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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the second cascading contour matching the first cascading contour must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 2-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 2 recites the limitation “a second cascading contour that matches the first cascading contour of the flange”. It is unclear if the entire cascading contours match or the contours just have corresponding parts .
Claim 4 recites “an extension wall disposed on top of the nut and tapering off with the second cascading contour”. It is unclear if the extension wall is part of the nut.
Claim 8 recites structure relating to the liner. It is unclear if the claim is a drawn to boss or the combination of a boss and a liner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
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 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kwon et al. (US-20070164561-A1).
Kown discloses:
1. A boss for a hydrogen tank (Fig. 2), the boss comprising: a nozzle boss (6) comprising: a neck extending by a predetermined length, wherein a chamber (7) is formed inside the neck; and a flange (9) provided at a bottom portion of the neck, wherein the flange is integrated with the neck and configured to be joined to a liner (2) of the hydrogen tank; and a fastener (17) installed at a lower region of the flange and in contact with a seam between the nozzle boss and the liner, to prevent a leak of a fluid through the seam (par. 0027).
2. The boss of claim 1, wherein the flange, at the lower region, tapers off with a first cascading contour, wherein an inner surface of the fastener is installed to be in contact with an outer surface of the flange, and wherein the inner surface of the fastener has a second cascading contour that matches the first cascading contour of the flange (Fig. 3).
3. The boss of claim 2, wherein a first screw thread is formed on a surface of a lowermost step of the first cascading contour of the flange, wherein a second screw thread is formed on a surface of a lowermost step of the second cascading contour of the fastener, and wherein the fastener is screw-fastened to the flange via the first screw thread and the second screw thread (par. 0027, Fig. 3).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
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) 4-5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kwon et al. (US-20070164561-A1) in view of Suzuki et al. (US-20040173618-A1).
Regarding claims 4 and 5:
Kwon discloses wherein the fastener comprises: a nut corresponding to the lowermost step of the second cascading contour of the fastener, wherein the nut has the surface on which the second screw thread is formed (Fig. 3); and an extension wall disposed on top of the nut (above 21), wherein one or more gaskets (24, Figs. 3, 6) are provided on the extension wall to maintain a seal at the seam after the nut is screw-fastened to the flange.
Kwon fails to teach wherein the extension is tapered.
Suzuki teaches that it was known in the art to manufacture boss components with tapered structure(Fig. 8, 72).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to have manufactured the extension with a taper, in order to adjust for different liners and since such a modification would have been a change in shape of an existing component. A change in shape is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art.
Claim(s) 6-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kwon et al. (US-20070164561-A1) in view of Otsubo et al. (US-20100025411-A1).
Regarding claims 6-8:
Kwon discloses wherein the one or more gaskets comprise: a first O-ring; and a second O-ring (Fig. 6), wherein an inner ring (at 13) is installed, below the first O-ring, on the inner surface of the extension wall, and wherein an outer ring (at 21) is installed, below the second O-ring, on the outer surface of the extension wall (Fig. 6), wherein the liner comprises a rib that extends from an inner peripheral surface of the liner to the seam, wherein the rib comes into contact with the second O-ring to maintain the seal at the seam (Fig. 3).
Kwon fails to teach the first O-ring installed on an inner surface of the extension wall, the second O-ring installed on an outer surface of the extension wall.
Otsubo teaches that it was known in the art to manufacture boss with multiple O-ring seals on an outside and inside of the boss (Fig. 2).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to have manufactured the boss with additional seals, as taught by Otsubo, in order to improve the seal of the boss.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 11 is allowed.
Claims 9 and 10 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include 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 JEFFREY R ALLEN whose telephone number is (571)270-7426. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00 am - 5:00 pm, Monday-Friday.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Nathan Jenness can be reached at (571)270-5055. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JEFFREY R ALLEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3733
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