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
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.
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) 1-3, 5 and 7-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hilbert et al. (WO 2017/194612, from hereinafter “Hilbert”).
In regards to claim 1, Hilbert teaches an assembly for transporting (abstract) uranium hexafluoride (in the description “an arrangement for transporting….uranium hexafluoride…”) comprising a sealed inner container defining a first containment shell intended to be loaded with uranium hexafluoride, the sealed inner container having a general cylindrical shape of circular cross-section (FIGS. 4-5 and associated text), the first containment shell being delimited by a lateral wall extending about a longitudinal central axis of the inner container as well as by two opposite axial ends crossed by the longitudinal central axis (FIGS. 4-5 and associated text), at least one of the two axial end walls of the sealed inner container being equipped with a uranium hexafluoride valve (FIGS. 4-5, valve 110) as well as with a protective annular axial extension of the uranium hexafluoride valve, the extension extending axially beyond the filling valve (FIGS. 4-5, valve 110, the protective instruments are clearly illustrated), a sealed outer container delimiting a second containment shell wherein the inner container is housed in an extractable manner (FIGS. 4-5 illustrate this outer shell that holds the inner shell) and two shock absorber caps removably fastened on respectively two opposite ends of the sealed outer container (FIGS. 1-3, shock absorbers 12, 14).
In regards to claim 2, Hilbert teaches that the outer sealed container includes a case as well as a cover removably fastened onto the case, the latter delimiting an axial introduction opening of the sealed inner container in the second containment shell (FIGS. 4-5, lower shell 106, upper shell 108, outer container 104).
In regards to claim 3, Hilbert teaches that the inner container is arranged in the outer container such that the filling valve faces the cover of the outer container (FIGS. 4-5, lower shell 106, upper shell 108, outer container 104, valve 110).
In regards to claim 5, Hilbert teaches that the lateral wall of the sealed outer container is made of steel (“consists of container body made of steel”).
In regards to claim 7, Hilbert teaches that one of the two shock absorber caps includes a shock absorber element axially facing the uranium hexafluoride filling valve provided on the sealed inner container (FIGS. 4-5, valve 110).
In regards to claim 8, Hilbert teaches that each shock absorber cap includes a recess wherein the associated axial end of the sealed outer container is housed (see FIG. 5 that illustrates this).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4, 6 and 9-12 objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NICOLE M IPPOLITO whose telephone number is (571)270-7449. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 6:00am-4:00pm Mountain Time.
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/NICOLE M IPPOLITO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2881