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
The Amendment filed May 14th, 2026 has been entered. Claims 1-3, 5, and 7 have been amended; Claim 4 has been canceled. Claims 9-13 have been added. Claims 1-3 and 5-13 are currently examined herein.
Status of the Rejection
Applicant’s amendments to the claims have overcome each objection and 112(b) rejections set forth in the previous Office Action.
All 35 U.S.C. § 103 rejections from the previous office action are withdrawn in view of the amendments.
New grounds of rejection under 35 § U.S.C 103 are necessitated by the Applicant’s amendments as outlined below.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 1-2 and 6-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Voskian (US 2017/0113182 A1) in view of Arenas (Critical Review – The Versatile Plane Parallel Electrode Geometry: An Illustrated Review J. Electrochem. Soc. 2020; 167, 1-35).
Regarding Claim 1, Voskian teaches a gas recovery system (system 400 in Fig. 4 [para. 0074]) that recovers a recovery target gas to be recovered from a mixed gas containing the recovery target gas by an electrochemical reaction (target gas CO2 is separated from a gas stream via an electrochemical process [para. 0022]), the gas recovery system comprising:
a recovery unit (housing 460 in Fig. 4 [para. 0072]) into which the mixed gas is introduced (gas stream is introduced via inlet 470 in Fig. 4 [para. 0072]);
an electrochemical cell (electrochemical cell 405 in Fig. 4 [para. 0072]) disposed in the recovery unit (as illustrated in Fig. 4, electrochemical cell 405 is disposed in housing 460), the electrochemical cell having a working electrode (negative electrode 410 in Fig. 4 [para. 0072]) containing an adsorbent capable of adsorbing the recovery target gas (reductive electronegative material in the negative electrode bonds to target species [para. 0072]) and a counter electrode (positive electrode [para. 0072]), wherein
when a voltage is applied between the working electrode and the counter electrode (application of a positive voltage to the electrochemical cell [para. 0049]), electrons are supplied from the counter electrode to the working electrode (a redox half reaction at the negative electrode occurs in which the electroactive species is reduced [para. 0049]), and the adsorbent bonds with the recovery target gas according to the electrons being supplied (a target species, such as CO2, bonds to the electroactive species [para. 0049]),
the electrochemical cell is disposed so as to come into contact with the mixed gas (gas stream passes in proximity to cell 405 [para. 0072]);
the electrochemical cell has a collector layer (gas permeable layer may comprise a conductive material to act as a current collector [para. 0037]) disposed on at least one of the working electrode and the counter electrode (current collector may be disposed on the negative electrode [para. 0037] or the positive electrode [para. 0043]).
Voskian is silent on the collector layer has a wall surface forming part on a contact surface with which the mixed gas comes in contact,
the wall surface forming part is provided by a protrusion disposed on the contact surface and having has a wall surface that faces in a flow direction of the mixed gas to cause a vortex due to separation of a main flow of the mixed gas on a downstream side of the wall surface in the flow direction, thereby facilitating diffusion of the mixed gas on the contact surface, and
the protrusion has a continuous circular shape when viewed in a direction orthogonal to the contact surface, and the wall surface includes a curved surface.
Arenas teaches a critical review of plane parallel electrode geometry (abstract), and teaches the collector layer has a wall surface forming part (polymer inert tubulence promoter meshes can be stacked into the flow channel [second para. col. 1, page 16]) on a contact surface (contact surface is surface of collector layer exposed to mixed gas flow, see for example Figures 9a and 9b on page 16) with which the mixed gas comes in contact (as illustrated in Figures 9a and 9b, gas flow comes into contact with parallel plane electrode surfaces), the wall surface forming part is provided by a protrusion disposed on the contact surface (protrusion is polymer mesh, such as Netlon CE111 or any of the polymer meshes shown in Figure 10 on page 17) and having has a wall surface that faces in a flow direction of the mixed gas (wall surface corresponds to the polymer mesh wall thickness orthogonal to the gas flow. Using Figure 10a as an example, the walls correspond to the height of the polymer mesh layer) to cause a vortex due to separation of a main flow of the mixed gas on a downstream side of the wall surface in the flow direction (polymer meshes are turbulence promoters to result in more uniform local flow along the electrode [second para. col. 1, page 16]), thereby facilitating diffusion of the mixed gas on the contact surface (polymer mesh enhances mass transfer of the electroactive species to 2D planar electrodes [second para. col. 1, page 16]), and
the protrusion has a continuous circular shape when viewed in a direction orthogonal to the contact surface (as illustrated in Figure 10, polymer meshes including Netlon CE111 have a circular shape when viewed from the top [Figure 10, page 17]), and the wall surface includes a curved surface (polymer mesh Netlon CE111 walls have a curved wall surface [see Figure 10 on page 17]).
Voskian and Arenas are considered analogous art to the claimed inventions because they are in the same field of electrochemical systems. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the collector layer of Voskian to have a wall surface forming part on a contact surface with which the mixed gas comes in contact, the wall surface forming part is provided by a protrusion disposed on the contact surface and having has a wall surface that faces in a flow direction of the mixed gas to cause a vortex due to separation of a main flow of the mixed gas on a downstream side of the wall surface in the flow direction, thereby facilitating diffusion of the mixed gas on the contact surface, and the protrusion has a continuous circular shape when viewed in a direction orthogonal to the contact surface, and the wall surface includes a curved surface, as taught by Arenas, as adding polymeric turbulence promoter meshes enhance mass transfer of the electroactive species to 2D, planar electrodes within a flow channel and result in more uniform local flow (Arenas, [second para. col. 1, page 16]).
Regarding Claim 2, modified Voskian teaches the gas recovery system according to claim 1.
Voskian teaches wherein the recovery unit has an introducing section that introduces the mixed gas into the recovery unit in one direction (housing 460 has an inlet 470 in Fig. 4 [paras. 0072]), and modified Voskian teaches the wall surface forming part has a shape extending perpendicularly to a flow direction of the mixed gas introduced from the introducing section (as illustrated in Figures 9a and Figure 10 of Arenas, wall surface of polymer mesh is perpendicular to gas flow when placed on electrode surface [pages 16-17]).
Regarding Claim 6, modified Voskian teaches the gas recovery system according to claim 1, and teaches the contact surface is provided with the wall surface forming part and a planar portion where the wall surface forming part is not provided (as outlined in the claim 1 rejection above, Arenas teaches the polymer mesh is placed onto the collector layer, with the exposed surface of the collector layer forming the planar portion where the wall surface forming part is not provided (see Figure 10a of Arenas, page 17; where planar portion would be the collector layer located between the circular portions of the polymer mesh).
Regarding Claim 7, modified Voskian teaches the gas recovery system according to claim 13, and teaches wherein the plurality of protrusions are arranged in a staggered manner (as illustrated in Figure 10a of Arenas, the turbulent polymer mesh is provided with numerous wall forming parts and arranged in a staggered manner [page 17]).
Regarding Claim 8, modified Voskian teaches the gas recovery system according to claim 1.
Voskian teaches wherein the recovery target gas is carbon dioxide (target species is CO2 [para. 0022]).
Regarding Claim 9, modified Voskian teaches the gas recovery system according to claim 1.
Voskian teaches wherein the collector layer is a porous conductive layer that allow the mixed gas to pass through (gas permeable membrane may comprise a porous material to allow gas to flow though [para. 0038]).
Regarding Claim 10, modified Voskian teaches the gas recovery system according to claim 9.
Voskian teaches wherein the collector layer is stacked on the working electrode (gas permeable layer is located on the negative electrode [para. 0037], which is the working electrode), and the contact surface of the collector layer is on a side opposite to the working electrode (gas permeable layer may be positioned proximate to the electroactive composite layer facing outward of the electrochemical cell [para. 0037], which captures the target gas and serves as the contact surface on a side opposite to the working electrode).
Regarding Claim 11, modified Voskian teaches the gas recovery system of claim 1, and teaches the wall surface forming part is disposed in the gas flow path (as taught by Arenas, polymer mesh is added on top of collector layer in the gas flow path [second para. col. 1 and Figure 9, page 16 and Figure 10, page 17].
Voskian teaches wherein the electrochemical cell includes a plurality of electrochemical cells (gas separation system may include a plurality of electrochemical cells [para. 0070]), and
the electrochemical cells are arranged and stacked so that a gas flow path is provided between the collector layers of adjacent electrochemical cells (as illustrated in Fig. 5, electrochemical cells are stacked so that gas stream 575 is provided between negative electrodes 510 that have the current collector layer [para. 0073]).
Regarding Claim 12, modified Voskian teaches the gas recovery system of claim 10, and teaches the wall surface forming part is disposed in the gas flow path (as taught by Arena, polymer mesh is added on top of collector layer in the gas flow path [second para. col. 1 and Figure 9, page 16 and Figure 10, page 17].
Voskian teaches wherein the electrochemical cell includes a plurality of electrochemical cells (gas separation system may include a plurality of electrochemical cells [para. 0070]), and
the electrochemical cells are arranged and stacked so that a gas flow path is provided between the collector layers of adjacent electrochemical cells (as illustrated in Fig. 5, electrochemical cells are stacked so that gas stream 575 is provided between negative electrodes 510 that have the current collector layer [para. 0073]).
Regarding Claim 13, Voskian teaches a gas recovery system (system 400 in Fig. 4 [para. 0074]) that recovers a recovery target gas to be recovered from a mixed gas containing the recovery target gas by an electrochemical reaction (target gas CO2 is separated from a gas stream via an electrochemical process [para. 0022]), the gas recovery system comprising:
a recovery unit (housing 460 in Fig. 4 [para. 0072]) into which the mixed gas is introduced (gas stream is introduced via inlet 470 in Fig. 4 [para. 0072]);
an electrochemical cell (electrochemical cell 405 in Fig. 4 [para. 0072]) disposed in the recovery unit (as illustrated in Fig. 4, electrochemical cell 405 is disposed in housing 460), the electrochemical cell having a working electrode (negative electrode 410 in Fig. 4 [para. 0072]) containing an adsorbent capable of adsorbing the recovery target gas (reductive electronegative material in the negative electrode bonds to target species [para. 0072]) and a counter electrode (positive electrode [para. 0072]), wherein
when a voltage is applied between the working electrode and the counter electrode (application of a positive voltage to the electrochemical cell [para. 0049]), electrons are supplied from the counter electrode to the working electrode (a redox half reaction at the negative electrode occurs in which the electroactive species is reduced [para. 0049]), and the adsorbent bonds with the recovery target gas according to the electrons being supplied (a target species, such as CO2, bonds to the electroactive species [para. 0049])
the electrochemical cell is disposed so as to come into contact with the mixed gas (gas stream pass in proximity to cell 405 [para. 0072]);
the electrochemical cell has a collector layer (gas permeable layer may comprise a conductive material to act as a current collector [para. 0037]) disposed on at least one of the working electrode and the counter electrode (current collector is disposed on the negative electrode [para. 0037], which corresponds to working electrode),
the collector layer has a contact surface with which the mixed gas comes in contact (negative electrode’s current collector layer faces outward from the electrochemical cell [para. 0037]; this outward face serves as the contact surface).
Voskian is silent on the contact surface is provided with a wall surface forming part including a plurality of protrusions and a planar portion where in the plurality of protrusions are not provided, the plurality of protrusions of the wall surface forming part each have a wall surface that faces in a flow direction of the mixed gas, and the plurality of protrusions are arranged in the flow direction and a direction orthogonal to the flow direction and spaced apart from each other on the contact surface.
Arenas teaches a critical review of plane parallel electrode geometry (abstract), and teaches the contact surface is provided with a wall surface forming part (polymer turbulent promoter mesh is added to partially cover electrode surface [second para. col. 1, page 16]) including a plurality of protrusions (plurality of protrusions corresponds to each individual formation of the mesh [see Figure 10a, page 17]) and a planar portion where in the plurality of protrusions are not provided (planar portion corresponds to the collector layer under the polymer mesh where the mesh is absent [see gaps in mesh on Figure 10a, page 17), the plurality of protrusions of the wall surface forming part each have a wall surface that faces in a flow direction of the mixed gas (as polymer mesh is stacked on collector layer [second para. col. 1, page 16], which is parallel to gas flow [see Figure 9, page 16], the wall surface of each mesh formation that faces the flow direction of the mixed gas serves as a wall surface in the flow direction), and the plurality of protrusions are arranged in the flow direction (top surface of polymer mesh is arranged in flow direction when added to plane parallel electrode cells [Figure 10a, page 17 and Figure 9, page 16]) and a direction orthogonal to the flow direction and spaced apart from each other on the contact surface (as illustrated in Figures 9a, 9b, and 10a combined, each individual unit of polymer mesh is spaced apart from each other on the contact surface and orthogonal to the flow direction).
Voskian and Arenas are considered analogous art to the claimed inventions because they are in the same field of electrochemical systems. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the collector layer of Voskian to have the contact surface provided with a wall surface forming part including a plurality of protrusions and a planar portion where in the plurality of protrusions are not provided, the plurality of protrusions of the wall surface forming part each have a wall surface that faces in a flow direction of the mixed gas, and the plurality of protrusions are arranged in the flow direction and a direction orthogonal to the flow direction and spaced apart from each other on the contact surface, as taught by Arenas, as adding polymeric turbulence promoter meshes enhance mass transfer of the electroactive species to 2D, planar electrodes within a flow channel and result in more uniform local flow (Arenas, [second para. col. 1, page 16]).
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Voskian (US 2017/0113182) in view of Arenas, as applied to claim 1 above, and in view of Barckholtz (US 2020/0176793 A1).
Regarding Claim 3, Modified Voskian teaches the gas recovery system according to claim 1, and teaches wherein the recovery unit has:
a first introducing section that introduces the mixed gas into the recovery unit in a first direction (Voskian teaches as illustrated in Fig. 4, inlet 470 introduces gas stream to system 400 in a first direction [para. 0072]); and the wall surface of the wall surface forming part is provided so as to come in contact with the mixed gas introduced from the first introducing section (as outlined in the Claim 1 rejection above, Arenas teaches the turbulent polymer mesh is arranged on the collector layer and comes into contact with the mixed gas, which includes the mesh walls [Figures 9 and 10, pages 16-17]).
Voskian is silent on a second introducing section that introduces the mixed gas into the recovery unit in a second direction different from the first direction,
the wall surface of the wall forming surface forming part is provided so as to come in contact with the mixed gas introduced from the second introducing section.
Barckholtz teaches a device for separation of carbon dioxide from a gas stream using carbonate fuel cells (abstract), and teaches a second introducing section that introduces the mixed gas into the recovery unit in a second direction different from the first direction (as illustrated in Fig. 4, arrows 405 and 425 indicate cross-flow direction of a fuel cell operating in a cross-flow configuration [para. 0058]);
the wall surface of the wall forming surface forming part is provided so as to come in contact with the mixed gas introduced from the second introducing section (fuel cell cathode and anode can react with both cross-flows [paras. 0058-0059]).
Modified Voskian and Barckholtz are considered analogous art to the claimed inventions because they are in the same field of CO2 recovery systems. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the gas recovery system of modified Voskian by adding a second introducing section that introduces the mixed gas into the recovery unit in a second direction different from the first direction, the wall surface of the wall forming surface forming part is provided so as to come in contact with the mixed gas introduced from the second introducing section, as taught by Barckholtz, as a carbon dioxide element with this configuration allows for practical benefits, such as allowing the manifolds and/or piping to be located on different sides (Barckholtz, [para. 0057]).
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Voskian in view of Arenas, as applied to claim 1 above, and in view of Naito (US 2007/0245898 A1).
Regarding Claim 5, modified Voskian teaches the gas recovery system according to claim 1.
Modified Voskian is silent on the wall surface forming part has the wall surface and a downstream surface disposed downstream of the wall surface in the flow direction of the mixed gas, and
an angle defined between the wall surface and the flow direction of the mixed gas is smaller than an angle defined between the downstream surface and the flow direction of the mixed gas.
Naito teaches gas treatment equipment using a corona electrode (abstract), and teaches the wall surface forming part has the wall surface and a downstream surface (convex portion 23 in Fig. 18 serves as a downstream surface [para. 0095]) disposed downstream of the wall surface in a flow direction of the mixed gas (as illustrated in Fig. 18, gas G flows from left to right [para. 0095]), and an angle defined between the wall surface and the flow direction of the mixed gas is smaller than an angle defined between the downstream surface and the flow direction of the mixed gas (as illustrated in Fig. 18, the angle between wall surface and the gas G is less than the angle between the convex portion 23 and the gas G).
Modified Voskian and Naito are considered analogous art to the claimed inventions because they are in the same field of CO2 recovery systems. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the gas recovery system of modified Voskian by adding a downstream surface disposed downstream of the wall surface in a flow direction of the mixed gas, and an angle defined between the wall surface and the flow direction of the mixed gas is smaller than an angle defined between the downstream surface and the flow direction of the mixed gas, as taught by Naito, as adding an uneven structure creates a vortex to enhance the capture effect (Naito, [para. 0034]).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments, see Remarks pgs. 10-17, filed 05/14/2026, with respect to the 35 U.S.C 103 rejections and amended claims have been fully considered.
Applicant’s Argument #1:
Applicant argues on pages 10-14 that Examiner’s characterization of Voskian et al., alone or in combination with Saito, Barckholtz, Naito, or any other references cited teaches away from Applicant’s unique gas recovery system, as Applicant’s claimed disclosure recites an improved gas recovery system having advantageous orientation and combination compared to cited references. Applicant has amended claim 1 to include limitations including “the wall surface forming part is provided by a protrusion disposed on the contact surface… and the protrusion has a continuous circular shape when viewed in a direction orthogonal to the contact surface”, which is not taught by the prior art of record.
Examiner’s Response #1:
Applicant’s arguments have been fully considered, but are moot in view of the new grounds of rejection above.
Applicant’s Argument #2:
Applicant argues on page 15 that dependent claims 2, 3, 5, 6, and 8 are allowable, at least, for the same reasons given above for amended independent Claim 1. Applicant also argues on page 17 that new claims 9-13 have been added for Examiner’s consideration, with Claim 13 focusing on block configuration/orientation as illustrated in Figures 13 and 15 of Applicant’s claimed disclosure.
Examiner’s Response #2:
Applicant’s arguments have been fully considered, but are moot in view of the new grounds of rejection above.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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.
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/R.L.G./Examiner, Art Unit 1795
/LUAN V VAN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1795
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