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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 06/29/2026 has been entered.
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-3, 6-7, 16, 23-24, 26-28, and 30-42 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being clearly anticipated by Horiuchi, US 2025/0075984.
Regarding Claim 1
Horiuchi discloses a thermal storage unit (20) comprising:
a silicon carbide substrate (22, ceramic part) (Horiuchi, [0033]) configured to be directly resistively heated by passing electrical current through the silicon carbide substrate (22) (Horiuchi, [0009] and [0033]).
Regarding Claim 2
Horiuchi discloses the thermal storage unit of claim 1. Horiuchi further discloses that the thermal storage unit (20) comprises a composite of silicon carbide [SiC] and at least one of an oxide, a carbide [tungsten carbide, boron carbide], a boride, a nitride [boron nitride, aluminum nitride], a phosphate, a silicate, a silicide, and a zirconate (Horiuchi, [0033]-[0034]).
Regarding Claim 3
Horiuchi discloses the thermal storage unit of claim 1. Horiuchi further discloses that the thermal storage unit (20) comprises a silicon carbide composite material selected from the group comprising SiC-C, SiC-B4C, SiC-Cr2O3, SiC-A12O3, SiC-CeO2 SiC-CaO, and SiC- MgO (Horiuchi, [0033]-[0034]).
Regarding Claim 6
Horiuchi discloses the thermal storage unit of claim 1. Horiuchi further discloses that the thermal storage unit is configured to be arranged in a stack of thermal storage units (20), each of the thermal storage units (20) of the stack being in electrical communication with one another (Horiuchi, Figures 1-2).
Regarding Claim 7
Horiuchi discloses the thermal storage unit of claim 1. Horiuchi further teaches a coating layer [heat insulating layer] (Horiuchi, [0037], Figure 1).
Regarding Claim 16
Horiuchi discloses the thermal storage unit of claim 1. Horiuchi further discloses that the thermal storage unit comprises: a first coating layer (11, main body); a second coating layer (14, shutter); and a third coating layer (18, lid) (Horiuchi, [0037], Figure 1).
Regarding Claim 23
Horiuchi discloses a thermal storage unit (20) for storing high-temperature heat comprising:
a substrate (22) comprising silicon carbide (Horiuchi, [0033]), the substrate (22) being configured to be directly resistively heated by passing electrical current through the substrate (22) via electrical communication with an adjacent substrate (22) [of adjacent heat storage module (20)] comprising silicon carbide (Horiuchi, [0037]-[0038], Figures 1-2).
Regarding Claim 24
Horiuchi discloses the thermal storage unit of claim 23. Horiuchi further discloses that the thermal storage unit (20) comprises a composite of silicon carbide [SiC] and at least one of an oxide, a carbide [tungsten carbide, boron carbide], a boride, a nitride [boron nitride, aluminum nitride], a phosphate, a silicate, a silicide, and a zirconate (Horiuchi, [0033]-[0034]).
Regarding Claim 26
Horiuchi discloses the thermal storage unit of claim 23. Horiuchi further teaches that the thermal storage unit comprises g a coating layer [heat insulating layer] (Horiuchi, [0037], Figure 1).
Regarding Claim 27
Horiuchi discloses a thermal storage unit (1, heat storage device) comprising: a silicon carbide substrate (22) configured to be directly resistively heated by passing electrical current through the silicon carbide substrate (22) and to store high-temperature heat created by the resistive heating (Horiuchi, [0009] and [0033]).
Regarding Claim 28
Horiuchi discloses the thermal storage unit of claim 27. Horiuchi further discloses that the silicon carbide comprises a composite of silicon carbide [SiC] and at least one of an oxide, a carbide [tungsten carbide, boron carbide], a boride, a nitride [boron nitride, aluminum nitride], a phosphate, a silicate, a silicide, and a zirconate (Horiuchi, [0033]-[0034]).
Regarding Claim 30
Horiuchi discloses the thermal storage unit of claim 27. Horiuchi further discloses that the thermal storage unit (20) is configured to be arranged in a stack of thermal storage units (20), each of the thermal storage units (20) of the stack being in electrical communication with one another (Horiuchi, Figures 1-2).
Regarding Claim 31
Horiuchi discloses the thermal storage unit of claim 27. Horiuchi further teaches that the thermal storage unit comprises a coating layer [heat insulating layer] (Horiuchi, [0037], Figure 1).
Regarding Claim 32
Horiuchi discloses the thermal storage unit of claim 1. Horiuchi further discloses that the silicon carbide substrate (22) is indirectly physically coupled to a source of electrical current [via power supply cable at terminals (16, 17)] (Horiuchi, [0009] [0042] and [0057], Figures 1, 8, and 10).
Regarding Claim 33
Horiuchi discloses the thermal storage unit of claim 1. Horiuchi further discloses that the silicon carbide substrate (22) is configured to be directly resistively heated via application of electricity to the silicon carbide substrate (22) (Horiuchi, [0009] and [0033]).
Regarding Claim 34
Horiuchi discloses the thermal storage unit of claim 33. Horiuchi further discloses that the silicon carbide substrate (22) is a first silicon carbide substrate (22) and the first silicon carbide substrate (22) is configured to receive the electricity from a second silicon carbide substrate (22) in electrical communication with the first silicon carbide substrate (22) (Horiuchi, Figures 1 and 2).
Regarding Claim 35
Horiuchi discloses the thermal storage unit of claim 1. Horiuchi further discloses that the silicon carbide substrate (22) is further configured to provide high-temperature heat to industrial equipment (40) (Horiuchi, [0060]-[0062], Figure 9).
Regarding Claim 36
Horiuchi discloses the thermal storage unit of claim 23. Horiuchi further discloses that the substrate (22) is further configured to provide high-temperature heat to industrial equipment (40) (Horiuchi, [0060]-[0062], Figure 9).
Regarding Claim 37
Horiuchi discloses the thermal storage unit of claim 27. Horiuchi further discloses that the silicon carbide substrate (22) is further configured to provide high-temperature heat to industrial equipment (40) (Horiuchi, [0060]-[0062], Figure 9).
Regarding Claim 38
Horiuchi discloses the thermal storage unit of claim 23. Horiuchi further discloses that the silicon carbide substrate (22) is indirectly physically coupled to a source of electrical current [via power supply cable at terminals (16, 17)] (Horiuchi, [0009] [0042] and [0057], Figures 1, 8, and 10).
Regarding Claim 39
Horiuchi discloses the thermal storage unit of claim 27. Horiuchi further discloses that the silicon carbide substrate (22) is indirectly physically coupled to a source of electrical current [via power supply cable at terminals (16, 17)] (Horiuchi, [0009] [0042] and [0057], Figures 1, 8, and 10).
Regarding Claim 40
Horiuchi discloses the thermal storage unit of claim 1. Horiuchi further discloses that the silicon carbide substrate (22) is further configured to be directly resistively heated by electrical current provided to the silicon carbide substrate (22) by a source of electrical current that is in electrical and physical communication with the silicon carbide substrate (22) [via power supply cable at terminals (16, 17)] (Horiuchi, [0009] [0042] and [0057], Figures 1, 8, and 10).
Regarding Claim 41
Horiuchi discloses the thermal storage unit of claim 23. Horiuchi further discloses that the silicon carbide substrate (22) is further configured to be directly resistively heated by electrical current provided to the silicon carbide substrate (22) by a source of electrical current that is in electrical and physical communication with the silicon carbide substrate (22) [via power supply cable at terminals (16, 17)] (Horiuchi, [0009] [0042] and [0057], Figures 1, 8, and 10).
Regarding Claim 42
Horiuchi discloses the thermal storage unit of claim 27. Horiuchi further discloses that the silicon carbide substrate (22) is further configured to be directly resistively heated by electrical current provided to the silicon carbide substrate (22) by a source of electrical current that is in electrical and physical communication with the silicon carbide substrate (22) [via power supply cable at terminals (16, 17)] (Horiuchi, [0009] [0042] and [0057], Figures 1, 8, and 10).
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) 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Horiuchi, US 2025/0075984, in view of Parkinson, US 2015/0053367.
Regarding Claim 5
Horiuchi discloses the thermal storage unit of claim 1. Horiuchi further discloses that the silicon carbide substrate (22) of the thermal storage unit is configured to be resistively heated via application of electricity to the silicon carbide substrate [via power supply cable at terminals (16, 17)] (Horiuchi, [0009] [0042] and [0057], Figures 1, 8, and 10).
However, Horiuchi does not explicitly disclose that the substrate is to be heated to a temperature ranging from about 1000°C to about 2000°C.
Parkinson teaches a plurality of thermal storage units configured to be resistively heated to a temperature ranging from about 1000°C to about 2000°C (Parkinson, [0088], Figure 10).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify the thermal storage unit of Horiuchi to include a resistive heating temperature range as taught by Parkinson in order to provide more efficient energy storage.
The claim limitation “configured to be resistively heated to a temperature ranging from about 1000°C to about 2000°C" has been considered a recitation of intended use. The recitation of intended use does not differentiate the claimed apparatus from a prior art apparatus satisfying the claimed structural limitations. Horiuchi and Parkinson meet all of the structural limitations, and is therefore capable of performing the claimed recitations set forth above.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, with respect to claim objections and rejections under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) have been fully considered and are persuasive. The objections/rejection have been withdrawn.
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the rejection of claims 1, 5-7, 10, 23, 24, 26-28, and 30-37 under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) in view of Ceballos Castillo et al. have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the rejection of claims 2, 3, and 28 under 35 U.S.C. 103 in view of Ceballos Castillo et al. and Abe have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the rejection of claims 13-17 under 35 U.S.C. 103 in view of Ceballos Castillo et al. and Perryman have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KELSEY L STANEK whose telephone number is (571)272-3565. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Fri 8:30am-3:00pm.
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/K.L.S/Examiner, Art Unit 3741 /DEVON C KRAMER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3741
