DETAILED ACTION
Non Final
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 12/31/2025 has been entered.
Response to Amendment/Arguments
Claims 1, 3-12 are pending. Claim 1 is currently amended. Claim 2 is canceled. Claim 12 is newly added. It appears that no new matter has been entered.
Applicant remarks on page 5 first paragraph, that it is not clear what the connection spout is, but has been clear that the connection spout or fitting is the body of 34 in figure 2 as applied to figure 5, the features present at the time of original rejection, and even though the clarification is provided, it in no way modifies the rejection as initially applied;
Applicants remarks (page 6 first paragraph) that the connection spout is not integrally provided in one piece is not a remark commensurate in scope with the claim language as the remark is narrowly tailored, and the integral one piece formation can be interpreted as multiple series of parts that are connected or formed into one piece for further assembly; the more narrow interpretation of a single materially integral formed piece or part is addressed in the alternative below.
Applicants remark that the heating coil does not surround the seat and merely surrounds the intermediate wall portion, does not address the fact that the seat is within the intermediate wall portion of which the heating coil surrounds, so the remarks are narrowly tailored and not commensurate in scope with the claim language.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 3, 5, 7-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Baker (US 3580267) and further in view of Koenekamp (US 7549438);
Claim(s) 4 and 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Baker as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Butz (US 6044829);
Baker discloses in claim 1: (see at least partially annotated figure 5 below)
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An electromagnetic valve (100/84 see figures 2 and as applied to figure 5, Col 4 ln 38-62) to be connected to an anode supply of a fuel cell system (the phrase considered a statement of intended use as it adds no meaningful limitation to the body of the claimed apparatus under MPEP 2114), the electromagnetic valve (100/84/86) configured as a purge or drain valve (as discussed, exhaust condensate from the connected tank), comprising: an actuator including a first magnet coil (the solenoid coil of 100) configured to electromagnetically actuate an armature (104), and a valve plunger (the shank at 2008 thereof) operatively connected with the armature (where the plunger opens and closes the valve 84/86); a connection spout (of 34) to be connected to the supply, the connection spout integrally provided in one piece (as shown, the part is a single unitarily held body defining the inlet and outlet a piece ) containing a valve seat (38 figure 2 as applied to figure 5), an inlet (at 34) and an outlet (at 52), wherein the valve seat is openable and closable as a function of an actuation of the valve plunger (as shown, spring biased close, and opens via electro magnet armature opening the valve 84/86) so that a media connection between the inlet (at 34) and the outlet (at 52) is controlled through a valve chamber (via 40), wherein the connection spout (as shown) is connected with the actuator, and wherein an additional magnet coil (at 48 is a coil heater that will also generate a measure of magnetic flux there about when the current runs resistively there through for the thermal resistance heat control, where 48 indicates a coil winding see MPEP 608.02 IX) is provided as a heating coil (Col 4 ln 58-60, where the coil can includes a circumscribing heating wire about the seat 38) wherein the additional magnet coil is separate from the first magnet coil (axially as well as radially); but Baker does not explicitly disclose…although Koenekamp teaches: the connection spout connected to the anode supply (i.e. by arranging a discharge valve (40 figure 2) in a fuel cell system (10 figure 1), comprising: at least one fuel cell stack (12 figure 1); a cathode supply (air Col 1 ln 14-18); an anode supply (hydrogen gas, id); and the valve arranged in the anode supply (40 is arranged in the hydrogen gas line to the exhaust outlet, all for the purpose of providing a means of discharging condensate from the system))
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing of the invention to provide as taught in Koenekamp using that of Baker, to connect the connection spout to an anode supply as taught in Koenkamp for that of Baker by arranging the valve of Baker as a discharge valve in a fuel cell system as taught in Koenekamp, with at least one fuel cell stack; a cathode supply; an anode supply with the valve of Baker as taught in Koenekamp arranged there in and to the exhaust outlet as taught in Koenekamp, all for the purpose of providing a means of discharging condensate from the system, as taught in both Koenekamp and Baker;
If it could be persuasively argued that Baker does not disclose: the connection spout is a one piece materially integral inlet and outlet; considering that one of ordinary skill in the fluid art would for example conceive of reducing the number of parts for manufacture so as to increase production throughput and assembly error;
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to form the connection spout in a one piece materially integral inlet and outlet part as suggested by those skilled in the art for the purpose of for example of reducing the number of parts for manufacture so as to increase production throughput and assembly error, especially since it has been held that forming in one piece an article which has formerly been formed in two pieces and put together involves only routine skill in the art. Howard v. Detroit Stove Works, 150 U.S. 164 (1893).
Baker discloses (as modified for the reasons discussed above) in claim 3: The electromagnetic valve according to claim 1, wherein the heating coil (48) is arranged between the actuator and the connection spout (axially) and wherein the heating coil radially envelops (38) the valve seat.
Baker discloses(as modified for the reasons discussed above) in claim 4: The electromagnetic valve according to claim 1, wherein the connection spout is [a] part and the heating coil is integral in the connection spout proximal to the valve seat (as shown); but Baker does not explicitly disclose… although Butz teaches: an injection molded parts (synthetic resin body figure 4 with heater 20) into the connection spout (10 outlet passage) proximal to the valve seat (of 18, all for the purpose of providing the heater close to the valve itself and to provide a final form plastic part for ease of assembly of the valve);
accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing of the invention to provide and arrange Baker heating coil as taught by the Butz arrangement in an injection molded assembly of parts, via an encasement of synthetic resin body as taught in Butz where the connection spout is proximal to the valve seat as taught in Butz, all for the purpose of providing for example, the heater close to the valve itself and to provide a final form plastic part for ease of assembly of the valve.
Baker discloses (as modified for the reasons discussed above) in claim 5: The electromagnetic valve according to claim 3, wherein the heating coil is attached at the actuator by the connection spout (electrically via 110.)
Baker discloses (as modified for the reasons discussed above) in claim 6: The electromagnetic valve according to claim 4, wherein the heating coil includes an additional electrical contact (the coil/ring has two contacts as shown and discussed above to provide for current flow through the ring/coil.)
Baker discloses (as modified for the reasons discussed above) in claim 7: the valve according to claim 1: arranging a discharge valve (40 figure 2) in a fuel cell system (10 figure 1), comprising: at least one fuel cell stack (12 figure 1); a cathode supply (air Col 1 ln 14-18); an anode supply (hydrogen gas, id); and the valve arranged in the anode supply (40 is arranged in the hydrogen gas line to the exhaust outlet, all for the purpose of providing a means of discharging condensate from the system as discussed above.)
Baker discloses (as modified for the reasons discussed above) in Claim 8: The electromagnetic valve according to claim 1, wherein the first magnet coil and the additional magnet coil are arranged coaxially (about the center line of the plunger) and separated from each other by an axial gap (distance at 2002) arranged between the first magnet coil and the additional magnet coil (as shown.)
Baker discloses (as modified for the reasons discussed above) in Claim 9: the electromagnetic valve according to claim 1, wherein the outer diameter (at 2004) of the additional magnet coil is smaller than an outer diameter (at 2006) of he first magnet coil.
Baker discloses (as modified for the reasons discussed above) in Claim 10: the electromagnetic valve according to claim 9, wherein and entirety of the additional magnet coil (the coil 48 is fully circumscribed where 2004 is within 2006 circumscribed diameter as shown) is arranged inside an inner diameter first magnet coil.
Baker discloses (as modified for the reasons discussed above) in Claim 11: the electromagnetic valve according to claim 1, wherein an entirety of the additional magnet coil is axially offset from the armature (the magnetic armature is fully below the diaphragm and the additional magnet coil.)
Baker discloses (as modified for the reasons discussed above) in Claim 12: The electromagnetic valve according to claim 1, wherein the valve chamber (40) is formed (interposed) between the connection spout (34) and the (the bottom of the…) valve plunger (shank of 104.)
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MATTHEW W JELLETT, whose telephone number is 571-270-7497. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday (9:30AM-6:00PM EST).
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisors can be reached by phone. Ken Rinehart can be reached at (571)-272-4881, or 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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/Matthew W Jellett/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3753