DETAILED ACTION
This detailed action is in response to the amendments and arguments filed on 11/26/2025, and any subsequent filings.
Notations “C_”, “L_” and “Pr_” are used to mean “column_”, “line_” and “paragraph_”.
Claims 29-30 are new. Claims 15-30 are pending.
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 .
Response to Arguments
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The 35 USC § 112 rejection of Claim 26 and the dependent claims of Claim 26 is maintained because Claim 26 was not amended to overcome the rejection.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
Applicant’s arguments, see remarks, filed 11/26/2025, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 15 and 26 under 35 USC § 102 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Chinese Publication CN110156275A (‘Lu’).
Response to Amendment
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 26-28 and 30 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.
Regarding claim 26, the phrase "in particular" renders the claim indefinite because it is unclear whether the limitations following the phrase are part of the claimed invention. See MPEP § 2173.05(d).
Dependent claims not recited above require all of the limitations of independent Claim 1, and therefore are rejected for the same reasons set forth above.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 15-17, 19 and 21-28 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chinese Publication CN110156275A (‘Lu’) in view of Chinese Publication CN108203193A (‘Hu’). Machine translations accompanied a previous detailed action and the claims are mapped to those translations and the drawings in the original documents.
The Applicant’s claims are directed towards a method (Claims 15-17 and 21-24) and an apparatus (Claim 26).
Regarding Claim 15-17, 19 and 21-28, Lu teaches a method of treating cooling circuit water of industrial plants (2) ([0002]) contaminated with organic substances and inorganic particles ([0022]), comprising the following steps:
a) separating (Fig. 1, [0029], filter 10) the organic substances and the inorganic particles from the cooling circuit water so as to obtain a precleaned cooling circuit water ([0038]);
b) cooling the precleaned cooling circuit water by an open cooling tower (11) (Fig. 1, [0039], cooling tower 6) so as to obtain a cooled precleaned cooling circuit water ([0039]);
d) adding bacteria (Fig. 1, [0037], biological agent from biological supplement tank 23) capable of degrading organic substances ([0037]) present in the cooling circuit water, wherein the bacteria are added to the cooling circuit water before the separation in accordance with step a) (Fig. 1), before the cooling in accordance with step b) (Fig. 1, [0039], cooling tower 6) and/or before the desalination in accordance with step c), so as to form a biological cleaning stage ([0037]).
Lu does not teach c) desalinating at least a partial volume flow of the cooled precleaned cooling circuit water by an at least one-stage desalination plant (14) so as to obtain a cleaned cooling circuit water.
Hu also relates to a method of treating cooling circuit water of industrial plants contaminated with organic substances and inorganic particles ([0002] and [0016]), including c) desalinating at least a partial volume flow of the precleaned cooling circuit water ([0017]) by an at least one-stage desalination plant (14) so as to obtain a cleaned cooling circuit water ([0011]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include desalinating in the method of Lu, as demonstrated by Hu, to meet the requirements of cooling circulating water (Hu, [0018]).
Additional Disclosures Included:
Claim 16: a step bl): separating, prior to step c), a residual amount of the organic substances and/or the inorganic particles contained in the at least partial volume flow of the cooled precleaned cooling circuit water (Hu, [0010]).
Claim 17: separating in accordance with step bl) is carried out gravimetrically (Hu, [0010]).
Claim 19: wherein nutrients (Lu, Fig. 1, [0037], carbon source from carbon source supplement tank 21) that promote growth of the added bacteria are added to the cooling circuit water before the separation in accordance with step a) (Lu, Fig. 1), before the cooling in accordance with step b) (Lu, Fig. 1, [0037-0039], cooling tower 6), and/or before the desalination in accordance with step c), and wherein a ratio of added bacteria to added nutrients is reduced over time (Lu, [0026], carbon source added so that the biological bacteria in the biological agent grow and reproduce).
Claim 21: wherein the cooling circuit water contaminated with the organic substances and the inorganic particles in accordance with step a) is passed through a settling basin (6), a clarifying basin (7) and/or a filtration purification device (8) (Lu, Fig. 1, [0029], filter 10).
Claim 22: the cooling circuit water cleaned in accordance with step c) is fed to the industrial plant (2) (Hu, [0011]), if necessary after conditioning.
Claim 23: the desalination in accordance with step c) is carried out by reverse osmosis, by capacitive deionization or by thin film evaporation (Hu, [0011]).
Claim 24: the bacteria are added only to the partial volume flow of the cooled precleaned cooling circuit water (Lu, Fig. 1, [0026]).
Claim 25: the partial volume flow is passed over a reactor (21) (Lu, Fig. 1, [0029], biofilm filter 9) used to form the biological cleaning stage before the desalination in accordance with step c) (It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for the reactor of Lu to form a biological cleaning stage before the desalination of Hu because the biological cleaning stage of Lu consumes organic matter and dissolved oxygen so that the COD content of the circulating water meets system operation requirements (Lu, [0037]) and COD content in the water should be reduced (Hu, [0027]), ensuring water quality for subsequent operations (Hu, [0017])).
Regarding Claims 26-28, Lu teaches a plant (1) for treating cooling circuit water of an industrial plant (2) ([0002]), in particular of a hot rolling mill (2), contaminated with organic substances and inorganic particles ([0022]), comprising:
a) a separation device (5) (Fig. 1, [0029], filter 10) for separating the organic substances and the inorganic particles from the cooling circuit water in order to obtain precleaned cooling circuit water ([0038]);
b) an open cooling tower (11) (Fig. 1, [0039], cooling tower 6) through which the precleaned cooling circuit water can be cooled;
d) a dosing device (16, 17, 18, 20) (Fig. 1, [0037], biological supplement pump 24) for adding bacteria (Fig. 1, [0037], biological agent from biological supplement tank 23) capable of degrading the organic substances present in the cooling circuit water ([0037]), wherein the dosing device (16, 17, 18, 20) is arranged upstream of the separation device (5) (Fig. 1), upstream of the cooling tower (11) and/or upstream of the desalination plant (14), so as to obtain a biological cleaning stage.
Lu does not teach c) an at least one-stage desalination plant (14), by means of which at least a partial volume flow of the cooled precleaned cooling circuit water can be desalinated, in order to obtain cleaned cooling circuit water.
Hu also relates to a plant (1) for treating cooling circuit water of an industrial plant (2) ([0002] and [0016]), in particular of a hot rolling mill (2), contaminated with organic substances and inorganic particles, including c) an at least one-stage desalination plant (14) ([0011]), by means of which at least a partial volume flow of the cooled precleaned cooling circuit water can be desalinated, in order to obtain cleaned cooling circuit water ([0011]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include an at least one-stage desalination plant in the plant of Lu, as demonstrated by Hu, to meet the requirements of cooling circulating water (Hu, [0018]).
Additional Disclosures Included:
Claim 27: the dosing device (16, 20) (Lu, Fig. 1, [0037], biological supplement pump 24) is arranged in a bypass line (13) (Lu, Fig. 1, bypass filter return pipe 12) connecting the cooling tower (11) (Lu, Fig. 1) with the at least one-stage desalination plant (14) (It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for the bypass line of Lu to connect the cooling tower of Lu and the at least one-stage desalination plant of Hu so unqualified circulating water continues treatment (Lu, [0039]) and unqualified circulating water can be returned to the cooling tower (Lu, [0024])).
Claim 28: a reactor (21) (Lu, Fig. 1, [0029], biofilm filter 9) arranged in the bypass line (13) (Lu, Fig. 1) and upstream of the at least one-stage desalination plant (14) and provided for forming the biological cleaning stage (Lu, [0037]) (It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for the reactor of Lu to form a biological cleaning stage upstream of the desalination of Hu because the biological cleaning stage of Lu consumes organic matter and dissolved oxygen so that the COD content of the circulating water meets system operation requirements (Lu, [0037]) and COD content in the water should be reduced (Hu, [0027]), ensuring water quality for subsequent operations (Hu, [0017])).
Claim 18 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chinese Publication CN110156275A (‘Lu’) and Chinese Publication CN108203193A (‘Hu’) as applied to claim 16 above, and further in view of U.S. Patent US5534155A (‘Schimion’).
The Applicant’s claim is directed towards a method.
Regarding Claim 18, the combination of Lu and Hu teaches the method of Claim 16, except that the inorganic particles are ferromagnetic, and wherein separating in accordance with step b1) is carried out by magnetic separation.
Schimion also relates to a method of treating cooling circuit water of industrial plants contaminated with organic substances and inorganic particles (abstract), including that the inorganic particles are ferromagnetic, and wherein separating in accordance with step b1) is carried out by magnetic separation (Fig. 1, C5/L23-47, magnetic separator 3 after sedimentation tank 1).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for the step b1 of the method of Lu and Hu to be carried out by magnetic separation, as demonstrated by Schimion, to remove fine particles (Schimion, C5/L38-52).
Claim 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chinese Publication CN110156275A (‘Lu’) and Chinese Publication CN108203193A (‘Hu’) as applied to claim 19 above, and further in view of U.S. Publication US20180230033A1 (‘Cumbie’).
The Applicant’s claim is directed towards a method.
Regarding Claim 20, the combination of Lu and Hu teaches the method of Claim 19, including that wherein the bacteria and/or the nutrients are added to the water of a cooling circuit in the form of an aqueous solution (Lu, [0022]), except that the bacteria and/or the nutrients are provided in the form of a granulate, wherein the bacteria in the granulate are lyophilized bacteria.
Cumbie also relates to a method of treating water (abstract), wherein the bacteria and/or the nutrients are provided in the form of a granulate ([0504], micronutrients encased in a matric that permits dissolution over time), wherein the bacteria in the granulate are lyophilized bacteria ([0069]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention that the bacteria and/or the nutrients of Lu and Hu can be provided in the form of a granulate, as demonstrated by Cumbie, because Lu and Cumbie both involve removing organics and nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, from water (Cumbie, abstract and Lu, [0037]). It would have been obvious to combine the lyophilized bacteria of Cumbie and the method of Lu and Hu for long term preservation (Cumbie, [0149]).
Claim(s) 29-30 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chinese Publication CN110156275A (‘Lu’) and Chinese Publication CN108203193A (‘Hu’) as applied to claims 15 and 27 above, and further in view of U.S. Patent US5534155A (‘Schimion’).
The Applicant’s claims are directed towards a method (Claim 29) and an apparatus (Claim 30).
Regarding Claim 29, the combination of Lu and Hu teaches the method of Claim 15, including receiving the cooling circuit water after the cooling circuit water has been contaminated with organic substances and inorganic particles (Lu, Fig. 1, [0026]), and feeling the cleaned cooling circuit water back, except that the cooling circuit water is from a hot rolling mill and the cleaned cooling circuit water is fed back to the hot rolling mill.
Schimion teaches receiving the cooling circuit water (Fig. 1, C5/L23-26, process water W1) from a hot rolling mill (2) (abstract) after the cooling circuit water has been contaminated with organic substances and inorganic particles (C5/L23-26), and
feeding the cleaned cooling circuit water (Fig. 1, C6/L33-35, clarified industrial process water W2) back to the hot rolling mill (2) (C6/L33-35).
Regarding Claim 30, the combination of Lu and Hu teaches the plant of Claim of 27, including that an inlet of the separation device (5) is coupled to a cooling water outlet (Lu, [0020-0022]) and wherein an outlet of the at least one-stage desalination plant (14) is coupled to a cooling water inlet (Hu, [0011]), except that the industrial plant is a hot rolling mill, the cooling water outlet is a cooling water outlet of the hot rolling mill and the cooling water inlet is a cooling water inlet of the hot rolling mill.
Schimion also relates to a plant (1) (C1/L7-15) for treating cooling circuit water of an industrial plants (2) (abstract), in particular of a hot rolling mill (2), contaminated with organic substances and inorganic particles, wherein the industrial plant (2) is a hot rolling mill (2) (abstract), including a cooling water outlet of the hot rolling mill (Fig. 1, C6/L33-35, clarified industrial process water W2), and a cooling water inlet of the hot rolling mill (2) (Fig. 1, C6/L33-35, clarified industrial process water W2).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention that the cooling circuit water of the combination of Lu and Hu may be received from a hot rolling mill and fed back to the hot rolling mill, as demonstrated by Schimion, because both Lu and Schimion involve methods of treating industrial (Lu, [0004] and Schimion, abstract) circulating cooling water (Lu, [0026] and Schimion, abstract) contaminated with organic substances and inorganic particles (Lu, [0022] and Schimion, abstract).
Conclusion
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 BOI-LIEN THI NGUYEN whose telephone number is (703)756-4613. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Friday, 8 am to 6 pm.
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/BOI-LIEN THI NGUYEN/Examiner, Art Unit 1779
/Bobby Ramdhanie/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1779