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 .
Examiner’s Comments
The following comments are provided to enhance the clarity of the record. They may encompass situations in which meaning is clear, but there are suggested edits to the claims which may help enhance clarity. Or interpretations of the claims which are relevant to the 35 USC § 102 or 103 rejections included below.
Claim interpretation:
For the purposes of claim interpretation the (a) and (b) of Claims 4 and 10 are considered to be different from and occur after the (A) and (B) steps of Claims 1/7 and 2/8 from which Claim 4/10 depends.
Claims 1 and 7 are very similar with the primarily/only current difference in language being that Claim 1 is a “method for recovering” whereas Claim 7 is a “method for producing”. A rejection under USC § 101 was considered but did not appear applicable under current guidelines. Applicant is advised to carefully consider this issue during any potential amendments.
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.
(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.
Claim(s) 1-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by Lee et al. (US 2018/0305542).
With regards to Claims 1-5, 7-10 Lee teaches:
Ethylene carbonate, a cyclic alkylene carbonate which reads on applicant's claimed cyclic carbonate, is volatilized which reads on applicant's claimed gasifying a polyalkylene carbonate, as a polyalkylene carbonate pellet is extruded through a die at a temperature of 80 to 170˚C which reads on applicant's claimed thermally decomposing and gasifying a polyalkylene carbonate and generating a decomposition gas by thermal decomposition of a polyalkylene carbonate wherein the decomposition gas comprises the ethylene carbonate. Then removing the decomposition gas using high vacuum conditions of 6 Torr which reads on applicant's claimed recovering the cyclic carbonate contained in a decomposition gas. (See Lee Paragraphs 241-244, and 245-246) See Also Fig. 1 “byproduct vac.” At the byproduct removal step. (See Lee Fig. 1 and Paragraph 51-56, 138-145)
(Clm 3 and 4) The ethylene carbonate which reads on applicant's claimed cyclic carbonate is concentrated into the decomposition gas by applying heat with an extruder die which volatizes the ethylene carbonate into the gas phase. (Clm 4) Higher heat decomposes and gasifies more of the polyalkylene carbonate which reads on applicant's claimed heating a mixture containing polyalkylene carbonate and the die of the pelletizer which reads on applicant's claimed inorganic material to decompose and gasify the polyalkylene carbonate. (See Lee Paragraph 214-218)
With regards to Claims 5 and 11 Lee teaches:
Condensing which reads on applicant's claimed cooling and liquifying the byproduct and solvent streams recovered in Lee’s steps (d) and (e) which reads on applicant's claimed polyalkylene carbonate decomposition gas as it is returned and reincorporated into the EO, carbon dioxide and solvent mixture which is at a relatively low temperature compared to the high temperature used to recover the solvent and byproducts which reads on applicant’s claimed polyalkylene carbonate decomposition gas. (See Lee Paragraph 33-34, 48, 59, 132 description of condensing and Fig. 1)
With regards to Claims 6 and 12 Lee teaches:
Ethylene carbonate reads on applicant’s claimed ethylene carbonate. (See Lee Paragraph 141)
Other Applicable Prior Art
All other art cited not detailed above in a rejection is considered relevant to at least some portion or feature of the current application and is cited for possible future use for reference. Applicant may find it useful to be familiar with all cited art for possible future rejections or discussion.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BRIT E ANBACHT whose telephone number is (571)272-9876. The examiner can normally be reached on M, T, R, F 11 am - 4 pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jennifer Dieterle can be reached on (571) 270-7872. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-9876.
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/BRIT E. ANBACHT/Examiner, Art Unit 1776
BRIT E. ANBACHT
Examiner
Art Unit 1776
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