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 .
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 1-8 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.
In lines 4 and 8 of claim 1, it is unclear whether or not the “producing” recitations limit the claimed structure in any way. If so, the phrase “configured to produce” should be used instead.
Regarding claim 2, line 2 appears to positively recite the syngas stream as a physical part of the system, however this is not the case in claim 1. Either claim 1 or 2 should be amended to clarify whether or not the syngas stream is part of the device.
Claims 3-8 are rejected for depending from an indefinite parent claim.
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.
Claim(s) 1-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Noureldin (US 2015/0376520 A1).
Noureldin ‘520 teaches a system for removing carbon dioxide and other acid gases from a syngas feed stream (102), comprising an absorber column (92) for contacting the stream with an amine solvent to produce an enriched solvent (106), a first heat exchanger (E6) to exchange heat between the feed stream upstream of the absorber and part of the enriched solvent (107), a stripper (regeneration column 93) to receive the enriched solvent and produce a lean solvent that is recycled back to the absorber column, a second heat exchanger (BE4, C8) downstream of the first heat exchanger to further cool the feed stream, and a third heat exchanger (BE5) to exchange heat between the lean solvent and enriched solvent to preheat the enriched solvent upstream of the first heat exchanger via the absorber column, wherein the enriched solvent enters the stripper at a temperature of 128°C and the syngas stream enters the absorber at 47°C (see figure 6, paragraphs 43, 83, 92, 199, 203-206). Regarding claim 7, it does not structurally limit the claimed system in a way that distinguishes over the prior device.
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.
Claim(s) 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Noureldin ‘520.
Noureldin ‘520 discloses all of the limitations of the claim except that the syngas stream has a preferred H2/CO ratio or carbon dioxide concentration. Absent a proper showing of criticality or unexpected results, the syngas composition is considered to be a parameter that would have been routinely optimized by a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention based on the source of syngas and desired product purity.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The additional references listed on the attached PTO-892 form disclose absorbent gas scrubber arrangements.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to FRANK LAWRENCE whose telephone number is (571)272-1161. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 8:30am-7pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jennifer Dieterle can be reached at 571-270-7872. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/FRANK M LAWRENCE JR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1776
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