DETAILED ACTION
This is the initial Office action for application SN 18/942,005 having an effective date of 08 November 2024 and a Foreign priority date of 08 November 2023. Claims 1-5 are pending. 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 § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Doczyck (EP 1 561 506 A1).
Doczyck discloses in FIG.1 a system for removing residual impurities (silicon compounds) in gas (digestion gas [0003]) comprising:
a gas source unit that includes at least one storage container (gas scrubber 16 inherently includes a sump which can be considered as a storage volume);
a purifier unit (adsorbers 3) that includes at least one purifier that removes the residual impurities from unpurified gas (11) supplied from the gas source unit (16);
flow split that distributes a first part (11) of the gas supplied from the gas source to the purifier and a second part (12) through a bypass around the purifier;
a flow mix means (10) for mixing purified gas that has been processed in the purifier unit and unpurified gas supplied from the gas source unit; and
a control unit (14) that determines the purity or impurity content of the gas delivered from the flow mix means (13) and controls the flow split and the flow mix means so that the gas delivered to a demand point has a target purity.
Thus, the examiner is of the position that Doczyck discloses all of the claimed features of the system for removing residual impurities in gas set forth in claim 5.
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.
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.roviding
Claim(s) 1-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Maykut et al (US 8,915,992) in view of Doczyck (EP 1 561 506 A1).
Maykut et al [“Maykut”] disclose a process and a system for providing acetylene. Specifically, Maykut discloses a system for providing a high purity acetylene comprising 100 ppm or less solvent to a point of use. The system comprises a storage vessel that houses an acetylene feed stream comprising acetylene and solvent; a cooling system that maintains the storage vessel and provides the acetylene feed stream at a temperature ranging from 20°C to -50°C; and a purifier in fluid communication with the storage vessel. Maykut discloses that the acetylene feed stream is introduced into the purifier at a temperature ranging from -50°C to 30°C to remove at least a portion of the solvent contained therein and provide the high purity acetylene. (Abstract)
Maykut discloses that the system and process for providing acetylene is preferably at a high purity level of 100 parts per million (ppm), or 10 ppm, or 1 ppm, or 100 parts per billion (ppb), or 10 ppb or 1 ppb or less of solvent, to a point of use. Specifically, Maykut discloses a delivery system that provides a continuous flow of virtually solvent free acetylene for use in semiconductor manufacturing. COL.1, L14-21.
Thus, the examiner is of the position that Maykut discloses acetylene from a storage vessel containing varying amounts of solvent depending upon the intended use in semiconductor manufacturing.
Applicant’s invention differs in independent claim 1 by including a flow split that distributes acetylene gas supplied from the gas source unit, a flow mix means configured to mix acetylene gas that has been processed in the purifier unit and unpurified acetylene gas supplied from the storage container, and a control unit that determines the solvent content of the delivered acetylene. However, such removal system steps are known in the art as evidenced by Doczyck.
As set forth hereinabove, Doczyck a system for removing residual impurities in gas comprising a gas source unit that includes at least one storage container, a purifier unit, a flow split, a flow mix means for mixing purified gas that has been processed in the purifier unit and unpurified gas supplied from the gas source unit, and a control unit so that the gas delivered to a demand point has a target purity. Thus, the examiner is of the position that having the prior art before the inventor(s) at the time the invention was made it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have added the known system steps disclosed in Doczyck, to the process and system disclosed in Maykut, if so desired. Mayket discloses acetylene from a storage vessel containing varying amounts of solvent depending upon the intended use.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Song et al (US 2010/0319536) discloses processes for purification of acetylene by withdrawing a crude acetylene stream from a storage source, and passing said stream through an adsorbent bed to selectively remove moisture, solvent and carbon dioxide from the stream, thereby producing high purity acetylene.
Jha et al (US 2010/01854630) disclose methods and systems of purifying an acetylene process gas which includes the steps of providing an acetylene vessel containing source acetylene mixed with a solvent impurity, and flowing the source acetylene through a purification container that holds a cooled purifying medium.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ELLEN M MCAVOY whose telephone number is (571)272-1451. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9:30am - 7:00 pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, PREM SINGH can be reached at (571) 272-6381. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ELLEN M MCAVOY/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1771
EMcAvoy
July 10, 2026
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