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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 6/26/226 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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1 and 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Itsuaki et al (US# 8261889).
Itsuaki et al disclose all the limitations of the instant claim including; a brake-fluid conduit 10 for conducting a brake fluid between a fluid pressure supply device and a wheel cylinder 5 of a hydraulic disk brake system, wherein the brake-fluid conduit comprises a tapered portion 10 having a cross-section that is largest at an inner end of the tapered portion facing the wheel cylinder 5 and that gradually narrows towards an outer end of the tapered portion facing away from the wheel cylinder, and wherein the brake-fluid conduit 10 is integrated in a housing 102of a caliper, and the tapered portion ranges over an entire length of the brake-fluid conduit comprised within the housing. Note figure 1 shows passage 10 having a constant width and figure 2 shows the passage 10 having a tapering height narrowing towards an outer end facing away from the cylinder 5.
Regarding claim 10, Itsuaki et al further disclose a caliper 1.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-9 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. It is noted that these claims define a diameter of a cross-section. Since “diameter” is a feature of a circle, these recitations have been interpreted as requiring a circular cross-section.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 6/26/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant’s amendments have overcome the rejection based on Garcia Blanco.
Regarding Itsuaki, note the modified rejection above. Passage 10 is relied upon for the recited brake-fluid conduit. Passages 11 and 13 are additional passages.
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
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