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 § 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.
Claim(s) 1-4, 9-14, and 19-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Broeckerhoff et al. (European Patent Publication EP1314166B1, “Broeckerhoff”).
Regarding claim 1, Broeckerhoff discloses a hydrogen recombiner (fig 1) assembly comprising:
a hydrogen recombiner integrated with a passive heat sink (7), the passive heat sink comprising a heat transfer working fluid (¶0020), and the hydrogen recombiner comprising a catalyst (8, ¶0021); and
wherein the hydrogen recombiner is configured to convert leaked hydrogen to water vapor (¶0002-0003).
Regarding claim 2, Broeckerhoff further discloses wherein the hydrogen recombiner is a flameless hydrogen recombiner (as evident in fig 1).
Regarding claim 3, Broeckerhoff further discloses wherein the catalyst comprises a platinum catalyst (¶0005).
Regarding claim 4, Broeckerhoff further discloses wherein the passive heat sink (7) comprises an evacuated metallic cylindrical tube (as evident in fig 3) that is sealed and filled with the heat transfer working fluid (¶0020), with the heat transfer working fluid configured to flow in an annular space of the passive heat sink.
Regarding claim 9, wherein the hydrogen recombiner assembly is self-regulating and gravity-independent (at least in the passive heat sink which uses capillary force).
Regarding claim 10, the limitation of the hydrogen recombiner assembly is positioned inside a spacecraft is considered an intended use limitation. A recitation with respect to the manner in which a claimed apparatus is intended to be employed does not differentiate the claimed apparatus from a prior art apparatus satisfying the structural limitations of the claims, as is the case here.
Regarding claim 11, Broeckerhoff discloses a method for operating a hydrogen recombiner comprising: integrating a hydrogen recombiner (fig 1) with a passive heat sink (7), the passive heat sink comprising a heat transfer working fluid (¶0020), and the hydrogen recombiner comprising a catalyst (8, ¶0021); and utilizing the hydrogen recombiner to convert leaked hydrogen to water vapor (¶0002-0003).
Regarding claim 12, Broeckerhoff further discloses wherein the hydrogen recombiner is a flameless hydrogen recombiner (as evident in fig 1).
Regarding claim 13, Broeckerhoff further discloses wherein the catalyst comprises a platinum catalyst (¶0005).
Regarding claim 14, Broeckerhoff further discloses wherein the passive heat sink (7) comprises an evacuated metallic cylindrical tube (as evident in fig 3) that is sealed and filled with the heat transfer working fluid (¶0020), with the heat transfer working fluid configured to flow in an annular space of the passive heat sink.
Regarding claim 19, wherein the hydrogen recombiner assembly is self-regulating and gravity-independent (at least in the passive heat sink which uses capillary force).
Regarding claim 20, the limitation of the hydrogen recombiner assembly is positioned inside a spacecraft is considered an intended use limitation. A recitation with respect to the manner in which a claimed apparatus is intended to be employed does not differentiate the claimed apparatus from a prior art apparatus satisfying the structural limitations of the claims, as is the case here.
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) 5-8 and 15-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Broeckerhoff as applied to claims 1 and 11 above, and further in view of Lo et al. (U.S. Patent Publication No. 2017/0153067, “Lo”).
Regarding claims 5-8, Broeckerhoff discloses all previous claim limitations. However, Broeckerhoff does not explicitly disclose wherein the heat transfer working fluid is water, ammonia or methanol, wherein the passive heat sink comprises aluminum or stainless steel, wherein the passive heat sink comprises a metal tube, and wherein an inner wall of the passive heat sink includes a capillary porous wick lining, the capillary porous wick lining configured to enable transport of heat along a length of the passive heat sink.
Lo, however, discloses a heat pipe (fig 6) wherein the heat transfer working fluid is water (¶0041),wherein the passive heat sink comprises aluminum (¶0041), wherein the passive heat sink comprises a metal tube (¶0041), and wherein an inner wall of the passive heat sink includes a capillary porous wick lining (100, ¶0041), the capillary porous wick lining configured to enable transport of heat along a length of the passive heat sink (¶0041). Lo teaches that these configurations improve heat transfer capacity of the heat pipe (¶0043). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for Broeckerhoff to provide the heat pipe configuration of Lo for the passive heat sink in order to improve heat exchange capacity.
Regarding claims 15-18, Broeckerhoff discloses all previous claim limitations. However, Broeckerhoff does not explicitly disclose wherein the heat transfer working fluid is water, ammonia or methanol, wherein the passive heat sink comprises aluminum or stainless steel, wherein the passive heat sink comprises a metal tube, and wherein an inner wall of the passive heat sink includes a capillary porous wick lining, the capillary porous wick lining configured to enable transport of heat along a length of the passive heat sink.
Lo, however, discloses a heat pipe (fig 6) wherein the heat transfer working fluid is water (¶0041),wherein the passive heat sink comprises aluminum (¶0041), wherein the passive heat sink comprises a metal tube (¶0041), and wherein an inner wall of the passive heat sink includes a capillary porous wick lining (100, ¶0041), the capillary porous wick lining configured to enable transport of heat along a length of the passive heat sink (¶0041). Lo teaches that these configurations improve heat transfer capacity of the heat pipe (¶0043). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for Broeckerhoff to provide the heat pipe configuration of Lo for the passive heat sink in order to improve heat exchange capacity.
Conclusion
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/HARRY E ARANT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3763