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 § 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, 17-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over FOR1 (JPS50124236A) in view of Lei (CN107975951A) and Bidner (US20170210196A1).
Regarding claim 1, FOR1 teaches (see Fig. 3-5) a thermal energy storage device, comprising: a tank (tank 1) having internal space (internal space thereof) and at least one first opening (one of pipes 3); at least two containers (containers 4), wherein each of the containers at least has an obverse wall, a reverse wall and an internal space, wherein the internal space of the at least one container contains a phase change material (heat storage element 5 & “solid to liquid,” “latent heat” – Page 1-2), and wherein the obverse wall and/or reverse wall of the at least one container has a substantially planar surface, wherein the substantially planar surface begins at a cross-sectional centre of the at least one container to at least one internal wall of the internal space of the tank; wherein the containers are arranged in the internal space of the tank above each other in a stack to define a flow path (see flow passage 6 at center of containers 4) for the fluid in the internal space of the tank, wherein each neighboring pair of containers has a hole or a recess, the hole or recess of the containers being positioned so as not to vertically overlap with each other, wherein the flow path allows a fluid to flow from the at least one first opening of the tank at least partially over a surface of the obverse wall of at least one of the containers, then at least partially over a surface of the reverse wall of the at least one of the containers, then, one further container in the stack after the other, at least partially over a surface of the obverse wall and the at least partially over a surface of the reverse wall of each further container in the stack (see flow paths denoted by arrows),
FOR1 does not teach wherein the at least two containers are arranged in at least two zones in the internal space of the tank, and wherein the at least two containers comprise the phase change material which has a melting point which is different between the zones.
Lei teaches (see Fig. ½) wherein the at least two containers are arranged in at least two zones (PCM1, PCM2, etc) in the internal space of the tank (1), and wherein the at least two containers comprise the phase change material which has a melting point which is different between the zones (Page 1).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified FOR1 to include the multiple zones having different melting points as taught by Lei, in order to improve heat storage efficiency (Page 1).
FOR1 does not teach wherein the thermal energy storage device further includes a state of charge monitoring system configured to detect a temperature of the internal space of the tank and convert the detected temperature to a state of charge.
Bidner teaches wherein the thermal energy storage device further includes a state of charge monitoring system (controller 12; Fig. 1) configured to detect a temperature (via 232/230/112; Fig. 2) of the internal space of the tank and convert the detected temperature to a state of charge.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified FOR1 to include the state of charge monitoring system of Bidner, in order to determine if charging of the thermal storage is required (¶[0079]).
Regarding claim 17, FOR1 as modified teaches the limitations of claim 1, and Bidner further teaches the state of charge monitoring system is configured to detect at least one of i) a surface temperature of the containers, ii) a temperature of the fluid exiting the tank, and iii) a temperature of the fluid flowing through the flow path of the tank (via 232/230/112; Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 18, FOR1 as modified teaches the limitations of claim 17, and FOR1 further teaches wherein the containers (containers 4) are in direct contact with the wall of the tank (tank 1), and Bidner further teaches the state of charge monitoring system includes a temperature sensor fixed in the internal space of the containers, and is configured to further detect iv) a temperature of the phase change material in the containers (via 232/230; Fig. 2).
Claim(s) 3-4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over FOR1 (JPS50124236A) in view of Lei (CN107975951A), Bidner (US20170210196A1) and Salzer (DE19851192A1).
Regarding claims 3-4, FOR1 teaches the limitations of claim 1, and FOR1 does not teach the thermal energy storage device comprises at least one spacer between each neighboring pairs of containers to provide at least one first part of the flow path for a fluid between each neighboring pairs of containers, the at least one spacer provides at least regionally nonlinear, first part of the flow path, wherein the at least one spacer is a baffle comprises perforated sections and is connected to the at least one internal wall of the internal space of the tank.
Salzer teaches (see Fig. 1 and 3) the thermal energy storage device comprises at least one spacer (22) between each neighboring pairs of containers to provide at least one first part of the flow path for a fluid between each neighboring pairs of containers (18), the at least one spacer provides at least regionally nonlinear, first part of the flow path (28), wherein the at least one spacer is a baffle comprises perforated sections and is connected to the at least one internal wall (12) of the internal space of the tank.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified FOR1 to include the spacers of Salzer, in order to maintain spacing and increase swirling of the heat transfer fluid (Page 2).
Claim(s) 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over FOR1 (JPS50124236A) in view of Lei (CN107975951A), Bidner (US20170210196A1) and Salzer (DE19851192A1), and Steffes (US20190294193A).
Regarding claim 16, FOR1 teaches the limitations of claim 1, and FOR1 does not teach wherein the detected temperature is converted based on a temperature-state of charge (SOC) calibration correlation.
Steffes teaches wherein the detected temperature is converted based on a temperature-state of charge (SOC) calibration correlation (¶[0030]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified FOR1 to include the calibration of Steffes, in order to account for initial known or actual volume of the phase change medium (¶[0030]).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the claim(s) have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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 ERIC S RUPPERT whose telephone number is (571)272-9911. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8 am - 4 pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Len Tran can be reached at 571-272-1184. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/ERIC S RUPPERT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3763
Prosecution Insights