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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claim 6 and 36 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention. There is no description that liquid is a mixture of water and an anti-freezer anti-freeze. The specification and drawings contain no suggestion of anti-freeze mixed with water.
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.
Claims 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, as far as it is described, 7-11, 29, 31, and 32, are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Bell (4,206,608). Bell discloses (claims 1 and 6) an energy storage system with an energy storage container 36,100 (Figs. 1 and 6a-6d) forming a first space to store an initial gas, and a force generating device (steam driven pumps 98), wherein when the energy storage system is in an energy storage mode, the force generating device is configured to provide a force driving a first amount of working fluid entering the energy storage container and further continuously compressing the initial gas in the first space until the initial gas in the first space reaches a predetermined pressure (col. 6, lines 4-6), thereby enabling the energy storage container to store an amount of energy, and wherein when the energy storage system is in an electricity generating mode (col. 4, lines 45-55), the force generating device is configured to provide a force driving a second amount of working fluid discharging from the energy storage container for driving a generator to generate electricity (col. 4, lines 45-55, col. 9, line 58 – col. 10, line 17).
Regarding claim 2, Bell discloses that the force generating device 98 is driven by steam (col. 5, line 68 – col. 6, line 1).
Regarding claim 4, Bell discloses that the working fluid is a liquid (hydraulic fluid).
Regarding claim 5, Bell discloses that the liquid is water (solar energy engine 20 receives hydraulic fluid from low pressure tank 64 by way of conduit 74 and produces steam, which implies that the hydraulic fluid is water, col. 4, lines 3-14).
Regarding claim 7, Bell discloses a heterogeneous fluidic media and interactive actuation energy storage system comprising, one or more heterogeneous fluidic media and interactive actuation modules, wherein each of the heterogeneous fluidic media and interactive actuation modules includes an energy storage container 36,100 having a first space storing an initial gas, and a working fluid driving device (steam driven pumps 98) configured to move an amount of a working fluid, when the heterogeneous fluidic media and interactive actuation energy storage system is in an energy storage mode, the working liquid is controlled by the working fluid driving device and injected into the energy storage container 36,100, so that the working liquid enters the energy storage container, thereby continuously compressing the initial gas in the first space until the initial gas reaches a predetermined pressure (col. 6, lines 4-6), further causing the first container 36,100 to store a first pressurized energy, and when the heterogeneous fluidic media and interactive actuation energy storage system is in an energy generating mode, the working fluid is controlled by the working fluid driving device and is continuously discharged from the energy storage container 36,100, causing the working fluid to drive an electricity generator to generate electricity (col. 4, lines 45-55, col. 9, line 58 – col. 10, line 17).
Regarding claim 8, Bell discloses that the energy storage container 36,100 contains a metal layer (steel tubes 136).
Regarding claim 9, Bell discloses that the energy storage container is enclosed by cement (concrete).
Regarding claim 10, Bell discloses that the working liquid comprises water (solar energy engine 20 receives hydraulic fluid from low pressure tank 64 by way of conduit 74 and produces steam, which implies that the hydraulic fluid is water, col. 4, lines 3-14).
Regarding claim 11, Bell discloses that the heterogeneous fluidic media comprises gas (air above hydraulic fluid) and liquid (hydraulic fluid).
Regarding claim 29, Bell discloses that the working fluid driving device 98 is driven by steam (col. 5, line 68 – col. 6, line 1).
Regarding claim 31, Bell discloses that the energy storage container 36,100 contains a metal layer (steel tubes 136).
Regarding claim 32, Bell discloses that the energy storage container is enclosed by cement (concrete).
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 3 and 30 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bell, as applied to claims 1 and 7 above, in view of Freeman (10,208,737). Bell discloses all of the claimed subject matter except that the steam is heated by geothermal heat.
Freeman teaches for an energy storage system with an energy storage container 146 forming a first space to store an initial gas (air above surging working fluid 144), and a force generating device 106 driven by steam 140, wherein when the energy storage system is in an electricity generating mode, the force generating device provides a force driving a second amount of working fluid discharging from the energy storage container for driving a generator (col. 5, line 67 – col. 6, line 3) to generate electricity and that (claims 3 and 30) the steam is heated by geothermal heat 102 for the purposes of recovering readily-available thermal energy. See Freeman col. 6, lines 6-22.
Since Bell and Freeman are both in the same field of endeavor the purpose disclosed by Freeman would have been recognized in the pertinent art of Bell. It would have been obvious at a time before the invention was effectively filed to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify the steam heat source of Bell to be geothermal heat for the purposes of recovering readily-available thermal energy.
Claims 33-35, 36, as far as it is described, 37, and 38 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bell in view of Freeman (10,208,737). Bell discloses (claims 33 and 36) an energy storage system with an energy storage container forming a first space to store an initial gas; and a force generating device driven by steam, wherein when the energy storage system is in an energy storage mode, the force generating device provides a force driving a first amount of working fluid entering the energy storage container and further continuously compressing the initial gas in the first space until the initial gas in the first space reaches a predetermined pressure, thereby enabling the energy storage container to store an amount of energy; and wherein when the energy storage system is in an electricity generating mode, the force generating device provides a force driving a second amount of working fluid discharging from the energy storage container for driving a generator to generate electricity. Bell does not disclose that the steam is heated by geothermal heat.
Freeman teaches for an energy storage system with an energy storage container 146 forming a first space to store an initial gas (air above surging working fluid 144), and a force generating device 106 driven by steam 140, wherein when the energy storage system is in an electricity generating mode, the force generating device provides a force driving a second amount of working fluid discharging from the energy storage container for driving a generator (col. 5, line 67 – col. 6, line 3) to generate electricity and that (claim 33) the steam is heated by geothermal heat 102 for the purposes of recovering readily-available thermal energy. See Freeman col. 6, lines 6-22.
Since Bell and Freeman are both in the same field of endeavor the purpose disclosed by Freeman would have been recognized in the pertinent art of Bell. It would have been obvious at a time before the invention was effectively filed to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify the steam heat source of Bell to be geothermal heat for the purposes of recovering readily-available thermal energy.
Regarding claim 34, Bell discloses that the working fluid is a liquid (hydraulic fluid).
Regarding claim 35, Bell discloses that the liquid is water (solar energy engine 20 receives hydraulic fluid from low pressure tank 64 by way of conduit 74 and produces steam, which implies that the hydraulic fluid is water, col. 4, lines 3-14).
Regarding claim 37, Bell discloses that the energy storage container 36,100 contains a metal layer (steel tubes 136).
Regarding claim 38, Bell discloses that the energy storage container is enclosed by cement (concrete).
Prior Art
Prior art made of record but not relied upon is considered pertinent to Applicant's disclosure for showing other energy storage systems with force driving devices, energy storage containers, and generators.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communication from the examiner should be directed to Thomas Lazo whose telephone number is (571) 272-4818. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor Nathaniel Wiehe, can be reached on (571) 272-8648. The fax phone number for this Group is (571) 273-8300.
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/THOMAS E LAZO/Primary Examiner,
Art Unit 3745
March 18, 2026
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