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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1, 2, 4-6, and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Quy et al (US 2022/0061172 A1).
As to claim 1, Quy discloses a gas generator comprising:
a decomposition unit that reacts with at least a portion of a supply liquid to generate at least one of hydrogen gas or oxygen gas (Fig. 3 #24 electrolyzer [0018] “Water electrolyzer 24 splits the condensed water into hydrogen and oxygen gases,…”); and
a supply unit that collects moisture in atmosphere and supplies the collected moisture to the decomposition unit as the supply liquid (Fig. 3 #20 “thermoelectric cooler” [0018] “hermoelectric cooler 20 is configured to draw heat from water electrolyzer 24 and through conductive member 22 to cool water electrolyzer 24 to a temperature below that of the ambient air of the enclosure and any other surface in the enclosure. The reduced temperature of water electrolyzer 24 will cause water to preferentially condense on water electrolyzer 24.”).
As to claim 2, Quy further discloses wherein the supply unit comprises a Peltier device, and condenses and collects the moisture in the atmosphere by cooling with the Peltier device. ([0023]).
As to claim 4, Quy further discloses wherein the decomposition unit comprises a pair of electrodes to be an anode and a cathode (#s 30/34 [0022] “First printed circuit board 30 serves as a negative electrode for the operation of water electrolyzer 24. Second printed circuit board 34 serves as a positive electrode for operation of water electrolyzer 24”), and generates the hydrogen gas and the oxygen gas by electrolyzing the at least the portion of the supply liquid ([0018] “Water electrolyzer 24 splits the condensed water into hydrogen and oxygen gases,”).
As to claim 5, Quy further discloses an ion exchange membrane disposed between the pair of electrodes. (#32 [0022] “proton exchange membrane”).
As to claim 6, Quy further discloses wherein the pair of electrodes each have a plate shape with a thickness, and are disposed in such a manner that the ion exchange membrane is sandwiched between the pair of electrodes in a thickness direction of the pair of electrodes (See Fig. 3 electrodes 30 and 34 on each side of 32 via metal layers 42 and 46).
As to claim 8, Quy further discloses wherein at least one of the pair of electrodes is an electrode having a plate shape with a thickness and having one or a plurality of openings penetrating the at least one of the pair of electrodes in a thickness direction (See Fig. 3 # 50 openings).
As to claim 9, Quy further discloses a switching unit that switches a direction of a current applied to the pair of electrodes to interchange the anode and the cathode.
Claims 1-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yamamoto et al (JP 2014/136193 A as provided with the IDS dated 2 August 2023 with citations drawn towards the translation provided).
As to claim 1, Yamamoto discloses a gas generator comprising:
a decomposition unit that reacts with at least a portion of a supply liquid to generate at least one of hydrogen gas or oxygen gas (Fig. 1 #2 Abstract “provided with an electrolysis tank 2 having at least one pair of negative electrode 4 and positive electrode 5 which are arranged opposed to each other”); and
a supply unit that collects moisture in atmosphere and supplies the collected moisture to the decomposition unit as the supply liquid (Fig. 1 #30 Abstract “a condensation part 30 for condensing water content in atmosphere, so that the condensed water can be electrolyzed in the electrolysis tank 2).
As to claim 2, Yamamoto further discloses wherein the supply unit comprises a Peltier device, and condenses and collects the moisture in the atmosphere by cooling with the Peltier device. (#16 [0023] “a Peltier element 16…”).
As to claim 3, Yamamoto further discloses wherein the supply unit comprises a water adsorbent, and adsorbs and collects the moisture in the atmosphere with the water adsorbent (#13 adsorbent [0054]).
As to claim 4, Yamamoto further discloses wherein the decomposition unit comprises a pair of electrodes to be an anode and a cathode (#s 4/5 [0020]).
As to claim 5, Yamamoto further discloses an ion exchange membrane disposed between the pair of electrodes. (#17 Fig. 3 [0036]).
As to claim 6, Yamamoto further discloses wherein the pair of electrodes each have a plate shape with a thickness, and are disposed in such a manner that the ion exchange membrane is sandwiched between the pair of electrodes in a thickness direction of the pair of electrodes (See Fig. 3 with citations to electrodes and ion exchange membrane provided above).
As to claim 7, Yamamoto further discloses the pair of electrodes are separated from each other in such a manner that the supply liquid is sandwiched between the pair of electrodes (See Fig. 1 and 4-8 supply lines #11
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.
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Quy et al in view of Yamauchi et al (US 2020/0048781 A1).
As to claim 9, Quy fails to explicitly disclose a switching unit that switches a direction of a current applied to the pair of electrodes to interchange the anode and the cathode.
Yamauchi discloses a water electrolyzer (Abstract [0076]) comprising a switching unit that switches a direction of a current applied to the pair of electrodes to interchange the anode and the cathode ([0076] polarity switching unit).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to have used a switching unit in a water electrolyzer as taught by Yamauchi with the water electrolyzer in Quy in order to prevent the attachment of scale to the electrodes during electrolysis (Yamauchi [0076]).
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamamoto et al in view of Yamauchi et al (US 2020/0048781 A1).
As to claim 9, Yamamoto fails to explicitly disclose a switching unit that switches a direction of a current applied to the pair of electrodes to interchange the anode and the cathode.
Yamauchi discloses a water electrolyzer (Abstract [0076]) comprising a switching unit that switches a direction of a current applied to the pair of electrodes to interchange the anode and the cathode ([0076] polarity switching unit).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to have used a switching unit in a water electrolyzer as taught by Yamauchi with the water electrolyzer in Yamamoto in order to prevent the attachment of scale to the electrodes during electrolysis (Yamauchi [0076]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LOUIS J RUFO whose telephone number is (571)270-7716. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Luan Van can be reached at 571-272-8521. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/LOUIS J RUFO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1795