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 .
DETAILED ACTION
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
Response to Amendment
The Amendment filed 3/11/26 has been entered. Claim 2 has been canceled. Claims 1, and 4-5 have been amended. Claims 1, and 3-6 remain pending in the application.
Applicant’s amendments to the Claims have overcome each and every objection previously set forth in the Non-Final Office Action mailed 2/11/26.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 3/11/26 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant has argued Cerny et al. (U.S. 2018/0283794) fails to disclose amended claim 1 because Cerny fails to disclose “wherein respective ones of the plurality of working-fluid pathways are defined within corresponding respective ones of the plurality of heat walls” (see Remarks filed 3/11/26, Pages 4-5). In this argument, Applicant states “the Examiner (on pages 7-8) alleges that the tubes 110 disclosed by Cerny are synonymous with the heating walls, and the voids 124 disclosed by Cerny are synonymous with the working-fluid pathways”, that “the voids 124 of Cerny are arranged between the tubes 110”, and “there is no disclosure of working-fluid pathways being defined within respective heat walls” (see Remarks filed 3/11/26, Pages 4-5). The Examiner does not find this argument persuasive because respective ones (see Modified Fig. 9 below at element R) of the plurality of working-fluid pathways (124) are defined within corresponding respective ones (Modified Fig. 9 below at S) of the plurality if heat walls (110). Therefore, Cerny discloses the amended limitations of claim 1, Applicant’s arguments are not found persuasive, and the rejection of Claim 1 is maintained.
Applicant has argued claims 3-6 are allowable for the same reasons as indicated above regarding claim 1 (see Remarks filed 3/11/26, Page 5). The Examiner does not find this argument persuasive for the same reasons as indicated above with regards to claim 1.
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, and 3-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Cerny et al. (U.S. 2018/0283794).
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Re claim 1:
Cerny discloses a monolithic heat exchanger body (100, heat exchanger - Para 35 (see Figs. 5-9 and Para 37)) for inputting heat to a closed-cycle engine, the monolithic heat exchanger body (100) comprising:
a plurality of heating walls (110, tubes - Para 74 (see Figs. 5-6 and 9)) arranged relative to a longitudinal axis (C, centerline - Para 74) of an inlet plenum (154, inlet plenum - Para 71)(see Figs. 5-6 and 9), wherein adjacent portions (Modified Fig. 9 above - A, B (person having ordinary skill in the art would recognize adjacent portions at elements A and B; an element A and B exists for each of the depicted elements 180 and 182)) of the plurality of heating walls (110) respectively define a corresponding plurality of heating fluid pathways (Modified Fig. 9 - C (person having ordinary skill in the art would recognize a plurality of heating fluid pathways at element C; an element C exists for each of the depicted elements 180 and 182)) fluidly communicating with the inlet plenum (154)(see Figs. 5-6, 9 and Paras 52 and 77); and
a plurality of heat transfer regions (Modified Fig. 9 above - D, E, F, G (person having ordinary skill in the art would recognize a plurality of heat transfer regions at elements D, E, F, G (see Figs. 5-6, 9, and Para 54 - “…heat exchange fluid flowing within tubes 110 is in thermal communication with the heat exchange fluid passing over tubes 110 and through interstitial voids 124 to allow for thermal energy transfer between the two fluids…”))), wherein respective ones of the plurality of heat transfer regions (Modified Fig. 9 above - D, E, F, G) have a heat transfer relationship with a corresponding portion (Para 58 - “…each tube defines an external surface area…”) of the plurality of heating fluid pathways (Modified Fig. 9 above - C)(see Modified Fig. 9 above, Figs. 5-6, 9, and Paras 54 and 58), wherein the respective ones of the plurality of heat transfer regions (Modified Fig. 9 above - D, E, F, G) comprise a plurality of working-fluid pathways (124, voids - Para 54) fluidly communicating between a heat input region (Modified Fig. 6 above - A (person having ordinary skill in the art would recognize element A as a type of heat input region; element A corresponds to the upstream of the “flow of second heat exchange fluid” referenced in Para 77 and shown at element 196 prior to flow through element 100)) and a heat extraction region (Modified Fig. 6 above -B (person having ordinary skill in the art would recognize element B as a type of heat extraction region; element B corresponds to the downstream of the “flow of second heat exchange fluid” referenced in Para 77 and shown at element 196 after flow through element 100))(see Figs. 5-9; Paras 52 and 77),
wherein respective ones (Modified Fig. 9 above - R (person having ordinary skill in the art would recognize element R as respective ones of elements 124)) of the plurality of working-fluid pathways (124) are defined within corresponding respective ones (Modified Fig. 9 above - S (person having ordinary skill in the art would recognize element S as a type of respective ones of elements 110 corresponding to element R)) of the plurality of heat walls (110)(see Modified Fig. 9 above).
Re claim 3:
Cerny discloses the monolithic heat exchanger body (100) of claim 1 (as described above), wherein the plurality of heating fluid pathways (124) pass adjacent to at least some of the plurality of heat transfer regions (Modified Fig. 9 above - D, E, F, G)(see Modified Fig. 9 above and Figs. 5-6).
Re claim 4:
Cerny discloses the monolithic heat exchanger body (100) of claim 3 (as described above), comprising:
a first heating fluid pathway (Modified Fig. 9 above - P (person having ordinary skill in the art would recognize element P as a type of first heating fluid pathway)) passing adjacent to the at least some of the plurality of heat transfer regions (Modified Fig. 9 above - D, E, F, G) in a first circumferential series (see Modified Fig. 9 above at element P (a type of first circumferential series is shown at element P which corresponds to the flow of element 196 as it passes around an element 180 along the depicted path)), the first circumferential series comprising a first heat transfer region (Modified Fig. 9 above - 1 (person having ordinary skill in the art would recognize element 1 as a type of first heat transfer region)) followed by a second heat transfer region (Modified Fig. 9 above - 2 (person having ordinary skill in the art would recognize element 2 as a type of second heat transfer region)) followed by a third heat transfer region (Modified Fig. 9 above - 3 (person having ordinary skill in the art would recognize element 3 as a type of third heat transfer region))(see Modified Fig. 9 above).
Re claim 5:
Cerny discloses the monolithic heat exchanger body (100) of claim 3 (as described above), comprising:
the first circumferential series (Modified Fig. 9 above at element P) comprising a fourth heat transfer region (Modified Fig. 9 above - 4 (person having ordinary skill in the art would recognize element 4 as a type of fourth heat transfer region)) preceded by the third heat transfer region (Modified Fig. 9 above - 3)(see Modified Fig. 9 above); and
a second heating fluid pathway (Modified Fig. 9 above - Q (person having ordinary skill in the art would recognize element Q as a type of second heating fluid pathway)) passing adjacent to at least some of the plurality of heat transfer regions (Modified Fig. 9 above - D, E, F, G) in a second circumferential series (see Modified Fig. 9 above at element Q (a type of second circumferential series is shown at element Q which corresponds to the flow of element 196 as it passes around an element 180 along the depicted path)), the second circumferential series comprising the second heat transfer region (Modified Fig. 9 above - 2) followed by the third heat transfer region (Modified Fig. 9 above - 3) followed by the fourth heat transfer region (Modified Fig. 9 above - 4) followed by the first heat transfer region (Modified Fig. 9 above - 1)(see Modified Fig. 9 above).
Re claim 6:
Cerny discloses the monolithic heat exchanger body (100) of claim 1 (as described above), wherein the monolithic heat exchanger body (100) comprises an additively manufactured monolithic body (Para 37) or an additively manufactured monolithic body-segment.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 Loren C Edwards whose telephone number is (571)272-7133. The examiner can normally be reached M-R 6AM-430PM.
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/LOREN C EDWARDS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3746 3/27/26