DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse in the reply filed on 1/29/2026 is acknowledged. Claims 1-8,13-15 are examined herein.
Claim Objections
Claims 1,15 are objected to because of the following informalities: Claims 1,15 recite “the first heater includes one or more heat generation sources disposed closer to an inlet side of the inlet and the outlet” where the specification Par 0037 and elsewhere state: [0037] FIG. 1 shows one or more heat generation sources 1a of the heater 1 of this embodiment. These heat generation sources 1a are disposed closer to the inlet 2a side of the inlet 2a and the outlet 2b in the heat storage 2. That is, an average distance between these heat generation sources 1a and the inlet 2a is shorter than an average distance between these heat generation sources 1a and the outlet 2b. Therefore, these heat generation sources 1a are not evenly disposed in the heat storage 2, but are unevenly disposed in the heat storage 2 so as to be closer to the inlet 2a side ((Emphasis Added)).As such it is understood that the language intended should be “the first heater includes one or more heat generation sources disposed closer to an inlet side of the inlet than the outlet”.
Appropriate correction is required.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: Paragraphs 0037,0061,0070,0082,0107,0139 as marked in the PG Publication 20240344780 of the application contain the language “These heat generation sources 1a are disposed closer to the inlet 2a side of the inlet 2a and the outlet 2b in the heat storage 2” where, as stated above in the Claim objection section it is understood in light of the application as a whole and the immediate dialogue following this phrase in each of these paragraphs, it is understood the language is intended to be “the first heater includes one or more heat generation sources disposed closer to an inlet side of the inlet than the outlet”.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-8,14-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a1) as being anticipated by JP2020125857 to Yamamoto.
As to claim 1, Yamamoto discloses A heat storage power generation system comprising: a heat storage (140) including a heat storage material (Par 0045) that stores heat, and configured to heat a heat transmitting fluid (as flows via 264) by the heat stored in the heat storage material (storage material at 104 heats fluid 264 Fig 17); a first heater provided in the heat storage (A, below; alt A/B/C), and configured to heat the heat storage material (Heat via 115); and a power generator (121 to generator 101) configured to generate power using the heat transmitting fluid heated by the heat storage, wherein the heat storage includes an inlet to which the heat transmitting fluid is supplied (X, below) when storing the heat in the heat storage material (Par 0133-0137), and an outlet (Y, below) that discharges the heat transmitting fluid when storing the heat in the heat storage material, and the first heater includes one (A) or more (A/B/C) heat generation sources disposed closer to an inlet side (X, below) of the inlet than the outlet (Y, below), and heats the heat storage material by heat generated from the heat generation sources (115 to A/B/C).
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As to claim 2, Yamamoto discloses the first heater heats the heat storage material by at least radiant heat transmission (Fig 17).
As to claim 3, Yamamoto discloses comprising a second heater provided outside the heat storage (115), and configured to heat the heat transmitting fluid to supply the heat transmitting fluid to the heat storage (Fig 17).
As to claim 4, Yamamoto discloses the second heater heats the heat storage material by at least convection heat transmission (convection as it heats the fluid which passes from 115 to 140).
As to claim 5, Yamamoto discloses a first heat transferring unit (piping 115) configured to convey the heat transmitting fluid when heating the heat storage material by the first heater; and a second heat transferring unit configured to convey the heat transmitting fluid when generating the power by the power generator (piping 264).
As to claim 6, Yamamoto discloses a heat transferring unit configured to convey the heat transmitting fluid when heating the heat storage material by the first heater and when generating the power by the power generator (Piping 114,115,264 considered as single pathway; Alt 135).
As to claim 7, Yamamoto discloses a first flow path switch configured to enter an open state when heating the heat storage material by the first heater (173), to allow passage of the heat transmitting fluid; and a second flow path switch configured to enter an open state when generating the power by the power generator (176), to allow passage of the heat transmitting fluid.
As to claim 8, Yamamoto discloses at least one of the one or more heat generation sources has a shape extending perpendicular or parallel to a conveying direction of the heat transmitting fluid (heat generation is perpendicular to heat transmitting fluid Fig 17).
As to claim 14, Yamamoto discloses the heat transmitting fluid flows so as not to circulate in the heat storage power generation system (bypass through valve 174; Alternatively the heat transmitting fluid may be passed to other services other than the turbine expander Par 0050 also meeting this limitation ie. not circulating but moving into and out of the system in a single pass).
As to claim 15, Yamamoto discloses A heat storage apparatus comprising: a heat storage including a heat storage material that stores heat, and configured to heat a heat transmitting fluid by the heat stored in the heat storage material; and a first heater provided in the heat storage, and configured to heat the heat storage material, wherein the heat storage includes an inlet to which the heat transmitting fluid is supplied when storing heat in the heat storage material, and an outlet that discharges the heat transmitting fluid when storing heat in the heat storage material, and the first heater includes one or more heat generation sources disposed closer to an inlet side of the inlet and the outlet, and heats the heat storage material by heat generated from the heat generation sources (as cited and rejected claim 1 above).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) 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.
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.
Claims 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over JP2020125857 to Yamamoto as applied to claim 1 above.
As to claim 13, Yamamoto discloses the heat storage is newly installed in the heat storage power generation system, the first heater is newly installed in the heat storage power generation system, and the power generator is originally installed in the heat storage power generation system (Abs, Fig 17). At the time of invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art that during initial construction of the power plant comprising all parts disclosed this would yield “the power generator is originally installed” as it is the first installation, and “the heat storage is newly installed in the heat storage power generation system, the first heater is newly installed in the heat storage power generation system” would also be met as they are being newly installed into a first time installation system.
Additional Art
While not presently relied upon due to the broad nature of the claims US Patent 10563927 to Papadopoulos in view of US Patent 10767935 to Bergan is believed to read on the claims, specifically the counterflow thermal energy reservoir 11 of Papadopoulos (Fig 5) being substituted with the counterflow Thermal Energy reservoir of Bergan (Fig 10-12) which has at least one “upstream heat exchanger through which working fluid ie Steam” flows.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JESSE SAMUEL BOGUE whose telephone number is (571)270-1406. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 8:00-5:00.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Mark Laurenzi can be reached on 571-270-7878. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JESSE S BOGUE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3746