GH2 from the one or more heat exchangers ref. 57 into one or more fuel cell modules ref. 18, etc.) and cooled working fluid then returns to the at least one fuel cell and cools the at least one fuel cell (i.e., at least as shown in Annotated Fig. 18, also see [0013]), lacking any further structural distinction thereof. Furthermore, the skilled artisan would appreciate that since said working fluid, heat exchanger, conduits, etc., are provided as shown in at least Figs. 18-19, that cooled working fluid at least returns to the at least one fuel cell so as to at least cool the at least one fuel cell, such that said heat or thermal energy is transferred from the hotter coolant ref. 31, across the conduits, walls and body of the heat exchanger ref. 57, and into the colder fuel ref. 30, thereby reducing the temperature of the fuel cell module ref. 18 source and increasing the temperature of the fuel ref. 30, etc., lacking any further structural distinction thereof.
Morrison further discloses at least one heat exchanger incorporated within the at least one piping pathway (i.e., at least heat exchanger ref. 57); and
at least one fuel cell in fluid communication with the at least one heat exchanger (i.e., at least fuel cell ref. 18).
However, Morrison is silent as to the gaseous hydrogen from the liquid hydrogen storage tank is transferred through the manifold and to a gaseous hydrogen reservoir.
Yoshida teaches a fuel tank system (Title). Yoshida further teaches in [0034] as shown in Fig. 1, a hydrogen gas supply system ref. 1 which supplies a hydrogen gas as the fuel gas to a fuel cell stack ref. 100, etc., and further teaches in [0035] the hydrogen gas supply system ref. 1 is mainly constituted of a fuel tank ref. 10 and the filling tanks refs. 11 to 13 so that boil-off gas generated as the fuel gas from liquid hydrogen can be filled and supplied, that is, the hydrogen gas supply system ref. 1 fills the tank ref. 10 as a liquid fuel tank with liquid hydrogen which is the liquid fuel, and fills the filling tanks refs. 11 to 13 with the fuel gas (the boil-off gas) which is a gaseous fuel evaporated from the liquid hydrogen stored in the fuel tank ref. 10, etc., (also see [0036]-[0037]). Yoshida further teaches in [0038] a fuel filling path ref. 16 is laid from the liquid fuel filling port ref. F1 to the fuel tank ref. 10, and a filling pipe line ref. 17 is laid from the fuel tank ref. 10 to inlet sides of the filling tanks refs. 11 to 13 so as to provide a structure in which the tanks communicate with one another, and on outlet sides of the filling tanks refs. 11 to 13, a first fuel supply path ref. 18 for supplying the boil-off gas from the tanks in common is laid so as to provide the mutually communicating structure, and the first fuel supply path ref. 18 is connected to a second fuel supply path ref. 19 (a main pipe line), etc., which at least reads on “gaseous hydrogen from the liquid hydrogen storage tank is transferred through the manifold and to a gaseous hydrogen reservoir”, such that said fuel tank ref. 10 is at least a liquid hydrogen storage tank, tank(s) refs. 11 to 13 are at least gaseous hydrogen reservoir(s), and pipe line refs. 17, 18 and/or 19 are at least a manifold, lacking any further structural distinction thereof.
Yoshida further teaches in [0036] the fuel tank ref. 10 includes a double vacuum structure, and is capable of storing liquid hydrogen having a remarkably low boiling point (of about 20K), and the tank also includes a pressure-resistant structure in which the boil-off gas generated from this liquid hydrogen can be stored at a high pressure of a certain degree, such that the fuel tank ref. 10 is provided with a relief valve for lowering an inner pressure in case where the inner pressure remarkably rises, etc. Yoshida further teaches in [0050] the pressure regulating valves refs. R4, R5 are configured to regulate the pressure of the boil-off gas from the first supply path ref. 18 and output the gas, whereby each of the pressure regulating valves refs. R4, R5 is provided with a relief valve in the vicinity thereof in order to reduce the pressure in the case where the inside of the pipe line reaches a pressure which is not less than a predetermined pressure, etc., which at least reads on “prevents excess pressure buildup in the liquid hydrogen storage tank or the at least one gaseous hydrogen storage tank”, which is commensurate in scope with Morrison, so as to lower an inner pressure in the case where the inner pressure remarkably rises, as well as reduce the pressure in the case where the inside of the pipe line reaches a pressure which is not less than a predetermined pressure, and lacking any further structural distinction thereof (also see [0033], [0035], [0038], [0044]-[0046], [0052], [0055], [0072]-[0073]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to have modified Morrison with the teachings of Yoshida, whereby the hydrogen storage and thermal management system including the at least one liquid hydrogen storage tank, at least one gaseous hydrogen storage tank, manifold, etc., as disclosed by Morrison further includes the gaseous hydrogen from the liquid hydrogen storage tank is transferred through the manifold and to a gaseous hydrogen reservoir as taught by Yoshida as to provide a mutually communicating structure, as well as provide lowering an inner pressure in the case where the inner pressure remarkably rises, as well as reduce the pressure in the case where the inside of the pipe line reaches a pressure which is not less than a predetermined pressure.
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Annotated Figure 18 (Morrison)
Regarding Claim 2, Morrison discloses the hydrogen storage and thermal management system as discussed above in claim 1. Morrison further teaches at least one manifold in fluid communication with the at least one liquid hydrogen storage tank wherein such as least one manifold is configured to allow the at least one liquid hydrogen tank to be filled or drained (i.e., see conduits/ pipes/ tubes ref. 85 stemming from the bottom of the fuel tank ref. 22 which can be used to drain the tank into the vaporizer ref. 72 and vent line ref. 64 which can be used to vent the fuel tank ref. 22, see also [0121] indicating that there is a charging line to fill the fuel tank ref. 22 with hydrogen).
Regarding Claims 3 and 5, Morrison discloses the hydrogen storage and thermal management system as discussed above in claim 1. Morrison further teaches at least one manifold in fluid communication with at least one liquid or gaseous hydrogen storage tank wherein such at least one manifold is configured to allow gaseous hydrogen to be selectively directed throughout the piping pathways or hydrogen storage tanks and one or more valves configured to control the flow rate of gaseous and/or liquid hydrogen throughout the piping pathways (i.e., see various valves located on the fuel piping in Fig. 18 which allow for the selective passage of hydrogen liquid and/or gas throughout the system).
Regarding Claim 4, Morrison discloses the hydrogen storage and thermal management system as discussed above in claim 1. Morrison further teaches that the piping pathways contains one or more turbopumps or compressors (see [0020] and [0031] indicating the use of pumps within the fuel cell to alter the flow of fuel, which is necessarily fluidly connected with the fuel supply piping).
Regarding Claim 7, Morrison discloses the hydrogen storage and thermal management system as discussed above in claim 1. Morrison further teaches that at least one pipe in the piping pathways is a drainage pipe (i.e., see conduit ref. 85 and vent line ref. 64 which both drain from the fuel tank ref. 22, see also drainage valve under vaporizer ref. 72 in Fig. 18).
Regarding Claims 9 and 10, Morrison discloses the hydrogen storage and thermal management system as discussed above in claim 2. Morrison further teaches one or more insulated drains for the release of hydrogen outside of a transport vehicle (see [0027] and [0120] indicating that the fuel tanks ref. 22 include an insulating wrap). The remainder of Claim 9 and Claim 10 regarding the release of hydrogen outside of a transport vehicle represent an intended use of the claimed drain. Patentability of product claims is based on the structure of the claimed product, whereby since Morrison provides an identical and/or substantially identical product as that claimed, the skilled artisan would expect that said product would perform the same regardless of the intended use, and because the intended use does not provide any additional structure to the claimed drain product, it does not provide any additional patentable distinctiveness to the claim.
Regarding Claims 11 and 12, Morrison discloses the hydrogen storage and thermal management system as discussed above in claim 9. Morrison further teaches that each of the at least one liquid hydrogen storage containers are equipped with a drainage valve (i.e., see various valves connected to the fuel tanks ref. 22 and vaporizer ref. 72, Figs. 6 and 18-19), thereby necessarily allowing for selective control of liquid hydrogen flow from either tank.
Regarding Claim 13, Morrison discloses the hydrogen storage and thermal management system as discussed above in claim 1. Morrison further teaches that the at least one liquid hydrogen storage tank is composed of a single wall coated with one or more layers of insulation (i.e., see [0027] indicating a single inner tank or single outer tank, either of which could read on the claimed single wall, and an insulating wrap, noting that the claim’s “comprising” language does not preclude additional unrecited components such as the addition of an outer tank to the inner tank or via versa).
Regarding Claim 14, Morrison discloses the hydrogen storage and thermal management system as discussed above in claim 3. Morrison further teaches at least one sensor to gather information about at least one of the following variables: pressure, temperature, liquid fill level, fluid flow rate, and other general operating conditions (i.e., see [0120]-[0121] regarding sensor of the fuel system, see also [0109] regarding sensors of the fuel cell modules).
Regarding Claim 15, Morrison discloses the hydrogen storage and thermal management system as discussed above in claim 14. Morrison further teaches a control system configured to accept input data from the at least one sensor and to command the position of one or more valves (i.e., see [0013] regarding the control system including the ability to control valves specifically based on sensor values).
Regarding Claim 43, Morrison discloses the hydrogen storage and thermal management system as discussed above in claim 1. Morrison teaches that the release of hydrogen to the header tank may be controlled by a valve (i.e., see valves ref. 88 and corresponding description in [0120], Fig. 18), and Morrison also teaches that hydrogen from the header tank may be warmed by waste heat from the at least one fuel cell or the at least one heat exchanger (i.e., see heat exchanger ref. 57 which performs heat exchange with oxygen and fuel reactants and spent fuel cell coolant, see also [0121], Fig. 18).
Regarding claim 44, Morrison discloses the hydrogen storage and thermal management system as discussed above in claim 1. Morrison further discloses the working fluid and waste heat as discussed above in claim 1. The remainder of claim 44 regarding the use of maintaining a flexible liquid hydrogen pipe, water pipe, and/or mooring device represents an intended use of the claimed hydrogen storage and thermal management system. Patentability of product claims is based on the structure of the claimed product, whereby since Morrison provides an identical and/or substantially identical product as that claimed, the skilled artisan would expect that said product would perform the same regardless of the intended use, and because the intended use does not provide any additional structure to the claimed hydrogen storage and thermal management system, it does not provide any additional patentable distinctiveness to the claim.
Regarding claim 45, Morrison discloses the hydrogen storage and thermal management system as discussed above in claim 44. As discussed above in claim 44, the use of maintaining a flexible liquid hydrogen pipe, water pipe, and/or mooring device represents an intended use of the claimed hydrogen storage and thermal management system. Furthermore, in addition to the intended use of said maintaining a flexible liquid hydrogen pipe, water pipe, and/or mooring device, the remainder of claim 45 directed to coupling said flexible liquid hydrogen pipe, water pipe, and/or mooring device with at least one pipe when an airship is being loaded or unloaded additionally represents an intended use of the claimed hydrogen storage and thermal management system. Patentability of product claims is based on the structure of the claimed product, whereby since Morrison provides an identical and/or substantially identical product as that claimed, the skilled artisan would expect that said product would perform the same regardless of the intended use, and because the intended use does not provide any additional structure to the claimed hydrogen storage and thermal management system, it does not provide any additional patentable distinctiveness to the claim. Therefore, since said flexible liquid hydrogen pipe, water pipe, and/or mooring device are not positively claimed and do not further limit the hydrogen storage and thermal management system product as claimed, and said limitation of “may be coupled with at least one pipe when an airship is being loaded or unloaded” is an intended use of said limitation (of claim 44) not positively required, the claim limitations are met, and because the intended use does not provide any additional structure to the claimed hydrogen storage and thermal management system, it does not provide any additional patentable distinctiveness to the claim.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-5, 7, 9-15, and 43-45 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 in view of Morrison and Tanaka have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Therefore, in light of the amendment(s) to the claims, a new grounds of rejection 35 U.S.C. 103 is made for claims 1-5, 7, 9-15, and 43-45 in view of Morrison and Yoshida.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Feng et al. (U.S. PGPub US 2018/0346313 A1) discloses gaseous hydrogen storage system with cryogenic supply (Title), whereby as disclosed in [0039] the use of relatively large gas storage tanks and small vaporizers, combined with a slightly higher pressure rating of liquid pump over that of the lowest pressure tank ref. 24 (P1), for example 10 bar, would eliminate or minimize the waste of hydrogen due to boiling off and vent lose.
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/JOSHUA P MCCLURE/Examiner, Art Unit 1723
/TONG GUO/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1723