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 § 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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1 – 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0187032 to Davey et al. (hereinafter referred to as Davey) in view of US Patent No. 4,451,366 to Smisson (hereinafter referred to as Smisson).
In regard to claim 1, as best shown in figures 6A – 7, Davey discloses a gas-liquid separator (50) that can separate gas and liquid from a gas-liquid mixture. Thee separator includes a body portion (52) having a cylindrical shape. The inlet pipe (81) forms an introduction passage provided in a state of communicating with the body portion (52). A gas-liquid mixture can be introduced through the introduction passage (81). The upper discharge pipe (85) forms an exhaust flow passage for gas from which liquid is separated. A swirl portion in the body portion (52) is formed by the body portion extending in an up-and-down direction and a partition plate (71). Davey includes a curved velocity plate (63) in some embodiments, as discussed in paragraph [0063], but does not disclose a straightening plate attached to the body portion to extend in a chord length direction of a circular arc formed by a barrel of the body portion.
As shown in figures 1 and 4, Smisson discloses a similar separator that performs the separation in a vortex chamber (2). As discussed in column 3 lines 51 – 60, the separator can equally be used for solid/liquid, solid/gas, and liquid/gas separation. As discussed in column 2 lines 16 – 26, Smisson includes a deflector plate (10) that enhances the circulating or swirling flow from the inlet (4). As shown in figure 4, the deflector plate (10) extends in a chord length direction of a circular arc formed by a barrel of the vortex chamber (2). The deflector plate (10) can be considered to be a straightening plate. The deflector, or straightening, plate (10) is shown to have a narrow width portion configured such that a distance between the straightening plate (10) and an inner wall of the vortex chamber (2) gradually decreases toward an end portion from the flow from the inlet (4) passes out.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Davey to include a straightening plate attached to the body portion to extend in a chord length direction of a circular arc formed by a barrel of the body portion as suggested by Smisson in order to enhance the circulating or swirling flow from the introduction passage. The straightening plate in the combination includes all of the required structural features and is considered to be capable of straightening the gas-fluid mixture. As shown in figure 4 of Smisson, the straightening plate has a narrow width portion configured such that a distance between the straightening plate and an inner wall of the body portion gradually decreases toward an end portion from which the gas-liquid mixture flows out.
In regard to claim 2, as shown in figures 6A – 6C of Davey, an insertion portion of the exhaust flow passage (85) is inserted into the body portion (52). In the combination, this insertion portion extends by an extension length that allows the insertion portion to reach a position of a heigh of an upper end of an extending portion of the straightening plate, the extending portion extending in a horizontal direction.
In regard to claim 3, Smisson is used as the secondary reference disclosing the straightening plate. As shown in figure 4, the straightening plate (10) is disposed to extend in the chord length direction of the circular arc formed by the barrel of the body portion (2) when viewed from above, one end of the straightening plate is connected to the inner wall of the body portion, and the other end of the straightening plate has a narrow width portion.
In regard to claim 4, Smisson is used as the secondary reference disclosing the straightening plate. As shown in figure 4, the straightening plate (10) is attached to extend in the chord length direction of the circular arc having a length corresponding to 1/4 or less of a circumference of the body portion (2).
In regard to claim 5, the introduction passage (81) of Davey can be considered to be connected at a “free” angle and with a “free” offset amount within a range of the circular arc, as broadly recited in the claim.
In regard to claim 6, in the operation of the combination, a fluid is blown out from a distal end portion of the straightening plate. The distal end portion has a narrow width portion. The blowing velocity is capable of falling within a rage of 5 m/sec to 20 m/sec.
In regard to claim 7, Smisson is used as the secondary reference disclosing the straightening plate. As shown in figures 1 and 4, the straightening plate (10) can be considered to have a square U shape when viewed in a front view. In the combination, the straightening plate is fixed to the inner wall of the body portion at least at a position higher than the introduction passage
In regard to claim 8, as shown in figures 6A – 6C, the partition plate (71) in Davey is provided at a position lower than the introduction passage (81), and has an inner diameter smaller than an inner diameter of the body portion (52).
In regard to claim 9, additionally, as shown in figures 6A – 6C, the partition plate (71) in Davey is provided along the horizontal direction.
In regard to claim 10, the arrestor vanes (75), as shown in figures 15A – 15C of Davey, can be considered to form a demister attached to the partition plate (71), as broadly recited in the claim.
In regard to claim 11, as shown in figures 6A – 7, the partition plate (71) in Davey is provided at a position lower than the introduction passage (81). The partition plate (71) is configured to partition the body portion (52) into an upper portion and a lower portion. As shown in figure 15A, a through hole (73) can be formed at an end portion of the partition plate, the through hole penetrating through the partition plate in the up-and- down direction.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Robert Clemente whose telephone number is (571)272-1476. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-5.
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/ROBERT CLEMENTE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1773
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