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 § 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.
Claim 7 is 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.
Claim 7 recites: “The gas-treating device according to claim 1, further comprising a compressor for compressing a fluid containing the acidic compound discharged from the releaser and before being supplied to the multi-fluid heat exchanger.” This limitation is considered indefinite because it is unclear if applicant is referring to the same fluid containing the acidic compound discharged from the releaser of claim 1 or it if is a different fluid.
For purposes of examination, examiner will interpret claim 7 as reciting: “The gas-treating device according to claim 1, further comprising a compressor for compressing the fluid containing the acidic compound discharged from the releaser and before being supplied to the multi-fluid heat exchanger.”
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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a) (1) as being anticipated by Mori, Y. (US Pat. Pub. No. 2014/0112855, hereinafter Mori).
In regards to Claim 1, Mori discloses a gas-treating device comprising:
an absorber (A1) that receives an absorbent (#84, #41, #42, #43) to absorb an acidic compound in a gas (acid gas) to be treated into the absorbent (see figure 3 and paragraph [0142]);
a releaser (A2) into which the absorbent having absorbed the acidic compound in the absorber (A1) is introduced (see figure 3 and paragraph [0140]);
a heater (E2) for heating the absorbent (#81) in the releaser (A2) to release the acidic compound (#83) contained in the absorbent from the absorbent (see figure 3 and paragraph [0141]); and
a multi-fluid heat exchanger (E1) for heating the absorbent (#11, #12) before being supplied from the absorber (A1) to the releaser (A2) by a fluid containing the acidic compound (#71,#72, #73, #75) discharged from the releaser (A2) and the absorbent (#84, #41, #42, #43) before being supplied from the releaser (A2) to the absorber (A1) (see figure 3 and paragraphs [0140]-[0143]).
In regards to Claim 2, Mori discloses wherein the multi-fluid heat exchanger (E1) includes a first branched flow path into which one part of the absorbent (#11, #12) before being supplied from the absorber (A1) to the releaser (A2) flows, and a second branched flow path into which a remnant (#21) of the absorbent flows, the first branched flow path is configured to heat the one part of the absorbent (#11, #12) by the fluid containing the acidic compound (#71, #73, #75) discharged from the releaser (A2) and the absorbent (#84, #41, #43) supplied from releaser (A2) to the absorber (A1), and the second branched flow path is configured to heat the remnant (#21) of the absorbent by the fluid containing the acidic compound (#71, #73, #75) discharged from the releaser (A2) and the absorbent (#84, #41, #43) supplied from the releaser (A2) to the absorber (A1) (see figure 3 and paragraphs [0140]-[0143] and [0150]).
In regards to Claim 3, Mori discloses wherein the absorbent (#43) is an absorbent formed to separate into two phases (#11, #21) upon absorbing the acidic compound, one (#11) of the two phases separated in the absorbent mainly flows into the first branched flow path, and the other (#21) of the two phases separated in the absorbent mainly flows into the second branched flow path (see figure 3 and paragraphs [0140]-[0143] and [0150]).
In regards to Claim 4, Mori discloses wherein the absorber (#43) allows the absorbent having absorbed the acidic compound to be accumulated while the absorbent is separated into two phases, the first branched flow path is connected to the absorber through a first rich liquid flow path (#11), and the second branched flow path is connected to the absorber through a second rich liquid flow path (#21) provided separately from the first rich liquid flow path (see figure 3 and paragraphs [0140]-[0143] and [0150]).
In regards to Claim 5, Mori discloses the gas-treating device as recited in claim 3. Although Mori does not explicitly disclose wherein the first branched flow path and the second branched flow path are adjacent to each other to cause heat exchange between the one of the two phases separated, flowing through the first branched flow path, and the other of the two phases separated, flowing through the second branched flow path, relocating the first and second branched flow path such as to be adjacent to one another is a mere engineering design choice in order to obtain a desired end-result, such as for improved heat exchange efficiency, and is considered prima facie obvious, absent evidence to the criticality or new or unexpected results. See MPEP 2114.04.
In regards to Claim 6, Mori discloses wherein the multi-fluid heat exchanger is a plate heat exchanger or a shell-and-tube heat exchanger (see figure 3 and paragraphs [0070]-[0071]; Mori discloses that heat exchanger (E1) is a multichannel heat exchanger, in which a high thermal conductivity body includes several channels thermally connected for transferring heat energy between fluid streams flowing in separate channels in the body. This is considered equivalent to the multi-fluid heat exchanger being a plate heat exchanger, as claimed by the applicant.
This is evidenced by Advanced Filtration (“Understanding Plate Heat Exchangers: Types, Functionality, and Capacity Calculation”. Advanced Filtration, hereinafter Advanced filtration.).
Advanced Filtration teaches that a plate heat exchanger is a device that efficiently transfers heat between two fluids that are at different temperatures. A plate heat exchanger is a type of heat exchanger that uses corrugated metal plates to transfer thermal energy between the two fluids without mixing them. The series of thin, corrugated plates are stacked together to create multiple channels. The fluids flow through alternate channels, allowing heat to transfer from the hot fluid to the cold fluid without mixing (see page 2).
In regards to Claim 7, Mori discloses further comprising a compressor (C2) for compressing the fluid containing the acidic compound (#71, #73, #75) discharged from the releaser (A2) and before being supplied to the multi-fluid heat exchanger (E1) (see figure 3 and paragraphs [0140]-[0141]).
In regards to Claim 8, Mori discloses wherein the absorber includes a tank (A1) configured to store the absorbent (#43), and a gas supply path (Acid_Gas inlet) through which the gas to be treated flows into the tank (A1) is connected to the tank (A1) at a position below a liquid level of the absorbent (#43) stored in the tank (A1) (see figure 3 below and paragraph [0135]).
In regards to Claim 9, Mori discloses wherein the releaser includes a tank (A2) configured to store the absorbent containing the acidic compound (#11, #12, #51), and the heater (E2) is configured to heat the absorbent containing the acidic compound (#11, #12, #51) and accumulated in the tank (A2) (see figure 3 and paragraphs [0140]-[0141]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JELITZA M PEREZ whose telephone number is (571)272-8139. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9:00am-6:00pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Claire Wang can be reached at (571) 270-1051. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JELITZA M PEREZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1774