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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election of Group I, claims 1 – 11, in the reply filed on July 7, 2026 is acknowledged. Because applicant did not distinctly and specifically point out the supposed errors in the restriction requirement, the election has been treated as an election without traverse (MPEP § 818.01(a)). It is noted that claim 18 depends from claim 2 and not claim 12, and therefore is considered to be part of Group I.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1 – 11 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by JP 63-119801 to Imaizumi et al. (hereinafter referred to as Imaizumi).
In regard to claim 1, as shown in figure 4, Imaizumi discloses a stripper (9). The stripper is capable of acting as a urea stripper that is adapted to process a urea-containing reaction mixture for decomposition of unreacted ammonium carbamate contained in the mixture into a gaseous mixture of ammonia and carbon dioxide, wherein the urea stripper includes a stripping section wherein the stripping process is performed and a bottom liquid holder arranged to collect urea-containing solution after the stripping process. Figures 1 – 3 show the bottom liquid folder in more detail. In figure 1, the vortex breaker (18) can be considered to form a sealed chamber arranged inside of the liquid holder to reduce the size of an internal urea solution collection chamber of the liquid holder. In figures 2 and 3, the perforated cylinder (20) can be considered to form a perforated screen vertically arranged inside the bottom liquid holder.
In regard to claims 2 – 6 and 18, Imaizumi does not require option a) to read on claim 1. Claims 2 – 6 and 18 recited further structure for option a), but do not require option a) to be used. Therefore, further limitations directed to option a) are not considered to define the apparatus over Imaizumi.
In regard to claims 7 and 8, similarly, as discussed above, Imaizumi discloses option c) in which case the further limitations of option b) are not considered to define the apparatus over Imaizumi. Further, as shown in figures 2 and 3, the perforated cylindrical wall (20) is placed inside the bottom liquid holder, so that the bottom liquid holder is divided into an annular chamber around said wall and a central chamber inside said wall, said chambers being in communication through the perforations of said wall. In figure 3, the vertically arranged perforated cylindrical wall (20) extends downward from an unperforated horizontal screen (21).
In regard to claim 9, likewise, Imaizumi discloses option b) in which case the further limitations of option c) are not considered to define the apparatus over Imaizumi. Additionally, as shown in figure 1, the closed cylindrical chamber (18) is shown to be placed in the bottom liquid holder, so that the only internal region of the bottom liquid holder where liquid can be collected is an annular region around said chamber (18).
In regard to claim 10, the apparatus of Imaizumi discloses all of the claimed structural limitations and is considered to be capable of being used as a urea stripper adapted to operate according to any of: the self-stripping process, the ammonia-stripping process, the CO2 stripping process.
In regard to claim 11, the apparatus of Imaizumi discloses all of the claimed structural limitations and is considered to be capable of being used as a urea production plant having at least one apparatus according to claim 1 of the present application.
Conclusion
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/ROBERT CLEMENTE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1773
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