PATENT CLAIM ANALYSIS

Application Number: 15932331
Application Type: Utility
Filing Date: 2018-02
Publication Date: 2018-09
Patent Classification: ["521", "045500"]

Abstract:
A procedure for the devulcanization of scrap rubber and/or elastomers and apparatus therefor. The abstract of the disclosure is submitted herewith as required by 37 C.F.R. § 1.72(b). As stated in 37 C.F.R. § 1.72(b): A brief abstract of the technical disclosure in the specification must commence on a separate sheet, preferably following the claims, under the heading “Abstract of the Disclosure.” The purpose of the abstract is to enable the Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and gist of the technical disclosure. The abstract shall not be used for interpreting the scope of the claims. Therefore, any statements made relating to the abstract are not intended to limit the claims in any manner and should not be interpreted as limiting the claims in any manner.

Claim (Index 1):
A method of devulcanizing vulcanized material comprising cross-linked rubber or cross-linked elastomers, using a planetary roller extruder comprising a housing, a central spindle, and planetary spindles disposed between and configured to mesh with said central spindle and said housing, said method comprising the steps of:\n feeding vulcanized material into a feed zone of said planetary roller extruder; operating said planetary roller extruder by rotating said central spindle about its rotational axis, and thereby both rotating said planetary spindles about each of their rotational axes and revolving said planetary spindles about said central spindle; feeding vulcanized material from said feed zone into a first treatment zone; generating mechanical and thermal stress on said vulcanized material in said first treatment zone by kneading and/or crushing to begin devulcanization; feeding treated vulcanized material from said first treatment zone, through a dispersion ring, and to a second treatment zone, and generating additional mechanical and thermal stress on said treated vulcanized material by restricting movement of said vulcanized material through said dispersion ring; generating additional mechanical and thermal stress on said treated vulcanized material in said second treatment zone by kneading and/or crushing to further and/or complete devulcanization; and said step of generating mechanical and thermal stress on said vulcanized material in said first treatment zone comprising:\n (A) heating said vulcanized material in a heating zone, which heating zone comprises its own set of planetary rollers and temperature control; and/or \n (B) starting devulcanization in a start zone, which start zone comprises its own set of planetary rollers and temperature control.

Metadata:
- Claim Count in Document: 50.0
- Percentile: 88.0
- Lexical Diversity: 1.81395
- Patent Class: 521.0
- Transitional Phrase Type: open
- Component Type: 1
- Foreign Priority: True
- Related Applications: ['15623599', '13558880', '14595888', '14523239', '15569844']

Analysis Scores:
- 35 USC 101 Eligibility (BERT): 0.8028703709791182
- 35 USC 102 Novelty (BERT): 0.5436952360666171
- Combined Prediction Score: 0.776952857487868
- Mean Citation Score: 340.631814
- Max Citation Score: 382.16092
- Similarity Product: 360.2873920960521

Labels:
- Claim Label 101: 1
- Claim Label 102: 0
- Claim Label 103: 0
- Claim Label 112: 1
- Combined Label: 0
- Label 101 Adjusted: 1

Dataset: test