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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 2/17/2026 has been entered.
This action is in response to the amendment filed 2/17/2026 that was entered with the submission of the request for continued examination dated 2/17/2026. Claims 1-3, 5, 9 and 15-17 are currently amended. No claims are newly added. No claims have been canceled. Presently, claims 1-20 are pending.
Claims 9-14 are withdrawn from consideration pursuant the election of Invention I in the response dated 1/31/2025.
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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see the Rejections Under 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 section on pages 8-11 of the response dated 2/17/2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1-5, 8, 15-17 and 20 under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Zahid (US 4069844) and the claim(s) 6, 7, 18 and 19 under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zahid in view of Boerner (US 2327335) have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of the newly applied reference to Reflex Winkelmann & Pannhoff Gmbh & Co (DE 19529959 A1; provided on the Information Disclosure Statement filed 2/23/2026; see attached machine translation; herein “Reflex”).
It is considered that the Reflex reference addresses applicant’s concerns and claim language relating to a manifolded flow head including:
a body (3) configured to be removably coupled to the expansion tank, the body including:
an internal outlet (see “internal outlet” in the annotated figure 2 below) configured to provide continuous fluid communication with an internal volume of the expansion tank (25) and configured to allow continuous fluid flow from the central cavity into the expansion tank;
an internal inlet (see “internal inlet” in the annotated figure 2 below) configured to provide continuous fluid communication with and allow continuous fluid flow from the internal volume of the expansion tank into the central cavity.
Since new grounds of rejection were necessitated by applicant’s amendments that were entered with the submission of the request for continued examination, the instant Office action is made non-final.
Drawings
The drawings were received on 6/25/2025. These drawings are acceptable.
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) 1, 6-8, 15 and 18-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Reflex Winkelmann & Pannhoff Gmbh & Co (DE 19529959 A1; provided on the Information Disclosure Statement filed 2/23/2026; see attached machine translation; herein “Reflex”).
Regarding claim 1, the Reflex reference discloses a manifolded flow head (see figure 2) for avoiding undesirable static flow in an expansion tank (25), the manifolded flow head comprising:
a body (3) configured to be removably coupled to the expansion tank, the body including:
a central portion (see “central portion” in the annotated figure 2 below) forming a central cavity (see “central cavity” in the annotated figure 2 below);
an internal outlet (see “internal outlet” in the annotated figure 2 below) configured to provide continuous fluid communication with an internal volume of the expansion tank (25) and configured to allow continuous fluid flow from the central cavity into the expansion tank;
an external inlet (see “external inlet” in the annotated figure 2 below) configured to allow fluid flow into the central cavity;
an external outlet (see “external outlet” in the annotated figure 2 below) configured to allow fluid flow out from the central cavity;
an internal inlet (see “internal inlet” in the annotated figure 2 below) configured to provide continuous fluid communication with and allow continuous fluid flow from the internal volume of the expansion tank into the central cavity;
a baffle plate (9, 16) disposed within the central cavity between the external inlet and the external outlet and between the internal outlet and the internal inlet, the baffle plate forming at least one baffle plate opening (10) therethrough and configured to simultaneously:
allow a first portion (see “first portion” in the annotated figure 2 below)of a fluid flow into the external inlet to flow directly to the external outlet, and
direct a second portion (see “second portion” in the annotated figure 2 below) of the fluid flow to continuously pass through the internal outlet and into the internal volume of the expansion tank (25).
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In regards to claim 6, the Reflex reference discloses a flow pipe (27, 29) having a first end (see “first end” in the annotated figure 2 above) and a second end (see “second end” in the annotated figure 2 above), the first end of the flow pipe connected to the internal outlet (see “internal outlet” in the annotated figure 2 above) and extending longitudinally from the internal outlet towards an opposing end of the expansion tank (25), the flow pipe having at least one opening (30, 31) adjacent to the second end.
In regards to claim 7, the Reflex reference discloses wherein the at least one opening (30, 31) adjacent to the second end of the flow pipe comprises a plurality of openings located at longitudinally spaced intervals adjacent to and extending toward the internal outlet from the second end of the flow pipe (it is considered that the openings 30 at located at longitudinally spaced from the openings 31 at intervals extending toward the internal outlet).
In regards to claim 8, the Reflex reference discloses a flange (see “flange” in the annotated figure 2 above) configured to connect the manifolded flow head to the expansion tank (25).
Regarding claim 15, the Reflex reference discloses a system comprising:
an expansion tank (25) including an internal volume and an opening (considered the opening through the flange 26) providing fluid communication into the internal volume;
a manifolded flow head (see figure 2) removably disposed at the opening of the expansion tank (25), the manifolded flow head comprising:
an external inlet (see “external inlet” in the annotated figure 2 below) configured to receive a fluid flow into the manifolded flow head;
an internal outlet (see “internal outlet” in the annotated figure 2 below) providing continuous fluid communication from the manifolded flow head into the internal volume of the expansion tank;
an external outlet (see “external outlet” in the annotated figure 2 below) providing fluid communication out of the manifolded head;
a baffle plate (9, 16) disposed between the external inlet and the external outlet and between the internal outlet and the internal inlet, the baffle plate forming at least one baffle plate opening (10) therethrough and configured to simultaneously:
allow a first portion (see “first portion” in the annotated figure 2 below) of the fluid flow to pass directly to the external outlet, and
direct a second portion (see “second portion” in the annotated figure 2 below) of the fluid flow to continuously pass through the internal outlet and into the internal volume of the expansion tank (25).
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In regards to claim 18, the Reflex reference discloses a flow pipe (27, 29) having a first end (see “first end” in the annotated figure 2 above) and a second end (see “second end” in the annotated figure 2 above), the first end of the flow pipe connected to the internal outlet (see “internal outlet” in the annotated figure 2 above) and extending longitudinally from the internal outlet towards an opposing end of the expansion tank (25), the flow pipe having at least one opening (30, 31) adjacent to the second end.
In regards to claim 19, the Reflex reference discloses wherein the at least one opening (30, 31) adjacent to the second end of the flow pipe comprises a plurality of openings located at longitudinally spaced intervals adjacent to and extending toward the internal outlet from the second end of the flow pipe (it is considered that the openings 30 at located at longitudinally spaced from the openings 31 at intervals extending toward the internal outlet).
In regards to claim 20, the Reflex reference discloses a flange (see “flange” in the annotated figure 2 above) configured to connect the manifolded flow head to the expansion tank (25).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-5, 16 and 17 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
In regards to claim 2, the prior art of record does not disclose or suggest “wherein the body further comprises a cross plate configured to be disposed between the central cavity of the central portion and the internal volume of the expansion tank, wherein the internal outlet and the internal inlet are each formed through the cross plate” and in combination with the other limitation of the claim.
Claim 3 depends from claim 2, and, therefore, claim 3 is allowable for containing the indicated allowable subject matter of claim 2.
In regards to claim 4, the prior art of record does not disclose or suggest “wherein a total size of the at least one baffle plate opening is variable to maintain a continuous flow through the internal volume of the expansion tank to limit accumulation of debris within the expansion tank” and in combination with the other limitation of the claim.
In regards to claim 5, the prior art of record does not disclose or suggest “wherein the central portion further comprises a slot formed so as to provide access to the central cavity, and wherein the baffle plate is removably disposed within the central portion through the slot” and in combination with the other limitation of the claim.
In regards to claim 16, the prior art of record does not disclose or suggest “wherein the manifolded flow head further comprises a cross plate configured to be disposed adjacent the opening of the expansion tank, wherein the internal outlet and the internal inlet are each formed through the cross plate” and in combination with the other limitation of the claim.
Claim 17 depends from claim 16, and, therefore, claim 17 is allowable for containing the indicated allowable subject matter of claim 16.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Andrew J. Rost whose telephone number is (571) 272-2711. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm EST.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Craig Schneider can be reached at 571-272-3607 or Kenneth Rinehart can be reached at 571-272-4881. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ANDREW J ROST/Examiner, Art Unit 3753
/CRAIG M SCHNEIDER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3753