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 .
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.
Claims 1-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wright (EP 0730153).
Regarding claim 1, Wright discloses a gas-liquid separator that separates gas and liquid contained in a sample, the gas-liquid separator (fig. 2, ref. 50) comprising:
a reception port (fig. 2, gas flow from trap condenser 58 at the upper location flows to gas liquid separator 50 at the left side port) to which the sample is supplied (a sample is not positively recited and can be added at a later time);
a gas flow pipe (38) through which gas in the sample supplied to the reception port is sent to outside, the gas flow pipe having one end communicating with the reception port (See fig. 2);
a storage pipe (U shaped pipe at 50) where liquid in the sample supplied to the reception port is stored (the sample is not positively recited in the instant claims and is therefore not given patentable weight); and
a waste solution disposition port (40) for disposition of liquid stored in the storage pipe to the outside,
wherein the storage pipe includes a first storage portion that communicates with the reception port (left side of U shaped gas liquid separator), the first storage portion being arranged in an area vertically below the reception port (left side of U shaped gas liquid separator is located below the reception port),
a second storage portion (right side of U shaped gas liquid separator that communicates with waste solution port 40) that communicates with the waste solution disposition port (see fig. 2), the second storage portion being arranged in an area vertically below the waste solution disposition port (the right side of U shaped gas liquid separator is located below the waste solution disposition port 40), and
a communication portion (the bottom of the U shaped gas liquid separator that communicates with the first storage portion and the second storage portion) that allows communication between a vertically lower end of the first storage portion and a vertically lower end of the second storage portion (See fig. 2).
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Regarding claim 2, Wright discloses the gas-liquid separator according to claim 1, wherein the waste solution disposition port is arranged at a position in a vertically downward direction at a prescribed distance from the reception port (waste solution disposition port 40 is directed downward direction, see fig. 2).
Regarding claim 3, Wright discloses the gas-liquid separator according to claim 1, further comprising a pressure release pipe that allows communication between a vertically upper end of the second storage portion and the outside (pipe 38 is connected to the vertically upper end of the second storage portion and the outside).
Regarding claim 4, Wright discloses the gas-liquid separator according to claim 1, wherein the gas flow pipe includes a first gas flow pipe (pipe that extends from 50 at top of riser which is larger than pip 38) that communicates with the reception port, and a second gas flow pipe that communicates with the first gas flow pipe, and the first gas flow pipe is larger in inner diameter than the second gas flow pipe (connector pipe at top 50 is larger than pipe 38).
Regarding claim 5, Wright discloses the gas-liquid separator according to claim 4, wherein the inner diameter of the first gas flow pipe decreases with distance from the reception port, and the inner diameter of the second gas flow pipe is substantially constant (See fig. 2, ref. 50).
Regarding claim 6, Wright discloses the gas-liquid separator according to claim 1, wherein the gas flow pipe includes a first gas flow pipe (pipe leading from 58) that communicates with the reception port (See fig. 2), and a second gas flow pipe (gas pipe from 60 which leads to 58) that communicates with the first gas flow pipe (all within gas/fluid communication), the second gas flow pipe has a flat inner wall, and the first gas flow pipe has a corrugated inner wall (see fig. 58).
Regarding claim 7, Wright discloses a total organic carbon analyzer comprising: the gas-liquid separator according to claim 1;
a mixer (carrier gas system 16) that mixes carrier gas into a liquid sample in prescribed cycles (this limitation does not further structurally limit the instant claim because the sample is not positively recited and these limitations are drawn to a process/functional limitations);
an oxidation reactor (sodium persulfate is pumped through conduit 26 into the UV reactor from the source of oxidizer 62; the UV reactor is the oxidation reactor) arranged between the mixer and the gas flow pipe of the gas-liquid separator, the oxidation reactor irradiating a mixed sample that has passed through the mixer with ultraviolet rays (UV reactor 56); and
a non-dispersive infrared absorption detector (IR detector, in detector system 20) that detects a component in gas sent through the gas flow pipe of the gas-liquid separator (this limitation does not further structurally limit the instant claim because the sample is not positively recited and these limitations are drawn to a process/functional limitations).
Regarding claim 8, Wright disclose an analysis system comprising: the total organic carbon analyzer according to claim 7; and a liquid chromatograph (inorganic carbon sparge 60) that supplies a liquid sample to the mixer of the total organic carbon analyzer.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SAMUEL P SIEFKE whose telephone number is (571)272-1262. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8-5.
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/SAMUEL P SIEFKE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1758
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