DETAILED ACTION
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) 1-6, 8, 10-11, and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as unpatentable over EP 1,455,155 (‘155) in view of Longardner (US 5,220,954) and EP 3,175,196 (‘196).
Regarding claims 1 and 4, ‘155 teaches a unit for a thermal regulation fluid (air) comprising a loop (42) where a heat transfer fluid circulates comprising a phase change material (14) configured to store energy; at least one heat exchanger (10) for the heat transfer fluid to flow through (20) and cool or warm the storage material; the heat exchanger comprises a first structure (20) with a conduit (22) for the heat transfer fluid and a second structure (12) around the first structure (Fig. 2) with a gap defining a housing for the phase change material (14) wherein the unit cools or warms the thermal regulation fluid (air) thanks to the second structure of the heat exchanger (see Fig. 3); the second structure has internal and external surfaces (facing toward and away from the PCM 14 respectively).
‘155 does not teach fins.
Longardner teaches that it is old and well-known to provide such devices with first fins (264) extending from the first structure (260) into the PCM (216) without contacting the second structure (see Fig. 13) in order to increase thermal transfer to the PCM.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill at the time of the invention to provide the device of ‘155 with the first fins, as taught by Longardner, in order to increase thermal transfer to the PCM.
‘196 teaches that it is old and well-known to provide such devices with multiple second fins (see Fig. 10) extending inward from the interior surface of the second structure (12; see Fig. 10) into the PCM (6) and not contacting the first structure (Figs. 8 and 10).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill at the time of the invention to provide the device of ‘155 with the second fins, as taught by ‘196, in order to increase the thermal transfer to the PCM.
‘155 further teaches: a means of circulation (28) of the thermal regulation fluid (Fig. 3), per claim 2; a pump (see Fig. 3; pump along 42) to circulate the heat transfer fluid through the loop, per claim 3; the first structure comprises dividing structures (18) which divide portions of the space between the first and second structures and secure a constant gap between the first and second structures (see Fig. 2), per claim 5; the heat exchanger is positioned inside a sheath (24) where the gap between the sheath and the second structure defines a conduit for the thermal regulation fluid (the air; see Fig. 3), per claim 6; the unit interfaces with or integrates with an air conditioning unit (“a heat exchanger for cooling room air”), per claims 8 and 10;
Regarding claim 11, in the combined teachings of ‘155, Longardner, and ‘196, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill to interleave the first and second internal fins to prevent contact between them as each of these inventions already comprises a separate structure that spans the first and second structures (i.e. ‘155: elements 18; Longardner: the 264 which engage with 272 to create supports; ‘196: elements 3 in Fig. 8).
Regarding claim 15, ‘196 teaches second fins which extend varying distances internally (see Fig. 10).
Claim(s) 7 and 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over ‘155 in view of Longardner, ‘196, and DE 10 2010037474 (‘474).
Regarding claims 7 and 9, ‘155 does not teach the controller.
‘474 teaches the use of a controller in such systems (“As a result, the storage tank device can be used flexibly, for example in conjunction with an electronic control and / or control unit, which ensures optimized energy yields by evaluating different measured values and influencing the volume flows with the aid of adjusting devices”) which utilizes temperature measurements of at least the phase change material (“energy storage system heat sources measured, evaluated and then connected according to needs accordingly”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill to provide the controller and sensors of ‘474 to the device of ‘155 to allow for precision use and optimization of the device.
Claim(s) 12-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over ‘155 in view of Longardner, ‘196, and CN 101769690 (‘690).
‘155 teaches that the external surface of the second structure exchanges heat with airflow (see Fig. 3) but does not specify external fins.
‘690 teaches that devices which exchange thermal energy between a contained fluid (inside 1) and air (the device is a radiator) are commonly formed with external fins (2) which may each extend a different distance than each other (Fig. 1), per claim 12; the outer perimeter is defined by end portions of the external fins (Fig. 1), per claim 13; and the outer perimeter may be rectangular (Fig. 1; a square is a subset of rectangle), per claim 14.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill at the time of the invention to provide the device of ‘155, as modified, with the external fins taught by ‘690 in order to increase the efficiency of thermal transfer to the external environment.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-15 have been considered but are moot because they depend entirely upon the newly entered limitations which are addressed with new grounds of rejection above.
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 Devon Lane whose telephone number is (571)270-1858. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th, 9-4.
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/DEVON LANE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3763
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