DETAILED ACTION
This is a non-final rejection in response to amendment filed 11/13/25. Claims 1 and 3-18 are currently pending.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, with respect to claims 1 and 3-17 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The rejections of 1 and 3-17 has been withdrawn. Claims are further rejected as shown below.
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, 3-18 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.
Regarding claim 1,17,18, “exterior air” is indefinite as it is unclear what exterior refers to. It is believed the exterior air means ambient air.
Subsequent dependent claims are further rejected.
Regarding claim 3 and 9, “upside the first heat exchange part” is indefinite as it is unclear what upside refers to. It is also unclear if “circulation line” is the same as the “recirculation line”.
Regarding claim 8, “fuel having passed via the first heat exchange part” is indefinite as it is unclear when the fuel passes through the first heat exchange part, claim 3 claims it going through “the second heat exchange part”.
Regarding claim 12 and 18, “ejection nozzle connected to an outlet end” is indefinite as it is unclear what the outlet end is for.
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) 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ball, JR. et al. (US 2014/0102071).
Regarding independent claim 18, Ball teaches a gas turbine system 12 comprising: an exhaust gas guide duct 38 provided on a downstream side of a gas turbine, and configured to guide exhaust gas discharged from the gas turbine to an outside [0017-0020]; a recirculation line connected to the exhaust gas guide duct, and configured to recirculate the exhaust gas extracted from the exhaust gas guide duct back into the exhaust gas guide duct [0023]; a fuel supply line configured to supply a fuel to a combustor of the gas turbine [0019]; and a heat exchanger 50 configured to heat the fuel using the exhaust gas recirculating along the recirculation line [0019], an ejection nozzle (where 94 connects to the exhaust gas guide duct 38) connected to an outlet end, and configured to eject the exhaust gas to an interior of the exhaust gas guide duct [0023].
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CRAIG SANG KIM whose telephone number is (571)270-1418. The examiner can normally be reached 7:00 AM - 3:00 PM.
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/CRAIG KIM/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3741
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