CTNF 18/718,940 CTNF 83023 DETAILED ACTION Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA. Claim Objections Claims 9 and 10 are objected to for minor informalities. With respect to claim 9, the language “with comprising” is improper English grammar. Appropriate correction is required. With respect to claim 10, the claim contains more then one sentence and more than one period. Each claim is to begin with a capital letter and end with a (single) period. See MPEP § 608.01(m). 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. Claims 10 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention. 07-34-08 With respect to claim 10, the phrases “for example” and “such as” render the claim indefinite because it is unclear whether the limitation(s) following the phrases are part of the claimed invention. See MPEP § 2173.05(d). With respect to claim 12, the claim is indefinite because it lists 6 different potential “heating column[s]” and then includes the language “or both,” presumably referring to only 2 different items. One cannot select “both” from a list of 6 different items, the English word “both” understood as referring to only 2 different alternative selections. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102 07-07-aia AIA 07-07 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 – 07-08-aia AIA (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 1-3, 8-11, and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as anticipated by Biesheuvel (WO 2020/046639 A1). With respect to claims 1-3, 8-11, and 13, Biesheuvel discloses a process (and necessary apparatus components for carrying out such process) comprising preheating a hydrocarbon such as naphtha or lower alkanes using molten salt, heating the preheated hydrocarbon, and reacting the heated hydrocarbon at high temperatures, e.g. between 825°C and 900°C, to produce an effluent comprising hydrogen, olefins, and aromatic hydrocarbons. Heat is recovered from the reaction effluent using molten salt. Heat is transferred from the effluent to the hydrocarbon feed via a molten salt heat sink (see Biesheuvel, Fig. 1; claims 1 and 9-11; and paragraphs [0016], [0018], [0020], [0020], [0028], [0029], [0036], [0045], and [0048]). Claims 1-5 and 7-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as anticipated by Ward (EP 3730592 A1). With respect to claims 1-5 and 7-13, Ward discloses a process (and necessary apparatus components for carrying out such process) for steam cracking a hydrocarbon such as ethane or propane to produce olefins comprising preheating the feed in several heat exchange steps in series using the heat from the produce effluent and including heating of dilution steam with the produce; reacting the preheated, heated, and diluted feed using an electrically heated source; and further cooling the collected products (see Ward, claims 1, 3, 4; and paragraphs [0052], [0053], [0057], [0059], [0105]). Heating may be carried out to a temperature in excess of 675°C (see Ward, paragraph [0052]). Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 07-20-aia AIA 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. 07-23-aia AIA 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. 07-20-02-aia AIA 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. 07-21-aia AIA Claim s 4-7 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Biesheuvel (WO 2020/046639 A1) . With respect to claims 4-7 and 12, see discussion supra at paragraph 11. Biesheuvel discloses wherein a hydrocarbon stream may flow through the reactor(s) wherein the stream is heated, diluted with steam, and converted to an effluent comprising the desired products (see Biesheuvel, paragraph [0003]). Moreover, Biesheuvel discloses wherein a second heater may be used for preheating purposes (see Biesheuvel, paragraph [0018]); and wherein the heating process may be conducted any number of times using any number of heaters until the hydrocarbon stream of interests reaches a desired preheat temperature with the understanding that different hydrocarbon streams will need to be preheated to different temperatures and the preheat temperature can be dependent upon the desired end product (see Biesheuvel, paragraph [0018]) . 07-21-aia AIA Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ward (EP 3730592 A1) . With respect to claim 6, see discussion supra at paragraph 13. Ward discloses wherein heating may be effected by more than one feed/effluent exchangers (see Ward, paragraph [0052]). Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Randy Boyer whose telephone number is (571) 272-7113. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Friday from 10:00 A.M. to 7:00 P.M. (EST). If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Prem C. Singh, can be reached at (571) 272-6381. The fax number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /Randy Boyer/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1771 Application/Control Number: 18/718,940 Page 2 Art Unit: 1771 Application/Control Number: 18/718,940 Page 4 Art Unit: 1771 Application/Control Number: 18/718,940 Page 5 Art Unit: 1771 Application/Control Number: 18/718,940 Page 6 Art Unit: 1771 Application/Control Number: 18/718,940 Page 7 Art Unit: 1771
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