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.
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 1-9 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 line 5 of claim 1, “a fluid” should be changed to –the fluid—as the fluid has previously claimed in line 2. It is noted that “having specific thermodynamic parameters” in lines 14 and 20 of claim 1 is not seen as limiting as any fluid will have specific thermodynamic parameters (which are not defined). In line 22 continuing into line 23 of claim 1 it is unclear what is meant by “directly or indirectly connected”. Does that mean fluidly connected or are the fluid conduits merely in physical contact? Does indirectly connected mean not fluidly connected but in heat transfer relationship? If the second inlet line is directly connected to the discharge line for the third fluid or the return line for the process fluid, does that mean the regeneration fluid (F2) the same as the third fluid (F3) and the process fluid (F4)? The final indent of claim 1 is not seen to impart any structural limitations. If the fluid lines are directly fluidly connected or in heat transfer relationship the fluids will inherently affect the thermodynamic properties of each other. Claim 5 claims the heat exchanger or heat exchanger system is an air-water exchanger. Does this mean second flow (F22) (and therefore part of the regeneration fluid (F2) from claim 4 from which claim 5 depends) is air or water?
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-9 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. JP 2002504034 shows a system for moisture control of granular plastic pellets. CN 109340935 shows a system for drying materials using multiple regeneration dehumidifiers. Bessemer et al (2019/0105806) shows a system for resin drying using regenerative dehumidifiers.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WILLIAM C DOERRLER whose telephone number is (571)272-4807. The examiner can normally be reached M-F, 7-5.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Eileen Lillis can be reached at (571) 272-6928. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/WILLIAM C DOERRLER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3993
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