DETAILED ACTION
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 1/29/2026 has been entered.
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) 1 and 4-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Nakajima et al (US# 2002/0025400).
Nakajima et al disclose all the limitations of the instant claim including; hydraulic block 20 for a hydraulic assembly for a slip control system of a hydraulic vehicle braking system, comprising; receptacles for valves 5/6 of the slip control system, the receptacles for valves including at least one inlet valve receptacle 23 configured to receive an inlet valve 5 of the slip control assembly and at least one outlet valve receptacle 24 configured to receive an outlet valve 6 of the slip control assembly, the at least one inlet valve receptacle and the at least one outlet valve receptacle being defined in a first side 20a of the hydraulic block; a receptacle for a hydraulic pump 112 defined in a second side (bottom side of block, Fig. 7) of the hydraulic block and assigned to a first brake circuit 22 of the hydraulic vehicle braking system; a receptacle 33 for a pressure-change damper 142 defined in the first side 20a of the hydraulic block and assigned to the first brake circuit; and a receptacle for a throttle 152 defined in a third side (top, fig. 6) of the hydraulic block and assigned to the first brake circuit.
Regarding claim 4, the receptacle for the pressure-change damper 142 and the receptacle for the throttle 152 are arranged at an offset in relation to one another. Figure 6.
Regarding claim 5, the receptacle for the pressure-change damper 142 and the receptacle for the throttle 152 intersect one another or open into one another. Figure 6.
Regarding claim 6, the receptacle for the pressure-change damper 142 and the receptacle for the throttle 152 are arranged at an offset in relation to the receptacle for the hydraulic pump 112. Figure 6.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9-10 are allowed.
Claims 2-3, 7-8 and 11-13 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the claim(s) have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BRADLEY T KING whose telephone number is (571)272-7117. The examiner can normally be reached 10:30-5:00 PM.
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/BRADLEY T KING/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3616
BTK