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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the “the second conductor (40, 40') is connected to the first electrically conducting heating element (4) a position on the first electrically conducting heating element (4) closer to said second end (80) than to said first end (70), the structured catalyst (10) being configured to direct an electrical current to run from the first conductor (40, 40') through the first electrically conducting heating element (4) to said second end” of claim 13 must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
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 Objections
Claim 2-15 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claims 2-15 recite “a structured catalyst” in line 1 which should be changed to --the structured catalyst--.
Claim 13 recites “the first electrically conducting heating element a position” which should be changed to --the first electrically conducting heating element at a position--.
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 13-14, 16-17 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 13 recites “the second conductor (40, 40') is connected to the first electrically conducting heating element (4) a position on the first electrically conducting heating element (4) closer to said second end (80) than to said first end (70), the structured catalyst (10) being configured to direct an electrical current to run from the first conductor (40, 40') through the first electrically conducting heating element (4) to said second end” which is indefinite. More specifically, claim 13 depends from claim 12 which recites that the first conductor is closer to the first end than the second end. As shown in the figures 1A and 1B and claim 12, that the first and second conductors are in contact and connection of the heating element to the first conductor is carried out though second connector. As such, the second heating element cannot be closer to the second end than the first, if the first is closer to the first end. As such, meets and bounds of the claim cannot be ascertained.
Claim 16 which depends from claim 1 recites “an inlet”, “an outlet”, “a first end” and “a second end.” However, claim 1 also recites these limitations. As such, it cannot be ascertained whether these are the same inlets, outlets, first ends and second ends or if they are different. If they are the same, they should be recited as --the inlet--, --the outlet--, --the first end--, and --the second end-- in claim 16. If they are different, they should be named differently.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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) 1-11, 15-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by EP 0450872 to Standard Oil Co Ohio (Standard Oil).
Regarding claim 1, Standard Oil discloses a structured catalyst for catalyzing an endothermic reaction of a feed gas to convert it to a product gas, said structured catalyst comprising at least one ceramic element (20, 30, fig. 1) and a first electrically conducting heating element (30, 34, fig. 1 or 46, fig. 1), the ceramic element (2) extending in a longitudinal direction from a first end to a second end (fig. 1), where said first end forms an inlet (22, fig. 1) to said structured catalyst for said feed gas and said second end forms an outlet (24, fig. 1) for said product gas, wherein at least a part of the ceramic element supports a catalytically active material (catalyst), wherein the first electrically conducting heating element is fixed to the ceramic element (fig. 1), and wherein one of the ceramic element and the first electrically conducting heating element is arranged at least partly circumferentially around the other one of the ceramic element and the first electrically conducting heating element (fig. 1; 20 is around 30, 34 and 46 is around 20).
Regarding claim 2, Standard Oil discloses a structured catalyst according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of the ceramic element is porous (catalyst bed 20 is shown to be porous in fig. 1 and feed gas goes through it as recited in page 4, lines 50-51 and page 6, lines 36-42).
Regarding claim 3, Standard Oil discloses a structured catalyst according to claim 1, wherein the ceramic element comprises a plurality of ceramic parts arranged in a row to form the ceramic element (fig. 1).
Regarding claim 4, Standard Oil discloses a structured catalyst according to claim 1, wherein the first electrically conducting heating element at least partly supports a porous ceramic coating (46 also supports 14 which is made of alumina; page 5, lines 25-29).
Regarding claim 5, Standard Oil discloses a structured catalyst according to claim 1, further comprising a second electrically conducting heating element (the other of 30, 34, fig. 1; abstract or 46 fig. 1) extending in the longitudinal direction from the first end to the second end, wherein the second electrically conducting heating element is connected to the first electrically conducting heating element at the second end (via 35, 16 and 14, fig. 1).
Regarding claim 6, Standard Oil discloses a structured catalyst according to claim 1, wherein the ceramic element forms an elongated shape (fig. 1) and comprises a cavity (where 30 is arranged, fig. 1) arranged along the longitudinal direction, and wherein at least a part of the first electrically conducting heating element is arranged in the cavity (where 30 is arranged, fig. 1).
Regarding claim 7, Standard Oil discloses a structured catalyst according to claims 5, wherein the ceramic element forms an elongated shape (fig. 1) and comprises a cavity (where 30 is arranged, fig. 1) arranged along the longitudinal direction, and wherein at least a part of the first electrically conducting heating element is arranged in the cavity (where 30 is arranged, fig. 1), wherein the second electrically conducting heating element (46, fig. 1) is arranged along an outer surface of the ceramic element (fig. 1).
Regarding claim 8, Standard Oil discloses a structured catalyst according to claim 1, wherein the first electrically conducting heating element (46, fig. 1) forms an elongated tube being arranged circumferentially around the ceramic element.
Regarding claim 9, Standard Oil discloses a structured catalyst according to claim 8, wherein the first electrically conducting heating element comprises a wire forming a helical pattern around the ceramic element (fig. 1).
Regarding claim 10, Standard Oil discloses a structured catalyst according to claim 1, wherein an outer surface of the ceramic element (2) comprises a plurality of grooves (15).
Regarding claim 11, Standard Oil discloses a structured catalyst according to claim 10, wherein the first electrically conducting heating element (4) is arranged at least partly in the grooves (15).
Regarding claim 15, Standard Oil discloses a structured catalyst according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the first electrically conducting heating element (4) comprises a metallic material being an alloy comprising one or more substances selected from the group consisting of Fe, Cr, Al, Co, Ni, Zr, Cu, Ti, Mn, Si, Y, and C (nickel; page 4, lines 55-56).
Regarding claim 16, Standard Oil discloses a reactor system for carrying out an endothermic reaction of a feed gas, said reactor system comprising:
a) a structured catalyst (10) according to claim 1 (See above);
b) a pressure shell (12, fig. 1) housing said structured catalyst (10), said pressure shell comprising an inlet (22, fig. 1) for letting in said feed gas and an outlet (24, fig. 1) for letting out product gas, wherein said inlet is positioned so that said feed gas enters said structured catalyst in a first end and said product gas exits said catalyst from a second end; and
c) a heat insulation layer (14, fig. 1) between said structured catalyst and said pressure shell.
Regarding claim 17, Standard Oil discloses a method of using the reactor according to claim 16, wherein the endothermic reaction is selected from the group consisting of steam methane reforming (page 4, lines 52-53), hydrogen cyanide formation, methanol cracking, ammonia cracking, reverse water gas shift, and dehydrogenation.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
Claim(s) 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Standard Oil.
Regarding claim 12 Standard Oil discloses a structured catalyst according to claim 1, further comprising at least a first and a second conductor (one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that the two heating element will have conductors to supply electricity/fuel to the heater), wherein the first conductor (power supply of heater 46 outside of housing 12, fig. 1) is electrically connected to the first electrically conducting heating element (46, fig. 1) and to an electrical power supply, wherein said electrical power supply is dimensioned to heat at least part of said first electrically conducting heating element to a temperature of at least 500*C by passing an electrical current through said electrically conducting heating element (Page 5, lines 11-16).
However, Standard oil does not explicitly disclose that the first conductor being connected at a position on the first electrically conducting heating element closer to said first end than to said second end.
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 first conductor being connected at a position on the first electrically conducting heating element closer to said first end than to said second end, since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. In re Japikse, 86 USPQ 70 (MPEP 2144.04).
Additional Subject Matter
Even though claims 13-14 are not rejected under prior art, they are rejected under 112(b) for being indefinite, and hence are not patentable.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 12,599,884 to Park et al.
US 12,109,561 to Carver et al.
US 12,098,079 to Beach et al.
US 11,325,070 to Smith et al.
US 2022/0362736 to Mortensen et al.
All references above describe general state of art.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAPINDER SINGH whose telephone number is (571)270-1774. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Mark Laurenzi can be reached at (571) 270-7878. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DAPINDER SINGH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3746
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