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 .
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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 on 17 June 2025 has been entered. Claims 1-4 remain pending in the application.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 29 May 2025 was filed in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities:
In Claim 1, lines 9 and 11 “a different one of the tanks” should likely read “a different one of the plurality of tanks”.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 1-4 are 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 1 recites the limitation “first piping” in line 10. This limitation is unclear because it is unclear if this is the same “first piping” of line 8 or a different (second first piping) than the “first piping” of line 8. For purposes of examination, the “first piping” in line 10 will be interpreted as “second piping” as shown at 33 in Figure 1, comprising the plurality of second channels as shown.
Claims not specifically referenced are rejected as being dependent on a rejected base claim.
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) 1-4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen (US 2011/0114193) in view of Brooks et al (US 5,207,530).
Regarding Claim 1, Chen discloses a storage module including a plurality of tanks (tank 30 of Figure 5; ¶ 50 discloses the system may be provided with multiple storage tanks 50). The storage module comprising:
a filling port (20) configured to fill each of the plurality of tanks (30; ¶ 50) with gas (¶ 16);
a supply port (to 90) configured to supply gas (¶ 16) from each of the plurality of tanks (¶ 50) to a supply destination (to fuel cell injector ¶ 18 and ¶ 3);
a release port (downstream of 62) configured to enable the release of gas from each of the plurality of tanks to an outside of the storage module (from 30; ¶ 39);
a channel (from 20, to 22 to 32 in Figure 5) connecting a tank (30) to the filling port (from 20);
a channel (from 40 to 90 including 52 and 53) connecting a tank (30) to the supply port (to 90); and characterized in that the storage module comprises:
release piping (from 40 to 60) comprising a release channel (from 40 to 60) that is a channel connecting at least one of the first channel connected to the tank, the second channel connected to the tank, and the tank, to the release port (at least the second channel to the release port downstream of 60 shown in Figure 5),
But fails to expressly disclose first piping comprising a plurality of first channels, wherein each first channel is a channel connecting a different one of the tanks to the filling port and first piping comprising a plurality of second channels, wherein each second channel is a channel connecting a different one of the tanks to the supply port; release piping comprising, for each tank, a release channel that is a channel connecting at least one of the first channel connected to the tank, the second channel connected to the tank, and the tank, to the release port.
Brooks et al teach a storage module (Figure 1) with a filling port (from 150), a supply port (to 22) and a release port (to 61) with first piping comprising a plurality of first channels (118 from 150 to tach tank via 104), wherein each first channel is a channel connecting a different one of the tanks to the filling port (Figure 1) and first piping (from 104 via 18 to 22) comprising a plurality of second channels (18 to 22), wherein each second channel is a channel connecting a different one of the tanks to the supply port (Figure 1); release piping (60) comprising, for each tank, a release channel (via 62) that is a channel connecting at least one of the first channel connected to the tank, the second channel connected to the tank, and the tank, to the release port (Figure 1 connects the tanks to the release port 61).
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 system of Chen with the system as taught by Brooks et al for the advantage of combining prior art elements according to known methods (the piping and channels of Brooks with the system of a plurality of tanks of Chen) to yield predictable results (to ensure fluid flow from each tank within the system of the plurality of tanks).
Regarding Claim 2, Chen discloses where the release channel (from 40 to 60) is connected to a safety valve (32) that is provided to the first channel connected to the tank, the second channel connected to the tank, or the tank (the safety valve 32 is provided to all the first channel, the second channel and the tank).
Regarding Claim 3, Chen discloses where the release channel (from 40 to 60) is connected to at least the second channel (at 52 in Figure 5);
the storage module further includes:
a first solenoid valve (50; ¶ 20) provided between a connection portion of the second channel (upstream of 50 shown in Figure 5) to the release channel (from 40 to 60) and the supply port (to 90),
a second solenoid valve (62; ¶ 38) provided on the release channel (from 40 to 60) connected to the second channel (at 52), and a control device (¶ 49) that is configured to control opening and closing of the first solenoid valve and the second solenoid valve (¶ 40);
and the control device (¶ 49) is configured to:
acquire pressure between the tank and the first solenoid valve in a state in which the first solenoid valve and the second solenoid valve are closed (via 42; ¶ 40), and perform control to, following acquiring temporal change of the pressure, transition the second solenoid valve to an open state and release gas from the release port (¶ 40).
Regarding Claim 4, Chen discloses where the first channel, the second channel and the release channel are housed on an inner side of a housing (the first channel, the second channel and the release channel as shown in Figure 5 with the housing of Figure 2 at 31);
the filling port, the supply port, and the release port are provided on a surface of the housing (Figure 2);
and an extension pipe (¶ 39; Figure 5 to 60) that is piping extending from the housing is disposed at the release port (Figure 5).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s amendment has overcome the rejection of record. However, a new ground of rejection is applied to the amended claims.
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 NICOLE GARDNER whose telephone number is (571)270-0144. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8AM-4PM EST.
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/NICOLE GARDNER/
Examiner, Art Unit 3753
/REINALDO SANCHEZ-MEDINA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3753