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, 2, and 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by JP 2017 210913 (Kuroe) (provided by the applicant).
In Re claim 1 Kuroe discloses a structure of an inflow portion of a tank (100), wherein a flow path area of the inflow portion on the one end side (93) is larger than a flow area on the other end side (55).
In Re claim 2 Kuroe discloses a flow path shape inside the inflow portion being tapered and gradually increasing (element 93 in Figure 7).
In Re claim 5 Kuroe discloses one the inflow portion being open on one side in a direction intersecting a sidewall of the tank and on the other side in a direction along an extension direction of the sidewall of the tank (shown in Figure 3).
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) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kuroe in view of JP 2011094505 (Otsubo)(provided by the applicant).
In Re claim 3 Kuroe discloses many limitations, but fails to disclose a vane that divides the flow path.
Otsubo discloses a fluid tank inflow portion having a vane which divides the fluid flow (34).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the effective filing date of the invention to modify the Kuroe apparatus by adding a vane to the inflow fluid path, in order to provide the fluid characteristics desired by the user.
Claim(s) 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kuroe in view of JP 2022 149429 (Kojima) (provided by the applicant).
In Re claim 4 Kuroe discloses many limitations, but fails to disclose a pressure loss member in the inflow portion
Kojima discloses a fluid tank portion having a pressure loss member (18).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the effective filing date of the invention to modify the Kuroe apparatus by adding a pressure loss member to the fluid path, in order to provide the fluid characteristics desired by the user.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US Patent 7,244,293 discloses a tank inflow portion having flow management members.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JASON KAROL NIESZ whose telephone number is (571)270-3920. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-5 EST.
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/JASON K NIESZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3753
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