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 .
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed in parent Application No. 18/034,584, filed on 04/28/2023.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 19 Feb 2025, 9 April 2025 and 19 Nov 2025 were filed in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
Specification
The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 1-5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over as obvious over United Technologies Corp (EP 3 204 683; provided by Applicant on the IDS dated 19 Feb 2025).
Regarding Claim 1, United Technologies Corp disclose a method for producing a fuel rail (Figures 11-12; 150 generally) for a pressure vessel system (¶ 26) having a plurality of pressure vessels (25, 30, 35 in Figure 11) for storing fuel (¶ 26). The method comprising:
providing at least one fuel line (the sections 165 between rings 214);
configuring a plurality of rail connectors (214), wherein the plurality of rail connectors have, in each case, a cross-sectional area (the annular ring) that is enlarged in comparison to the provided fuel line (shown in Figure 11), and wherein at least one rail connector of the plurality of rail connectors (214) is configured so as to be spaced apart from ends of the fuel line (Figure 11),
but fails to expressly disclose where the rail connectors are configured so as to be integral to the fuel line.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have provided for where the rail connectors are configured so as to be integral to the fuel line, since it has been held that forming in one piece an article which has formerly been formed in two pieces and put together involves only routine skill in the art. Howard v. Detroit Stove Works, 150 U.S. 164 (1893).
Regarding Claim 2, United Technologies Corp disclose configuring rail connection holes (where each 165 connects to 214, with the hold shown in Figure 12; ¶ 40) in the configured rail connectors (214).
Regarding Claim 3, United Technologies Corp disclose configuring bent sub-regions (165; Figure 11) in the fuel line (Figure 11), wherein the bent sub-regions (165) are disposed between two rail connectors (214; Figure 11).
Regarding Claim 4, United Technologies Corp disclose all essential elements of the current invention as discussed above but is moot to where the plurality of rail connectors are configured: a. by a forming method, and/or b. by an additive method, and/or c. by attaching a semi-finished product to the fuel line in a materially integral manner.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have provided for where the rail connectors are configured so as to be integral to the fuel line, since it has been held that forming in one piece an article which has formerly been formed in two pieces and put together involves only routine skill in the art. Howard v. Detroit Stove Works, 150 U.S. 164 (1893).
Regarding Claim 5, United Technologies Corp disclose where the semi-finished product (214 and 165 together) is a semi-finished product that completely encloses the fuel line (Figure 11).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NICOLE GARDNER whose telephone number is (571)270-0144. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8AM-4PM EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisors, KENNETH RINEHART (571-272-4881) or CRAIG SCHNEIDER (571-272-3607) can be reached by telephone. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/NICOLE GARDNER/
Examiner, Art Unit 3753
Prosecution Insights