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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Drawings
The drawings were received on 07/03/2024. These drawings are accepted.
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 1-5 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.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "the condition" in line 10. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. The examiner suggests replacing “wherein under the condition that” with “when.”
Claim 4 recites the limitation "the frequency" in line 1. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. The examiner suggests replacing “the frequency” with “a frequency.”
Claims dependent on any of the rejected claims are likewise rejected under this statute.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-5 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: CN 219951095 U (CN ‘095) teaches a hydrogen shaft reduction furnace with a loosening device at the bottom (page 1) that includes a spiral blade and material loosening roller (page 2). However, CN ‘095 does not teach circumferentially arranging a plurality of electromagnets outside of the furnace wall.
CN 115612774 A (CN ‘774) teaches directly reducing iron-making by a hydrogen-based vertical furnace as represented below in the annotated drawing:
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The furnace includes a cooling section below a reducing section. The inner furnace lining of the reducing section has a water cooling sleeve and an electromagnetic heating device (abstract). The electromagnetic induction heating device is connected to an alternating current power supply (pages 3 and 4). A temperature sensing device is in the inner furnace lining and the frequency conversion is controlled into heating regions A, B, and C (page 5). The temperature detecting device 7 monitors the temperature of the reducing section in real time and transmits the information to the electromagnetic induction heating device.
The reduced iron-containing mineral enters the cooling section II under the loosening and transporting effect of the upper conveying roller 18. The cooling gas is introduced by the cooling gas inlet pipe 19, entering the distributor 20, moving upwards with the furnace material, taking away the heat, and cooling. Cone 21 can reduce furnace material falling resistance, reinforcing cooling effect. After cooling, the material is loosened by the intermediate conveying roller 24, transported to the bottom lower conveying roller 25, and discharged from the furnace opening 26 (page 6). CN ‘744 does not suggest energizing the electromagnets in turn as claimed.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Tima M. McGuthry-Banks whose telephone number is (571)272-2744. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Friday, 7:30 am to 4:00 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Keith D. Hendricks can be reached at (571) 272-1401. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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Tima M. McGuthry-Banks
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1733
/Tima M. McGuthry-Banks/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1733
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