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 § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 9 recites the limitation of "the atmosphere opening port" in 3rd line. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim because prior to the citation, claim 9 fails to disclose “an atmosphere opening port”.
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.
Claim(s) 1-3, 7, and 9-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/ (a)(2) as being anticipated by Teruyoshi et al. (JP 2020 - 9544).
As to claim 1, Teruyoshi et al. (JP ‘544) disclose a fuel cell system (50; ¶ [0001] - ¶ [0002]) comprising:
- a fuel cell module (a fuel cell device 40; ¶ [0001] - ¶ [0002]) having a fuel cell stack (41; ¶ [0001] - ¶ [0002]);
- a fuel gas system (the fuel gas supply 10, ¶ [0001]) that supplies a fuel gas (hydrogen gas G1, ¶ [0003]) to the fuel cell stack (41; ¶ [0001] - ¶ [0002]);
- an upstream-side block valve (shutoff valve 11A, ¶ [0004]) and a downstream-side block valve (shutoff valve 11B, ¶ [0004]) that open and close the fuel gas system (the fuel gas supply 10, ¶ [0001]);
- a vent system (a branch passage 20, ¶ [0010]) that is provided to branch from the fuel gas system (the fuel gas supply 10, ¶ [0001]) between the upstream-side block valve (shutoff valve 11B, ¶ [0004]) and the downstream-side block valve (shutoff valve 11B, ¶ [0004]); and
- a bleed valve (a bleed valve 21, ¶ [0010] - ¶ [0011]) that opens and closes the vent system (a branch passage 20, ¶ [0010]), wherein when an operation of the fuel cell stack (41; ¶ [0001] - ¶ [0002]) is to be stopped, pressure reduction control, in which the bleed valve (a bleed valve 21, ¶ [0010] - ¶ [0011]) is opened after the upstream-side block valve (a bleed valve 21, ¶ [0010] - ¶ [0011]) is closed, and
- then the downstream-side block valve (shutoff valve 11B, ¶ [0004]) is closed after a predetermined time has elapsed, is performed.
As to claim 2, Teruyoshi et al. (JP ‘544) teach in the pressure reduction control, the bleed valve (a bleed valve 21, ¶ [0010] - ¶ [0011]) is closed before the downstream-side block valve (shutoff valve 11B, ¶ [0004]) is closed.
As to claim 3, Teruyoshi et al. (JP ‘544) disclose in the pressure reduction control, the bleed valve (a bleed valve 21, ¶ [0010] - ¶ [0011]) is closed simultaneously with closing of the downstream-side block valve (shutoff valve 11B, ¶ [0004]).
As to claim 7, Teruyoshi et al. (JP ‘544) teach a pressure reduction portion disposed between the downstream-side block valve (shutoff valve 11B, ¶ [0004]) and the fuel cell stack (41; ¶ [0001] - ¶ [0002]) in the fuel gas system (50; ¶ [0001] - ¶ [0002]); and a relief valve (23, ¶ [0063]) disposed in a discharge flow path portion that branches from the fuel gas system (50; ¶ [0001] - ¶ [0002]) between the pressure reduction portion and the fuel cell stack (41; ¶ [0001] - ¶ [0002]), wherein the discharge flow path portion merges with the vent system (a branch passage 20, ¶ [0010]) on a downstream side opposite to the relief valve (23, ¶ [0063]).
As to claim 9, Teruyoshi et al. (JP ‘544) teach a drain portion that communicates with the vent system (a branch passage 20, ¶ [0010]) between the bleed valve (a bleed valve 21, ¶ [0010] - ¶ [0011]) and an atmosphere opening port.
As to claim 10, Teruyoshi et al. (JP ‘544) disclose an inert gas supply passage connected to the fuel gas system (the fuel gas supply 10, ¶ [0001]), wherein the vent system (a branch passage 20, ¶ [0010]) includes a condensed water backflow preventing portion, and a drying control for guiding an inert gas supplied from the inert gas supply passage to the condensed water backflow preventing portion is performed in a state in which an operation of the fuel cell stack (41; ¶ [0001] - ¶ [0002]) is stopped.
As to claim 11, Teruyoshi et al. (JP ‘544) teach in the drying control, the inert gas is supplied from the inert gas supply passage in a state in which the upstream-side block valve (shutoff valve 11A, ¶ [0004]) and the bleed valve (a bleed valve 21, ¶ [0010] - ¶ [0011]) are opened and the downstream-side block valve (shutoff valve 11B, ¶ [0004]) is closed.
As to claim 12, Teruyoshi et al. (JP ‘544) discloses a purge system (¶ [0014]) that branches off from the fuel gas system (50; ¶ [0001] - ¶ [0002]) at a position on a downstream side of a merging portion between the fuel gas system (50; ¶ [0001] - ¶ [0002]) and the inert gas supply passage and on an upstream side of the upstream-side block valve (shutoff valve 11A, ¶ [0004]), and joins the vent system (a branch passage 20, ¶ [0010]), wherein the purge system includes a purge passage and a purge valve.
As to claim 13, Teruyoshi et al. (JP ‘544) teaches in the drying control, the inert gas is supplied from the inert gas supply passage after the purge valve is opened in a state in which all the upstream-side block valve (shutoff valve 11A, ¶ [0004]), the downstream-side block valve (shutoff valve 11A, ¶ [0004]), and the bleed valve (a bleed valve 21, ¶ [0010] - ¶ [0011]) are closed.
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 non-obviousness.
Claim(s) 4-6 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Teruyoshi et al. (JP ‘544) in view of Saito (CN 108630963).
Teruyoshi et al. (JP ‘544) fail to disclose a first pressure sensor disposed in the fuel gas system between the upstream-side, as claimed in claims 4-6, and a second pressure sensor disposed between the pressure reduction portion and the fuel cell stack in the fuel gas system, as claimed in claims 8-9.
In the analogous art, Saito (CN ‘963) discloses a fuel cell system, comprising a fuel cell, an open and close valve is formed to be capable of decompressing, adjusting the state of the fuel gas quantity of the fuel gas supplied to the fuel cell, a fuel gas supply flow path. is between the fuel cell and the open/close valve of the first flow path and reaches the second flow path of the fuel gas supply source via a cut-off valve from the open/close valve, a first pressure sensor for detecting the pressure of the fuel gas in the first flow path, and a gas discharging mechanism, the pressure of the fuel gas in the first flow path exceeds a threshold value, the flow path for the first fuel gas discharged out to the first flow path, a circulating flow path, the fuel off gas discharged from the fuel cell is returned to the first flow path, a purge valve for the circulating flow of fluid passage is discharged out of the said circulating flow; and a control device, and said opening-closing valve, the shut-off valve, the first pressure sensor and the purge valve connection, in the case of abnormal pressure value detected by the first pressure sensor, the control device the shut-off valve and the purge valve is closed. (see claim 1)
Further, Saito (CN ‘963) teaches detecting a second pressure sensor of the pressure of the fuel gas in the second flow path, the control device after the shut-off valve is closed. using the second pressure sensor for monitoring the pressure in the second flow path is reduced, as a result, confirming the pressure in the condition of reducing the second flow path. (see claim 4)
As to claim 4, Saito (CN ‘963) discloses a first pressure sensor (P1, ¶ [0046] - ¶ [0047]) disposed in the fuel gas system between the upstream-side block valve and the fuel cell stack, wherein the predetermined time is a time until a measurement value of the first pressure sensor becomes equal to or less than a preset setting value. (¶ [0046] - ¶ [0047])
As to claim 5, Saito (CN ‘963) teaches the first pressure sensor (P1, ¶ [0046] - ¶ [0047]) is disposed between the downstream-side block valve and the fuel cell stack in the fuel gas system. (P1, ¶ [0046] - ¶ [0047])
As to claim 6, Saito (CN ‘963) discloses the first pressure sensor (P1, ¶ [0046] - ¶ [0047]) is disposed between the upstream-side block valve and the downstream-side block valve in the fuel gas system.
As to claim 8, Saito (CN ‘963) discloses a second pressure sensor (P3, ¶ [0046] - ¶ [0047]) disposed between the pressure reduction portion and the fuel cell stack in the fuel gas system, wherein, in the pressure reduction control, the upstream-side block valve is closed and the downstream-side block valve and the bleed valve are opened when a value of the second pressure sensor becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined value. (P1, ¶ [0046] - ¶ [0047])
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art, prior to the time of applicant’s invention, to modify the fuel cell system, as taught by Saito (CN ‘963), through providing a first pressure sensor disposed in the fuel gas system and a second pressure sensor disposed between the pressure reduction portion and the fuel cell stack in the fuel gas system in order to determine the abnormal reason, fit for performing suitable fail safe fuel cell system and its control method, as suggested by Saito (CN ‘963): ¶ [0002].
Correspondence Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SEYED MASOUD MALEKZADEH whose telephone number is (571)272-6215. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30AM-5:00PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, SUSAN D. LEONG can be reached at (571)270-1487. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SEYED MASOUD MALEKZADEH/Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1754
08/31/2026
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