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 § 102
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 1-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Bontemps et al. (US 5,382,638).
Regarding claim 1, the reference Bontemps et al. discloses a gas-phase polymerization system (see col. 2, lines 51-68; Fig. 1) comprising:
a fluidized bed reactor (1) comprising a reactor feed inlet (9) and a fluidizing gas outlet (4) (see col. 4, lines 23-36; Fig. 1);
a cyclone separator (5) coupled to the fluidizing gas outlet and configured to receive a fluidizing gas comprising polymer fines and separate the polymer fines from the fluidizing gas (see col. 4, lines 37-56; Fig. 1);
a venturi eductor (10) coupled between the cyclone separator (5) and the fluidized bed reactor (1) and configured to receive the separated polymer fines from the cyclone separator (5) (see col. 4, lines 56-65; Fig. 1); and
a fines return line (13) coupling the venturi eductor (10) to the fluidized bed reactor (1) and configured to return the separated polymer fines from the venturi eductor (10) to the fluidized bed reactor (see col. 4, lines 56-65; Fig. 1);
wherein the fluidized bed reactor (1) further comprises a grid plate (3) above the reactor feed inlet (9), a reaction zone above the grid plate (3), and a disengagement zone (2) above the reaction zone and having a larger diameter than the reaction zone (14) (see col. 3, lines 46-68; Fig. 1), and
wherein the fines return line (13) has a reactor entry nozzle (i.e., a portion of the fines return line 13 which opens into the fluidized bed reactor) coupled to the fluidized bed reactor (1) at a height above a top of the grid plate (3) that is at least 50% of a height of the fluidized bed (14) measured from the top of the grid plate (3) and a top of a fluidized bed (14) (see col. 5, lines 21-35; Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 2, the reference Bontemps et al. discloses the gas-phase polymerization system, wherein the reactor entry nozzle of the fines return line (13) is coupled to the fluidized bed reactor (1) at a distance above a top of the grid plate (3) that is at least 50% of a distance (D) between the top of the grid plate (3) and a top of the reaction zone (H) (see col. 5, lines 21-35; Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 3, the reference Bontemps et al. discloses the gas-phase polymerization system, wherein the reactor entry nozzle of the fines return line (13) is coupled to the fluidized bed reactor at a height above a top of the grid plate (3) that is less than or equal to 95% of the height (H) of the fluidized bed measured from the top of the grid plate and a top of a fluidized bed, or less than or equal to 95% of a distance (D) between the top of the grid plate (3) and a top of the reaction zone (H) (see col. 5, lines 21-35; Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 4, the reference Bontemps et al. discloses the gas-phase polymerization system, wherein the reactor entry nozzle of the fines return line (13) is coupled to the fluidized bed reactor at a height above a top of the grid plate (3) that is at least 70% of the height (H) of the fluidized bed measured from the top of the grid plate (3) and a top of a fluidized bed, or at least 70% of a distance (D) between the top of the grid plate (3) and a top of the reaction zone (H) (see col. 5, lines 21-35; Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 5, the reference Bontemps et al. discloses the gas-phase polymerization system, wherein the reactor entry nozzle of the fines return line (13) is coupled to the fluidized bed reactor (1) at a height above a top of the grid plate (3) that is at least 85% of the height (H) of the fluidized bed measured from the top of the grid plate and a top of a fluidized bed, or at least 85% of a distance (D) between the top of the grid plate (3) and a top of the reaction zone (H) (see col. 5, lines 21-35; Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 6, the reference Bontemps et al. discloses the gas-phase polymerization system, wherein the reactor entry nozzle of the fines return line (13) is coupled to the fluidized bed reactor (1) at a height above a top of the grid plate (3) that is from 55% to 95% of the height (H) of the fluidized bed measured from the top of the grid plate (3) and a top of a fluidized bed, or from 55% to 95% of a distance (D) between the top of the grid plate (3) and a top of the reaction zone (H) (see col. 5, lines 21-35; Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 7, the reference Bontemps et al. discloses the gas-phase polymerization system, wherein the reactor entry nozzle of the fines return line (13) is located at a distance from a top of the fluidized bed that is less than twice a reaction zone diameter of the fluidized bed reactor, or less than the reaction zone diameter (see col. 8, lines 15-30; Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 8, the reference Bontemps et al. discloses the gas-phase polymerization system, wherein the reactor entry nozzle of the fines return line (13) is located at a distance from a top of a fluidized bed of the fluidized bed reactor that is greater than one tenth of the reaction zone diameter, or greater than one fifth of the reaction zone diameter (see col. 8, lines 15-30; Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 9, the reference Bontemps et al. discloses the gas-phase polymerization system, wherein the venturi eductor (10) includes a motive gas inlet (not labeled), a suction inlet (not labeled) coupled to the cyclone separator (5), and an eductor discharge outlet (not labeled) coupled to the fluidized bed reactor (1) (see col. 4, lines 52-65; Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 10, the reference Bontemps et al. discloses the gas-phase polymerization system further comprising a motive gas supply (11) coupled to the motive gas inlet (see col. 4, lines 52-65; col. 5, lines 9-20; Fig. 1).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 11-20 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Regarding claims 11-20, the claims are allowable because the prior art of record does not disclose or fairly suggest the feature: wherein the following conditions are met: (a) the reactor entry nozzle of the fines return line is coupled to the fluidized bed reactor at an angle alpha (α) ≥ 5° relative to a vertical axis of the reaction zone; or (b) the reactor entry nozzle of the fines return line is coupled to the fluidized bed reactor at an angle beta (β) ≥ 5° relative to a vertical plane that includes a vertical axis of the fluidized bed reactor and an entry point of the reactor entry nozzle of the fines return line into the fluidized bed reactor; or (c) both conditions (a) and (b) are met, as required by claim 11.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Lessanework T Seifu whose telephone number is (571)270-3153. The examiner can normally be reached M-T 9:00 am - 6:30 pm; F 9:00 am - 1:00 pm.
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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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/LESSANEWORK SEIFU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1774