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 03/02/2026 was filed after the filing date of the instant application. 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 Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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) 1-2, 9, 11-12 and 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamanaka (US 6,321,564) in view of Myers (US 2012/0013125).
Regarding claim 1, Yamanaka discloses (refer to fig. 1) a heat pump system comprising:
a first heat exchanger (150) configured to exchange heat between a working fluid and a first environment in which the first heat exchanger is disposed;
a compressor (100) in fluid communication with the first heat exchanger (150), the compressor configured to pressurize the working fluid;
a second heat exchanger (110) in fluid communication with the compressor (100), the second heat exchanger configured to exchange heat between the working fluid and a second environment in which the second heat exchanger is disposed, the second environment being different from the first environment;
a first flowline (refer to flowline including compressor 140) connecting the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger (through branching point 121), the first flowline configured to flow the working fluid;
a throttle valve (122) installed on the first flowline, the throttle valve defining an adjustable flow restriction configured to reduce a pressure of a first portion of the working fluid as the first portion of the working fluid flows through the throttle valve (refer to col. 3, lines 58-60);
a second flowline (flowline including expansion unit 130) connecting the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger, the second flowline being separate from the throttle valve (refer to fig. 1), the second flowline providing an alternative flow path for a second portion of the working fluid to bypass the throttle valve; and
a flow-through electric generator (refer to expansion unit 130, and generator 300) installed on the second flowline and mechanically separate from the compressor.
While Yamanaka discloses the flow-through electric generator including a rotor (303), and a stator (305), wherein the flow-through electric generator is configured to generate electrical power upon rotation of the rotor within the stator (refer to col. 7, lines 14-19), Yamanaka fails to explicitly disclose a turbine wheel configured to receive the second portion of the working fluid and rotate in response to expansion of the second portion of the working fluid flowing into an inlet of the turbine wheel and out of an outlet of the turbine wheel, and the rotor coupled to the turbine wheel and configured to rotate with the turbine wheel.
However, Myers teaches that it is known in the art of refrigeration, to provide a flow-through electric generator for generating energy from fluid expansion (refer to fig. 1), comprising a turbine wheel (120) configured to receive a working fluid and rotate in response to expansion of the working fluid flowing into an inlet of the turbine wheel (120) and out of an outlet of the turbine wheel, a rotor (130) coupled to the turbine wheel (120) and configured to rotate with the turbine wheel, and a stator (162), wherein the flow-through electric generator is configured to generate electrical power upon rotation of the rotor within the stator (refer to fig. 1), in order to optimize the machine, cycle, or system parameters (refer to par. 23).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Yamanaka by providing a turbine wheel as taught by Myers configured to receive the second portion of the working fluid and rotate in response to expansion of the second portion of the working fluid flowing into an inlet of the turbine wheel and out of an outlet of the turbine wheel, and the rotor coupled to the turbine wheel and configured to rotate with the turbine wheel, in order to optimize the machine, cycle, or system parameters.
Regarding claim 2, Yamanaka as modified meets the claim limitations as disclosed above in the rejection of claim 1. Further, Yamanaka as modified discloses wherein the second flowline (flowline including expansion unit 130) branches from and reconnects to the first flowline (refer to flowline including compressor 140) in fluidic parallel to the throttle valve (refer to fig. 1).
Regarding claim 9, Yamanaka discloses a method of operating a heat pump cycle, the method comprising:
circulating a working fluid through the heat pump cycle in a first direction, wherein circulating the working fluid through the heat pump cycle in the first direction comprises:
transferring heat, by a first heat exchanger (150), from a first environment in which the first heat exchanger is disposed to the working fluid, thereby causing at least a portion of the working fluid to vaporize;
pressurizing, by a compressor (100), the working fluid received from the first heat exchanger;
transferring heat, by a second heat exchanger (110), from the working fluid to a second, different environment in which the second heat exchanger is disposed, thereby causing at least a portion of the working fluid to condense;
flowing a first portion of the working fluid from the second heat exchanger (110) through a throttle valve (122), thereby reducing a pressure of the first portion of the working fluid;
flowing a second portion of the working fluid from the second heat exchanger (110) to an expansion unit (130) of a flow-through electric generator (including generator 300), the flow-through electric generator being mechanically separate from the compressor (100);
generating electrical power (refer to col. 7, lines 14-19), by the flow-through electric generator, in response to the second portion of the working fluid flowing across the expansion unit (130); and
flowing the first portion of the working fluid from the throttle valve (122) to the first heat exchanger (110) and flowing the second portion of the working fluid from the flow-through electric generator to the first heat exchanger (refer to fig. 1).
While Yamanaka discloses the flow-through electric generator, Yamanaka fails to explicitly disclose a turbine wheel of the flow-through electric generator.
However, Myers teaches that it is known in the art of refrigeration, to provide a flow-through electric generator for generating energy from fluid expansion (refer to fig. 1), comprising a turbine wheel (120) configured to receive a working fluid and rotate in response to expansion of the working fluid flowing into an inlet of the turbine wheel (120) and out of an outlet of the turbine wheel, wherein the flow-through electric generator is configured to generate electrical power upon rotation of a rotor within a stator (refer to fig. 1), in order to optimize the machine, cycle, or system parameters (refer to par. 23).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Yamanaka by providing a turbine wheel of the flow-through electric generator in view of the teachings by Myers, in order to optimize the machine, cycle, or system parameters.
Regarding claim 11, Yamanaka as modified meets the claim limitations as disclosed above in the rejection of claim 9. Further, Yamanaka as modified discloses wherein the flow-through electric generator is electrically connected to the compressor, and the method further comprises providing at least a portion of the generated electrical power to the compressor for pressurizing the working fluid (refer to col. 10, lines 10-12, wherein Yamanaka discloses that it is known that rotation energy generated in the electrical motor of the expansion unit is supplied to the compressor).
Regarding claim 12, Yamanaka as modified meets the claim limitations as disclosed above in the rejection of claim 11. Further, Yamanaka as modified discloses wherein a first outlet temperature of the first portion of the working fluid exiting the throttle valve is greater than a second outlet temperature of the second portion of the working fluid exiting the flow-through electric generator (refer to col. 14, lines 40-45, wherein throttle 122 is a movable throttle which changes a throttle opening degree in accordance with operation state of the refrigerant cycle system and is controlled so that the throttle opening degree is increased when the heat load or the circulation refrigerant amount is increased, therefore, the first outlet temperature of the first portion of the working fluid exiting the throttle valve having the capability of being greater than a second outlet temperature of the second portion of the working fluid exiting the flow-through electric generator, since the expander further actively removes energy (work) from the second portion and the second portion’s internal energy and temperature will decrease significantly).
Regarding claim 18, Yamanaka discloses a heat pump system comprising:
a first heat exchanger (150) configured to exchange heat between a working fluid and a first environment in which the first heat exchanger is disposed;
a compressor (100) configured to pressurize the working fluid;
a second heat exchanger (110) configured to exchange heat between the working fluid and a second environment in which the second heat exchanger is disposed, the second environment being different from the first environment;
a throttle valve (122) configured to reduce a pressure of a first portion of the working fluid as the first portion of the working fluid flows through the throttle valve; and
an expansion unit (130) mechanically separate from the compressor (100) and configured to receive a second portion of the working fluid and generate electrical power in response to expansion of the second portion of the working fluid flowing through the expansion unit, wherein the expansion unit comprises a stator (305), a rotor (303), and a housing (refer to fig. 7).
While Yamanaka discloses the expansion unit including the stator, rotor and housing, Yamanaka fails to explicitly disclose a flow-through turboexpander generator comprising a turbine wheel, the rotor coupled to the turbine wheel, and the housing being hermetically sealed enclosing the turbine wheel, wherein the stator and the rotor are hermetically sealed inline in the flowline flowing the second portion of the working fluid, such that the second portion of the working fluid flows across the turbine wheel and the stator, wherein the rotor comprises a permanent magnet rotor.
However, Myers teaches a flow-through turboexpander generator (refer to fig. 1), comprising a stator (162), a turbine wheel (120), a rotor (130) coupled to the turbine
wheel (120), and a hermetically sealed housing enclosing the turbine wheel (refer to
hermetically sealed housing assembly 108 including turbine wheel 120 as explained in
par. 24), wherein the rotor (130) and the stator (162) are hermetically sealed inline in a
flowline (refer to fig. 1), such that a working fluid flows across the turbine wheel and the
stator (refer to par. 25 and fig. 1, wherein after expanding, the working fluid exits the
turbine wheel 120 from an axially oriented outlet 126 to outlet conduit 125), and the
rotor (130) comprises a permanent magnet rotor (refer to par. 42, wherein the turbine generator apparatus 100 is configured to generate electricity in response to the rotation
of the rotor 130 which can include one or more permanent magnets), in order to
optimize the machine, cycle, or system parameters (refer to par. 23), and control the
position of the turbine wheel relative to the shroud surface (refer to the end of par. 8).
One having ordinary skill in the art of refrigeration would recognize that a
hermetically sealed housing offers major benefits by preventing leaks, protecting the components from dirt/moisture, and improves safety.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill before the
effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Yamanaka by providing a turbine wheel, the rotor coupled to the turbine wheel, and a hermetically sealed housing
enclosing the turbine wheel, wherein the stator and the rotor are hermetically sealed
inline in the flowline flowing the second portion of the working fluid, such that the second
portion of the working fluid flows across the turbine wheel and the stator, wherein the
rotor comprises a permanent magnet rotor in order to prevent leaks, protect the
components from dirt/moisture, improve safety, and to control the position of the turbine
wheel relative to the shroud surface in view of the teachings by Myers along with the
knowledge generally available to one having ordinary skill in the art of refrigeration.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3, 5-8, 13-17 and 19-20 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.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see pp.9-12, filed on 03/02/2026, with respect to claims 1-3, 5-9 and 11-20 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The rejection of claims 1-3, 5-9 and 11-20 has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of newly amended claims.
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 ANA M VAZQUEZ whose telephone number is (571)272-0611. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7-4.
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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.
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/ANA M VAZQUEZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3763
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