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 § 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) 1-3, 5, 7-9, 15, 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by KR 20180121515A to Azuma Hiroyuki et al. (Azuma)
In Reference to Claim 1
Azuma discloses:
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An assembly (Fig.9) including:
a tank sub-assembly (31), and a filter unit (38);
the tank sub-assembly (1) including a tank (320) and an outlet unit 23;
the tank (320) defining an interior space (32E) for holding a liquid (2), and having a service aperture (12) formed in an upper wall (13) of the tank (10);
the outlet unit (30) being mounted at a lower wall (32b) of the tank (320), having a liquid inlet (32A2) and a liquid outlet (23), and configured to supply liquid from the tank (10), via the liquid inlet (32A2) to the liquid outlet (23);
the filter unit (38) having a liquid permeable, tubular wall (38a) surrounding an interior space of the filter unit (38);
the filter unit (38) being arranged in a use position within the tank (320) so that the interior space (32E) of the filter unit (50) occupies a first portion of the interior space of the tank (320), and the tubular wall (38a ) forms a barrier between the first portion of the interior space of the tank (320), and a second portion of the interior space (32E) of the tank (320) exterior to the filter unit (38A);
the liquid inlet (32A2) being arranged in fluid communication with the first portion of the interior space of the tank (320) in the use position of the filter unit (38);
the filter unit (38) having a bottom opening 36, the bottom opening being formed at a lower end of the filter unit 38 when considered in its use position, and communicating with the interior space of the filter unit (38);
the filter unit (38) being releasably, sealingly 35 engaged with the tank sub-assembly to sealingly close the bottom opening (36) in the use position of the filter unit (38);
the filter unit (50) being installable and removable, independently of the outlet unit (30), via the service aperture 33.
In Reference to Claim 2
Azuma discloses:
wherein the outlet unit (23) includes a level sensor (21) operable to generate an ultrasonic signal to sense a liquid surface level in the tank (320);
and the tubular wall (38A) extends above a maximum liquid surface level in the tank , wherein the level sensor (21) is arranged to sense the liquid surface level within the interior space of the filter unit (38).
In Reference to Claim 3
Azuma discloses:
wherein the filter unit (38A) is releasably, sealingly engageable with the tank sub-assembly (320) to sealingly close the bottom opening (36), by rotation of the filter unit (38) about a length axis (X) of the tubular wall (38A).
In Reference to Claim 5
Azuma discloses:
wherein the filter unit (38) includes a closure plate (17), the closure plate (17) being arranged at an upper end () of the filter unit (50) opposite the lower end (54); theclosure plate (60) being releasably, sealingly 34 engaged with the tank (320) to sealingly close the service aperture (33) in the use position of the filter unit (38).
In Reference to Claim 7
Azuma discloses:
wherein the closure plate (17) is sealingly engageable with the tank (320) to sealingly close the service aperture by rotation of the filter unit 38 about a length axis of the tubular wall (38A).
In Reference to Claim 8
Azuma discloses:
wherein the closure plate (17) and the filter unit (38) are simultaneously, sealingly engageable, respectively with the tank (320) to sealingly close the service aperture (33), and with the tank sub-assembly to sealingly 35 close the bottom opening.
In Reference to Claim 9
Azuma discloses:
wherein the closure plate (17) and the filter unit (38) are simultaneously, sealingly engageable, respectively with the tank (320) to sealingly close the service aperture, and with the tank sub-assembly (320) to sealingly close the bottom opening (53), by rotation of the filter unit (38) about a length axis (X) of the tubular wall (38A).
In Reference to Claim 15
Azuma discloses:
wherein the tubular wall (38) is cylindrical.
In Reference to Claim 16
Azuma discloses:
A vehicle including a diesel engine, an exhaust aftertreatment system for treating exhaust gas emitted by the engine, and an assembly as defined in any preceding claim, wherein the outlet unit is configured to supply the liquid from the tank to the exhaust aftertreatment system, see abstract.
Reasons for Allowance
Claims 4, 6, 10-14 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 primarily because the prior art of record cannot anticipate Applicant’s claimed invention by a single reference nor render Applicant’s claimed invention obvious by the combination of more than one reference.
Furthermore, the prior art of record does not teach “wherein the filter unit (50) includes a handle (61) and an upper end wall (62), the handle (61) and the upper end wall (62) being arranged at an upper end (57) of the filter unit (50) opposite the lower end (54); the upper end wall (62) bounding the interior space (52) of the filter unit (50); the handle (61) being graspable to manipulate the filter unit (50) during installation and removal. ” as within the context of the claimed invention as disclosed and within the context of the other limitations present in claim 4;
The prior art of record does not teach “herein the filter unit (50) includes a handle (61) connected to the closure plate (60), the handle (61) being exposed exteriorly of the tank (10) in the use position of the filter unit (50) and graspable to manipulate the filter unit (50) during installation and removal. ” as within the context of the claimed invention as disclosed and within the context of the other limitations present in claim 6; and
The prior art of record does not teach “wherein the lower end (54) of the filter unit (50) includes a first engaging feature (55) and the tank sub-assembly (1) includes a second engaging feature (15), the first and second engaging features (55, 15) being configured to engage together to constrain the filter unit (50) for movement simultaneously in axial translation along the length axis (X) of the tubular wall (51), and in rotation about the length axis (X) of the tubular wall (51), towards the use position. ” as within the context of the claimed invention as disclosed and within the context of the other limitations present in claim 10.
The prior art of record does not teach “wherein the outlet unit (30) extends via the bottom opening (53) into the interior space (52) of the filter unit (50) in the use position of the filter unit (50) as within the context of the claimed invention as disclosed and within the context of the other limitations present in claim 12.
The prior art of record does not teach ” wherein the outlet unit (30) is permanently fixed to the tank (325)” as within the context of the claimed invention as disclosed and within the context of the other limitations present in claim 13
The prior art of record does not teach wherein the outlet unit (30) includes a pump (34) and an outlet unit filter (35), the outlet unit filter (35) being configured to filter the liquid (2) supplied from the tank (10) via the pump (34). as within the context of the claimed invention as disclosed and within the context of the other limitations present in claim 14
Therefore, the prior art of record cannot anticipate Applicant’s claimed invention by a single reference nor render Applicant’s claimed invention obvious by the combination of more than one reference.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANTHONY AYALA DELGADO whose telephone number is (571)270-3452. The examiner can normally be reached on Mon-Fri 8:00-5:00.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Mark III Laurenzi can be reached on (571) 270-7878. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ANTHONY AYALA DELGADO/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3746
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