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 .
Status of the Claims
Claims 1-20 are pending wherein claims 1-11 are currently under examination and claims 12-18 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant 37 C.F.R. 1.142(b) as being drawn to a non-elected method for annealing steel utilizing a furnace humidification system and claims 19-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant 37 C.F.R. 1.142(b) as being drawn to a continuous annealing line. Applicant’s election of claims 19-20 was made without traverse in the Response filed on May 28, 2026.
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 5-7 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.
The phrase “high accuracy” in claims 5-7 is a relative term which renders the claim indefinite. The phrase “high accuracy” is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(d):
(d) REFERENCE IN DEPENDENT FORMS.—Subject to subsection (e), a claim in dependent form shall contain a reference to a claim previously set forth and then specify a further limitation of the subject matter claimed. A claim in dependent form shall be construed to incorporate by reference all the limitations of the claim to which it refers.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, fourth paragraph:
Subject to the following paragraph [i.e., the fifth paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112], a claim in dependent form shall contain a reference to a claim previously set forth and then specify a further limitation of the subject matter claimed. A claim in dependent form shall be construed to incorporate by reference all the limitations of the claim to which it refers.
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(d) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, 4th paragraph, as being of improper dependent form for failing to further limit the subject matter of the claim upon which it depends, or for failing to include all the limitations of the claim upon which it depends.
In regard to claim 11, claim 1 indicates that there would be a water injecting system to feed liquid into the furnace and claim 11 also indicates that liquid water would be injected into the furnace and though a slight difference of words, it does not appear to be further limiting.
Applicant may cancel the claim(s), amend the claim(s) to place the claim(s) in proper dependent form, rewrite the claim(s) in independent form, or present a sufficient showing that the dependent claim(s) complies with the statutory requirements.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-4 and 8-10 allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
In regard to claim 1, the closest prior art to Umlauf et al. (‘230) discloses a steel strip annealing furnace having a heating region and a soaking region with a dew point control system wherein the furnace would include an upper region and a lower region which would have an atmosphere injection system that may be coupled with a steam generator wherein the control system may further include two PID controllers configured in a cascaded loop configuration (abstract, [0001], [0009], and [0012]). However, instant claim 1 indicates that liquid is being injected directly into the furnace and this is different than Umlauf et al. (‘230) since steam is the gaseous state of water.
Claims 5-7 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Claim 11 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(d) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 4th paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Takahashii (‘851).
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/JESSEE R ROE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1759
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