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 § 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 1-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mohri et al. (US 2022/0316077) in view of Flanders et al. (US 2022/0136119).
Regarding claim 1, the reference Mohri et al. discloses an electrosynthesis system (1) comprising an electrolysis device (2) configured to perform electrolysis on carbon dioxide gas and water vapor (see para. [0023]; Fig. 1), and a synthesizing device (4) configured to synthesize hydrocarbon gas from hydrogen gas and carbon monoxide gas that are generated by the electrolysis (see para. [0023]; Fig. 1).
The reference Mohri et al. is, however, silent with respect to the electrosynthesis system further comprising: a first analyzer configured to measure a first concentration ratio, which is a concentration ratio between the hydrogen gas and the carbon monoxide gas in a mixed gas discharged from the electrolysis device and containing the hydrogen gas and the carbon monoxide gas; and a control device configured to adjust a flow rate of the water vapor supplied to the electrolysis device, in a manner so that the first concentration ratio becomes a predetermined target concentration ratio.
The reference Flanders et al. teaches an electrosynthesis system (601) comprising an electrolysis device (611) configured to perform electrolysis on carbon dioxide gas and water vapor (see paras. [0341]; [0342]; Fig. 6A), and a synthesizing device (621) configured to synthesize hydrocarbon gas from hydrogen gas and carbon monoxide gas that are generated by the electrolysis (see paras. [0345]; [0346]; Fig. 6A). The reference Flanders et al. further teaches that the electrosynthesis system may include a monitoring system which can monitor a concentration ratio between the hydrogen gas and the carbon monoxide gas in a mixed gas discharged from the electrolysis device (see para. [0058]; [0079]; [0083]). The reference Flanders et al. further teaches that the electrosynthesis system may include a control device configured to adjust one or more operating conditions of the electrolysis device in a manner so that the monitored concentration ratio becomes a predetermined target concentration ratio (see paras. [0080]; [0083]; [0123]). The reference Flanders et al. further teaches that one or more operating conditions that may be adjusted includes the proportion of water vapor in the input gas supplied to the electrolysis device (see paras. [0096]; [0097]).
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in that art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Mohri et al. and Flanders et al., and modified the electrosynthesis system of Mohri et al. to include a first analyzer configured to measure a first concentration ratio, which is a concentration ratio between the hydrogen gas and the carbon monoxide gas in a mixed gas discharged from the electrolysis device; and a control device configured to adjust a flow rate of the water vapor supplied to the electrolysis device, in a manner so that the first concentration ratio becomes a predetermined target concentration ratio, since the reference Flanders et al. teaches that the operating conditions of the electrolysis device, such as the proportion of water vapor in the input gas supplied to the electrolysis device, should be controlled such that the concentration ratio between the hydrogen gas and the carbon monoxide gas in the mixed gas discharged from the electrolysis device is within a predetermined target concentration ratio (see paras. [0096]; [0097]; [0123]).
Regarding claim 2, the references Mohri et al. and Flanders et al. disclose that electrosynthesis system may further comprise a second analyzer configured to measure a second concentration ratio, which is a concentration ratio between the carbon dioxide gas and the water vapor in a mixed gas supplied to the electrolysis device (see Mohri et al.: paras. [0028]; [0043]), wherein the control device adjusts the flow rate of the water vapor, in a manner so that the second concentration ratio becomes the target concentration ratio until an electrical current supplied to the electrolysis device reaches a predetermined electrical current value (i.e., according to the teachings of Mohri et al., the second concentration ratio can be made the target concentration ratio until the fourth operation taught by Mohri et al. is performed) (see Mohri et al.: paras. [0042]-[0046]).
Regarding claim 3, the references Mohri et al. and Flanders et al. disclose that the electrosynthesis system may further comprise: a water vapor generator (14) configured to evaporate water (see Mohri et al. para. [0028]; Fig. 1); a heater (12) configured to heat the water vapor generated by the water vapor generator (see Mohri et al. para. [0028]; Fig. 1); a primary water supply device (46) configured to supply the water to the water vapor generator (see Mohri et al. para. [0038]; Fig. 1); and a secondary water supply device (25, 35) configured to supply the water to a water vapor passage (15) configured to place the water vapor generator and the heater in communication (see Mohri et al. paras. [0031]; [0036]; Fig. 1), wherein the control device controls a first supply amount of the water supplied from the primary water supply device (46) to the water vapor generator and a second supply amount of the water supplied from the secondary water supply device to the water vapor passage, and thereby adjusts a flow rate of the water vapor supplied from the heater to the electrolysis device (see Mohri et al. paras. [0040]-[0046]; Figs. 1-2B).
Regarding claim 4, the references Mohri et al. and Flanders et al. disclose that the electrosynthesis system may further comprise: at least one of: a first dehumidifier (3) configured to extract moisture within the mixed gas (see Mohri et al. paras: [0030]; [0058]; Fig. 1); or a second dehumidifier (5) configured to extract moisture within a hydrocarbon-containing gas discharged from the synthesizing device (4) and containing the hydrocarbon gas (see Mohri et al: para. [0035]; Fig. 1), wherein the secondary water supply device supplies the water extracted by the first dehumidifier or the second dehumidifier(see Mohri et al. paras. [0031]; [0036]; Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 5, the references Mohri et al. and Flanders et al. disclose that the electrosynthesis system may further comprise: a temperature sensor configured to detect an outside air temperature, wherein the control device switches between controlling the first supply amount and controlling the second supply amount in accordance with the outside air temperature (see Mohri et al.: paras. [0043]; [0048]).
Regarding claim 6, the references Mohri et al. and Flanders et al. disclose the electrosynthesis system, wherein in a case that the outside air temperature is less than or equal to a predetermined temperature threshold value, the control device controls the second supply amount with priority over the first supply amount (see Mohri et al.: para. [0048]).
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
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