CTNF 18/649,507 CTNF 88952 DETAILED ACTION Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia 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 § 112 07-30-02 AIA 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. 07-34-01 Claim 5 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. Claim 5 requires that “the degassing tank comprises the first connecting port or the second connecting port” (emphasis added) whereas claim 4, from which claim 5 directly depends, requires “the degassing tank comprises the first connecting port and the second connecting port” (emphasis added), these two limitations are in conflict and cannot be together in the same combination of claims. For the purposes of examination claim 5 is interpreted as depending from claim 3. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102 07-07-aia AIA 07-07 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 – 07-08-aia AIA (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. 07-15-aia AIA Claim(s) 1-6 and 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Jeong (US 11,230,962 B2) . With respect to claim 1 Jeong discloses a thermal management system for a vehicle, comprising: at least one degassing pipe [reference character 40] comprising at least one degassing pipe end [see annotated Fig. below]; and a filling pipe [reference character 24], wherein the at least one degassing pipe is connected to a degassing tank [reference character 13] by means of at least one connecting port [reference character 46a], and the at least one connecting port is arranged at a side wall of the degassing tank [see Fig. 1], wherein the filling pipe is connected to the degassing tank by means of a filling port [reference character 52], and the filling port is arranged at the bottom of the degassing tank [see Fig. 1], wherein the at least one degassing pipe end is arranged below a limit level of the degassing tank [see annotated Fig. below], and wherein the at least one degassing pipe end is arranged at a first distance [see annotated Fig. below] from the filling port of the filling pipe. PNG media_image1.png 341 541 media_image1.png Greyscale With respect to claim 2 Jeong discloses that the filling pipe comprises a larger dimension than the at least one degassing pipe [see Fig. 3] 1 . With respect to claim 3 Jeong discloses the at least one degassing pipe comprises: a first degassing pipe [reference character 40] comprising a first degassing pipe end [see annotated Fig. above]; and a second degassing pipe [reference character 23] comprising a second degassing pipe end [the end of pipe 23 connected to 51], wherein the first degassing pipe is connected to the degassing tank by means of a first connecting port [reference character 46a], and the second degassing pipe is connected to the degassing tank by means of a second connecting port [reference character 51]. With respect to claim 4 Jeong discloses that the degassing tank comprises the first connecting port and the second connecting port [see Figs. 1 and 3], wherein the first connecting port is arranged in a top region or a bottom region of the side wall of the degassing tank [see Figs. 1 and 3], and wherein the second connecting port is arranged in the top region or the bottom region of the side wall of the degassing tank [see Figs. 1 and 3]. With respect to claim 5 Jeong discloses that the degassing tank comprises the first connecting port or the second connecting port [see Figs. 1 and 3], wherein the first connecting port is arranged in a top region or a bottom region of the side wall of the degassing tank [see Figs. 1 and 3], and wherein the second connecting port is arranged in the top region or the bottom region of the side wall of the degassing tank [see Figs. 1 and 3]. With respect claim 6 Jeong discloses that wherein the first degassing pipe end is arranged at a second distance from the second degassing pipe end [see annotated Fig. below]. PNG media_image2.png 270 415 media_image2.png Greyscale With respect to claim 10 Jeong discloses at least one restriction unit [reference character 42], wherein the at least one restriction unit is arranged along the at least one degassing pipe [see Fig. 4], and wherein the at least one restriction unit is configured to restrict at least one degassing flow inside the at least one degassing pipe at a degassing flow rate by setting a dimension of a restriction [since the diameter of 42 is smaller than that of 46/41, therefore the flow rate will be restricted by the smaller flow diameters, see Fig. 6] . 07-15-aia AIA Claim(s) 12-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Jeong (US 11,230,962 B2) . With respect to claim 12 Jeong discloses a vehicle [column 2 lines 60-64] comprising a thermal management system, comprising: at least one degassing pipe [reference character 40] comprising at least one degassing pipe end [see annotated Fig. below]; and a filling pipe [reference character 24], wherein the at least one degassing pipe is connected to a degassing tank [reference character 13] by means of at least one connecting port [reference character 46a], and the at least one connecting port is arranged at a side wall of the degassing tank [see Fig. 1], wherein the filling pipe is connected to the degassing tank by means of a filling port [reference character 52], and the filling port is arranged at the bottom of the degassing tank [see Fig. 1], wherein the at least one degassing pipe end is arranged below a limit level of the degassing tank [see annotated Fig. below], and wherein the at least one degassing pipe end is arranged at a first distance [see annotated Fig. below] from the filling port of the filling pipe. With respect to claim 13 Jeong discloses that the thermal management system is used for a flow or pressure balancing system of the vehicle [see column 1 lines 16-21 for flow, and column 5 lines 21-24 for pressure]. With respect to claim 14 Jeong discloses that the thermal management system is used for a flow and pressure balancing system of the vehicle [see column 1 lines 16-21 for flow, and column 5 lines 21-24 for pressure] . 07-15-aia AIA Claim(s) 15-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Jeong (US 11,230,962 B2) . With respect to claim 15 Jeong discloses a method for controlling a thermal management system for a vehicle, the method comprising: connecting at least one degassing pipe [reference character 40] comprising at least one degassing pipe end [see annotated Fig. above with regards to claim 1] to a degassing tank by means of at least one connecting port [reference character 46a], wherein the at least one connecting port is arranged at a side wall of the degassing tank [see Figs. 1 and 3]; connecting a filling pipe [reference character 24] to the degassing tank by means of a filling port [reference character 46a], wherein the filling port is arranged at the bottom of the degassing tank [see Figs. 1 and 3]; arranging the at least one degassing pipe end below a limit level of the degassing tank and at a first distance from the filling port of the filling pipe [see annotated Fig. above with respect to claim 1]. With respect to claim 16 Jeong discloses arranging a second connecting port [reference character 46a] on the same side as or on an opposite side to the first connecting port at the side wall of the degassing tank [see Figs. 1 and 3]; providing the at least one degassing pipe with a first degassing pipe [reference character 40] comprising a first degassing pipe end [see annotated Fig. above associated with claim 1] and a second degassing pipe [reference character 23] comprising a second degassing pipe end [the end of pipe 23 connected to 51]; connecting the first degassing pipe to the degassing tank by means of the first connecting port, or connecting the second degassing pipe to the degassing tank by means of the second connecting port; and arranging the first degassing pipe end at a second distance from the second degassing pipe end [see annotated Fig. above associated with claim 3] . 07-15-aia AIA Claim(s) 18-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Jeong (US 11,230,962 B2) . With respect to claim 18 a computer program element for a thermal management system, wherein the computer program element is executable by a processing element of a vehicle, to cause the processing element to: at least one degassing pipe [reference character 40] comprising at least one degassing pipe end [see annotated Fig. above with regards to claim 1] to a degassing tank by means of at least one connecting port [reference character 46a], wherein the at least one connecting port is arranged at a side wall of the degassing tank [see Figs. 1 and 3]; connecting a filling pipe [reference character 24] to the degassing tank by means of a filling port [reference character 46a], wherein the filling port is arranged at the bottom of the degassing tank [see Figs. 1 and 3]; arranging the at least one degassing pipe end below a limit level of the degassing tank and at a first distance from the filling port of the filling pipe [see annotated Fig. above with respect to claim 1]. With respect to claim 16 Jeong discloses that the computer program element is further executable by the processing element of the vehicle, to cause the processing element to arrange a second connecting port [reference character 46a] on the same side as or on an opposite side to the first connecting port at the side wall of the degassing tank [see Figs. 1 and 3]; providing the at least one degassing pipe with a first degassing pipe [reference character 40] comprising a first degassing pipe end [see annotated Fig. above associated with claim 1] and a second degassing pipe [reference character 23] comprising a second degassing pipe end [the end of pipe 23 connected to 51]; connecting the first degassing pipe to the degassing tank by means of the first connecting port, or connecting the second degassing pipe to the degassing tank by means of the second connecting port; and arranging the first degassing pipe end at a second distance from the second degassing pipe end [see annotated Fig. above associated with claim 3] . Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 07-20-aia AIA 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. 07-23-aia AIA The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows: 1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art. 2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue. 3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art. 4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness. 07-21-aia AIA Claim (s) 7-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jeong (US 11,230,962 B2) . With respect to claims 7-9 Jeong does not disclose that the first connecting port and the second connecting port are arranged on the same side of the side wall of the degassing tank, and wherein the first connecting port is arranged at a lower position at the side wall than the second connecting port (claim 7). Wherein the second connecting port is arranged on an opposite side of the side wall to the first connecting port, and wherein the first connecting port is arranged at a lower or higher position at the side wall than the second connecting port (claim 8), and wherein the second connecting port is arranged on an opposite side of the side wall to the first connecting port, or wherein the first connecting port is arranged at a lower or higher position at the side wall than the second connecting port (claim 9). However, the limitations of claims 7-9 are interpreted as mere rearrangement of the existing parts of the invention which only require routine and non-obvious skill in the art. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the filing date of the invention to rearrange the parts of the invention to provide for the limitations of claims 7-9, since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. In re Japikse, 86 USPQ 70 . Allowable Subject Matter 12-151-08 AIA 07-43 12-51-08 Claim s 11, 17 and 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. Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to VIVEK K SHIRSAT whose telephone number is (571)272-3722. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:00AM-5:20AM. 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, Steven B McAllister can be reached at 571-272-6785. 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If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /VIVEK K SHIRSAT/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3762 Application/Control Number: 18/649,507 Page 2 Art Unit: 3762 Application/Control Number: 18/649,507 Page 3 Art Unit: 3762 Application/Control Number: 18/649,507 Page 4 Art Unit: 3762 Application/Control Number: 18/649,507 Page 5 Art Unit: 3762 Application/Control Number: 18/649,507 Page 6 Art Unit: 3762 Application/Control Number: 18/649,507 Page 7 Art Unit: 3762 Application/Control Number: 18/649,507 Page 9 Art Unit: 3762 1 In Fig. 3 the filling port is objectively larger in diameter than the at last one degassing pipe, and being a male filling port, the female filling pipe will extend over the filling port and therefore would also be larger in diameter than the at least one degassing pipe.
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