DETAILED ACTION
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 2 is 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 claim 2, it is unclear what “diameter length” and “tube diameter length” mean. It is also unknown which diameter is referred to by “diameter length” as two diameters have been defined.
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) 1-4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Neal (US 2017/0175684).
Regarding claim 1, Neal teaches first (70), second (74), and third (72) bundles each comprising:
a set of three (Para. [0034] stating that each bundle may have an increased number of tubes despite being illustrated with fewer) tubes (78-88) to allow a first fluid tow flow therethrough (from 12 to 14), the tubes each having an inlet forming a set of inlets (attached to 12) and an outlet forming a set of outlets (attached to 14) attached to inlet and outlet supports (12 and 14), each tube following a helical path along a common helical axis (100, 102, 104; Para. [0030]) the tubes having the same helical twist direction (within each bundle), helical pitch, helical radius, and symmetric peaks and valleys along the bundle length (Para. [0030]);
the first and second bundles have the same twist direction (70, 74; Para. [0030]) and the third bundle has the opposite twist direction (72; Para. [0030]);
a shell surrounds the bundles (28) and has inlet and outlet ports for flowing the second fluid through (30, 32) and past the bundles along the bundle length (see Fig. 1);
helical axis of the bundles are parallel to and radially offset from each other (fig. 7) and the bundles are positioned for bundle overlap so that peaks of each bundle are in the valleys between the peaks of each adjacent bundle (Fig. 7).
Regarding claim 2, each bundle has a coil diameter (108-112), a tube diameter (“d”; Fig. 7) and a bundle center at the bundle axis (100-104) and the distance between the bundle centers is less than the sum of the bundle diameters (Fig. 7; e.g. distance from 100 to 102).
Regarding claim 3, while illustrating only arrays of 9 (Fig. 5) and 4 (Fig. 8) bundles, Neal’s invention encompasses any number of bundles in an array (Para. [0029]; “in linear arrays of any number of tube bundles”). Neal teaches bundles each comprising: a set of three (Para. [0034] stating that each bundle may have an increased number of tubes despite being illustrated with fewer) tubes (78-88) to allow a first fluid tow flow therethrough (from 12 to 14), the tubes each having an inlet forming a set of inlets (attached to 12) and an outlet forming a set of outlets (attached to 14) attached to inlet and outlet supports (12 and 14), each tube following a helical path along a common helical axis (100, 102, 104; Para. [0030]) the tubes having the same helical twist direction (within each bundle), helical pitch, helical radius, and symmetric peaks and valleys along the bundle length (Para. [0030]);
a shell surrounds the bundles (28) and has inlet and outlet ports for flowing the second fluid through (30, 32) and past the bundles along the bundle length (see Fig. 1);
helical axis of the bundles are parallel to and radially offset from each other (fig. 7) and the bundles are positioned for bundle overlap so that peaks of each bundle are in the valleys between the peaks of each adjacent bundle (Fig. 7).
As illustrated in Figs. 7-8, these bundles are arranged in a regular array. Per the row and column lines in the annotated Figure below, larger arrays of Neal’s invention are formed in rows of bundles having the same helical twist direction within the row with each row alternating in twist direction from the ones next to it.
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Regarding claim 4, as previously stated, Neal’s invention encompasses any number of bundles in an array (Para. [0029]; “in linear arrays of any number of tube bundles”).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Devon Lane whose telephone number is (571)270-1858. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th, 9-4.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jerry-Daryl Fletcher can be reached at 571.270.5054. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DEVON LANE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3763
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