DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 12/17/2025 has been entered. Therefore, following applicant’s amendment filed 12/17/2025, claims 16, 18-20, 25, 28, 32, and 34 are pending with claims 25 and 28 withdrawn from consideration. Claims 16, 18-20, 32, and 34 are treated on their merits.
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 16, 18-20, 32, and 34 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.
Claim 16 is amended to recite “at least one further circumferential section around the fluid path is free of the volume equalization component” in the last two lines of the claim. These limitations are unclear because the volume equalization component is recited as being annular and “defining a fluid path”. Therefore, it is unclear how the volume equalization component defines the fluid path while a further circumferential section around the fluid path is free of the volume equalization component.
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(s) 16 and 18-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Collins (US Patent 720,407).
Regarding Claim 16, Collins discloses a distribution line component capable of use on a motor vehicle (the limitation of “for a motor vehicle” is a recitation of intended use only), the distribution line component comprising a line housing 1 (see annotated Figure 1 below) having a first line opening and having a second line opening (first and second line openings as shown in the annotated Figure 1 below) for a flow of associated fluid, the first line opening and the second line opening being connected to each other in fluid-conducting fashion by a line configuration in the line housing (main portion of the T fitting) for the flow of associated fluid, the line configuration having a first line branch (as shown in the annotated Figure 1 below) in fluid connection with the first line opening (via the conduit of the T) and a second line branch (as shown in the annotated Figure 1 below) being a tap line from the first line branch (i.e. thereby forming the T) and fluidly between the first and second line openings (as shown in the annotated Figure 1 below), the second line branch being in fluid connection with a third line opening in the line housing (third line opening as shown in the annotated Figure 1 below), the third line opening extending into a female plug in bushing connector (the enlarged diameter portion to the left of shoulder 3 forms a female plug in bushing connector in the same manner as achieved by applicant’s enlarged diameter portion) formed by a bushing end face (leftward facing face of 3) and an inner circumferential wall (inner circumferential wall of 2); the distribution line component further comprising a further line component 5, the further line component having a male plug in pipe connector (rightward end of 5) having an outer circumferential wall and a plug end face (rightward facing end face of 5 as shown in Figures 1 and 2), the further line component further including an internal fluid line (5 is hollow for the flow of fluid) for the flow of associated fluid and in fluid connection with the third line opening in the line housing (as shown in Figures 1 and 2), the plug end face being spaced from the bushing end face (spaced by the thickness of 4) forming a receiving area therebetween (as shown in the annotated Figure 2 below), the receiving area having a diameter greater than the third line opening (the receiving area is formed to the left of the shoulder 3 and has a larger diameter than the third line opening defined by the left end of 3); the distribution line component further comprising a volume equalization component 4 (gasket 4 is capable of deformation and therefore is readable as a volume equalization component) that is compressible by the thermally caused increase in volume in the fluid in the line housing (4 is capable of deforming and compressing in response to a pressure acting thereon, including by a thermally caused increase in volume of fluid), the volume equalization component 4 being annular having a first side edge (facing 5) and a second side edge (facing 3) that is parallel to the first side edge, the first side edge engaging the plug end face (end face of 5) and the second side edge engaging the bushing end face (end face of 3) in the receiving area, the volume equalization component 4 having a radial outer edge engaging the inner circumferential wall of the female plug in bushing connector (inner circumferential wall of 2), the volume equalization component 4 further including an inner circumferential wall defining a fluid path in fluid connection with the third line opening (as shown in Figures 1 and 2, fluid flows through the interior of 4), the plug end face and the bushing end face maintaining the position of the volume equalization component within the receiving area (i.e. 4 is held between 3 and 5), the inner circumferential wall of the volume equalization component 4 having an inner surface engaged by the flow of associated fluid (as described above) wherein the thermally caused increase in volume in the fluid compresses the volume equalization component (as described above, 4 is capable of being compressed by a thermally caused increase in volume in the fluid); and wherein the volume equalization component 4 extends only along a circumferential section around the fluid path (gasket 4 defines a ring shape in the same manner as achieved by applicant’s component), while at least one further circumferential section around the fluid path is free of the volume equalization component (as best understood as described above, portions upstream and downstream of the gasket 4 are ”free of the volume equalization component” in the same manner as achieved by applicant’s device).
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Regarding Claim 18, Collins further discloses the volume equalization component 4 has a central flow path (as shown in Figures 1 and 2) and the flow of the associated fluid in the line housing 1 passing through the central flow path (through 2), an axial movement of the volume equalization component 4 along one axial direction defined by the line path being limited by the bushing end face (end face of 3) of the line housing 1 (i.e. 4 abuts the bushing end face and therefore axial movement of 4 is limited by the bushing end face).
Regarding Claim 19, Collins further discloses the volume equalization component 4 surrounds the line path completely (4 is annular and therefore surrounds the line path completely).
Regarding Claim 20, Collins further discloses the inner surface of the volume equalization component 4 is an inner circumferential surface and defines the central flow path (as described above as shown in Figures 1 and 2), all of the inner circumferential surface is in contact with the flow of associated fluid (as shown in Figures 1 and 2, all of the inner circumferential surface will contact the fluid during use).
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 32 and 34 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Collins (US Patent 720,407) in view of Choi (US Patent 9,371,947).
Regarding Claim 32, Collins does not disclose the housing further includes a fourth line opening.
Choi teaches a T fitting 110b (Figure 2) having third and fourth line openings (plurality of branch pipes 120 forming third and fourth line openings).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the application was effectively filed to modify the device of Collins to include a fourth line opening as taught by Choi for the purpose of providing an additional fluid connection to thereby expand the system.
Therefore, Collins in view of Choi further discloses the line housing (1 of Collins) further includes a fourth line opening (as taught by Choi as described above), which is connected by the line configuration to the first and to the second line openings (in the manner taught by Choi; i.e. an additional branch between the first line opening and second line opening), the female plug in bushing connector (disclosed by Collins) being a first female plug in bushing connector (as described above), the bushing end face (end face of 3) being a first bushing end face, the an inner circumferential wall being a first inner circumferential wall (as described above); the fourth line opening extending into a second female plug in the bushing connector (the additional line opening as taught by Choi is provided according to the same structure disclosed by Collins with respect to the first female plug in bushing connector) formed by a second bushing end face and a second inner circumferential wall (i.e. the additional bushing end face and inner circumferential wall), the further line component being a first further line component and the distribution line component including a second further line component (a second component 5 for connecting with the fourth line opening), the male plug in pipe connector being a first male plug in pipe connector and the outer circumferential wall being a first outer circumferential wall and the plug end face being a first plug end face (as described above, the second component 5 is provided with the same elements disclosed by Collins with respect to the first component 5), the second further line component having a second male plug in pipe connector having a second outer circumferential wall and a second plug end face (as described above), the volume equalization component being a first volume equalization component and the distribution line component having a second volume equalization component adjacent the second plug end face of the second further line component (a second volume equalization component is provided between the second component 5 and the second female plug in bushing in the same manner as described with respect to the first component and first female plug in bushing of Collins).
Regarding Claim 34, Collins does not disclose at least two distribution line components.
Choi teaches (Figure 9) a plurality of distribution line components (having respective housings 100a, 100b, and 100c) coupled together using connection formations and counterpart connection formations (111 and 150, respectively).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the application was effectively filed to modify the device of Collins to include connection formations and counterpart connection formations to couple the housing to a second housing as taught by Choi for the purpose of providing additional fluid connections to thereby expand the system.
Therefore, Collins in view of Choi discloses a distributor assembly for distributing a fluid, comprising at least two distribution line components as recited in Claim 16 (distribution line component as disclosed by Collins, a plurality of these components as taught by Choi), at least one of the at least two distribution line components being a distribution line component wherein a connection formation (as taught by Choi at 111) is developed in the area of a line opening of the first and the second line openings (at an axial end opening as taught by Choi and therefore at one of the first and second line openings of Collins) and, in the area of the respective other line opening, a counterpart connection formation (as taught by Choi at 150) suitable for connecting to the connection formation is developed (as taught by Choi), so that two distribution line components of the same kind are connectible to each other in a fluid-conducting manner (as taught by Choi as shown in Figure 9).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 12/17/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Specifically, applicant argues that Collins fails to disclose a volume equalization component as recited in claim 16 because Collins does not disclose a volume equalization component extending only along a circumferential section around the fluid path. These arguments are not persuasive because the volume equalization component 4 of Collins is formed as an annular gasket having the same shape as disclosed by applicant. Furthermore, as described above, it is unclear what is required by the claim because the recited fluid path is defined by the volume equalization component. Therefore, it is unclear how at least one further circumferential section around the flow path is free of the volume equalization component.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KEVIN MURPHY whose telephone number is (571)270-5243. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8am-4pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Craig Schneider can be reached at (571) 272-3607. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KEVIN F MURPHY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3753