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 .
Detailed Action
This office action is in response to applicant’s amended claims filed 12/29/25.
Claims 13, 15-20, 26-34 and 37 are pending in this application. Claims 20 and 26-31 are withdrawn and have been cancelled. In view of applicant's amendments to the claims filed 12/29/25, the objection, the 35 USC 112 rejection and the 35 USC 102/103 rejection by Besancon et al. (US 8664446, pub date March 4, 2014) over claims 13-19 and 32-37 have been withdrawn. The examiner attempted to contact the applicant, Chao Gao, to resolve pending issues on the claims on 5/1/26 but was unsuccessful.
Claim Rejections – 35 USC 112
The following is a quotation of the second paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112:
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 13, 15-19, 32-34 and 37 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112, second paragraph, because of a lack of antecedent basis. Claim 13 recites “the crude trimethylamine” three times. However there is no earlier recitation for “a crude trimethylamine” in the claim. Thus there is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. The dependent claims are rejected as being dependent on a rejected claim. Applicant is advised to correct the claim language.
Reason for the Withdrawal of the 102/103 Rejection
In view of applicant's amendments to the claims filed 12/29/25, the 35 USC 102/103 rejection by Besancon et al. (US 8664446, pub date March 4, 2014) has been withdrawn. The examiner has found applicant’s arguments convincing with regard to the lack of teaching in Besancon et al. for the removal of the dimethylamine impurity in the purification of trimethylamine. Furthermore, applicant has further clarified the invention in the new claim amendments filed 12/29/25. Applicant’s new claims require the crude trialkylamine in the gaseous state to flow in contact with the zeolite for 50 seconds or longer. On page 11 of applicant’s remarks filed 12/29/25, the applicant provided data in a graph that show the concentration of dimethylamine is further decreased by the claimed increased contact time of 50 seconds or longer. Thus, the claims as now drafted are therefore free of the prior art.
Conclusion
Claims 13, 15-19, 32-34 and 37 are rejected.
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 extension fee 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 date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Jennifer Cho Sawyer whose telephone number is (571) 270 1690. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 9 AM - 6 PM PST.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Renee Claytor can be reached on (571) 272-8394. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-274-1690.
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Jennifer Cho Sawyer
Patent Examiner
Art Unit: 1691
/RENEE CLAYTOR/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1691
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