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.
Claims 17-21 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.
Claim 17 recites the limitation "the molten media outlet" and “the molten media inlet” in Claim 13. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Claim 15 recites “a molten media outlet” and Claim 14 recites “a molten media inlet”. Examiner examines claim 17 as if it recites “a molten media outlet” and “a molten media inlet”.
Claim 18 directly depends on Claim 17.
Claims 19 recites the limitation "the molten media" in Claim 13. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Claim 16 recites “a molten media”. Examiner examines Claim 19 as if it depends on Claim 16.
Claim 20 recites the limitation "the molten media" in Claim 13. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Claim 16 recites “a molten media”. Examiner examines Claim 20 as if it depends on Claim 16.
Claim 21 recites the limitation "the molten media" in Claim 13. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Claim 21 recites “a molten media”. Examiner examines Claim 21 as if it depends on Claim 16.
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.
Claim(s) 1-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Zhang (WO-2004085413A1).
Regarding Claim 1, Zhang reference discloses a direct contact heat exchanger comprising:
a plurality of trays or stages disposed in a vessel (Figures 1 and 2, numeral 2);
a molten media flow path configured to pass a molten media through the plurality of trays or stages (Figure 1, numeral 4 and Figure 2, numeral 11 – liquid molten); and
a gas pathway disposed through the plurality of trays or stages, wherein the gas pathway is configured to directly contact a gas phase fluid with the molten media on the plurality of trays or stages (Figure 1, numeral 7 and Figure 2, numeral 12).
The direct contact heat exchanger of Zhang is capable of performing the claimed intended use.
Regarding Claim 2, Zhang reference discloses the exchanger of claim 1, further comprising: a molten media disposed within the plurality of trays or stages on the molten media flow path (Figure 2, numeral 11).
Regarding Claim 3, Zhang reference discloses the exchanger of claim 1, wherein the plurality of trays or stages comprise a plurality of cascading trays (Figure 2, numeral 2).
Regarding Claim 4, Zhang reference discloses the exchanger of claim 1, wherein the plurality of trays or stages comprise a plurality of sieve trays, wherein each sieve tray of the plurality of sieve trays comprise one or more holes (Paragraph [0036] – sieve).
Regarding Claim 5, Zhang reference discloses the exchanger of claim 4, wherein the gas pathway is defined through the one or more holes in each sieve tray of the plurality of sieve trays (Paragraph [0036] – sieve).
Regarding Claim 6, Zhang reference discloses the exchanger of claim 4, further comprising: a packing disposed between adjacent sieve trays of the plurality of sieve trays, wherein the gas pathway is configured to pass through the packing (Paragraph [0030] – fillers with large liquid holding capacity and Claim 3, liquid holding special packing).
Regarding Claim 7, Zhang reference discloses a method of exchanging heat in a molten media reactor, the method comprising:
passing a molten media through a plurality of trays or stages in a reactor vessel (Abstract and Figure 1, numeral 4 and Figure 2, numerals 2 – trays, 11 – molten and 4 – molten inlet);
passing a gas phase fluid through a gas pathway through the plurality of trays or stages (Figure 2, numerals 12 and Figure 1, numeral 7); and
contacting the molten media with a gas phase fluid within the reactor vessel, wherein the gas phase fluid directly contacts the molten media on the plurality of trays or stages (Figure 2, numerals 2 – trays, 11 – molten liquid and 12 – gas).
Regarding Claim 8, Zhang reference discloses the method of claim 7, wherein the molten media comprises a molten metal, a molten salt, or any combination thereof (Paragraph [0021] – molten salt).
Regarding Claim 9, Zhang reference discloses the method of claim 7, wherein the plurality of trays or stages comprises a plurality of cascading trays, where a gas inlet is disposed along an upper surface of each tray of the plurality of cascading trays, and wherein a downcomer is disposed through each tray (Figure 2, numerals 2 – cascading trays and 13 – downcomer).
Regarding Claim 10, Zhang reference discloses the method of claim 7, wherein the plurality of trays or stages comprises a plurality of sieve trays, wherein each sieve tray of the plurality of sieve trays comprise one or more holes, and wherein the plurality of sieve trays are flooded with the molten media (Paragraph [0036] – sieve and Figure 2).
Regarding Claim 11, Zhang reference discloses the method of claim 10, wherein the gas pathway is disposed through the one or more holes in each sieve tray of the plurality of sieve trays (Paragraph [0036] – sieve and Figure 2).
Regarding Claim 12, Zhang reference discloses the method of claim 10, further comprising: a packing disposed between adjacent sieve trays of the plurality of sieve trays, wherein the method further comprises: passing the gas phase fluid through the packing (Paragraph [0030] – fillers with large liquid holding capacity and Claim 3, liquid holding special packing).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 13-16 and 22-27 are allowed.
Claims 17-21 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Regarding Claim 13 and 22, the closest prior art, McFarland et al. (WO-2019/226416 A1) reference discloses a reaction process and apparatus comprises feeding a feed stream comprising a hydrocarbon into a vessel, reacting the feed stream in the vessel, producing solid carbon and a gas phase product based on the contacting of the feed stream with the molten salt mixture, separating the gas phase product from the molten salt mixture, and separating the solid carbon from the molten salt mixture to produce a solid carbon product wherein the vessel comprises a molten salt mixture, and the molten salt mixture comprises a reactive component (Abstract and Figure 14, numerals 101 – gas feed and 1408 – molten salt inlet, 1404 – molten salt outlet, 1405 – molten salt heater). However, McFarland et al. does not disclose a first direct contact heat exchanger disposed in an upper portion of the reactor vessel; a second direct contact heat exchanger disposed in a lower portion of the reactor vessel; and a reaction zone located between the first direct contact heat exchanger and the second direct contact heat exchanger. Cramer (US Patent No. 4,169,583) reference discloses a first direct heat exchanger and a second direct heat exchanger for heat exchanging between the steam/water and molten salt. There is no motivation/suggestion to modify/combine the above teachings to come up with the claimed reactor vessel disposed in between the first and second direct heat exchangers.
Claims 14-21 directly or indirectly depend on Claim 13.
Claims 23-27 directly or indirectly depend on Claim 22.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HUY-TRAM NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)270-3167. The examiner can normally be reached M-W, 7:00am - 3pm, EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Claire X 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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/HUY TRAM NGUYEN/Examiner, Art Unit 1774
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