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, 6-9, 11-12, and 18-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wilkinson et al (US Patent No. 1,100,109).
Wilkinson teaches:
limitations from claim 1, a pump system (FIG. 1-2), comprising: a pump cylinder (generally B, C); a first piston (10’) arranged within the pump cylinder (at 11) and configured to actuate relative to the pump cylinder; a body defining a channel (x) with an inner surface thermally coupled to the pump cylinder (the inner surface of channel x shares a wall with pump cylinder 11), the channel extending alongside the pump cylinder (FIG. 1-2); and a second piston mounted to the first piston, the second piston arranged within the channel (the outer piston barrel of piston 7), wherein actuation of the first piston relative to the pump cylinder drives actuation of the second piston within the channel to propel air across the inner surface (Page 2 Lines 25-53; see arrows in FIG. 2);
PNG
media_image1.png
381
675
media_image1.png
Greyscale
limitations from claim 2, wherein the second piston is mechanically coupled to the first piston (see FIG. 1-2; the pistons are coupled via a common piston base ~7);
limitations from claim 3, wherein the channel is parallel with a central axis of the pump cylinder (see FIG. 1-2);
limitations from claim 6, wherein the channel is a second cylinder (x, formed as a separate cylinder chamber about 11);
limitations from claim 7, wherein the channel is fluidly coupled to ambient air at opposing ends of the channel (ambient air enters the pump at 11 in cylinder assembly B, flows through passage 16, through opening 14, and into “x”, finally exhausting through outlet 18; the chamber x fills with ambient and is therefore coupled along its entire inner periphery);
limitations from claim 8, wherein the pump cylinder is integrated within the body (see FIG. 1-2);
limitations from claim 9, wherein the first piston and the second piston are integrated as a unitary body (FIG. 1-2);
limitations from claim 11, a pump (FIG. 1-2), comprising: a cylinder body (generally B, C) defining a cylinder volume (~1) and an outer surface, the outer surface opposite the cylinder volume across a thickness of the cylinder body (see FIG. 2); a primary piston (10’) arranged within the cylinder volume, the primary piston comprising a first piston head separating a first stage of the pump (within chamber x on the right-hand side acted on by piston 6, 10’) from a second stage (from chamber 11 on the left-hand side to the chamber x on the left-hand side) of the pump, wherein the first stage and second stage are defined within the cylindrical volume (FIG. 1-2); and a secondary piston (the outer piston barrel of piston 7) comprising a second piston head, the secondary piston mechanically coupled to the primary piston and arranged along the outer surface (see FIG. 2), wherein reciprocation of the primary piston relative to the cylinder body actuates the second piston head along the outer surface to propel air across the outer surface of the cylinder body (Page 2 Lines 25-53; see arrows in FIG. 2);
PNG
media_image1.png
381
675
media_image1.png
Greyscale
PNG
media_image2.png
381
675
media_image2.png
Greyscale
limitations from claim 12, wherein the outer surface defines a second cylinder (x) volume, wherein the second piston head (the outer piston barrel of piston 7) actuates within the second cylinder volume during reciprocation of the primary piston (Page 2 Lines 25-53; see arrows in FIG. 2);
limitations from claim 18, wherein the cylinder body configured to mount to a wheel (F), and wherein the primary piston is configured to be driven by rotation of the wheel;
limitations from claim 19, further comprising a hanging mass (E) mechanically coupled to the primary piston, wherein the hanging mass drives reciprocation of the piston during wheel rotation;
limitations from claim 20, wherein the secondary piston is fixed relative to the primary piston (FIG. 1-2);
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) 10 and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wilkinson et al (US Patent No. 1,100,109) as applied to claim 1, and in further view of Dugas et al (US Patent No. 2011/0171040).
Regarding claims 10 and 15:
Wilkinson teaches a drive wheel (F) turning crank (E), but does not teach a particular drive source such as passive actuation;
Dugas teaches a pump (2, 2A; FIG. 1) driven via a passive power source (see rotor (15) connected to the pumps via shaft (14) and driven passively by wind (paragraph 5-7);
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art of pumps at the time the invention was filed to actuate the pump of Wilkinson using a passive source, such as wind power taught by Dugas, in order to reduce the need for power generation and associated fuel.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-5, 13-14, and 16-17 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.
Wilkinson does not teach fins along an outer surface, and would not be modified to have fins as the outer surface requires a tight fit between the second piston and the chamber;
Wilkinson does not teach valves in the compressor, and explicitly teaches against the use of valves, therefore adding valves would not be obvious.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
WO 2012084297, US 4832578, and US 9938967 teaches a double acting piston compressor;
US 5947696 teaches a wheel-based compressor;
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRISTOPHER S BOBISH whose telephone number is (571)270-5289. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 9-5.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Essama Omgba can be reached at 469-295-9278. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/CHRISTOPHER S BOBISH/Examiner, Art Unit 3746
Prosecution Insights