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 Objections
Claims 10 & 14 are objected to because of the following informalities:
In claim 10, "at bottom" should read "at the bottom".
In claim 14, “in vertical direction” should read “in a vertical direction.”
Appropriate correction is required.
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, 5-9, & 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Savage et al. (U.S. Patent No. 6,579,637 B1).
Regarding claim 1, Savage teaches a fuel cell exhaust gas arrangement for a fuel cell system (Fig. 3, 5; drawings of the exhaust lines and separation unit) including a vehicle (Column 2, lines 61-67; system intended for use in vehicles), the fuel cell exhaust gas arrangement comprising: a fuel cell exhaust gas line (Collection tube 84, exhaust tube 90; exhaust lines in and out of the separator) for accommodating a flow of fuel cell exhaust gas therethrough; a separator (Separator 82, housing 96) accommodating the flow of fuel cell exhaust gas therethrough; the separator including: an upstream line portion of said fuel cell exhaust gas line (Inlet 86; exhaust entrance into the separator) through which the fuel cell exhaust gas can flow in a main exhaust gas flow direction (H); a downstream line portion of the fuel cell exhaust gas line (Mouth 92; opening of exhaust line leaving the separator) communicating with the upstream line portion in an opening region (Fig. 5; exhaust lines meet in a continuous opening); a first liquid outlet opening in said opening region (Water outlet 88) for outletting liquid from the fuel cell exhaust gas flowing through said fuel cell exhaust gas line; and, a swirl flow generator (Swirler 102) in said upstream line portion (Fig 5; Swirler 102 positioned before the separator).
Regarding claim 2, Savage teaches the fuel cell exhaust gas arrangement of claim 1, wherein said swirl flow generator includes a plurality of flow deflectors (Arcuate vanes 104; Fig. 3-4) following one another in a circumferential direction with respect to a flow center axis (S) in said upstream line portion (Column 7, lines 17-21; vanes swirl radially to disperse water on the exhaust line walls); and, said deflectors are skewed in said upstream line portion with respect to the main exhaust gas flow direction (H) (Fig. 3; vanes have a curved shape).
Regarding claim 5, Savage teaches the fuel cell exhaust gas arrangement of claim 1, wherein an upstream end portion of said downstream line portion (Mouth 92; entrance of the exiting exhaust line) is positioned engaging in a downstream end portion of said upstream line portion (Collection tube 84; end of the upstream exhaust line entering the separator) in said opening region (Housing 96; holds the separator where both exhaust lines communicate with each other) so as to cause said first liquid outlet opening to be formed between said upstream end portion of said downstream line portion and said downstream end portion of said upstream line portion (Fig. 5; liquid collector opening is between both exhaust lines).
Regarding claim 6, Savage teaches the fuel cell exhaust gas arrangement of claim 5, wherein said downstream end portion of said upstream line portion is formed in the main exhaust gas flow direction (Column 7, lines 4-11; Fig. 5; exhaust flows in direction C); said upstream end portion of said downstream line portion is formed in said main exhaust gas flow direction (Column 7, lines 4-11; Fig. 5); and said upstream end portion of said downstream line portion is formed widening conically in said main exhaust gas flow direction (Mouth 92; Fig. 5).
Regarding claim 7, Savage teaches the fuel cell exhaust gas arrangement of claim 1, wherein said downstream line portion has a smaller cross-sectional dimension at said upstream end (Mouth 92) thereof than said upstream line portion (Inlet 86) in length regions thereof lying between said swirl flow generator and the downstream end thereof (Inlet cross-sectional dimensions consistent throughout collection tube).
Regarding claim 8, Savage teaches the fuel cell exhaust gas arrangement of claim 1, wherein said separator has a separator housing (Separator housing 96) and said opening region is arranged in said separator housing (Fig. 5; opening region comprised of separator, liquid collector, and area between the two exhaust lines).
Regarding claim 9, Savage teaches the fuel cell exhaust gas arrangement of claim 1, wherein said downstream line portion has a second liquid outlet opening (Drain 40 sends water out to reservoir 42) downstream of said opening region (Fig. 2, 5; drain and reservoir located downstream of the separator).
Regarding claim 11, Savage teaches the fuel cell exhaust gas arrangement of claim 8, wherein said separator housing defines a vertically downward region (Fig. 5; region below A line); and, said fuel cell exhaust gas arrangement further comprises a liquid collector (Sump 100) arranged in said downward region (Fig. 5) and having at least one liquid discharge opening (Fig. 5; Drain pipe 114, shutoff valve 112) for discharging liquid from said separator housing (Drain pipe outlets water from the system).
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 & 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Savage in view of Hofler et al. (DE 102016221566 A1).
Regarding claim 3, Savage teaches the fuel cell exhaust gas arrangement of claim 2, wherein said swirl flow generator includes an annular body (Fig. 4), and said flow detectors (Arcuate vanes 104; Fig. 3-4) are disposed one adjacent to the other in said circumferential direction (Fig. 3-4). Savage does not teach said flow detectors overlapping in radially inner regions.
Hofler teaches a fuel cell exhaust gas system, which includes a swirl flow generator (Turbulence generator 5), wherein flow deflectors are disposed one adjacent to the other in a circumferential direction (Par. 0008; Fig. 4) and overlap in said circumferential direction in radially inner regions thereof (Fig. 4).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the fuel cell exhaust gas arrangement taught by Savage by incorporating an overlap between each flow deflector in the swirl generator, as taught by Hofler, in order to ensure that all droplets are dispersed radially outwards, as stated by Hofler.
Regarding claim 4, modified Savage teaches the fuel cell exhaust gas arrangement of claim 3, wherein said swirl flow generator is formed conjointly with said annular body and said flow deflectors (Savage Fig. 5; swirler formed with inner wall).
Claims 10 & 15-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Savage in view of Martuscelli et al. (U.S. Patent No. 11,211,619 B2).
Regarding claim 10, Savage teaches the fuel cell exhaust gas arrangement of claim 8. Savage does not teach a bend region of said downstream line portion in said separator housing with a bend apex at the bottom in a vertical direction, wherein said second liquid outlet opening is arranged.
Martuscelli teaches a fuel cell exhaust gas arrangement, wherein a downstream line portion has a bend region in a separator housing (Fig. 1; Bottom right corner of housing) with a bend apex at bottom in a vertical direction (V); and, a second liquid outlet opening is arranged in the region of said bend apex (Fig. 1; Sump port and line 107).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the separator taught by Savage to incorporate a second liquid outlet opening in a bend apex in the separator housing, as taught by Martuscelli. Doing so would improve selective pumping of liquid water into the liquid collector, as stated in Martuscelli.
Regarding claim 15, Savage teaches the fuel cell gas arrangement of claim 1, but does not teach a silencer unit which exhaust gas flows through.
Martuscelli teaches a silencer (Condensate collector 80; Column 2, lines 50-52) through which fuel cell exhaust gas can flow.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the fuel cell exhaust gas arrangement taught by Savage to incorporate a silencer to flow exhaust gas through, as taught by Martuscelli. This would be done in order to mitigate noise and vibration passing through the exhaust system, as taught in Martuscelli.
Regarding claim 16, Martuscelli teaches the fuel cell gas arrangement of claim 15, wherein said silencer is arranged downstream of a separator (Fig. 1; Condensate collector 80 downstream of separator 76).
Claims 12-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Savage in view of Tanaka et al. (JP 2007268340 A).
Regarding claim 12, Savage teaches the fuel cell exhaust gas arrangement of claim 11, but does not include a heater assigned to the liquid collector.
Tanaka teaches a heater (Heater 7; Fig. 10) assigned to a liquid collector (Water storage unit 13) for heating liquid collected in said liquid collector (Par. 0053; heater 7 heats the water storage unit 13).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the fuel cell exhaust gas arrangement taught by Savage to incorporate a heater in the liquid collector, in order to control the liquid water level in the collector, as stated in Tanaka.
Regarding claim 13, Savage teaches the fuel cell exhaust gas arrangement of claim 8. However, Savage does not teach a hydrogen collector in a vertically upward region of the separator with a hydrogen discharge opening to remove hydrogen from the separator housing.
Tanaka teaches a fuel cell exhaust gas arrangement, wherein a separator housing (Par. 0014, lines 1-2) defines a vertically upward region (Fig. 2; area above A line); and, said fuel cell exhaust gas arrangement further comprises a hydrogen collector disposed in said vertically upward region and having at least one hydrogen discharge opening (Discharge port 19) for discharging hydrogen from said separator housing.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the fuel cell exhaust gas arrangement taught by Savage to incorporate a hydrogen collector in a vertical region of the separator with a discharge opening, as taught in Tanaka. Doing so would allow hydrogen to flow out of the system to prevent excess buildup, as stated in Tanaka and Savage.
Regarding claim 14, modified Savage teaches the fuel cell gas exhaust arrangement of claim 13, yet does not include a wall region tapered towards a vertically upward region in the separator, or a hydrogen discharge opening in an upper apex region of said wall region.
Tanaka teaches a hydrogen collector (Hydrogen circulation channel L2) which includes a wall region of the separator housing (Side wall 16); and at least one hydrogen discharge opening (Discharge port 19) is provided in an upper apex region of said wall region (Fig. 2).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention the modify Savage by incorporating a hydrogen discharge opening in the apex region of an interior wall in the separator. Doing so would allow for the removal of excess hydrogen gas, as stated in Tanaka.
Additionally, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to change the shape of the separator wall region by vertically tapering it. Doing so would allow for a larger space for hydrogen to enter and for other configurations.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CAMERON M BAIRD whose telephone number is (571)272-9742. The examiner can normally be reached 7:30am-5pm.
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, Matthew Martin can be reached at (571) 270-7871. 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.
/CAMERON M BAIRD/
Examiner, Art Unit 1728
/MATTHEW T MARTIN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1728