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 . The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 1-10, 12-16, 45 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.
In claim 1, it is implied but not stated that the feedstock is at the first temperature. Because if it was not, the claim would not make sense.
In claim 7 and the like ‘rapid/rapidly’ is subjective and unclear.
C) Claim 4 is unclear. If the feed did not contain methane (in a large proportion) it would irrelevant. Perhaps ‘wherein the hydrocarbon is methane’ is meant.
D) Claim 7 is unclear how a ‘rapid expansion valve’ differs from a ‘valve’. The new verbiage appears to be directly self-contradictory.
E) In claim 16, it is unclear exactly what ‘drill rig vent’ and ‘well head vent’ streams contain. If they contain methane, then they are redundant.
F) Claim 8 appears to be merely a restatement of things already required in claim 1. What additional features does it include?
Obviousness rejection:
Claims 1, 2, 4-6, 8-10, 13, 14, 16 and 45 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mullin et al. 3122418.
Mullin teaches, especially in col. 4, decomposing hydrocarbon into carbon and hydrogen. While not teaches ’rapidly expanding’ it is noted that the apparatus widens (fig. 1) and col. 4 teaches pressure control by use of chokes. Thus, the claimed feature is obvious. Valve 26 is taught in col. 2.
For claim 2, 300 psi is taught.
For claim 4, methane per se is not actually required.
For claims 5-6 and 13, col. 4 teaches 1382C.
Claim 8 appears inherent, as noted above.
For claim 9, the feed is initially pressurized and the pressure increases in the reactor, see col. 3.
For claim 10, col. 4 teaches gas preheating.
For claim, 16, propyne is taught.
For claim 14, col. 2 teaches carbon collection. Capturing hydrogen is obvious to acquire a valuable material.
For claim, 16, propyne is taught (drill rig and/or well head).
For claim 45, high pressure gas flows quickly.
Applicant's arguments filed 1/23/26 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Since specification para 22 teaches opening a valve to relieve pressure, the chamber now being accessed is the reaction chamber. So it is implicitly required in claim 1.
The other amendments do not really address the issues raised; making a Markush group does not make anything more clear. Mullin col. 2-3 teaches various pressure valves (items 25, 38, etc.) and opens them up, thus relieving pressure- and it is the mere relief of pressure that permits reaction because of the ‘overpressurization’ to deliberately impede the reaction. See col 4 lines 53-57.
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 nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) 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 mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to STUART L HENDRICKSON whose telephone number is (571)272-1351. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday from 9 to 5. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Anthony Zimmer, can be reached on 571-270-3591. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
/STUART L HENDRICKSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1736
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