DETAILED ACTION
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.
Claim(s) 1-8, 10, 12-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Konig (WO 2023/143735; US 2025/0102235 referenced as an English translation) in view of Bidner (US 2018/0058769).
Konig teaches a heater comprising a container (2) having an inlet (19) and one-way steam outlet (8); a thermochemical media (10) within the container to store heat energy; and a heat coil having a first end disposed within the container (6) and a second end disposed outside the container (4) wherein water entering the container through the inlet is absorbed by the thermochemical media causing release of heat stored in the media which is transferred by the heat coil out of the container (Para. [0072]); heat subsequently entering the container through the heat coil is configured to be absorbed by the thermochemical media causing evaporation of water stored in the media which is transferred out of the container through the one-way steam outlet (Para. [0073]).
Konig does not teach the use of zeolite as the thermochemical media nor the one-way steam valve.
Bidner teaches that it is old and well-known to utilize water reactant zeolites as a thermochemical storage media (Para. [0033]) and a one-way valve (113) on the steam outlet (113).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill to try zeolites and the one-way valve of Bidner in the device of Konig in order to provide a safer alternative to the primary thermochemical media contemplated by Konig (sodium hydroxide).
Claims 2-8 recite various intended uses for the device without requiring associated structures. As the device above is capable of applying the heat removed from the container to any of these applications, it is considered as meeting the intended use. It is separately noted that Konig specifically contemplates use of the thermal heat within the context of a dwelling, applicable to claims 3, 4, 5, and 8; Bidner specifically contemplates the use of the thermal energy in the context of vehicles, applicable to claims 2 and 6-7.
Regarding claim 10, Konig does not discuss insulating the container.
Bidner teaches insulating the container (Para. [0032]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill to insulate the container of Konig, as taught by Bidner, in order to increase control of the temperature of the thermochemical reactions.
Regarding claim 12, Bidner teaches that it is known to operate the one-way valve (113) at predetermined thresholds (Para. [0034]).
Regarding claim 13, Konig further teaches that the heat coil may be fluidically connected to a closed-loop heating circuit (e.g. 90).
Regarding claim 14, the heat coil is configured to supply heated fluid to a secondary device such as a radiator (60).
Claim(s) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Konig in view of Bidner and Miwa (US 2017/0284747).
Konig, as modified, does not specify the use of coatings on zeolite adsorbents materials.
Miwa teaches that zeolites used to adsorb and desorb water in a thermochemical heat batter (Para. [0005]) are known to utilize coatings to increase effectiveness (Table 4).
It would have been obvious to try the coatings of Miwa in the zeolite of Konig, as modified, in order to increase its effectiveness.
Claim(s) 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Konig in view of Bidner and Paskevicius (US 2023/0140129).
Konig, as modified, does not specify check valves.
Paskevicius teaches that it is old and well-known to provide check valves on the inlet and outlet flows of reactant (16, 18) to a thermochemical container (12; Para. [0056]).
It would have been obvious to provide Konig, as modified, with the valves, taught by Paskevicius, in order to increase the safety of the device.
Conclusion
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/DEVON LANE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3763