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 § 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 2-12 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 2 recites the limitation "the refrigerant flow path part". There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 6 recites the limitation "the extension direction" in ln 4. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 7 recites the limitation "the other end" in ln 4. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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.
Claim(s) 1-6, 13-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kettenberger et al. (US 20170211876), hereinafter referred to as Kettenberger.
Re claim 1, Kettenberger teaches a cold-water tank assembly, comprising:
a tank (e.g. 110) configured to communicate with outside to enable filtered water to be introduced, cooled, and then discharged (e.g. Fig 3); and
a refrigerant flow path (implied ¶ 20, “a refrigeration inlet/outlet 123”) accommodated in the tank and through which refrigerant exchanging heat with the filtered water flows (e.g. ¶ 21),
wherein a first end of the refrigerant flow path is extended to be located inside the tank (see Fig 1-4),
wherein a second end of the refrigerant flow path is located outside the tank (see Fig 1), and
wherein the refrigerant flow path is coupled through the tank at a single point (e.g. ¶ 20, “A top cap nut 124 may be utilized to secure the refrigeration inlet/outlet 123 within the external cap 120”).
Re claim 2, Kettenberger teaches the cold-water tank assembly of claim 1;
wherein the refrigerant flow path comprises:
a main flow path (e.g. 140) configured to form a flow path for discharging the refrigerant from the first end of the refrigerant flow path to the second end of the refrigerant flow path, and to transfer heat to the refrigerant in a mixed state of liquid and gas; and
a sub flow path (e.g. 141) disposed inside the main flow path, configured to extend in the same direction as the main flow path to form a flow path for introducing the refrigerant flows from the second end of the refrigerant flow path to the first end of the refrigerant flow path part, and configured to lower pressure of the refrigerant in a mixed state of liquid and gas or in a liquid state.
Re claim 3, Kettenberger teaches the cold-water tank assembly of claim 2, wherein the main flow path comprises:
a first main end (end of the main tube inside the tank) positioned inside the tank and formed closed; and
a second main end (end of the main tube outside the tank) positioned outside the tank and formed open, and
wherein the sub flow path comprises:
a first sub end (end of the sub tube inside the tank) positioned adjacent to the first main end inside the tank and formed open to communicate with the main flow path; and
a second sub end (end of the sub tube outside the tank) positioned outside the tank and formed open to receive the refrigerant from the outside.
Re claim 4, Kettenberger teaches the cold-water tank assembly of claim 2, wherein the tank comprises; a tank space (space within 110) configured to accommodate the refrigerant flow path; and a tank body (110) configured to surround the tank space, and wherein among portions of the main flow path and the sub flow path, a portion disposed in the tank space extends in a spiral shape (see Fig 2-4).
Re claim 5, Kettenberger teaches the cold-water tank assembly of claim 4, wherein the main flow path extends to be located adjacent to an inner wall (210) of the tank body surrounding the tank space.
Re claim 6, Kettenberger teaches the cold-water tank assembly of claim 1, wherein the tank comprises: a tank space (space within 110) configured to accommodate the refrigerant flow path; and a tank base (e.g. 120) disposed to cover the tank space from one side, and wherein the first end of the refrigerant flow path in an extension is positioned in the tank space and extends to penetrate the tank base, and the second end in the extension direction of the refrigerant flow path is disposed outside the tank space (see Fig 1-4).
Re claim 13, Kettenberger teaches the cold-water tank assembly of claim 1, wherein the tank comprises: a tank space (space within 110) through which the filtered water flows and which accommodates the refrigerant flow path; and a tank body (see Fig 1-4) configured to surround the tank space from the outer circumferential direction; and a flow path former disposed in the tank space to face the tank body with the refrigerant flow path interposed therebetween to form a space in which the introduced filtered water flows (see Fig 1-4).
Re claim 14, Kettenberger teaches the cold-water tank assembly of claim 13, wherein the flow path former comprises: a plurality of membranes (300) extending in the longitudinal direction of the tank body and stacked apart from each other in the height direction of the tank body (e.g. see Fig 5); and a column (210) extending in the height direction of the tank body and coupled to each of the plurality of membranes (see Fig 5).
Re claim 15, Kettenberger teaches the cold-water tank assembly of claim 14, wherein each of the membranes comprises: a first end forming one end in the extension direction thereof, and positioned adjacent to the refrigerant flow path; and a second end forming the other end in the extension direction thereof, and positioned spaced apart from the refrigerant flow path (see Fig 5).
Re claim 16, Kettenberger teaches the cold-water tank assembly of claim 1, wherein each of the membranes comprises: a first end forming one end in the extension direction thereof, and positioned adjacent to the refrigerant flow path; and a second end forming the other end in the extension direction thereof, and positioned spaced apart from the refrigerant flow path (see Fig 5).
Re claim 17, Kettenberger teaches the cold-water tank assembly of claim 1, wherein the second ends of the membranes adjacent to each other are disposed to be biased to different sides along the longitudinal direction of the tank body (see Fig 5).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7-12 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. (see PTO-892).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NELSON NIEVES whose telephone number is (571)270-0392. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Frantz Jules can be reached at 571-272-6681. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/NELSON J NIEVES/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3763 9/2/2026
Prosecution Insights