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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 12/05/2023 and 12/05/2025. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claims 1-20 are objected to because of the following informalities:
In claims 1-2: each bullet “-“ should be removed.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 8-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a1) as being anticipated by Juergen (WO201719092 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Juergen discloses
A heating volume absorber (storage tank 1, fig.3) for a container (tank volume 6, fig.3) of liquid of a vehicle (intended use), said absorber (storage tank 1) comprising:
a deformable element (pipe 8, housing 16, inlet 17, return 18, fig.3) having:
a deformable internal part (pipe 8, fig.3) forming an internal chamber (inside of pipe 8), said deformable internal part (pipe 8) being constructed and arranged so as to be positioned in said container (tank volume 6) of liquid,
an external body (housing 16, fig.3) forming an external chamber (chamber of housing 16) communicating with said internal chamber (inside of pipe 8), said external body (housing 16) having at least one deformable wall1 and being constructed and arranged so as to obstruct an orifice (inlet 17, return 18, fig.3) of said container (tank volume 6) of liquid,
a heat transfer fluid (heating circuit 7, fig.3) disposed in said deformable element (pipe 8, housing 16, inlet 17, return 18), and
an electric heating device (electric heater 12, fig.3) for heating said heat transfer fluid (heating circuit).
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Regarding claim 8, Juergen discloses
the electric heating device (electric heater 12, fig.3) is disposed in contact with the heat transfer fluid (heating circuit 7, fig.3) contained in the external chamber (chamber of housing 16, fig.3).
Regarding claim 9, Juergen discloses
a part of the electric heating device (electric heater 12, fig.3) is overmolded in the external body (housing 16, fig.3).
Regarding claim 10, Juergen discloses
the distal end of the internal part (pipe 8, fig.3) has an external peripheral seal constructed and arranged so as to come into contact with an internal wall of the container (tank volume 6, fig.3) of liquid.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-7 and 11-20 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 2, the prior art does not anticipate or render fairly obvious in combination to teach the limitation as cited in the claim such as the external body has a plug for obstructing the orifice of the container of liquid, said obstruction plug having an orifice for circulation of the heat transfer fluid between the internal chamber and the external chamber, and wherein the deformable wall is formed by a deformable membrane disposed at a distal end of said external body, said deformable membrane having a first surface in contact with said heat transfer fluid.
The dependent claims 3-7 and 11-20 are also objected by being dependent on the dependent claim 2.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Henry et al. (US 5844211) is considered as the relevant prior art in field of a heating water tank, as shown in figs.1-2, with a container, a heater and a heat flow path, but does not disclose a deformable element structure…
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PHUONG T NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)270-1834. The examiner can normally be reached 9.00am-5.00pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Steven Crabb can be reached on 571-270-5095. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/PHUONG T NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3761
06/08/2026
1 End(s) of flexible pipe 8 is/are considered as at least a part of deformable wall of housing 16.
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