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 and 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Okawachi et al. (U.S. 2013/0206257).
Regarding claim 1, Okawachi discloses:
• A hydrogen gas storage device (10) comprising:
• a plurality of hydrogen tanks (22) provided with opening and closing valves (20) in discharge flow paths 34 (see paragraphs 0026 and 0030; see Figure 1)
• a hydrogen gas supply flow path (36) connected to the hydrogen tanks (22) through a plurality of the opening and closing valves (20), the hydrogen gas supply flow path (36) being configured to supply hydrogen gas from the hydrogen tanks (22) to an external hydrogen gas supply destination (fuel cell; see paragraphs 0026, 0031, 0033, 0034; see Figure 1)
• a plurality of temperature sensors (23) configured to detect temperatures of the respective hydrogen tanks 22 (see paragraph 0036; see Figure 1)
• a control device (38), wherein the control device (38) is configured to, in a hydrogen gas supply operation of supplying hydrogen gas to the hydrogen gas supply destination (fuel cell), control each of the opening and closing valves (20) such that (see paragraph 0036)
• a hydrogen tank (22) among the hydrogen tanks (22) is opened
• when a temperature of the hydrogen tank (22) in an open state is equal to or lower than a reference value, the hydrogen tank (22) of which the temperature is equal to or lower than the reference value is closed, and at least one of the hydrogen tanks (22) in a closed state is opened (see paragraphs 0055-0059)
Regarding claim 2, Okawachi discloses:
• wherein the control device (38) is configured to, when the temperature of the hydrogen tank (22) in the open state is equal to or lower than the reference value, open at least one hydrogen tank (22) among the hydrogen tanks (22) in the closed state, the at least one hydrogen tank (22) having a temperature higher than the reference value (see paragraphs 0055-0059)
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Komiya (U.S. 2018/0138528) discloses a hydrogen gas storage device comprising a plurality of hydrogen tanks provided with valves, temperature sensors, and a controller.
Miki et al. (U.S. 2006/0246177) discloses a hydrogen gas storage device comprising a plurality of tanks with valves, temperature sensors, and a controller that determines which tank supplies fuel based on a temperature value.
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/KELSEY E CARY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3753
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