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 .
Drawings
Color photographs and color drawings are not accepted in utility applications unless a petition filed under 37 CFR 1.84(a)(2) is granted. Any such petition must be accompanied by the appropriate fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(h), one set of color drawings or color photographs, as appropriate, if submitted via the USPTO patent electronic filing system or three sets of color drawings or color photographs, as appropriate, if not submitted via the via USPTO patent electronic filing system, and, unless already present, an amendment to include the following language as the first paragraph of the brief description of the drawings section of the specification:
The patent or application file contains at least one drawing executed in color. Copies of this patent or patent application publication with color drawing(s) will be provided by the Office upon request and payment of the necessary fee.
Color photographs will be accepted if the conditions for accepting color drawings and black and white photographs have been satisfied. See 37 CFR 1.84(b)(2).
Figures 5 and 6 are not proper line drawings.
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.
Claims 1-2, 6-7, and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kozlov et al. (US 2020/0309385).
Regarding claim 1, Kozlov (K) discloses an apparatus for producing heat and electricity (Abstract), the apparatus comprising: a burner (106) adapted to produce at least one of radiant heat flame ([0022]) and hot combustion gases; a liquid supply line (140, Figure 1); and a thermal-to-electric conversion device (102) integrated with the burner and proximate to the burner (106), the conversion device having a first side disposed toward the at least one of radiant heat, flame and hot combustion gases and a second side disposed toward and in heat transfer contact with the liquid supply line (FIG. 1).
Regarding claim 2, Kozlov (K) discloses the apparatus of Claim 1, wherein a surface of the first side of the conversion device (102, FIG.1, i.e. 90 degrees) is disposed at an angle to a flame axis.
Regarding claim 6, Kozlov (K) discloses the apparatus of Claim 1, further comprising a heat sink (116, [0023]) on the second side of the conversion device (102, FIG.1.).
Regarding claim 7, Kozlov (K) discloses the apparatus of Claim 6, wherein the heat sink (116, [0023], the fact that water flows through it dictates some type of passage or channel) comprises a plurality of cooling channels connected to the liquid supply line.
Regarding claim 17, Kozlov (K) discloses the water heater including the apparatus of Claim 1 for heating a supply of water from or within the liquid supply line (140, Abstract).
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 3-5,12-15, and 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kozlov et al. (US 2020/0309385) and Trant (US 6,761,134).
Regarding claim 3, Kozlov (K) discloses the apparatus of Claim 1, further comprising an exhaust flue (122, FIG.1) downstream of the burner (106), but not that the conversion device is offset from the burner between the burner and the exhaust flue and a surface of the first side of the conversion device is tilted at an angle toward the burner and away from the exhaust flue.
However, Trant (T) discloses a water heater with a TEG (Abstract) wherein the conversion device (38, FIG.1) is offset from the burner (30) between the burner and the exhaust flue (20) and a surface of the first side of the conversion device is tilted at an angle toward the burner and away from the exhaust flue (FIG.1). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of this application to angle the thermoelectric device relative to the flue and burner to allow for a longer duration of contact with the hot gases in order to capture more thermal energy and thus produce more energy.
Regarding claim 4, Kozlov (K), as modified, discloses the apparatus of Claim 3, wherein the conversion device comprises a plurality of thermoelectric generators (TEGs) disposed around the burner (K-102, FIG.1.,110).
Regarding claim 5, Kozlov (K), as modified, discloses the apparatus of Claim 4, wherein one or more sections of the liquid supply line (K-140) extend through the plurality of thermoelectric generators (K-102) before connection to a heated water outlet (K-146).
Regarding claim 12, Kozlov (K), as modified, discloses the apparatus of Claim 1, comprising a water heater including a water storage tank (14, FIG.1.), an inlet pipe for unheated water (K-140) and an outlet pipe for heated water (K-146), wherein the liquid supply line is connected to the water inlet (K-FIG.1.).
Regarding claim 13, Kozlov (K), as modified, discloses the apparatus of Claim 12, wherein the liquid supply line (K-140, FIG.1.) connects to the outlet pipe (K-146) and/or the storage tank downstream of the conversion device (K-102)
Regarding claim 14, Kozlov (K), as modified, discloses the apparatus of Claim 13, further comprising a second storage tank (K-130, FIG.1.) downstream of the conversion device (K-102) and in combination with the liquid supply line (K-140).
Regarding claim 15, Kozlov (K), as modified, discloses the apparatus of Claim 13, wherein the conversion device comprises a plurality of thermoelectric generators disposed around the burner (K-102,110, FIG.1.), wherein one or more sections of the liquid supply line extends through at least adjacent pairs of the plurality of thermoelectric generator modules or heat sinks before connection back to the outlet pipe (K-146, [0023]) and/or the storage tank.
Regarding claim 18, Kozlov (K), as modified, discloses the water heater of Claim 17, further comprising: a water storage tank (14, FIG.1.) in heat transfer combination with the burner (30); an exhaust flue (20) downstream of the burner and extending along the water storage tank; an unheated water inlet pipe (K-140) upstream of the water storage tank; and a heated water outlet pipe (K-146) downstream of the storage tank; wherein the liquid supply line is connected to the unheated water inlet pipe, the conversion device (38) is offset from the burner between the burner and the exhaust flue and a surface of the first side of the conversion device is tilted at an angle toward the burner and away from the exhaust flue.
Regarding claim 19, Kozlov (K) discloses a method for providing heat and electricity to a machine, the method comprising the steps of: introducing fuel and air to a burner (via 144, 110, FIG.1.); producing radiant heat at least partially inside the flame housing; converting thermal energy to electric energy with a thermal-to-electric conversion device integrated (102, [0022]) with the flame housing, and cooling a second side of the conversion device with a cooling flow of water ([0023]), but does not disclose that the thermal-to-electric conversion device includes a first side disposed at an angle toward and over the radiant heat;
However, Trant (T) discloses a water heater with a TEG (Abstract) wherein the conversion device (38, FIG.1) is offset from the burner (30) between the burner and the exhaust flue (20) and a surface of the first side of the conversion device is tilted at an angle toward the burner and away from the exhaust flue (FIG.1). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of this application to angle the thermoelectric device relative to the flue and burner to allow for a longer duration of contact with the hot gases in order to capture more thermal energy and thus produce more energy.
Regarding claim 20, Kozlov (K), as modified, discloses the method according to Claim 19, further comprising introducing heated water exiting the conversion device to a heated water outlet or storage tank of a water heater (K- [0023]).
Claims 8-11, and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kozlov et al. (US 2020/0309385) and Kushch (US 2015/0243870).
Regarding claim 8, Kozlov (K) discloses the apparatus of Claim 7, but not that the heat sink comprises an aluminum or copper body around the plurality of cooling channels.
However, Kushch (Ku) discloses a water cooled TEG (Abstract) wherein the heat sink comprises an aluminum ([0034, FIG.6) or copper body around the plurality of cooling channels.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of this application to utilize a highly conductive material, such as aluminum, to enhance heat transfer within the system.
Regarding claim 9, Kozlov (K), as modified, discloses the apparatus of Claim 6, further comprising a thermally conductive plate on the first side of the conversion device (HSHX, FIG.4).
Regarding claim 10, Kozlov (K), as modified, discloses the apparatus of Claim 9, wherein the plate comprises a metal, an alloy, or a ceramic plate ([0033]).
Regarding claim 11, Kozlov (K), as modified, discloses the apparatus of Claim 1, further comprising a thermally conductive plate on the first side of the conversion device ([0033]).
Regarding claim 16, Kozlov (K), as modified, discloses 16. The apparatus of Claim 1, further comprising a pressure boosting device ([0105]) in combination with the liquid supply line upstream of the conversion device.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOHN E BARGERO whose telephone number is (571) 270-1770. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday.
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/JOHN E BARGERO/Examiner, Art Unit 3762