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 .
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.
Claim(s) 15-18, 20-21 and 27 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wu (US6330395) in view of Khoo (WO2015085357A1) and Pelton (US5120027A).
Regarding claim 15, Wu discloses an energy storage apparatus (see Fig. 2-3) comprising: a sensible heat storage body (see body comprising 131 & 132) having a heat exchanger channel (see channel formed by grooves 141 & 142) and a heating element channel (see channel formed by grooves 151 & 152) adapted to receive a removable heating element (heating unit 3), a removable heating element disposed in the heating element channel, wherein the heating element channel is located internally of the sensible heat storage body; and an open ended heat exchanger (metal pipe 110) having an inlet and an outlet, wherein at least a portion of the heat exchanger is disposed along the channel.
Wu does not teach wherein the sensible heat storage body is graphite.
Khoo teaches wherein the sensible heat storage body is graphite (graphite planks 512; Fig. 7).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Wu to include graphite as taught by Khoo, in order to provide a material with a high maximum operating temperature and which is capable of quickly reaching said operating temperature (Page 8, lines 14-20).
Zwinkels does not teach wherein the sensible heat storage body comprises a removable heating element disposed in the heating element channel, wherein the removable heating element is sealingly engaged with the sensible heat storage body.
Pelton teaches (see Fig. 1-3) a sensible heat storage body (graphite block 3) having a heating element channel (opening 6) adapted to receive a removable heating element, wherein the sensible heat storage body comprises a removable heating element (heating portion 18) disposed in the heating element channel, wherein the removable heating element is sealingly engaged (via lead-in sleeve 43) with the sensible heat storage body.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Zwinkels to include the removable heating element configuration of Pelton, in order to provide for ease of replacement of servicing, and protecting the heating element (Col. 7, lines 0-10).
Regarding claim 16, Wu discloses the limitations of claim 15, and Wu further discloses
the sensible heat storage body comprises a heat exchanger channel (see same/another of channel formed by grooves 141 & 142) having at least two open ends within the sensible heat storage body.
Regarding claim 17, Wu discloses the limitations of claim 15, and Wu further discloses the sensible heat storage body is assembled by component parts (131 & 132).
Regarding claim 18, Wu discloses the limitations of claim 15, and Wu further discloses the heat exchanger is in the shape of a serpentine coil (see “serpentine” shaped pipe 110).
Regarding claim 20, Wu discloses the limitations of claim 15, and Wu further discloses wherein the energy storage apparatus further comprises insulation (main body can be enclosed by heat insulation layer – Col. 3, lines 25-35).
Regarding claim 21, Wu discloses the limitations of claim 15, and Wu further discloses the energy storage apparatus further comprises an enclosure (main body can be enclosed by heat insulation layer – Col. 3, lines 25-35).
Regarding claim 27, Wu further discloses an energy storage array comprising: a plurality (plurality of main bodies - Col. 4, lines 30-40) of energy storage apparatus according to claim 15.
Claim(s) 15-17, 20-22, and 27 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Donkin (GB2241569A) in view of Khoo (WO2015085357A1) and Pelton (US5120027A).
Regarding claim 15, Donkin discloses an energy storage apparatus (see Fig. 1-3) comprising: a sensible heat storage body (see at least one set of bricks 28 surrounding tube 24-27) having a heat exchanger channel (see channels formed by “semi-cylindrical recesses” therein) and a heating element channel (grooves 46) adapted to receive a removable heating element (heating coils 33), wherein the heating element channel is located internally of the sensible heat storage body; and an open-ended heat exchanger (respective tubes 24-27) having an inlet (45) and an outlet (40), wherein at least a portion of the open-ended heat exchanger is disposed along the channel.
Donkin does not teach wherein the sensible heat storage body is graphite.
Khoo teaches wherein the sensible heat storage body is graphite (graphite planks 512; Fig. 7).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Donkin to include graphite as taught by Khoo, in order to provide a material with a high maximum operating temperature and which is capable of quickly reaching said operating temperature (Page 8, lines 14-20).
Donkin does not teach wherein the sensible heat storage body comprises a removable heating element disposed in the heating element channel, wherein the removable heating element is sealingly engaged with the sensible heat storage body.
Pelton teaches (see Fig. 1-3) a sensible heat storage body (graphite block 3) having a heating element channel (opening 6) adapted to receive a removable heating element, wherein the sensible heat storage body comprises a removable heating element (heating portion 18) disposed in the heating element channel, wherein the removable heating element is sealingly engaged (via lead-in sleeve 43) with the sensible heat storage body.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Zwinkels to include the removable heating element configuration of Pelton, in order to provide for ease of replacement of servicing, and protecting the heating element (Col. 7, lines 0-10).
Regarding claim 16, Donkin discloses the limitations of claim 15, and Donkin further discloses the sensible heat storage body comprises a heat exchanger channel (see channels formed by “semi-cylindrical recesses” therein) having at least two open ends within the sensible heat storage body.
Regarding claim 17, Donkin discloses the limitations of claim 15, and Donkin further discloses the sensible heat storage body is assembled by component parts (bricks 28).
Regarding claim 21, Donkin discloses the limitations of claim 15, and Donkin further discloses the energy storage apparatus further comprises an enclosure (insulation panels 29-32).
Regarding claim 22, Donkin discloses the limitations of claim 21, and Donkin further discloses the enclosure comprises at least one aperture adapted to receive a heat exchanger (29a/30a), and is considered to implicitly disclose an aperture for the heating coils, which must are disclosed as being attached to electrical terminals (not shown).
Regarding claim 27, Donkin further discloses an energy storage array comprising: a plurality of energy storage apparatus (see plurality of bricks 28 with tubes 24-27) according to claim 15.
Claim(s) 23-26 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Donkin (GB2241569A) in view of Khoo (WO2015085357A1), and Pelton (US5120027A) and Yu (WO2018157311).
Regarding claim 23-25, Donkin teaches the limitations of claim 22, and Donkin does not teach wherein the at least one aperture further comprises a sealing flange, a sealing gasket, the heating element is sealingly engaged with the sealing flange.
Yu teaches the at least one aperture further comprises a sealing flange (flange 11),
a sealing gasket (gasket 12), the heating element (heater 50) is sealingly engaged with the sealing flange, in order to reduce heat losses from the heat storage enclosure (Page 4).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Donkin to include the sealing configuration of Yu, in order to reduce heat losses from the heat storage enclosure (Page 4).
Regarding claim 26, Donkin teaches the limitations of claim 23, and Donkin does not teach the heat exchanger is sealingly engaged with the sealing flange.
Yu teaches the at least one aperture further comprises a sealing flange (flange 11),
a sealing gasket (gasket 12), the heating element (heater 50) is sealingly engaged with the sealing flange, in order to reduce heat losses from the heat storage enclosure (Page 4).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Donkin to include the sealing configuration of Yu to the heat exchanger of Donkin, in order to reduce heat losses from the heat storage enclosure (Page 4), as it has been held obvious to use a known technique to improve similar devices in the same way. In this case, an enclosure penetration, whether it be a heating element or heat exchanger, would benefit from reduced thermal losses via the sealing configuration of Yu (see MPEP 2143).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the claim(s) have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on the combination of references applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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 ERIC S RUPPERT whose telephone number is (571)272-9911. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8 am - 4 pm.
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/ERIC S RUPPERT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3763
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