DETAILED ACTION
This detailed action is in response to the amendments and arguments filed on 02/25/2026, and any subsequent filings.
Notations “C_”, “L_” and “Pr_” are used to mean “column_”, “line_” and “paragraph_”.
Claims 1-9 and 11-37 are pending.
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 Interpretation
Claim 1 recites “a secondary slurry feed comprising at least slurry recirculated from a flotation cell”. For purposes of examination, the aforementioned “a flotation cell” is being interpreted as being either the same or distinct from the “a flotation cell” in the preamble of Claim 1.
Claims dependent on Claim 1 are also affected by this interpretation.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-9 and 11-37 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
The preamble of Claim 1 recites “a flotation cell for treating particles suspended in slurry and for separating the slurry into underflow and overflow” but the body of Claim 1 does not appear to make it known how the particles are treated and how the slurry is separated into underflow and overflow.
Claim 1 recites “a secondary slurry feed comprising at least slurry recirculated from a flotation cell”. It is unclear whether the aforementioned “a flotation cell” and the “a flotation cell” of the preamble refer to the same or distinct flotation cells.
Claims 34 and 36 are directed towards methods for treating particles and for separating slurry into underflow and overflow, but neither claim appears to indicate how the treating of particles occurs nor how the separating of slurry into underflow and overflow happens. Claims 34 and 36 also do not appear to provide steps for the methods recited.
Dependent claims not recited above require all of the limitations of independent Claim 1, and therefore are rejected for the same reasons set forth above.
Dependent claims not recited above require all of the limitations of Claims 34 and 36, and therefore are rejected for the same reasons set forth above.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BOI-LIEN THI NGUYEN whose telephone number is (703)756-4613. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Friday, 8 am to 6 pm.
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/BOI-LIEN THI NGUYEN/Examiner, Art Unit 1779
/Bobby Ramdhanie/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1779
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