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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I, claims 1-13 and 17-19 in the reply filed on 04 September 2026 is acknowledged.
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 4 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. The double recitation of “a clamp connection adapter unit” in both claims 1 and 3 makes ambiguous the recitation of “said clamp connection adapter unit” in claim 4.
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.
Claims 1, 3, 17 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Liebman (US 2,657,912).
Regarding claim 1, Liebman discloses an assembly comprising a tank base comprising a tank base body (7b) made as a single body and comprising an annular connection edge (16), and an inclined bottom wall (see Fig. 1), for allowing a fluid to flow, by gravity, towards a minimum portion thereof, said annular connection edge and inclined bottom wall delimiting a tank bottom cavity with edge surfaces and bottom wall surfaces converging towards said minimum portion (see Fig. 1); and wherein said minimum portion comprises a drainage opening (10) for complete drainage, by gravity, of a fluid contained in a pressure container intended to be used with the claimed assembly and wherein said inclined bottom wall is made devoid of any further drainage openings (see Fig. 1); and said drainage opening (10) is surrounded by a flange (see Fig. 1) for connecting an item that is not a required element of the claimed assembly.
Regarding claim 3, said tank base comprises a clamp connection adapter unit (7a or 15).
Regarding claim 17, a port (8 or 9) is disclosed.
Regarding claim 18, a port (8 or 9) is disclosed.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 19 is allowed.
Claims 5-13 are 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.
Claim 4 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include 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 DAVID L SORKIN whose telephone number is (571)272-1148. The examiner can normally be reached 7am-3:30pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Claire X Wang can be reached at (571) 270-1051. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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DAVID L. SORKIN
Examiner
Art Unit 1774
/DAVID L SORKIN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1774
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