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 § 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) 1, 2, and 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kaki et al. (Japanese Patent Publication JP2019158299A, “Kaki”) in view of Fuse et al. (PCT Publication WO2017159065A1, “Fuse”).
Regarding claim 1, Kaki discloses an energy storing device (figs 1-3) comprising a container and a thermal storage material that is accommodated inside of the container and generates heat by way of chemical reaction,
wherein the container comprises a pair of containers (21, 22), the pair of containers including a heat- generating-side container (21) in which the thermal storage material generates heat (¶0016), and a regenerating-side container (22) which regenerates the thermal storage material used in heat generation (¶0016), and
wherein the pair of containers are connected by piping in which an ejector (24) is provided.
However, Kaki does not explicitly disclose wherein each one of the containers being configured by double walls including an inside wall and an outside wall. Fuse, however, discloses an energy storage device (fig 2) wherein a container is configured by double walls including an inside wall and an outside wall (see annotated fig 2 below). Fuse teaches that this allow for insulation material (page 2, lines 30-40). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for Kaki to provide the double walls of Fuse in order to improve the thermal storage efficiency of the containers.
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Regarding claim 2, the combination of Kaki and Fuse discloses all previous claim limitation. Kaki further discloses a steam channel (L1) in which steam generated by the heat- generating-side container (21) flows, and the ejector (24) is provided; and
a negative-pressure first channel (see annotated fig 1 below) which is connected from the ejector to inside of the regenerating-side container (22),
wherein air inside of the regenerating-side container is suctioned from the negative-pressure first channel to reduce in pressure by negative pressure generated by venturi effect of the ejector (as this is a function of an ejector).
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Regarding claim 7, the combination of Kaki and Fuse discloses all previous claim limitation. Kaki, as modified, further discloses wherein the inside wall and the outside wall (see annotated fig 2 below, Fuse) of the double walls are joined with atmospheric pressure therebetween (as there is only insulation between the walls).
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Claim(s) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kaki and Fuse as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Yue et al. (Chinese Patent Publication CN106931675B, “Yue”).
Regarding claim 3, the combination of Kaki and Fuse discloses all previous claim limitations. Kaki, as modified, further discloses a steam channel (L1, Kaki) in which steam generated by the heat- generating-side container (21, Kaki) flows, and in which the ejector (24, Kaki) is provided; and
a negative-pressure second channel (see annotated fig 1 below, Kaki) which is connected from the ejector (24) to between the inside wall and the outside wall of each of the pair of containers (21, 22),
wherein air within the double walls of the container is suctioned from the negative-pressure second channel to reduce in pressure by negative pressure generated by venturi effect of the ejector (as this is a function of an ejector).
However, Kaki, as modified, does not explicitly disclose a check valve disposed in a vicinity of the ejector. Yue, however, discloses a system (fig 1) wherein a check valve (120) disposed in a vicinity of an ejector (114). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for Kaki, as modified, to provide the check valve of Yue in order to eliminate back flow to the ejector. This would result in the negative-pressure second channel which is connected from the ejector to between the inside wall and the outside wall of each of the pair of containers via the check valve.
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Claim(s) 4-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kaki and Fuse as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Nakamura et al. (Japanese Patent Publication JP2016118315A).
Regarding claim 4, the combination of Kaki and Fuse discloses all previous claim limitations. Kaki further discloses wherein the energy storing device further comprises a regeneration steam channel (see annotated fig 1 below) which connects between the heat-generating-side container (21) and the regenerating-side container (22), and in which steam generated from the regenerating-side container flows, and the ejector (24) is provided, and wherein steam is suctioned from the regenerating-side container to the heat-generating-side container by negative pressure generated by venturi effect of the ejector, and is supplied to the heat-generating-side container (as this is the function of an ejector).
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However, they do not explicitly disclose wherein the thermal storage material is an alkali earth metal, wherein the thermal storage material generates heat in the heat-generating-side container by water being supplied thereto, whereby the regenerating-side container is heated, and a hydroxide of the alkali-earth metal is oxidized to regenerate the thermal storage material. Nakamura, however, discloses an energy storage device wherein the thermal storage material is an alkali earth metal, wherein the thermal storage material generates heat in the heat-generating-side container by water being supplied thereto, whereby the regenerating-side container is heated, and a hydroxide of the alkali-earth metal is oxidized to regenerate the thermal storage material (¶0042). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for Kaki, as modified, to provide the heat storage material of Nakamura in order to provide the optimal energy storage of the device.
Regarding claim 5, the combination of Kaki and Fuse discloses all previous claim limitations. However, they do not explicitly wherein the thermal storage material is a metal oxide which reacts with water. Nakamura, however, discloses an energy storage device wherein the thermal storage material is a metal oxide which reacts with water (¶0042). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for Kaki, as modified, to provide the heat storage material of Nakamura in order to provide the optimal energy storage of the device. This would in wherein heating and supply of water to the pair of containers is switched so that the heat-generating-side container (21) and the regenerating-side container (22) alternately change roles (as shown in figures 2 and 3 of Kaki).
Regarding claim 6, the combination of Kaki, Fuse, and Nakamura discloses all previous claim limitations. Kaki, as modified, further discloses a water pipe section (see annotated fig 1 below) disposed in each of the pair of containers, and capable of flowing water or hot water and steam inside, wherein, during regeneration of the thermal storage material, supply of water to the water pipe section is not performed in the regenerating-side container (22), and hot water or steam within the water pipe section is supplied to the water pipe section of the heat-generating-side container (21).
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Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HARRY E ARANT whose telephone number is (571)272-1105. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 10-6 ET.
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/HARRY E ARANT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3763
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