PATENT COOPERATION TREATY

PATENT COOPERATION TREATY

From the INTERNATIONAL S E A R C H I N G AUTHORITY To:

Klassek, Maciej Adam INVENTCONSULT

PATENT & TRADEMARK AGENCY Ul, Sowińskiego 1

P t 40-272 Katowice POLOGNE

NOTIFICATION OF T R A N S M I T T A L OF T H E INTERNATIONAL S E A R C H R E P O R T AND T H E W R I T T E N O P I N I O N OF T H E INTERNATIONAL SEARCHING A U T H O R I T Y , OR T H E DECLARATION

(PCT Rule 44.1) Date of mailing

(day/month/year)

10 January 2013 (10-01 -2013) Date of mailing

(day/month/year)

10 January 2013 (10-01 -2013) Applicant's or agent's file reference

INV/P394701/PCT FOR F U R T H E R A C T I O N See paragraphs 1 and 4 below

International application No.

PCT/PL2011/000128

International filing date (day/month/year)

8 December 2011 (08-12-2011) Applicant

INSTYTUT INŻYNIERII CHEMICZNEJ POLSKIEJ...

The applicant is hereby notified that the international search report and the written opinion of the International Searching Authority have been established and are transmitted herewith.

Filing of amendments and statement under Article 19:

The applicant is entitled, if he so wishes, to amend the claims of the International Application (see Rule 46):

When? The time limit for filing such amendments is normally two months from the date of transmittal of the International Search Report.

Where? Directly to the International Bureau of WIPO, 34 chemin des Colombettes 1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland, Fascimile No.: (41 -22) 338 82 70

For more detailed Instruction«, see PCT Applicant's Guide, International Phase, paragraphs 9.004 - 9.011.

The applicant is hereby notified that no international search report will be established and that the declaration under Article 17(2)(a) to that effect and the written opinion of the International Searching Authority are transmitted herewith With regard to any protest against payment of (an) additional fee(s) under Rule 40.2, the applicant is notified that:

the protest together with the decision thereon has been transmitted to the International Bureau together with any request to forward the texts of both the protest and the decision thereon to the designated Offices,

no decision has been made yet on the protest; the applicant will be notified as soon as a decision is made.

4 Reminders

The applicant may submit comments on an informal basis on the written opinion of the International Searching Authority to the International Bureau. The International Bureau will send a copy of such comments to all designated Offices unless an international preliminary examination report has been or is to be established. Following the expiration of 30 months from the priority date, these comments will also be made available to the public.

Shortly after the expiration of 18 months from the priority date, the international application will be published by the International Bureau, If the applicant wishes to avoid or postpone publication, a notice of withdrawal of the international application, or of the priority claim, must reach the International Bureau before completion of the technical preparations for international publication (Rules 90Ws.1 and 90<W®,3).

Within 19 months from the priority date, but only in respect of some designated Offices, a demand for international preliminary examination must be filed if the applicant wishes to postpone the entry into the national phase until 30 months from the priority date (in some Offices even later); otherwise, the applicant must, within 20 months trom the priority date, perform the prescribed acts for entry into the national phase before those designated Offices.

In respect of other designated Offices, the time limit of 30 months (or later) will apply even if no demand is filed within 19 months.

For details about the applicable time limits, Office by Office, see www.wipo.int/pct/enAexts/timeJimits.html and the POT Applicant's Guide, National Chapters,

Name and mailing address of the International Searching Authority European Patent Office, P.B. 5818 Patentlaan 2 NL-2280 HV Rijswijk

Tel, (+31-70)340-2040 Fax (+31-70) 340-3016 Form PCT/ISA/220 (July 2010)

Authorized officer FANUEL, Laurent Tel:+31 (0)70 340-1984

PATENT COOPERATION TREATY

PCT

INTERNATIONAL SEARCH REPORT

( P C T Article 1 8 a n d R u l e s 4 3 a n d 4 4 ) Applicant's or agent's file reference

INV/P394701/PCT

F O R F U R T H E R 8 e e F o r m PCT/ISA/220 A C T I O N 3 8 w e" as> where applicable, item 5 below.

International application No.

PCT/PL2011/000128

International filing date (day/month/year)

0 8 / 1 2 / 2 0 1 1

(Earliest) Priority Date (day/month/year)

2 8 / 0 4 / 2 0 1 1 Applicant

INSTYTUT INŻYNIERII CHEMICZNEJ POLSKIEJ...

This international search report has been prepared by this International Searching Authority and is transmitted to the applicant according to Article 18. A copy is being transmitted to the International Bureau.

This international search report consists of a total of sheets.

X It is also accompanied by a copy of each prior art document cited in this report.

1, Basis of the report .

a. With regard to the language, the international search was carried out on the basis of:

'he international application in the language in which it was filed

I | a translation of the international application into , which is the language

•

3.

of a translation furnished for the purposes of international search (Rules 12.3(a) and 23.1(b))

This international search report has been established taking into account the rectification of an obvious mistake authorized by or notified to this Authority under Rule 91 (Rule 43 6tos(a))

With regard to any nucleotide and/or amino acid sequence disclosed in the international application, see Box No. I.

Certain claims were found unsearchable (See Box No II)

Unity of invention is lacking (see Box No III)

4. With regard to the title,

the text is approved as submitted by the applicant

the text has been established by this Authority to read as follows:

With regard to the abstract,

the text is approved as submitted by the applicant

[ | the text has been established, according to Rule 38.2, by this Authority as it appears in Box No, IV. The applicant may, within one month from the date of mailing of this international search report, submit comments to this Authority

6. With regard to the drawings,

a. the figure of the drawings to be published with the abstract is Figure No.. 1 as suggested by the applicant

as selected by this Authority, because the applicant failed to suggest a figure

| | as selected by this Authority, because this figure better characterizes the invention

| | none of the figures is to be published with the abstract

Form PCT/IS A/210 (first sheet) (July 2009)

INTERNATIONAL SEARCH REPORT INTERNATIONAL SEARCH REPORT

International application No

PCT/PL2011/000128

A. CLASSIFICATION OF SUBJECT MATTER

INV. F23G7/06 F23G5/46 F23G5/50 ADD.

According to International Patent Classification (IPC) or to both national classification and IPC B. FIELDS SEARCHED

Minimum documentation searched (classification system followed by classification symbols)

F23G

Documentation searched other than minimum documentation to the extent that such documents are included in the fields searched

Electronic data base consulted during the international search (name of data base and, where practicable, search terms used)

EPO-Internal, WPI Data

C. DOCUMENTS CONSIDERED TO BE RELEVANT

Category' Citation of document, with indication, where appropriate, of the relevant passages Relevant to claim No.

X WO 02/48814 Al (MEGTEC SYS INC [US]; TESAR 1-16 MICHAEL G [US]; RUHL ANDREAS C H [US];

ZAGA) 20 June 2002 (2002-06-20) page 2» line 13 - page 3, line 21 page 6, 1ine 2 - page 7, line 3 page 12, 1ine 4 - page 5, 1ine 19 page 16, line 2 - page 17, line 4 claims 1-4; figure 9

X EP 0 337 143 A2 (POLSKA AKADEMIA NAUK 1,13 INSTYTUT [PL])

18 October 1989 (1989-10-18) the whole document

X US 5 451 300 A (MATROS YURI I S [US] ET AL) 1,13 19 September 1995 (1995-09-19)

the whole document

Further documents are listed in the continuation of Box C. See patent family annex.

* Special categories of cited documents :

"A" document defining the general state of the art which is not considered to be of particular relevance

"E" earlier application or patent but published on or after the international filing date

"L" document which may throw doubts on priority claim(s) or which is cited to establish the publication date of another citation or other special reason (as specified)

*0" document referring to an oral disclosure, use, exhibition or other means

"P" document published prior to the international filing date but later than the priority date claimed

*T" later document published after the international filing date or priority date and not in conflict with the application but cited to understand the principle or theory underlying the invention

"X* document of particular relevance; the claimed invention cannot be considered novel or cannot be considered to involve an inventive step when the document is taken atone

"Y" document of particular relevance; the claimed invention cannot be considered to involve an inventive step when the document is combined with one or more other such documents, such combination being obvious to a person skilled in the art

*&* document member of the same patent family Date of the actual completion of the international search

3 January 2013

Date of mailing of the international search report

10/01/2813

Name and mailing address of the ISA/

European Patent Office, P B 5818 Patentlaan 2 NL - 2280 HV Rijswijk

Tel. (+31-70) 340-2040, Fax (+31-70)340-3016

Authorized officer

Coli, Enrico

Form PCTASA/210 (second sheet) (April 2005)

page 1 of

INTERNATIONAL SEARCH REPORT

International application No

PCT/PL2011/000128

C(Continuatlon). DOCUMENTS CONSIDERED TO BE RELEVANT

Category* Citation of document, with indication, where appropriate, of the relevant passages Relevant to olaim No.

X WO 99/57498 Al (MEGTEC SYS INC [US]; SEIDL PAUL G [US]; BRIA MICHAEL P [US]; ZAGAR STE) 11 November 1999 (1999-11-11) the whole document

1,13

X SU 1 160 2Q1 Al (INST KATALIZA SO AN SSSR [SU]) 7 June 1985 (1985-06-07)

the whole document

1,13

X US 6 832 480 BI (ANGUIL GENE [US]) 21 December 2004 (2004-12-21)

column 8» line 29 - column 10, line 21;

figure 2

1,13

Form PCT/ISA/210 (continuation of aecond sheet) (April 2005)

page 2 of 2

INTERNATIONAL SEARCH REPORT

Information on patent family members

International application No

PCT/PL2011/000128

Patent document cited in search report

Publication date

Patent family member(s)

Publication date

W0 0248814 Al 20-06-2002 AT 497199 T 15-02-2011 AU 3081902 A 24-06-2002 AU 2002230819 B2 22-12-2005 CA 2429023 Al 20-06-2002 CZ 20031920 A3 12-11-2003 EP 1342142 Al 10-09-2003 JP 3987797 B2 10-10-2007 JP 2004516442 A 03-06-2004 MX PA03005172 A 22-09-2003 NO 20032359 A 11-08-2003 PL 361747 Al 04-10-2004 US 2005260103 Al 24-11-2005 W0 0248814 Al 20-06-2002 EP 0337143 A2 18-10-1989 CA 1318199 C 25-05-1993 DE 68906819 DI 08-07-1993 DE 68906819 T2 11-11-1993

DK 137389 A 25-09-1989

EP 0337143 A2 18-10-1989

FI 891374 A 25-09-1989

HU 208498 B 29-11-1993

JP 2021121 A 24-01-1990 NO 891179 A 25-09-1989

SK 182789 A3 07-10-1998

YU S 9 2 3 9 A 31-12-1990 US 5451300 A 19-09-1995 NONE

W0 9957498 Al 11-11-1999 AT 278168 T 15-10-2004 AU 742412 B2 03-01-2002 AU 3886399 A 23-11-1999 CA 2329795 Al 11-11-1999 CN 1308719 A 15-08-2001 CZ 20004133 A3 16-01-2002 DE 69920684 DI 04-11-2004 DE 69920684 T2 23-02-2006 EP 1076800 Al 21-02-2001 ES 2229707 T3 16-04-2005 HK 1037397 Al 07-05-2004

IL 139441 A 19-02-2004

JP 3866919 B2 10-01-2007 JP 2002513909 A 14-05-2002 PL 343905 Al 10-09-2001 PT 1076800 E 31-01-2005 US 6321462 B1 27-11-2001 WO 9957498 Al 11-11-1999 SU 1160201 Al 07-06-1985 NONE

US 6832480 B1 21-12-2004 NONE

Form PCT/ISA/210 (patent family annex) (April 2005)

PATENT COOPERATION TREATY

From the

I N T E R N A T I O N A L S E A R C H I N G A U T H O R I T Y

To:

see form PCT/1SA,220

PCT

Applicant's or agent's file reference

see form PCT/1SA/220

International application No.

PCT/PL.2011A3001 28

W R I T T E N O P I N I O N O F T H E

I N T E R N A T I O N A L S E A R C H I N G A U T H O R I T Y ( P C T Rule 436/S.1)

Date of mailing

(day/monthyear) see form PCT/ISA/210 (second sheet)

FOR FURTHER ACTION

See paragraph 2 below International filing date (dayAnorith/year)

0 8 . 1 2 . 2 0 1 1

Priority date (day/monthłyear)

28.04,2011

International Patent Classification (IPC) or both national classification and IPC

INV. F23G7/06 F23G5/46 F23G5/50

Applicant

INSTYTUT INŻYNIERII CHEMICZNEJ POLSKIEJ...

This opinion contains indications relating to the following items:

Basis of the opinion Priority

Non-establishment of opinion with regard to novelty, inventive step and industrial applicability Lack of unity of invention

Reasoned statement under Rule 43to/s.1(a)(i) with regard to novelty, inventive step and industrial applicability; citations and explanations supporting such statement

m

Box No. I

•

Box No. II

•

Box No. III

•

Box No. IV a Box No. V

•

Box No. VI

•

Box No. VII

•

Box No. VIII Certa Certa Certa

n documents cited

n defects in the international application n observations on the international application 2. FURTHER A C T I O N

If a d e m a n d for international preliminary examination is made, this opinion will usually be considered to be a written opinion of the International Preliminary Examining Authority ("IPEA") except that this does not apply where the applicant chooses an Authority other than this o n e to b e the IPEA and the chosen IPEA has notifed the International Bureau under Rule 66.1t>/s(b) that written opinions of this International Searching Authority will not be so considered.

If this opinion is, as provided above, considered to be a written opinion of the IPEA, the applicant is invited to submit to the IPEA a written reply together, where appropriate, with amendments, before the expiration of 3 months from the date of mailing of Form PCT/lSA,220 or before the expiration of 22 months from the priority date,

whichever expires later.

For further options, see Form PCT/ISA/220.

Name and mailing address of the ISA:

European Patent Office P.B. 5818 Patentlaan 2 NL-2280 HV Rijswijk - Pays Bas Tel. +31 70 340 - 2040

Fax. +31 70 340 • 3016

Date of completion of this opinion

see form PCT/ISA/210

Authorized Officer

Coli, Enrico

Telephone No. +31 70 340-3802

Form PCT.1SA237 (Cover Sheet) (July 2009)

WRITTEN OPINION OF THE INTERNATIONAL SEARCHING

AUTHORITY (SEPARATE SHEET)

International application No, PCT/PL2011A30Q128

Box No. I Basis of the opinion

1. With regard to the language, this opinion has been established on the basis of:

0 the international application in the language in which it was filed

• a translation of the international application into , which is the language of a translation furnished for the purposes of international search (Rules 12.3(a) and 23.1 (b)).

2. • This opinion has been established taking into account the rectification of an obvious mistake authorized by or notified to this Authority under Rule 91 (Rule 43bis.1 (a))

3. With regard to any nucleotide andtor amino acid sequence disclosed in the international application, this opinion has been established on the basis of a sequence listing filed or furnished:

a. (means)

• on paper

• in electronic form b. (time)

• in the international application as filed

• together with the international application in electronic form

• subsequently to this Authority for the purposes of search

4. • In addition, in the case that more than one version or copy of a sequence listing has been filed or furnished, the required statements that the information in the subsequent or additional copies is identical to that in the application as filed or does not go beyond the application as filed, as appropriate, were furnished.

5. Additional comments:

Box No. V Reasoned statement under Rule 43 Ws. 1(a)(1) with regard to novelty, inventive step or industrial applicability; citations and explanations supporting such statement

1. Statement

Novelty (N) Yes: Claims

No: Claims 1-16 Inventive step (IS) Yes: Claims

No: Claims 1-16 Industrial applicability (IA) Yes: Claims 1-16

No: Claims

2. Citations and explanations see separate sheet

Form PCTASA/ 237 (April 2007)

WRITTEN OPINION OF THE INTERNATIONAL SEARCHING AUTHORITY (SEPARATE SHEET)

International application No.

PCT/PL2011/000128

Re Item V

Reasoned statement with regard to novelty, inventive step or industrial applicability; citations and explanations supporting such statement

1 Reference is made to the following documents:

D1 WO 02/48814 A1 (MEGTEC SYS INC [US]; TESAR MICHAEL G [US];

RUHL ANDREAS C H [US]; ZAGA) 20 June 2002 (2002-06-20) D2 EP 0 337 143 A2 (POLSKA AKADEMIA NAUK INSTYTUT [PL]) 18

October 1989 (1989-10-18)

D3 US 5 451 300 A (MATROS YURII S [US] ET AL) 19 September 1995 (1995-09-19)

D4 WO 99/57498 A1 (MEGTEC SYS INC [US]; SEIDL PAUL G [US]; BRIA MICHAEL P [US]; ZAGAR STE) 11 November 1999 (1999-11-11) D5 SU 1 160 201 A1 (INST KATALIZA SO AN SSSR [SU]) 7 June 1985

(1985-06-07)

D6 US 6 832 480 B1 (ANGUIL GENE [US]) 21 December 2004 (2004-12-21)

2 The present application does not meet the criteria of Article 33(2) PCT, because the subject-matter of claim 1 is not new.

D1 (cf. Abstract) discloses the subject-matter of claim 1. Namely, a method for utilization of low-concentration mixtures of combustible gas and air with the stable recovery of heat energy comprising the combustion with heat

regeneration of the mixtures in a flow-reversal device having at least a single pair of combustion sections (cf. figure 9), each of which having structural packing of monolith blocks having small ducts (cf. page 8) characterized by low flow resistance, provided with an internal heating device (cf. page 16), temperature (cf. page 13) and composition (cf. page 9) sensors and the elements of an automatic control system, supplied with the low-concentration mixture with the combustible component and connected by the pipeline to a heat recovery apparatus (cf. dryer in fig. 9), wherein the quantity of energy given off in the heat recovery apparatus is stabilized by

- supplying additional fuel to the flow-reversal device (cf. page 16),

- selecting the flow reversal moment (implicit in any Regenerative Thermal Oxidizer), and

Form PCT/ISA/237 (Separate Sheet) (Sheet 1) (EPO-April 2005)

WRITTEN OPINION OF THE INTERNATIONAL SEARCHING AUTHORITY (SEPARATE SHEET)

international application No.

PCT/PL2011/000128

- selecting the flow rate for hot gas supplied by the pipeline to the heat

recovery apparatus (cf. description and by-pass in fig. 9). Claim 1 is therefore not novel.

Independently therefrom also documents D2, D3, D4, D5 and D6 (cf. Search Report) disclose all the features of claim 1.

3 The present application does not meet the criteria of Article 33(2) PCT, because the subject-matter of claim 13 is not new.

D1 discloses also the subject-matter of claim 13. Namely, a flow-reversal device for utilization of low-concentration mixtures of combustible gas and air with the stable recovery of heat energy, having a refractory body with external heat insulation, accommodating at least a single pair of combustion sections connected with the heat recovery apparatus via a pipeline, each of the

sections provided with structural packing, having small ducts characterized by low flow resistance, that can be placed on the ceramic bed, provided with at least a single internal heating device, gas temperature and composition sensors and the elements of an automatic control system, flow-reversal and system for the supply of low-concentration mixture with the combustible component, supplied with the low-concentration air mixture with the

combustible component, wherein the combustion sections are provided with symmetric temperature sensors (cf. page 13) and there is an additional supply of highly concentrated combustible mixture (cf. page 16) connected to the supply system for the low-concentration mixture with the combustible component. Claim 13 is therefore not novel.

Independently therefrom also documents D2, D3, D4, D5 and D6 (cf. Search Report) disclose all the features of claim 13.

4 Dependent claims 2-12, 14-16 do not contain any features which, in combination with the features of any claim to which they refer, meet the requirements of the PCT in respect of novelty and/or inventive step, because they only relate to optional features that are either already known from the prior art (cf. D1 in particular) or are obvious design possibilities whose technical effect is well known in the art and their implementation does not depart from the normal activity of the skilled person faced with the problem of optimizing a RTO.

Form PCT.'ISA/237 (Separate Sheet) (Sheet 2) (EPO-April 2005)

P o s s i b l e s t e p s a f t e r r e c e i p t of t h e i n t e r n a t i o n a l s e a r c h r e p o r t ( I S R ) a n d w r i t t e n o p i n i o n of t h e I n t e r n a t i o n a l S e a r c h i n g A u t h o r i t y ( W O - I S A )

General For all international applications filed on or after 01/01/2004 the competent i n f o r m a t i o n ISA will establish an ISR. It is accompanied by the WO-ISA. Unlike the

former written opinion of the I PEA (Rule 66.2 PCT), the WO-ISA is not meant to be responded to, but to be taken into consideration for further procedural steps. This document explains about the possibilities.

A m e n d i n g claims Within 2 months after the date of mailing of the ISR and the WO-ISA the under applicant may file amended claims under Art. 19 PCT directly w i t h t h e Art. 19 PCT I nternational Bureau of W l PO. The PCT reform of 2004 did not change this procedure. For further information please see Rule 46 PCT as well as form PCT/ISA/220 and the corresponding Notes to form PCT/ISA/220.

Filing a d e m a n d for i n t e r n a t i o n a l preliminary e x a m i n a t i o n

In principle, the WO-ISA will be considered as the written opinion of the I PEA. This should, in many cases, make it unnecessary to file a demand for international preliminary examination. If the applicant nevertheless wishes to file a demand this must be done before expiry of 3 months after t h e date of m a i l i n g of t h e I S R / W O - I S A or 22 m o n t h s after p r i o r i t y date, w h i c h e v e r expires later (Rule 54bis PCT). Amendments under Art, 34 PCT can be filed with the IFEA as before, normally at the same time as filing the demand (Rule 66.1 (b) PCT).

If a demand for international preliminary examination is filed and no comments/amendments have been received the WO-ISA will be transformed by the I PEA into an IPRP (International Preliminary Report on Patentability) which would merely reflect the content of the WO-ISA. The demand can still be withdrawn (Art. 37 PCT).

Filing i n f o r m a l After receipt of the ISR/WO-ISA the applicant may file informal comments c o m m e n t s on the WO-ISA directly w i t h t h e I nternational Bureau of Wl PO. These

will be communicated to the designated Offices together with the IPRP (International Preliminary Report on Patentability) at 30 months from the priority date. Please also refer to the next box.

End of t h e At the end of the international phase the International Bureau of WIPO will i n t e r n a t i o n a l transform the WO-ISA or, if a demand was filed, the written opinion of the phase I PEA into the IPRP, which will then be transmitted together with possible

informal comments to the designated Offices. The IPRP replaces the former I PER (international preliminary examination report).

Relevant PCT Rule 43 PCT, Rule 43bis PCT, Rule 44 PCT, Rule 44bis PCT, PCT Newsletter Rules and m o r e 12/2003, OJ 11/2003, OJ 12/2003

i n f o r m a t i o n