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, 5, and 7 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.
Claims 2, 5, and 7 recite the limitation "both ends of the partitioning member". There is insufficient antecedent basis for these limitations in the claims.
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) 1-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US PG Pub. No. 2021/0252971 (Otsura et al. hereinafter).
In re claim 1, with reference to Figs. 1, 6, and 11 below, Otsura et al. discloses: A hydrogen cartridge tank comprising a tank body (410) that stores hydrogen (paragraph 0033), wherein the tank body includes a container portion that stores hydrogen (within 410 interior), a fusible plug (412) that is configured to open when a predetermined temperature is reached (see paragraph 0031 and 0033), so as to release the hydrogen in the container portion through a release port (opening of safety valve/fusible plug 412, see paragraph 0033), and a control member (451b) that includes a surface at a position facing the release port (see Figs. 6 and 11, port releases pressure along arrow B).
[AltContent: textbox (Hydrogen Consumption System Housing)][AltContent: arrow]
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[AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Tank Body Neck)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Control Member Surface)]
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In re claim 2, with reference to the Figs. noted above, Otsura et al. discloses the claimed invention including wherein the tank body further includes a neck and a partitioning member (451c), and the partitioning member is interposed between the neck and the fusible plug (412), with both ends of the partitioning member butting against the control member (See Fig. 10 below).
[AltContent: textbox (Control Member)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (End)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (End)]
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In re claim 3, with reference to the Figs. noted above, Otsura et al. discloses A hydrogen cartridge tank comprising: a tank body that stores hydrogen (as in re claim 1 above); and a case (420, see fig. 5) that houses the tank body, wherein: the tank body includes a container portion that stores hydrogen, and a fusible plug that is configured to open when a predetermined temperature is reached, so as to release the hydrogen in the container portion through a release port; and the case (420) includes a control member that includes a surface at a position facing the release port (as in re claim 1 above).
In re claim 4, with reference to the Figs. noted above, Otsura et al. discloses the claimed invention including wherein the control member is a handle of the hydrogen cartridge tank (note that the control member 451b is a frame member of the tank structure, and one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention could be expected to utilize surface 451b as a handle during sliding/removing of the case along rails 200 to/from the housing/system 10 in Fig. 1, thereby rending control member 451b as a handle).
In re claim 5, with reference to the Figs. noted above, Otsura et al. discloses the claimed invention including wherein the tank body further includes a neck and a partitioning member, and the partitioning member is interposed between the neck and the fusible plug, with both ends of the partitioning member butting against the control member (as in re claim 2 above).
In re claim 6, with reference to the Figs. noted above, Otsura et al. discloses A hydrogen consumption system comprising a housing unit (see Fig. 1 above) that houses a hydrogen cartridge tank, wherein the hydrogen cartridge tank includes a tank body that stores hydrogen, the tank body includes a container portion that stores hydrogen, a release port, and a fusible plug that is configured to open when a predetermined temperature is reached, so as to release the hydrogen in the container portion through the release port, and the housing unit includes a control member (451b) that includes a surface at a position facing the release port (further note the housing completely surrounds the tank/release port, and therefore has a surface facing the release port).
In re claim 7, with reference to the Figs. noted above, Otsura et al. discloses the claimed invention including wherein the tank body further includes a neck and a partitioning member, and the partitioning member is interposed between the neck and the fusible plug, with both ends of the partitioning member butting against the control member (as in re claim 2 above).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US PG Pub No. 2012/0175366 to Schulze et al. discloses a pressure vessel having a temperature sensitive relief device including a control member (8) having a surface which faces a release port (10) to redirect released contents in a desired direction (paragraphs 0025-0026).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANDREW T KIRSCH whose telephone number is (571)270-5723. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri, 9a-5p EST.
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/ANDREW T KIRSCH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3733