DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1 , 3-11 and 13-22 are pending, claims 7 and 8 being withdrawn and claims 2 and 12 have been cancelled.
This action is in response to the amendment filed 4/7/2026.
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 filed 4/7/2026 have been fully considered and are persuasive.
Applicant’s arguments, see pages filed 4/7/2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of pending claim(s) 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 Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn.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 Fu et al. (CN116221232).
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the pending 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.
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of species I, figures 1-3, in the reply filed on 3/13/2025 is acknowledged. Claims 7 and 8 being withdrawn as reading on a non-elected embodiment having more than one biasing member biasing the transfer valve.
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 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.
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 22 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Fu et al. (CN 11622132). Hereinafter referred to as Fu.
Regarding claim 22, Fu discloses a system (see Fig. 4-8), comprising:
a first controllable valve (the valve 600, part of 60) configured to output a control pressure on one or more first pressure control lines (2 lines from 60 to 40);
a second controllable valve (508, within 50 on right) configured to output a control pressure on one or more second pressure control lines (2 lines from 50 to 40);
a transfer valve (40) in fluid communication with the first controllable valve and the second controllable valve, wherein the transfer valve is configured to move between a first position, a second position, and a third position (see Fig. 4-6), wherein the transfer valve is configured to: fluidically connect the one or more first pressure control lines to a first functional system (10) and fluidly connect the one or more second pressure control lines to a second functional system (20) in the first position (see Fig. 4);
fluidically connect the one or more second pressure control lines (lines from 50 to 40) to the first functional system (10) and the second functional system (20) and block flow from the one or more first pressure control lines to the first functional system and the second functional system in the second position (see Fig. 6); and fluidically connect the one or more first pressure control lines (lines from 60 to 40) to the first functional system and the second functional system and block flow from the one or more second pressure control lines to the first functional system and the second functional system in the third position (see Fig. 5); and a transfer control system (Fig. 4 showing a schematic view of a solenoid with electric control on either side of the valve 40) configured to control a position of the transfer valve between the first, second, and third position (inherently some type of electrical control system, controls the solenoid coil shown on each end of 40, see also para.0084,lines 577-580 as supplied by applicant in the English translation).
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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) 1,3-6,9-11,13,14 and 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fu ‘232 in view of Boehringer (US 6796526).
Regarding claim 1, Fu discloses a system (see Fig. 4-8), comprising:
a first controllable valve (600 on left, part of 60) configured to output a control pressure on one or more first pressure control lines (2 lines from 60 to 40);
a second controllable valve (508, within 50 on right) configured to output a control pressure on one or more second pressure control lines (2 lines from 50 to 40);
a transfer valve (40) in fluid communication with the first controllable valve and the second controllable valve, wherein the transfer valve is configured to move between a first position, a second position, and a third position (see Fig. 4-6), wherein the transfer valve is configured to:
fluidically connect the one or more first pressure control lines to a first functional system (10) and fluidly connect the one or more second pressure control lines to a second functional system (20) in the first position (see Fig. 4);
fluidically connect the one or more second pressure control lines to the first functional system and the second functional system and block flow from the one or more first pressure control lines to the first functional system and the second functional system in the second position (in Figure 6); and
fluidically connect the one or more first pressure control lines to the first functional system and the second functional system and block flow from the one or more second pressure control lines to the first functional system and the second functional system in the third position (in Figure 5); and
a transfer control system (Fig. 4 showing a schematic view of a solenoid with electric control on either side of the valve 40) configured to control a position of the transfer valve between the first, second, and third position (inherently some type of electrical control system, controls the solenoid coil shown on each end of 40, see also para.0084,lines 577-580 as supplied by applicant in the English translation).
Fu discloses all of the features of the claimed invention, including that an electrical solenoid (inherent solenoid in the figures 4-6, as shown schematically) is used to move the transfer valve (40), and therefore is silent to not using a pressure to move the valve, where,
the transfer control system includes at least one transfer control valve, wherein the at least one transfer control valve outputs a transfer control pressure on one or more third pressure control lines, wherein the at least one transfer control valve is in fluid communication with the transfer valve via the one or more third pressure control lines to control a position of the transfer valve via the transfer control pressure on the one or more third pressure control lines.
Boehringer teaches the use of a control valve (at 38, col. 4, lns. 47-60, see Fig. 1), the transfer control system includes at least one transfer control valve (38, wide range of valves including “EHSV” col.4, lns. 52-57), wherein the at least one transfer control valve outputs a transfer control pressure on one or more third pressure control lines, wherein the at least one transfer control valve is in fluid communication with the transfer valve via the one or more third pressure control lines to control a position of the transfer valve via the transfer control pressure on the one or more third pressure control lines (as shown in figure 1, combined with valves 60,62 relies on pressure to move the spool valve 42, having a spring return 46, within 40).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the electrical solenoid control of Fu to be a pressure controlled system as taught by Boehringer to have the transfer control system includes at least one transfer control valve, wherein the at least one transfer control valve outputs a transfer control pressure on one or more third pressure control lines, wherein the at least one transfer control valve is in fluid communication with the transfer valve via the one or more third pressure control lines to control a position of the transfer valve via the transfer control pressure on the one or more third pressure control lines, in order to permit the flight control surface to be operated in a more efficient manner with less hydraulic flow being required ( Boehringer, col.1, lns. 60-62) that provide flight proven, very reliable technology for numerous types of aircraft
(Boehringer, col.8, lns. 45-64).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the electrical solenoid control of Fu to be a pressure controlled system as taught by Boehringer, as discussed above, since it has been held that an express suggestion to substitute one equivalent component or process (the pressure control moving system, for moving a spring return spool valve, for an electrical moving system, for moving a spring return spool valve) for another is not necessary to render such substitution obvious. In re Fout, 675 F.2d 297, 213 USPQ 532 (CCPA 1982). The combination would yield the predictable result of moving the valve.
Regarding claim 3, Fu discloses the transfer control system further includes a controller (inherently some type of electrical control system, controls the solenoid coil shown on each end of 40, see also para.0084,lines 577-580 as supplied by applicant in the English translation) configured to control the at least one transfer control valve (when combined with Boehringer uses pressure to control the valve) to change the position of the transfer valve.
Regarding claim 4, Fu discloses the controller is configured to control the at least one transfer control valve to position the transfer valve in the first position (Fu, Fig. 4, para.0080-0084 in the English translation supplied by applicant, when combined with Boehringer uses pressure to control the valve to change the position of the transfer valve).
Regarding claim 5, Fu discloses in a second mode, the controller is configured to control the at least one transfer control valve to position the transfer valve in the second position (Fu, Fig. 6, para.0084,lns 580-585 in the English translation supplied by applicant, when combined with Boehringer uses pressure to control the valve to change the position of the transfer valve).
Regarding claim 6, Fu discloses in a third mode, the controller is configured to control the at least one transfer control valve to position the transfer valve in the third position (Fu, Fig. 5 para.0084,lns 579-580 in the English translation supplied by applicant, when combined with Boehringer uses pressure to control the valve to change the position of the transfer valve).
Regarding claim 9, Fu discloses all of the features of the claimed invention, although is silent to the first controllable valve and the second controllable valve are electro-hydraulic servo valves (EHSVs). Boehringer teaches the use of a control valve (at 38, col. 4, lns. 47-60, see Fig. 1), that is an electro-hydraulic servo valves (EHSVs) (38, wide range of valves including “EHSV” col.4, lns. 52-57). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to substitute EHSV valves as taught by Boehringer for the first and second controllable valves of Fu to have, since it has been held that an express suggestion to substitute one equivalent component or process for another is not necessary to render such substitution obvious. In re Fout, 675 F.2d 297, 213 USPQ 532 (CCPA 1982). The combination would yield the predictable result of moving the actuator.
Regarding claim 10, Fu discloses the first controllable valve the second controllable valve, and the at least one transfer control valve are fluidly connected to one or more input lines to receive an input pressure from a pressure supply (as shown in Fig. 4,7 and 8, two lines are extending from the 400 to both sides of piston 10 and 2 lines 501,502 are extending from 50 to 40).
Regarding claim 11, Fu discloses the one or more input lines include a high-pressure line and a return line (depending on position of valve 600, one line comes from pump and the other line goes to the tank, see Fig. 8 and depending on the selection of the pump 500, see para.0053, 501,502, the lines can be both supply or return based on the pump direction).
Regarding claim 13, Boehringer discloses the at least one transfer control valve is an EHSV (at 38, col. 4, lns. 47-60, see Fig. 1, wide range of valves including “EHSV” col.4, lns. 52-57).
Regarding claim 14, Boehringer discloses the one or more third pressure control lines include a first transfer EHSV control line (C2) and a second transfer EHSV control line (“R”), wherein the first transfer EHSV control line is fluidly connected to a first portion (near P1 and 44, left side of transfer valve) of the transfer valve and the second transfer EHSV control line is fluidly connected to a second portion (at R right side of transfer valve) of the transfer valve to control a pressure differential across the transfer valve to control the position of the transfer valve.
Regarding claim 21, Fu, in the combined device of Fu and Boehringer, further discloses, wherein the first functional system and the second functional system each include an actuator (the actuator being the piston within 10 and the piston within 20), although are silent to having each system to have a plurality of actuators.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to each system to have a plurality of actuators, since it has been held that mere duplication of the essential working parts of a device involves only routine skill in the art unless a new and unexpected result is produced. In re Harza ,274 F.2d 669,124 USPQ 378 (CCPA 1960).
Claim(s) 1,3-6,10,11,13 and 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fu ‘232 in view of Tsutsui et al. (US 8505292).
The claims being rejected in an alternative manner, should the above rejections not be persuasive.
Regarding claim 1, Fu discloses a system (see Fig. 4-8), comprising:
a first controllable valve (600 on left, part of 60) configured to output a control pressure on one or more first pressure control lines (2 lines from 60 to 40);
a second controllable valve (508, within 50 on right) configured to output a control pressure on one or more second pressure control lines (2 lines from 50 to 40);
a transfer valve (40) in fluid communication with the first controllable valve and the second controllable valve, wherein the transfer valve is configured to move between a first position, a second position, and a third position (see Fig. 4-6), wherein the transfer valve is configured to:
fluidically connect the one or more first pressure control lines to a first functional system (10) and fluidly connect the one or more second pressure control lines to a second functional system (20) in the first position (see Fig. 4);
fluidically connect the one or more second pressure control lines to the first functional system and the second functional system and block flow from the one or more first pressure control lines to the first functional system and the second functional system in the second position (in Figure 6); and
fluidically connect the one or more first pressure control lines to the first functional system and the second functional system and block flow from the one or more second pressure control lines to the first functional system and the second functional system in the third position (in Figure 5); and
a transfer control system (Fig. 4 showing a schematic view of a solenoid with electric control on either side of the valve 40) configured to control a position of the transfer valve between the first, second, and third position (inherently some type of electrical control system, controls the solenoid coil shown on each end of 40, see also para.0084,lines 577-580 as supplied by applicant in the English translation).
Fu discloses all of the features of the claimed invention, including that an electrical solenoid (inherent solenoid in the figures 4-6, as shown schematically) is used to move the transfer valve (40), and therefore is silent to not using a pressure to move the valve, where, the transfer control system includes at least one transfer control valve, wherein the at least one transfer control valve outputs a transfer control pressure on one or more third pressure control lines, wherein the at least one transfer control valve is in fluid communication with the transfer valve via the one or more third pressure control lines to control a position of the transfer valve via the transfer control pressure on the one or more third pressure control lines.
Tsutsui et al. teach the use of a control valve (at 34, col. 3, lns. 45-53, see Fig. 1), the transfer control system includes at least one transfer control valve (34), wherein the at least one transfer control valve outputs a transfer control pressure on one or more third pressure control lines, wherein the at least one transfer control valve is in fluid communication with the transfer valve via the one or more third pressure control lines to control a position of the transfer valve via the transfer control pressure on the one or more third pressure control lines (as shown in figure 2, valve 34 combined with valves 48A,48B with a controller 60, relies on pressure to move the spool valve within 34, with spring returns).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the electrical solenoid control of Fu to be a pressure controlled system as taught by Tsutsui et al. to have the transfer control system includes at least one transfer control valve, wherein the at least one transfer control valve outputs a transfer control pressure on one or more third pressure control lines, wherein the at least one transfer control valve is in fluid communication with the transfer valve via the one or more third pressure control lines to control a position of the transfer valve via the transfer control pressure on the one or more third pressure control lines, since it has been held that an express suggestion to substitute one equivalent component or process (the pressure control moving system, for moving a spring return spool valve, for an electrical moving system, for moving a spring return spool valve) for another is not necessary to render such substitution obvious. In re Fout, 675 F.2d 297, 213 USPQ 532 (CCPA 1982). The combination would yield the predictable result of moving the valve.
Regarding claim 3, Fu discloses the transfer control system further includes a controller (inherently some type of electrical control system, controls the solenoid coil shown on each end of 40, see also para.0084,lines 577-580 as supplied by applicant in the English translation) configured to control the at least one transfer control valve (when combined with Boehringer uses pressure to control the valve) to change the position of the transfer valve.
Regarding claim 4, Fu discloses the controller is configured to control the at least one transfer control valve to position the transfer valve in the first position (Fu, Fig. 4, para.0080-0084 in the English translation supplied by applicant, when combined with Boehringer uses pressure to control the valve to change the position of the transfer valve).
Regarding claim 5, Fu discloses in a second mode, the controller is configured to control the at least one transfer control valve to position the transfer valve in the second position (Fu, Fig. 6, para.0084,lns 580-585 in the English translation supplied by applicant, when combined with Boehringer uses pressure to control the valve to change the position of the transfer valve).
Regarding claim 6, Fu discloses in a third mode, the controller is configured to control the at least one transfer control valve to position the transfer valve in the third position (Fu, Fig. 5 para.0084,lns 579-580 in the English translation supplied by applicant, when combined with Boehringer uses pressure to control the valve to change the position of the transfer valve).
Regarding claim 10, Fu discloses the first controllable valve the second controllable valve, and the at least one transfer control valve are fluidly connected to one or more input lines to receive an input pressure from a pressure supply (as shown in Fig. 4,7 and 8, two lines are extending from the 400 to both sides of piston 10 and 2 lines 501,502 are extending from 50 to 40).
Regarding claim 11, Fu discloses the one or more input lines include a high-pressure line and a return line (depending on position of valve 600, one line comes from pump and the other line goes to the tank, see Fig. 8 and depending on the selection of the pump 500, see para.0053, 501,502, the lines can be both supply or return based on the pump direction).
Regarding claim 13, Tsutsui et al. discloses the at least one transfer control valve is an EHSV (as it has electrical solenoid pilot valves operating the main spool valve).
Regarding claim 18, Tsutsui et al. disclose the transfer valve includes a biasing member (as shown in Fig. 2, valve 34 has biasing members shown on each end of the valve depicted in a symbol, immediately next to each port 34a,b) configured to bias the transfer valve to one of the first position, the second position, or the third position.
Regarding claim 19, Tsutsui et al. disclose wherein the at least one transfer control valve includes a first solenoid and a second solenoid (48A,B, see Fig. 2, col.4, lns. 40-47) .
Regarding claim 20, Tsutsui et al. disclose the one or more third pressure control lines include a first solenoid control line (the line from 48A to 34a) and a second solenoid control line (the line from 48B to 34b), wherein the first solenoid control line is connected to a first portion of the transfer valve and the second solenoid control line is connected to a second portion of the transfer valve to control a pressure differential across the transfer valve to control the position of the transfer valve.
Regarding claim 21, Fu in the combined device of Fu and Tsutsui et al. further discloses, wherein the first functional system and the second functional system each include an actuator (the actuator being the piston within 10 and the piston within 20), although are silent to having each system to have a plurality of actuators.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to each system to have a plurality of actuators, since it has been held that mere duplication of the essential working parts of a device involves only routine skill in the art unless a new and unexpected result is produced. In re Harza ,274 F.2d 669,124 USPQ 378 (CCPA 1960).
Claims 15-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fu’232 and Boehringer ‘526 in view of Raymond (US 5074495).
Regarding claims 15-17, Fu and Boehringer disclose all of the features of the claimed invention, although is silent to having the transfer control system includes a position sensor configured to sense a position of the transfer valve, wherein the position sensor is connected to the controller to provide the controller with position signals,, wherein the controller is configured to command the at least one transfer control valve to control the position of the transfer valve as a function of the position signals received from the position sensor to position the transfer valve in at least one of the first position, the second position, or third position, wherein the position sensor is a variable displacement transformer (VDT).
.
Raymond teaches the use of the transfer control system includes a position sensor (52,54) configured to sense a position of the transfer valve (16), wherein the position sensor is connected to the controller (“logic circuitry, col. 7, lns. 1-9) to provide the controller with position signals, wherein the controller is configured to command the at least one transfer control valve to control the position of the transfer valve as a function of the position signals received from the position sensor to position the transfer valve in at least one of the first position, the second position, or third position, wherein the position sensor is a variable displacement transformer (52,54 are LVDT’s).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to employ the sensors as taught by Raymond into the combined device of Fu and Boehringer, in order to properly coordinate the movements of the power actuator and the main control valve (Raymond, col. 7, lns. 1-9).
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action.
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/CRAIG J PRICE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3753
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