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 .
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, 2, 6, 10, 11, 15, 18, 21 and 22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hohnstein (US Pub 2020/0061500 A1) in view of Tholen (US Pat 4,371,112). Hohnstein discloses an oil circulation system (fig. 3 and fig. 6), configured to supply lubrication oil to a plunger pump (the oil circulation system is capable for suppling oil to a plunger pump), the oil circulation system comprising:
Re claim 1, an oil tank (12) having an electric heater (30), an oil outlet (16), and an oil inlet (14); a main circulation circuit (fig. 6: circuit shown as dark bold lines), wherein two ends (ends interfacing with 14 and 16) of the main circulation circuit are configured to respectively communicate with the oil outlet and the oil inlet of the oil tank, and the main circulation circuit is provided with a power member (40).
Re claim 2, a detector (48,60) configured to detect a quality of the lubrication oil in the main circulation circuit, wherein at least part of the detector is disposed in the main circulation circuit (fig. 6).
Re claim 6, wherein the detector is disposed on an oil inflow side of the power member, or the detector is disposed on the oil outflow side of the power member (48,60 are shown in fig. 6 disposed on the outflow side of 40).
Re claims 10, 15, a controller (20), wherein the detector and the power member are connected with the controller (fig. 6).
Re claims 11, 18, wherein the power member comprises: a pump body (fig. 2: pump body is shown as the bottom half of 40) disposed on the main circulation circuit and configured to communicate with the main circulation circuit; and a driving member (fig. 2: driving member is the motor shown as the top half of 40), wherein the driving member is connected with the pump body, and the pump body is driven to run by the driving member (figs. 2,6,8).
Claim 21, wherein the power member is configured to provide heat energy to lubrication oil by performing mechanical work on the lubrication oil (Hohnstein in view of Tholen discloses the claimed structure therefore would exhibit the claimed functional trait of providing heat energy to the oil by performing mechanical work on the lubrication oil).
Hohnstein does not disclose:
Re claim 1, an overflow valve, in a form of a throttle valve or a ball valve, with an adjustable opening pressure, disposed on the main circulation circuit and located on an oil outflow side of the power member.
Re claims 10, 15, wherein the overflow valve is connected with the controller.
Claim 22, wherein the heat energy provided to the lubrication oil is adjustable by varying the adjustable opening pressure of the overflow valve.
However, Tholen teaches a lubrication circuit (fig. 1) comprising:
Re claim 1, an overflow valve (4), in a form of a throttle valve (4 is described as a throttle valve) or a ball valve, with an adjustable opening pressure (col 2 ln 47-49 describes 4 may be adjusted to control the flow rate; by adjusting the opening port size to vary the flow rate the pressure of the fluid flowing through the opening would also vary), disposed on the main circulation circuit (10) and located on an oil outflow side of the power member (2).
Re claims 10, 15, wherein the overflow valve is connected with the controller (col 2 ln 47-49 describes 4 may be adjusted or controlled, which is indicative of a controller adjusting 4; when taught the controller of Hohnstein would be connected to the overflow valve).
Claim 22, wherein the heat energy provided to the lubrication oil is adjustable by varying the adjustable opening pressure of the overflow valve (Hohnstein in view of Tholen discloses the claimed structure therefore would exhibit the claimed functional trait of providing heat energy to the oil by performing mechanical work on the lubrication oil; by adjusting the overflow valve taught by Tholen, the oil remaining in the power member will receive various heat energy based on the varying amount of mechanical work).
It would have been obvious to person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to employ an overflow valve with an adjustable opening pressure, as taught by Tholen, to allow the oil ample time to reach a predetermined condition.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1, 2, 6, 10, 11, 15, 18, 21 and 22 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
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MINH D TRUONG whose telephone number is (571)270-3014. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-5 pm.
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/Minh Truong/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3654