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 § 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.
Claim(s) 1 and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Masters (US 4207647).
Regarding claims 1 and 15, Masters teaches a water tank subsystem 10 (fig. 1; also see Abstract for “water”) positionable on either a trailer chassis subsystem 11 or a skid subsystem, wherein the water tank subsystem comprises a freeze prevention subsystem (drainage; see col. 7 lines 10-20 regarding freezing); and a fastener subsystem for securely connecting the trailer chassis subsystem or the skid subsystem to the water tank subsystem (platform shown at the base of tank is fastener); wherein the water tank subsystem comprises a top hatch 15 and a vent 24.
Claim(s) 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kahle (US 20220018135).
Kahle teaches a cold weather add-on kit comprising a freeze prevention control panel and a heating element; and thermal insulation (abstract; fig. 11 shows kit; para. 0070 for thermal insulation).
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) 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Masters (US 4207647) in view of CN 105020893.
Regarding claim 8, Masters teaches all claimed features, but fails to disclose the tank having a coating of sheet metal.
CN 105020893 teaches a tank including a coating of sheet metal (claims.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time of invention, to employ in Masters a coating of sheet metal, as taught by CN 105020893 , for the purpose of strengthen and protecting the tank.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-7, 9-14, 17, and 18 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: Masters fails to disclose a cold weather add-on kit comprising a freeze prevention control panel and a heating element; the freeze prevention subsystem comprises thermal insulation between the tank and sheet metal coating; the fastener subsystem comprises a tank mount pad, a vessel mount and a frame mount pad; the water tank subsystem comprises an internal lateral baffle.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Modak teaches a water tank with drainage.
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/P. MACADE NICHOLS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3753