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 .
Response to Amendment
The preliminary amendment to the claims and specification dated 4/3/2024 is acknowledged. Claims 1-24 were canceled and new claims 25-45 were added.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the:
“plurality of rotating bars” of claim 33;
“plurality of displaceable magnets joined together” of claim 36; and
“each pole of a magnet faces a pole of a preceding or following magnet of the same polarity” of claim 37;
must be shown or the features canceled from the claims. No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they include the following reference characters not mentioned in the description:
10 and 11 as seen in FIG. 4 and 5.
12 and 13 as seen in FIG. 4.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d), or amendment to the specification to add the reference character(s) in the description in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(b) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Objections
Claim 25 is objected to for containing a singular reference character in “energy conversion device (6)” which appears to have been meant to be removed.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
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.
Claims 32 and 34-36 are 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 32 recites the claim limitations of “said bar being preferably inside a communication duct,” and “said bar is preferably parallel to a longitudinal axis.” It is unclear whether the claim is requiring the claim limitations are required or not.
Claim 34 recites the claim limitation “preferably wrapped onto an enclosure.” It is unclear whether the claim limitation is required or not.
Claim 35 recites the claim limitation “preferably in the form of a grid casing.” It is unclear whether the claim limitation is required or not.
Claim 36 recites the claim limitation “possibly with spacer elements between them.” It is unclear whether the claim limitation is required or not.
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.
Claims 25-28, 30, 35-36, 38-42, and 44-45 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0146963 to Miller (cited by Applicant on 6/24/2024) in view of German Patent No. 10 2018 130 412 to Lindner et al. (hereinafter Lindner; provided by Applicant on 6/24/2024) and Japanese Patent No. 2014-036495 to Imai et al. (hereinafter Imai).
Regarding claim 25, Miller teaches an apparatus for generation of electric power (FIG. 5, 80) comprising:
a sealed (Paragraph [0054]) assembly including at least two chambers (FIG. 5; 82, 84) and a communication duct (FIG. 5, 91), wherein the communication duct is arranged to provide fluid communication between said two chambers (Paragraph [0054]);
a working medium (FIG. 5, 86) in a liquid state contained in at least one of said chambers;
wherein the volume of said liquid working medium is less than the inner capacity of the whole assembly (FIG. 5, 86);
wherein the apparatus is configured in such a way that heating the liquid working medium (Paragraph [0055]-[0056]) contained in a first chamber of the assembly includes a transfer of the working medium, either in liquid state or in a vapor state, from said first chamber to a second chamber of the assembly, through a communication duct between said first chamber and second chamber (Paragraph [0056]);
the apparatus further comprising at least one energy conversion device arranged in at least one of said chambers and/or in the communication duct and configured to transform energy of the working medium travelling through the apparatus into an electric power output (Paragraph [0056]),
wherein said energy conversion device includes at least one magnetic element (FIG. 5, 94), said at least one magnetic element being arranged to enter into direct contact with the working medium.
Miller does not teach a vacuum condition being provided in the assembly, so that the boiling temperature of said liquid working medium in the assembly is lower than the boiling temperature of the same liquid at ambient pressure; and
wherein said assembly includes more than two chambers forming a sequence of chambers, and wherein the working medium is transferred through the chambers by means of a plurality of transfer steps, each step being a transfer from a first chamber to a second chamber next to the first chamber in the sequence, the transfer of the working medium being operated as a result of heating any of the chambers of the apparatus, wherein the sequence of chambers forms a closed circuit and the process is performed cyclically while the working medium traverses the closed-circuit sequence of chambers.
However, Lindner teaches a power generation apparatus with a working medium under a vacuum condition, so that the boiling temperature of said liquid working medium in the assembly is lower than the boiling temperature of the same liquid at ambient temperature (Paragraph [0021]-[0022]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the apparatus of Miller with the vacuum condition of Lindner to lower the boiling temperature of the working medium so that the power generation could occur at a lower temperature.
Miller in view of Lindner does not teach said assembly including more than two chambers forming a sequence of chambers, and wherein the working medium is transferred through the chambers by means of a plurality of transfer steps, each step being a transfer from a first chamber to a second chamber next to the first chamber in the sequence, the transfer of the working medium being operated as a result of heating any of the chambers of the apparatus, wherein the sequence of chambers forms a closed circuit and the process is performed cyclically while the working medium traverses the closed-circuit sequence of chambers.
However, Imai teaches a power generation assembly including more than two chambers forming a sequence of chambers (FIG. 1; 202a-202i), and wherein the working medium is transferred through the chambers by means of a plurality of transfer steps, each step being a transfer from a first chamber to a second chamber next to the first chamber in the sequence, the transfer of the working medium being operated as a result of heating any of the chambers of the apparatus, wherein the sequence of chambers forms a closed circuit and the process is performed cyclically while the working medium traverses the closed-circuit sequence of chambers (Paragraph [0020]-[0023]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the apparatus of Miller in view of Lindner with the sequence of chambers of Imai to further increase the power generation capacity of the apparatus.
Regarding claim 26, Miller in view of Lindner and Imai teaches the apparatus according to claim 25, wherein Miller further teaches said liquid working medium being a pure liquid and having a boiling point lower than the boiling point of water (Paragraph [0054]; [0032]).
Regarding claim 27, Miller in view of Lindner and Imai teaches the apparatus according to claim 25, wherein Miller further teaches said assembly being configured so that one or more of the communication ducts act as connecting elements and/or supporting elements for two or more of the chambers (FIG. 5, 88).
Regarding claim 28, Miller in view of Lindner and Imai teaches the apparatus according to claim 25, wherein Miller further teaches the assembly being configured so that the working medium effluent from said first chamber through a communication duct returns in the same first chamber either through the same communication duct (Paragraph [0056]).
Regarding claim 30, Miller in view of Lindner and Imai teaches the apparatus according to claim 25, wherein Miller further teaches said energy conversion device including at least one displaceable magnetic element (FIG. 5, 94), and at least one coil (FIG. 5, 90) inductively coupled with the magnetic element, arranged so that a displacement of the magnetic element induces an electric current in the coil (Paragraph [0056]).
Regarding claim 35, Miller in view of Lindner and Imai teaches the apparatus according to claim 25, wherein Miller further teaches said energy conversion device including at least one displaceable magnet (FIG. 5, 94) arranged to be displaced by the working medium from one chamber to another through a communication duct, further including at least one device (FIG. 5, 94) arranged in a chamber to guide said displaceable magnet when travelling through the chamber and prevent said magnet from falling into the chamber (Paragraph [0054]).
Regarding claim 36, Miller in view of Lindner and Imai teaches the apparatus according to claim 35, wherein Miller further teaches a plurality of displaceable magnets (FIG. 7, 300) joined together, with spacer elements between them (Paragraph [0060]), to form a single displaceable element (FIG. 6, 281).
Regarding claim 38, Miller in view of Lindner and Imai teaches the apparatus according to claim 25, wherein Miller further teaches said energy conversion device including at least one coil (FIG> 5, 90) and at least one magnetic element (FIG. 5, 94) arranged to move relative to the coil, thus providing a variable magnetic field in the coil and an induced electromotive force (Paragraph [0056]).
Regarding claim 39, Miller in view of Lindner and Imai teaches the apparatus according to claim 25, wherein Miller further teaches said magnetic elements including permanent magnets (Paragraph [0054]).
Regarding claim 40, Miller in view of Lindner and Imai teaches the apparatus according to claim 25, wherein Imai further teaches said communication ducts being made of an electrically conductive metal (Paragraph [0008]: a heat pipe is metallic).
Regarding claim 41, Miller in view of Lindner and Imai teaches the apparatus according to claim 25, wherein Miller further teaches at least one communication duct wherein a coil (FIG. 5, 90) is wrapped around said duct (Paragraph [0054]).
Regarding claim 42, Miller in view of Lindner and Imai teaches the apparatus according to claim 25, wherein Imai further teaches a plurality of coils (FIG. 1, 4), wherein at least some of the coils are electrically connected to each other (Paragraph [0018]).
Regarding claim 44, Miller in view of Lindner and Imai teaches a process for the production of electric power comprising the steps of: providing an apparatus (Miller FIG. 5, 80) with a sealed assembly according to claim 25;
providing a working medium (Miller FIG. 5, 86) in a liquid state contained in at least one of the chambers of said sealed assembly;
forming a vacuum condition in the assembly, so that the boiling temperature of said liquid working medium in the assembly is lower than the boiling temperature of the same liquid at ambient pressure (Lindner Paragraph [0021]-[0022]);
heating the liquid working medium contained in a first chamber of the assembly so to induce a transfer (Miller Paragraph [0055]-[0056]) of the working medium from said first chamber (Miller FIG. 5, 84) to a second chamber (Miller FIG. 5, 82) of the assembly, through a communication duct (Miller FIG. 5, 91) between said first chamber and second chamber;
transforming energy of the working medium travelling through the apparatus into a power output (Miller Paragraph [0056]) by means of at least one energy conversion device arranged in at least one of said chambers or in the communication duct, wherein said device includes at least one magnetic element (Miller FIG. 5, 94) arranged to enter into direct contact with the working medium (Miller Paragraph [0056]); and
wherein the working medium is transferred from said first chamber to said second chamber in a gaseous state (Miller Paragraph [0054]-[0056]).
Regarding claim 45, Miller in view of Lindner and Imai teaches the process according to claim 44, wherein Miller further teaches during the process, the working medium has a temperature below the Curie point of any magnetic element of the energy conversion device to avoid de-magnetization (Paragraph [0004]: the liquid has a low boiling point which indicates the phase transition occurs well below the Curie point of the magnetic element).
Claim 29 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Miller in view of Lindner and Imai and in further view of Japanese Patent No. 2003-148884 to Shimura et al. (hereinafter Shimura).
Regarding claim 29, Miller in view of Lindner and Imai teaches the apparatus according to claim 25.
Miller in view of Lindner and Imai does not teach one or more barriers being provided in connection with the chambers and/or with the communication ducts, said barriers being driven to prevent a backflow of the working medium from one chamber to a preceding chamber.
However, Shimura teaches a heat pipe loop with a barrier (FIG. 1, 10) provided in connection with a communication duct, said barrier being driven to prevent a backflow of the working medium from one chamber to a preceding chamber (Paragraph [0018]-[0019]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the apparatus of Miller in view of Lindner and Imai with the barrier of Shimura to provide further control to the flow of the working medium.
Claims 31-34 and 43 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Miller in view of Lindner and Imai and in further view of U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2008/0178589 to He et al. (hereinafter He).
Regarding claim 31, Miller in view of Lindner and Imai teaches the apparatus according to claim 25.
Miller in view of Lindner and Imai does not teach at least one rotating magnetic element being arranged to rotate under the thrust of said working medium when said working medium is displaced from one chamber to another chamber.
However, He teaches a heat pipe generator with a rotating magnetic element (FIG. 6, 32) being arranged to rotate under the thrust of a working medium when said working medium is displaced (Paragraph [0022]-[0023]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the apparatus of Miller in view of Imai with the rotating magnetic element of He as it may result in a more efficient power generation scheme as rotation of the magnetic element may provide a higher change in magnetic flux than the displacement of the magnetic element.
Regarding claim 32, Miller in view of Lindner, Imai, and He teaches the apparatus according to claim 31, wherein He further teaches said rotating magnetic element being supported by a bar (FIG. 6, 22), said being bar being inside a communication duct (FIG. 6, 1), wherein the axis of said bar is parallel to a longitudinal axis of said communication duct, wherein said bar is a rotating bar dragged by said rotating element under the thrust of said working medium (Paragraph [0022]-[0023]).
Regarding claim 33, Miller in view of Lindner, Imai, and He teaches the apparatus according to claim 32, wherein He further teaches a plurality of rotating bars (FIG. 6; 22, 34) to support rotating magnetic element and wherein at least one first rotating bar (FIG. 6, 22) is connected to one or more second rotating bars (FIG. 6, 34) in such a way to increase the rotational speed of said one or more second rotating bars.
Regarding claim 34, Miller in view of Lindner, Imai, and He teaches the apparatus according to claim 32, wherein He further teaches a coil (FIG. 6, 4) being located in a position adjacent onto an enclosure within which the rotating magnetic element is disposed to rotate.
Regarding claim 43, Miller in view of Lindner and Imai teaches the apparatus according to claim 25, wherein Miller further teaches displaceable magnets (FIG. 5, 94).
Miller in view of Lindner and Imai does not teach rotatable magnetic elements.
However, He teaches a heat pipe generator with a rotating magnetic element (FIG. 6, 32) being arranged to rotate under the thrust of a working medium when said working medium is displaced (Paragraph [0022]-[0023]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the apparatus of Miller in view of Lindner and Imai by adding the rotational magnetic elements of He to further increase the potential electrical output of the apparatus.
Claim 37 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Miller in view of Lindner and Imai and in further view of U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0084928 to Yoshida et al. (hereinafter Yoshida).
Regarding claim 37, Miller in view of Lindner and Imai teaches the apparatus according to claim 35.
Miller in view of Lindner and Imai does not teach displaceable magnets being arranged so that, when travelling through the device, each pole of a magnet faces a pole of the preceding or following magnet of the same polarity.
However, Yoshida teaches an electric power generation with displaceable magnets (FIG. 4; 45, 46) being arranged so that, when traveling through the device, each pole of a magnet faces a pole of the preceding or following magnet of the same polarity (FIG. 4; 45, 46; Paragraph [0045]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the apparatus of Miller in view of Lindner and Imai with the multiple magnets of Yoshida as this configuration could result in a higher output voltage in the coil (Paragraph [0034]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOSHUA KIEL MIGUEL RODRIGUEZ whose telephone number is (571)272-9881. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 9:30am - 7:00pm ET.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Tulsidas Patel can be reached at (571) 272-2098. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JOSHUA KIEL M RODRIGUEZ/Examiner, Art Unit 2834
/TULSIDAS C PATEL/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2834