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
In the reply of 7/29/26, the following has occurred:
Claim(s) 1-3, 5-12 is/are amended
Claim(s) 4 is/are canceled
Claim(s) 1-3, 5-12 is/are pending
Response to Arguments
The previous objections to the specification have been overcome as per Applicant’s supplemental specification filed on 7/29/26.
The previous objections to the claims have been overcome as per Applicant’s amended claims filed on 7/29/26.
The previous rejections to the claims under 35 U.S.C. § 112(b) have been overcome as per Applicant’s amended claims filed on 7/29/26.
Applicant's arguments filed 7/29/26 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive:
As noted in the rejection below, the superheater 30 of Yu is actually arranged at a temperature of 831°C, not 631°C as described in the previous action. Therefore, Yu does teach the limitations of previous claim 4, which have been amended into claim 1. For this reason, the claims are not allowed but rather non-finally rejected herewith.
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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.
(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) 1-2, 5, and 11-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by US 20190049104 A1 to Yu, cited in Applicant’s 2/26/24 IDS.
Regarding claim 1. Yu teaches a gas-fired steam-injection boiler for oil field (para. 1), comprising
a flue (fig. 1, flue can be seen from burner 12 to stack 24) having a radiation section (fig. 1, radiant section 14) and a convection section (fig. 1, convection section 21) that are arranged in a flow direction of a flue gas (see fig. 1), and
a water supply pipeline (fig. 1, water supply pipelines can be seen from BFW inlet to steam outlet 36a) comprising a first pipe section (fig. 1, shock bank 28), a second pipe section (fig. 1, economizer 26), and a third pipe section (fig. 1, superheater 30),
wherein in the flue gas flow direction of the flue gas, the first pipe section is located upstream from the convection section (fig. 1, shock bank 28 is most upstream of the convection section 21), the second pipe section is located downstream from the convection section (fig. 1, economizer 26 is most downstream of the convection section 21), and the third pipe section is arranged between the first pipe section and the second pipe section (fig.1, and described in para. 40, “… tubes 30 (e.g. SA-335-P22 tubes) that are located intermediately between the economizer tubes 26 and the shock bank tubes 28 in the flue gas pathway.”); and
wherein in a water flow direction of water in the water supply pipeline, the second pipe section, the first pipe section and the third pipe section are arranged sequentially (fig. 1, BFW inlet feeds into economizer 26, then into the shock bank 28, and finally the superheater 30, via tubes 18 and separator 32), and
wherein the third pipe section is arranged in a region in the convection section having a temperature at 800-900°C (from the close up of fig. 1 immediately below, the superheater 30 is arranged in a region at 1528°F or 831°C).
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Regarding claim 2. Yu teaches the gas-fired steam-injection boiler for oil field of claim 1, wherein the first pipe section is a plain pipe disposed in the convection section (as shown in fig. 1, see close up copied below, the shock bank 28 is shown as having plain pipe), and the second pipe section is a finned pipe disposed in the convection section (as shown in fig. 1, see close up copied below, the economizer 26 is shown as having finned pipe).
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Regarding claim 5. Yu teaches the gas-fired steam-injection boiler for oil field of claim 1, wherein the radiation section extends horizontally (fig. 1, the radiant section 14 extends substantially horizontally), an opening is provided in an upper part of a downstream end of the radiation section (fig. 1, downstream, upward opening of hogtrough), and the convection section is in communication with the upper part of the downstream end of the radiation section and extends upward vertically (fig. 1, the convection section 21 extends substantially vertically from the hogtrough).
Regarding claim 11. Yu teaches the gas-fired steam-injection boiler for oil field of claim 1, wherein the water supply pipeline comprises a radiation pipe section in the radiation section (fig. 1, furnace tubes 18, described in para. 38, “a plurality of furnace tubes 18 placed therein for exposure to radiant flame heat from the burner 12”), and the second pipe section, the first pipe section, the radiation pipe section and the third pipe section are arranged sequentially in the water flow direction of water in the water supply pipeline (fig. 1, the sequence of the water flow is as follows; economizer 26, shock bank 28, furnace tubes 18, and superheater 30).
Regarding claim 12. Yu teaches the gas-fired steam-injection boiler for oil field of claim 11, wherein the radiation section comprises a high-temperature radiation section having a first plain pipe and a low-temperature radiation section having a second plain pipe that are arranged in the flue gas flow direction (see figure below, the furnace tubes 18 of Yu could be divided along the flue gas flow direction into a high temperature and low temperature section; at least since the temperature of the flue gas would decrease as it travels to the right. Also, as shown in fig. 1, the furnace tubes 18 are substantially plain pipe, i.e. no fins are shown to be present), and
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The first plain pipe and the second plain pipe are arranged sequentially in the water flow direction of water in the water supply pipeline (fig. 1, the water supply pipeline of the furnace tubes 18 is shown to go from right to left at the bottom, left to right in the middle, and then right to left again at the top. Therefore, at least the left to right water flow direction, i.e. the center pipe of pipes 18, would read on this limitation).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
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) 6-7 and 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yu as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of CN 201547958 U to He.
Regarding claim 6. Yu teaches the gas-fired steam-injection boiler for oil field of claim 5,
But fails to teach wherein the flue further comprises a condensation section extending upward vertically from an upper end of the convection section.
He teaches a flue (fig. 1, portion within shell 9) comprising a condensation section (fig. 1, condensing section 4) extending upward vertically from an upper end of the convection section (fig. 1, portions 3 and 4 extend upward vertically from the upper end of the sensible space 2, i.e. a convection section).
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It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the device of Yu to implement a suitable condensing condensation space 3 and condensing section 4, as taught by He. This would provide the predictable result and benefit of improving heat exchange efficiency, as suggested by He in para. 23, “In the present embodiment, housing 9 portion opposite to the collecting plate 6 is inclined inwards the smoke gas passage 3 is a necking structure, improving the smoke gas flow speed, and prevent flue gas flow direction to make the smoke concentration even through condensing space and beneficial for improving heat exchange efficiency, it can reduce the condensation space exchange, reduce volume and reduce the complexity.” And the added benefit of preheating the inlet water, para. 2.
Regarding claim 7. Modified Yu teaches the gas-fired steam-injection boiler for oil field of claim 6, wherein the water supply pipeline comprises a heat exchange plain pipe disposed in the condensation section (as per He para. 25, the structure of the heat exchange tubes 5 are simple, and not described as having fins, per se. From fig. 1, they appear to be plain pipes), which is located upstream from the second pipe section in the water flow direction of water in the water supply pipeline (from He para. 2, the condensing heat exchanger is used to preheat the water, and would therefore be arranged upstream of the normal heat exchangers of Yu).
Regarding claim 10. Modified Yu teaches the gas-fired steam-injection boiler for oil field of claim 6, wherein the cross-sectional area of a joint between a lower port of the condensation section and an upper port of the convection section (joint between 2 and 3 in He, substantially corresponding to bottom of “transition” in Yu, see figures below) is greater than the cross sectional area of the upper port of the condensation section (bottom of “transition” in Yu is greater than the top of “transition”), and a flue gas stack is provided at the upper port of the condensation section (Yu fig. 1, stack 24).
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Claim(s) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yu in view of He as applied to claim 6 above, and further in view of the attached NPL to PEX Universe, Why you probably need a Condensate Neutralizer, YouTube video posted on 4/26/28.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNkUkusqjp0&t=7s
Regarding claim 9. Modified Yu teaches the gas-fired steam-injection boiler for oil field of claim 6, further comprises a condensation baffle at a lower part of the condensation section (He fig. 1, water collecting plate 6), and a water collection tank located below the condensation baffle (He fig. 1, header tank 7 with water exhaust port 8).
But fails to teach the water collection tank connected to a recovery tank through a pipeline.
PEX Universe teaches a condensate drain line with recovery tank (condensate neutralizer, see screenshot of video below).
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It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to further modify the device of Yu to implement a suitable condensate neutralizer, as taught by PEX Universe, which is substantially a recovery tank, per se. This would provide the predictable result and benefit of treating the condensate for further release, as suggested by PEX Universe at from 0:35-1:04, transcript copied below “liquid is very acidic and this acidic liquid requires treatment before it encounters any sewage systems septic systems treatment facilities or anything else so a condensate neutralizer is a vessel that's installed in line with condensate drain from a boiler water heater or furnace before it enters into the sewer so the neutralizer is filled with stones as you can see here which raise the pH level of the condensate so it's no longer acidic and it makes it safe for discharge into the sewage or septic”
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3 and 8 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 3. Yu, applied to claim 1, represents the closest prior art of record to the claimed invention. The prior art fails to teach, “wherein the third pipe section comprises a plain pipe for evaporation and a finned pipe for evaporation that are arranged in the water flow direction, and the plain pipe for evaporation and the finned pipe for evaporation are arranged sequentially in the flue gas flow direction in the convection section.”, in addition to the rest of the claim.
Instead, Yu teaches a superheater 30 having plain pipe for superheating the steam from the separator 32. Furthermore, it would not have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the superheater 30 of Yu to have fins only a downstream portion in the flue gas flow direction, as claimed. Furthermore, the pipes would be for superheating, not evaporation.
Regarding claim 8. The combination of Yu and He, applied to claim 7, represents the closest prior art of record to the claimed invention. The prior art fails to teach, “wherein the water supply pipeline is provided with a deaerator and a pressure pump between the heat exchange plain pipe disposed in the condensation section and the second pipe section, and is provided with a water tank and a softener upstream the heat exchange plain pipe of the condensation section.”, in addition to the rest of the claim.
Instead, while it may be obvious to include a deaerator, pressure pump, water tank, and/or softener, it would not have been obvious to provide these elements with the specific claimed arrangement, based on the prior art of record.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Kurt J Wolford whose telephone number is (571)272-9945. The examiner can normally be reached 7:30 AM - 4:00 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Michael G Hoang can be reached at (571)272-6460. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KURT J WOLFORD/Examiner, Art Unit 3762 /MICHAEL G HOANG/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3762
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