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
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) 17 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 2016/0281542 to Adachi et al (Adachi).
Regarding claim 17, Adachi discloses a heat harvesting system, comprising:
an organic Rankine cycle (ORC) generator (fig. 1), comprising an ORC evaporator (18, fig. 1) and an ORC condenser (13, fig. 1), wherein a cycle of a fluid is formed within the ORC generator (fig. 1); and
an insulation subspace (housing 30, FIG. 1), encompassing a heat generating component (11, 12, fig. 1) within the cycle of the fluid;
wherein the fluid absorbs a heat from the heat generating component in the insulation subspace, and is output toward the ORC evaporator or toward the ORC condenser (Fig. 1).
(Note: From [121] of the specification, heat generating components are “expander, compressor, alternator, motor, pump, chiller, heat source, pipes, etc.” Adachi discloses expander 11 and generator/alternator 12 within insulation housing 30A in fig. 1. As such, it reads on the limitation.)
Regarding claim 20, Adachi discloses the heat harvesting system of claim 17, wherein the insulation subspace encompasses the heat generating component (fig. 1), and the heat generating component comprises an alternator (12, fig. 1) and an expander (11, fig. 1);wherein the insulation subspace receives a working fluid from the ORC evaporator and provides the working fluid to the ORC condenser (fig. 1).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-16, 22-23 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Regarding claim 1, the closest prior art of record fails to disclose or render obvious the combination including:
“wherein the working fluid flows from the ORC evaporator, reaches the alternator, absorbs a heat generated by the alternator, and then reaches and drives the turbine.”
Regarding claim 22, the closest prior art of record fails to disclose or render obvious the combination including:
“the ORC evaporator and the ORC condenser are encompassed by the insulation layer.”
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.”
Claims 18, 19, and 21 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.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 7/30/2026 with respect to 102 rejection of claims 17 and 20 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues that Adachi does not disclose a heat generating component within an insulation subspace as required by claim 17. However, the office respectfully disagrees. Applicant discloses in [121] of the specification that heat generating components are “expander, compressor, alternator, motor, pump, chiller, heat source, pipes, etc.” Adachi discloses expander 11 and generator/alternator 12 within insulation housing 30A in fig. 1. As such, it reads on the limitations of both claims 17 and 20.
Applicant’s arguments, with respect to 112(b) rejection of claims 18-19 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The 112(b) rejection of claims 18-19 has been withdrawn.
Applicant’s arguments, with respect to 102(a)(1) rejection of claims 18-19, 21-23 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The 102(a)(1) rejection of claims 18-19, 21-23 has been withdrawn.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAPINDER SINGH whose telephone number is (571)270-1774. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Mark Laurenzi can be reached at (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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/DAPINDER SINGH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3746
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