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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species M in the reply filed on 4/23/2026 is acknowledged.
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d).
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement(s) (IDS) submitted on 10/4/2024 and 4/23/2026 was/were in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement(s) is/are being considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claim(s) 1-8 is/are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1, lines 34-35, recite “an internal flow path thereof” and should recite - - an internal flow path of the HTS magnet - - for clarity.
Claim 1, lines 38-39, recites “an internal flow path thereof” and should recite - - an internal flow path of the thermal shield - - for clarity.
Claim 1, lines 42-43, recites “an external flow path in contact with surroundings thereof” and should recite - - an external flow path in contact with surroundings of the current lead - - for clarity.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim(s) 2-8 are objected to as being dependent from an objected claim.
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.
Claim(s) 1-8 is/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 pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Claim 1, lines 5-6, recites “the compressed refrigerant”. It is unclear what compressed refrigerant is being referred to because there is a lack of antecedent basis for “a compressed refrigerant”. For purposes of examination “the compressed refrigerant” will be considered - - the refrigerant compressed in the compressor - - .
Claim 1, lines 8-9 recites “the high-pressure refrigerant that has passed through the after-cooler”. It is unclear what “high-pressure refrigerant that has passed through the after-cooler” is being referred to because there is a lack of antecedent basis for “the high-pressure refrigerant that has passed through the after-cooler”. For purposes of examination “the high-pressure refrigerant that has passed through the after-cooler” will be considered - - high-pressure refrigerant that has passed through the after-cooler - - .
Claim 1, lines 9-10, recites “the low-pressure refrigerant before passing through the compressor”. It is unclear what “low-pressure refrigerant before passing through the compressor” is being referred to because there is a lack of antecedent basis for “low-pressure refrigerant before passing through the compressor”. For purposes of examination “the low-pressure refrigerant before passing through the compressor” will be considered - - low-pressure refrigerant before passing through the compressor - - .
Claim 1, line 13, recites “the same”. It is unclear what “same” is being referred to because there is a lack of antecedent basis for “same”. For purposes of examination “the same” will be considered - - the refrigerant that has passed through the first heat exchanger - - .
Claim 1, line 25, recites “the same”. It is unclear what “same” is being referred to because there is a lack of antecedent basis for “same”. For purposes of examination “the same” will be considered - - the refrigerant expanded by the second expander - - .
Claim 2, line(s) , recite(s) “wherein helium gas is used as the refrigerant and a coolant at the same time”. Said recitation is a method step in an apparatus claim. Per MPEP 2173.05(p), section II “A single claim which claims both an apparatus and the method steps of using the apparatus is indefinite under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, second paragraph”. For purposes of examination “wherein helium gas is used as the refrigerant and a coolant at the same time” will be considered - - wherein helium gas is used as the refrigerant and a coolant - - .
Claim 7, lines 2-3 recites “the refrigerant flow path in contact with the current lead”. It is unclear what “refrigerant flow path in contact with the current lead” is being referred to because there is a lack of antecedent basis for a “refrigerant flow path in contact with the current lead”. For purposes of examination “the refrigerant flow path in contact with the current lead” will be considered - - the external flow path in contact with the surroundings of the current lead - - .
Claim 8, lines 2-3 recites “the refrigerant flow path in contact with the current lead”. It is unclear what “refrigerant flow path in contact with the current lead” is being referred to because there is a lack of antecedent basis for a “refrigerant flow path in contact with the current lead”. For purposes of examination “the refrigerant flow path in contact with the current lead” will be considered - - the external flow path in contact with the surroundings of the current lead - - .
Claim(s) 2-8 are rejected to as being dependent from a rejected claim.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim(s) 1-7 is/are would be allowable if rewritten 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 and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Chevtchenko et al. (EP 300647) teaches an integrated refrigeration cycle for forced-flow cooling of a high-temperature superconductor (HTS), the integrated refrigeration cycle comprising: a compressor (“compressor”, pg. 5 of translation) configured to compress a refrigerant; an after-cooler (“after-cooler”, pg. 5 of translation) configured to cool the refrigerant compressed in the compressor; a first heat exchanger (HX1) configured to perform heat exchange between high-pressure refrigerant that has passed through the after-cooler and low-pressure refrigerant before passing through the compressor; a first expander (“expander”, pg. 5 of translation) configured to expand the refrigerant that has passed through the first heat exchanger and to send the refrigerant that has passed through the first heat exchanger; a second heat exchanger (HX2) and a third heat exchanger (HX3) configured to perform heat exchange and a current lead (“HTS cable”, see figure 1) configured to allow the refrigerant expanded by the
Christianson et al. (US 20230291195) teaches a cooling a cable lead of a HTS with helium gas.
Matthews (US 20230088083) teaches cooling a thermal shield using helium.
Yamamoto (US 9218899) teaches a cooling system for a HTS cable.
Lagier et al. (FR3013813) teaches a cooling system for a nuclear fusion reactor.
Jiang et al. (US 8676282) teaches a cooling system for a HTS magnet.
Gamble et al. (US 6489701) teaches a cooling system for a HTS magnet.
Nakahara et al. (US 6345087) teaches a cooling system for a HTS magnet.
Saho (US 5443548) teaches a cooling system for an nuclear fusion system including a cooling a heat shield.
Saho (US 5426949) teaches a cooling system for an nuclear fusion system including a cooling a heat shield.
Takano et al. (US 4726199) teaches a cooling system for an HTS magnet.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAVID J TEITELBAUM whose telephone number is (571)270-5142. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 8:00 am-4:30 pm EST.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, FRANTZ JULES can be reached on (571) 272-66816681. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DAVID J TEITELBAUM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3763
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