DETAILED ACTION
This Office action is in response to amendments filed 2/2/2026. It should be noted that claims 3, 4, 6-7, 10, and 13 have been amended, claims 1-2, 5, 8-9, 12, and 16-17 have been cancelled, and claims 18-28 have been added.
Claim Objections
Claims 18-28 are objected to because of the following informalities:
In claim 18, line 4, the term “state” should be replaced with --stage--. Appropriate correction is required.
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 3, 4, 6, 7, 10, 11, and 13-15 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 6 recites, “a reciprocating compressor connected downstream of the first compressing unit” in line 5. This limitation is indefinite because it is unclear if the reciprocating compressor is part of the “second compressing unit” recited in line 3, or an additional compressing unit. Therefore, claim 6 is indefinite.
Claim 10 recites, “a compressing unit having at least one barrel compressor” in line 7, and goes onto claim “a first barrel compressor comprising a first drive shaft” and “a second barrel compressor comprising a second drive shaft”. These limitations are indefinite because it is unclear if the first and second barrel compressors are part of the compressing unit or additional downstream stages. Therefore, claim 10 is indefinite.
Claim 13 depends from claim 9, which has been cancelled. Therefore, its claim limitations are indefinite.
Claim 15 depends from claim 8, which has been cancelled. Therefore, its claim limitations are indefinite.
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 18, 20, and 23-28 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Pelton 8,980,195.
Pelton (see embodiment in Fig. 3) discloses, regarding claims 18 and 28, a hydrogen production plant (see 117) comprising a gas compressing assembly, comprising: a first stage 180 comprising a first compressor, a second compressor (180 is a unit that can be more than one compressor, see col. 3, lines 40-60), heat exchangers to condense a wet part of the gas (see col. 15, lines 28-33), and condensers 212 to capture the wet part; and a second stage 185 connected downstream of the first stage, the second stage 185 comprising a reciprocating compressor (185 can be a reciprocating compressor, see col. 3, lines 40-60); Re claim 20, wherein the heat exchangers comprise a heat exchanger interposed between the second compressor (of 180) and the second stage 185 (see col. 15, lines 28-33); Re claim 23, wherein the second stage 185 comprises a condenser (the condenser is within 301 which is after 180 so it can be interpreted as being within the second stage); Re claim 24, further comprising: a drive electric motor 150 coupled to the first compressor (180) and the second compressor (180) to drive each; Re claim 25, further comprising: a variable speed electric motor (combination of elements 150 and 110) coupled to the first compressor (180) and the second compressor (180) to drive each (see col. 3, lines 61 to col. 4, line 19); Re claim 26, further comprising: a fixed speed electric motor 150 coupled to the first compressor and the second compressor to drive each (see col. 3, line 61 to col. 4, line 19); Re claim 27, wherein the first stage 180 increases pressure of a gas from ambient to a first pressure and the second stage 185 increases the pressure of the gas from the first pressure to a second pressure (this is clearly the case).
Claims 18-23 and 27 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Maynard 10,989,110.
Maynard discloses, regarding claim 18, a gas compressing assembly, comprising: a first stage 20 comprising a first compressor 12 (any of 12, 22, and 28), a second compressor 22 (any of 22, 28, 34), heat exchangers 16, 24, 31, 36 to condense a wet part of the gas, and condensers 82, 86, 90, 94, 98 to capture the wet part; and a second stage 30 connected downstream of the first stage 20, the second stage 30 comprising a reciprocating compressor 42; Re claim 19, wherein the heat exchangers comprise a heat exchanger 16 interposed between the first compressor 12 and the second compressor 22; Re claim 20, wherein the heat exchangers 16, 24, 31, 36 comprise a heat exchanger 36 interposed between the second compressor 22 (or any of 22, 28, 34) and the second stage 30; Re claim 21, wherein the condensers 82, 86, 90, 94, 98 comprise a condenser upstream of the first compressor 22 (this is clearly the case, see Fig. 8 - again, the first compressor can be any of 12, 22, and 28 ); Re claim 22, wherein the condensers 82, 86, 90, 94, 98 comprise a condenser interposed between the first compressor 12 and the second compressor 22 (this is clearly the case, see Fig. 8); Re claim 23, wherein the second stage 30 comprises a condenser 44; Re claim 27, wherein the first stage 20 increases pressure of a gas from ambient to a first pressure and the second stage 30 increases the pressure of the gas from the first pressure to a second pressure (this is clearly the case).
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 Peter J Bertheaud whose telephone number is (571)272-3476. The examiner can normally be reached 9am - 5pm M-F.
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PJB/PETER J BERTHEAUD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3746
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