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 without traverse of Group I (claims 1-14) in the reply filed on 28 October 2025 is acknowledged.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because reference characters 114 and 115 in Figure 2 have been used to designate different parts than mentioned in the description. The Specification, at paragraph [0053], describes that the inner reaction tube 108 has an inner surface 114 and outer surface 115. However, in Figure 2, reference characters 114 and 115 are associated to surfaces of the outer sleeve 106. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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 1-3, 6, and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Mukai et al. (JP 2003-2006102A).
Regarding claim 1, the reference Mukai et al. discloses a reactor (1) for producing a fuel gas (i.e., hydrogen gas) (see Machine Translation, para. [0037]; Figs. 1-5), comprising:
an outer sleeve (4) having a first end and a second end, the outer sleeve defining an internal chamber therein (see para. [0037; Fig. 1);
an inner reaction tube (5) disposed within the internal chamber, the inner reaction tube (5) being shorter than the outer sleeve and longitudinally recessed within the internal chamber from the first end and the second end of the outer sleeve (see paras. [0037]; [0043]; Figs. 1-2), wherein the inner reaction tube (5) and the outer sleeve (4) define an annular space therebetween (see paras. [0037]; [0043]; Figs. 1-2); and
an induction heater comprising an induction coil (7), the induction coil wrapped around the outer sleeve (4), wherein the induction coil (7) is approximately the same length as the inner reaction tube (5) and longitudinally aligned with the inner reaction tube (5) (see para. [0037]; Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 2, the reference Mukai et al. discloses the reactor (1), wherein the inner reaction tube (5) is coaxial with the outer sleeve (4) (see paras. [0043]-[0044]; Figs. 1-2).
Regarding claim 3, the reference Mukai et al. discloses the reactor (1), wherein the first end is an inlet end (12) and the second end is an outlet end (13), and wherein the internal chamber defines a feed zone between the inlet end (12) and the inner reaction tube (5), and a product zone between the inner reaction tube (5) and the outlet end (13) (see para. [0038]; Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 6, the reference Mukai et al. discloses the reactor (1), wherein the outer sleeve (4) is comprised of quartz (see para. [0037]).
Regarding claim 8, the reference Mukai et al. discloses the reactor (1), wherein the reactor (1) is horizontally oriented (see Figs. 1-5).
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.
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 4, 5, and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mukai et al. as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Clary et al. (US 5,260,538).
Regarding claim 4, the reference Mukai et al. is silent with respect to having an insulating material disposed within the annular space between the inner reaction tube and the outer sleeve. The reference Clary et al. teaches a method and apparatus to more efficiently heat a reactor vessel utilizing an electromagnetic inductive heating means (see Abstract; col. 1, lines 34-67; Fig. 1). The reference Clary et al. teaches that an insulating material (F) which does not adversely affect an electromagnetic filed may suitably be placed between an electromagnetic inductive heating means (E) and an outer wall (C) of a reactor vessel (B) to provide for a more uniform heating of the reactor vessel (B) (see col. 3, lines 7-12; col. 4, lines 16-26).
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to similarly provide an insulating material in the annular space between the inner reaction tube (5) and the outer sleeve (4) of Mukai et al. because, as taught by the reference Clary et al., the insulating material can advantageously provide for a more uniform heating of the walls of inner rection tube (see col. 3, lines 7-12; col. 4, lines 16-26).
Regarding claim 5, the reference Clary et al. teaches that the insulating material can be any commercially available insulations capable of performing at the desired reaction temperatures may be employed as the insulation material (see col. 4, lines 37-41). The reference Clary et al. further teaches that it is preferred that the insulating material should be a rigid insulation material for its convenience handling (see col. 4, lines 37-41). Thus, as the instant specification is silent to unexpected results, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to utilize any suitable insulating material capable of performing at the desired high reaction temperatures, including the insulating material as claimed by applicant, as doing so would amount to nothing more than a use of a known device for its intended use in a known environment to accomplish an entirely expected result.
Regarding claim 7, the reference Mukai et al. does not specifically disclose wherein the inner reaction tube is composed of graphite or tantalum. However, the reference Clary et al. teaches that a reaction tube that can be heated by electromagnetic inductive heating means may suitably be comprised of graphite (see col. 2, lines 16-30; col. 3, lines 46-48). Thus, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the inner reaction tube of Mukai et al. comprised of graphite since, the reference Clary et al. teaches that while some metals would be functional in reactors operating at lower temperature ranges, graphite is the preferred material for many industrial uses in large part because of its adaptability to both low and high temperature uses (see col. 3, line 65 to col. 4, line 2).
Claims 9-11 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mukai et al. (JP 2003-2006102A) in view of Muradov (US 6,653,005).
Regarding claim 9, the reference Mukai et al. discloses a system comprising:
a reactor (1) to convert a feed gas to a fuel gas (i.e., hydrogen gas) (see Machine Translation, para. [0037]; Figs. 1-5), the reactor (1) comprising:
an outer sleeve (4) having a first end and a second end, the outer sleeve defining an internal chamber therein (see para. [0037; Fig. 1);
an inner reaction tube (5) disposed within the internal chamber, the inner reaction tube (5) being shorter than the outer sleeve and longitudinally recessed within the internal chamber from the first end and the second end of the outer sleeve (see paras. [0037]; [0043]; Figs. 1-2), wherein the inner reaction tube (5) and the outer sleeve (4) define an annular space therebetween (see paras. [0037]; [0043]; Figs. 1-2); and
an induction heater comprising an induction coil (7), the induction coil wrapped around the outer sleeve (4), wherein the induction coil (7) is approximately the same length as the inner reaction tube (5) and longitudinally aligned with the inner reaction tube (5) (see para. [0037]; Fig. 1).
The reference Mukai et al., however, does not specifically disclose at least one of a gas-solid separator and a gas separator to purify the fuel gas; and wherein the system is modular and can be transported and installed on site. The reference Muradov teaches a compact hydrogen generator (10) coupled to or integrated with a fuel cell stack (20) to produce a portable source of electric power (see Abstract; col. 1, lines 15-24; col. 5, lines 11-14; Fig. 1). The reference Muradov teaches that the compact hydrogen generator (10) may comprise a reaction chamber (12); means (11) for providing heat input into the reaction chamber; a catalytic material (13) for decomposition of a hydrocarbon fuel; means (16, 18) for storing and introducing the hydrocarbon fuel into the reaction chamber; a hydrogen selective membrane (14) for purifying hydrogen produced in the reaction chamber; and an outlet (17) for delivering the hydrogen from the reaction chamber to the fuel cell (20) (see col. 7, lines 16-47; Fig. 1). The reference Muradov teaches that the compact hydrogen generator may suitably be miniaturized for portable applications (see col. 5, lines 11-33; col. 12, lines 35-38).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Mukai et al. and Muradov, and provide the system taught by Mukai et al. in a modular form which can be transported and installed on site as claimed by applicant, because, as evidenced by the reference Muradov (see col. 1, lines 15-24; col. 5, lines 11-33), the art recognizes for the need to provide a compact hydrogen generator which can be miniaturized for portable applications. It also would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Mukai et al. to include a hydrogen selective membrane to purify the fuel gas, since the reference Muradov teaches that such a modification advantageously provides for the production of a high purity hydrogen gas which can be used in any type of fuel cell without a need for PSA and other gas purification devices (see col. 8, lines 9-24). .
Regarding claim 10, the references Mukai et al. and Muradov disclose the system, wherein the reactor is fluidly connectable to a utility natural gas line (9) (see Mukai et al.: para. [0038]; Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 11, as no structural distinction is seen between the reactor (1) of Mukai et al. and the instantly claimed reactor, the reactor (1) of Mukai et al. is considered to be operatively connectable to a low-carbon power source (see Mukai et al.: para. [0037]; Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 14, the references Mukai et al. and Muradov disclose that the system further comprises a heat exchanger (11) to recover heat from the fuel gas (see Mukai et al.: para. [0038]; Fig. 1).
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mukai et al. in view of Muradov as applied to claim 9 above, and further in view of McCanney (US 2008/0241614).
Regarding claim 12, the references Mukai et al. and Muradov are silent with respect to the system further comprising a fuel pump to dispense the fuel gas. However, as evidenced by the reference McCanney (see para. [0112]; Fig. 1), it is conventional in the art to utilize a hydrogen fuel pump for dispensing hydrogen fuel gas from a hydrogen fuel gas source (100) into a fuel cell (80). Thus, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Mukai et al. and Muradov to include a fuel pump to dispense the fuel gas as doing so would amount to nothing more than a use of a known device for its intended use in a known environment to accomplish an entirely expected result.
Claim 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mukai et al. in view of Muradov as applied to claim 9 above, and further in view of Kim et al. (US 5,932,181).
Regarding claim 13, the references Mukai et al. and Muradov are silent with respect to the system further comprising a compressor to compress the fuel gas. However, as evidenced by the reference Kim et al. (see col. 3, lines 20-58; Fig. 1), it is conventional in the art to utilize a compressor (18) to compress hydrogen fuel gas obtained from a hydrogen gas generator (100). Thus, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Mukai et al. and Muradov to include a compressor to compress the fuel gas as doing so would amount to nothing more than a use of a known device for its intended use in a known environment to accomplish an entirely expected result.
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