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 .
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
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, 4-7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Gutmann et al. DE 10 2021 106038. Gutmann et al. discloses a work vehicle comprising: a fuel cell (see paragraph [0003] “the energy converter can be, for example, an internal combustion engine or a fuel cell system or fuel cell stack”) and a fuel tank module including:
a plurality of fuel tanks 100, 300 to store fuel to be supplied to the fuel cell; a valve system 310connected to the plurality of fuel tanks; and a tank case 24 housing the plurality of fuel tanks and the valve system; wherein the plurality of fuel tanks include: a first fuel tank 100 with a first length in a first direction; and a second fuel tank 300 with a second length shorter than the first length in the first direction; wherein the first fuel tank and the second fuel tank are arranged in a second direction perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the first direction; and at least a portion of the valve system is in a space between the second fuel tank and the tank case inside the tank case (second fuel tank 300 is held in receiving are 23 in housing 24, see Fig. 6); wherein the valve system includes an open/close valve 212 and a pressure reducing valve 214 inside the tank case; further comprising a fuel gas sensor (see paragraph [0035] a temperature sensor are provided at each of the distal ends of the two outer pressure vessels 100) inside the tank case; wherein the tank case includes a bottom plate (bottom of receiving area 21) extending along a plane defined by the first direction and the second direction; and the plurality of fuel tanks is on the bottom plate;
wherein each of the plurality of fuel tanks is a high-pressure hydrogen tank (see paragraph [003] including a cylindrical or substantially cylindrical portion (see paragraph [0004]) extending in the first direction.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.
Claims 8-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gutmann et al. DE 10 2021 106038 in view of CN 210 149 159.
Gutmann et al. discloses the claimed invention except for the recited particulars of an agricultural vehicle, but does state that the pressure vessel system can be used on a fuel cell powered vehicle to provide a cost-effective, lightweight and/or space-saving storage concept that also further improves security. However CN 210 149 159 discloses a fuel cell tractor with the recited particulars of a motor 32 connected to the fuel cell 42, a vehicle frame 35 supporting the fuel cell, the fuel tank module, and the motor, the vehicle frame rotatably supporting front wheels 33 and rear wheels 34, a driver seat 54; and a mounting frame 41 fixed to the vehicle frame to support the fuel tank, the mounting frame extending across the driver seat, wherein the work vehicle is an agricultural machine and a power take-off shaft 50 driven by the motor. Thus it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, with a reasonable expectation of success, to mount the pressure vessel system disclosed by Gurmann et al. on the agricultural vehicle disclosed by CN 210 149 159 in order to provide a cost-effective, lightweight and/or space-saving storage concept that also further improves security.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-3 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Kevin Hurley whose telephone number is (571)272-6646. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 9 am-5:30 pm Kevin.Hurley@USPTO.GOV.
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/KEVIN HURLEY/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3611
August 8, 2026
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