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
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 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) 1-4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a) (1) as being anticipated by Reinhold (US 2002/0040569).
Reinhold discloses a vortex prevention apparatus coupled to a lower cover (horizontal bottom or floor) of a lower cap (lower half or lower shell 12) of a tank member (consisting of shells 12 and 12a), with the lower cover having at least one outlet (outlet 11) through which a fluid filled in the tank member is discharged, the vortex prevention apparatus comprising: a prevention body (lattice type support tube 17) having a cone shape based on an apex portion (non-perforated top portion at free end 24); spacing members (vertically, longitudinally extending lattice bars of lattice portion (perforated portion) of support tube 17 and inclined at an angle to extend laterally along the conical shape of the support tube) extending longitudinally and laterally from the prevention body; and mesh hole portions (openings of lattice portion) formed through an edge of the prevention body by the spacing members.
Re claim 2, the apparatus further comprising: a fixing flange (conical, non-perforated bottom portion of support tube 17 and cylindrical portion (a non-perforated bottommost portion of support tube 17) which defines the outlet 11) formed on edges of the spacing members by protruding in a ring shape therefrom so that the fixing flange is coupled to the lower cover (horizontal bottom).
Re claim 3, the fixing flange is integrally coupled to the lower cover.
Re claim 4, each of the mesh hole portions has a shape of an equilateral trapezoid (as best viewed in Fig. 2).
Claim(s) 1 and 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a) (1) as being anticipated by Grayson (US 2003/0196705), cited by applicant.
Re claim 1, Grayson discloses a vortex prevention apparatus coupled to a lower cover (sump 14, see paragraph [24], lines 14-20) of a lower cap (lower half or lower shell 12) of a tank member (tank bottom 20), with the lower cover having at least one outlet (outlet port 15) through which a fluid filled in the tank member is discharged, the vortex prevention apparatus (AVVIS device 10) comprising: a prevention body (plate 28 and vanes 24, 30) having a cone shape based on an apex portion (vertex 37 of plate 28); spacing members (vanes 24, 30) extending longitudinally and laterally from the prevention body; and mesh hole portions (vane pores 32) formed through an edge (vanes 24 form downwardly depending edges) of the prevention body by the spacing members.
Re claim 5 Grayson discloses an insulation (insulation provided by tank walls which inhibit heat transfer) tank comprising: a hollow open cylinder part (cylindrical wall 18) with an open upper end portion and an open lower end portion in an upright state thereof; an upper cap (tank top 22) configured to seal the upper end portion of the open cylinder part; and a lower cap (tank bottom 20, sump 14, outlet port 15, outlet line 16) configured to seal the lower end portion of the open cylinder part, wherein the lower cap comprises: a lower dome (tank bottom 20) coupled to the lower end portion of the open cylinder part and having a lower cap opening formed through a central portion thereof; a lower cover (sump 14) coupled to the lower dome to seal the lower cap opening and having at least one outlet (port 15) through which a fluid filled inside is discharged; and a prevention module plate 28 and vanes 24, 30) configured to be coupled to the lower cover (see paragraph [24], lines 14-20) and to prevent a vortex (the AVVIS device is an anti-vortex device) of the fluid discharged through the outlet, and wherein the prevention module comprises the vortex prevention apparatus of claim 1.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to STEPHEN J CASTELLANO whose telephone number is (571)272-4535. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Nathan Jenness can be reached at 571-270-5055. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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sjc/STEPHEN J CASTELLANO/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3733
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