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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Claim Objections
Claim 4 is objected to because of the following informalities: in line 3, the limitation “a output pressure” is recited. The limitation should read “an” output pressure. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 1-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Frank et al (US-8434520).
Regarding claim 1, Frank et al. discloses a valve arrangement for a trailer brake module (col. 1, lines 14-20), comprising: a brake supply pressure input (fig 3, 12, at least one of the left side ducts 12); a brake control pressure input (fig 3, 12, at least one of the left side ducts 12); a brake pressure output (fig 3, 12, at least another of the ducts 12) configured to supply a brake pressure to braking devices on a trailer (col. 1, lines 14-20 and col. 2, line 31-36 wherein the pneumatic interface can include ports for a connection to a plurality of lines, including, for example, a pressure reservoir and various outputs); a relay valve (18) configured to apply and release the brake pressure to the braking devices (col. 1, lines 14-15); a load solenoid (at least air admission valve 4, col. 4, line 17) an exhaust solenoid (vent valve 6, col. 4, line 18); and a backup solenoid (redundancy 5, col. 4, line 12) wherein the solenoids are configured to control pressure supply to a pilot port of the relay valve (18, col. 4, lines 10-35 at least during EBS control), the brake pressure capable of being modulated (fig 5, modulator 24 and at least col. 4, lines 10-48), and outputs of each the solenoids (at least at 14 and/or 4/5/6) are arranged substantially transversely to a direction of motion of the relay valve (fig 5, 18, wherein the motion of the relay valve has been interpreted as along an axis in an up/down direction with respect to 18 and fig 5 and pneumatic interface 14 has been interpreted as transverse or perpendicular to the axis of 18). Frank et al. also discloses wherein the valve cartridges 4a, 5a, and 6a run in transverse direction through pilot control housing 2 (col. 3, line 50-55).
Regarding claim 2, Frank et al. discloses wherein the valve arrangement is arranged in a monoblock housing (2 and/or 2/24, wherein the monoblock housing has been interpreted as modulator 24, wherein fig 5 shows pilot control unit 1 together with its pneumatic interface 14 forming a sealing labyrinth with air-flow-boosting relay valve 18, col. 4, lines 3-6 and 44-46).
Regarding claim 3, Frank et al. discloses wherein the outputs of each of the solenoids (4, 5, and 6) are arranged substantially perpendicularly to a direction of motion of a piston of the relay valve (fig 5, 18, wherein the motion of the relay valve has been interpreted as along an axis in an up/down direction with respect to 18 and fig 5 and pneumatic interface 14 has been interpreted as transverse or perpendicular to the axis of 18). Frank et al. also discloses wherein the valve cartridges 4a, 5a, and 6a run in transverse direction through pilot control housing 2 (col. 3, line 50-55).
Regarding claim 4, Frank et al. discloses a pressure transducer (at least 10) located on an output side of the relay valve (at least figs 3 and 5), wherein an output of the pressure transducer is capable of modulating a output pressure of the relay valve (col. 3, line 64-col. 4, line 9).
Regarding claim 5, Frank et al. discloses at least one solenoid (at least 4 or 5) configured to modulate an output pressure of the relay valve (at least col. 4, lines 10-15, during EBS control).
Regarding claim 6, Frank et al. discloses wherein the brake supply pressure input, the brake control pressure input, and the brake pressure output (at least internal ducts 12) are disposed such that the relay valve (18) is insertable and removable from a first side of the arrangement without removing the solenoids (at least col. 2, lines 31-55 wherein 18 is attached at the bottom of 2 and the solenoids are insertable from a top side).
Regarding claim 7, Frank et al. discloses wherein the brake supply pressure input, the brake control pressure input, and the brake pressure output (at least internal ducts 12) are disposed such that the relay valve (18) is insertable and removable from a first side of the arrangement without removing the solenoids (at least col. 2, lines 31-55 wherein 18 is attached at the bottom of 2 and the solenoids are insertable from a top side).
Regarding claim 8, Frank et al. discloses wherein the brake supply pressure input, the brake control pressure input, and the brake pressure output (at least internal ducts 12) are disposed such that the relay valve (18) is insertable and removable from a first side of the arrangement without removing the solenoids (at least col. 2, lines 31-55 wherein 18 is attached at the bottom of 2 and the solenoids are insertable from a top side).
Regarding claim 9, Frank et al. discloses wherein the brake control pressure input (12 and/or 12/14) is arranged substantially perpendicularly to the direction of motion of the relay valve (fig 5, 18, col. 2, lines 31-36 and wherein the motion of the relay valve has been interpreted as along an axis in an up/down direction with respect to 18 and fig 5 and pneumatic interface 14 has been interpreted as transverse or perpendicular to the axis of 18). Frank et al. also discloses wherein the valve cartridges 4a, 5a, and 6a run in transverse direction through pilot control housing 2 (col. 3, line 50-55).
Regarding claim 10, Frank et al. discloses wherein the brake control pressure input (12 and/or 12/14) is arranged substantially perpendicularly to the direction of motion of the relay valve (fig 5, 18, col. 2, lines 31-36 and wherein the motion of the relay valve has been interpreted as along an axis in an up/down direction with respect to 18 and fig 5 and pneumatic interface 14 has been interpreted as transverse or perpendicular to the axis of 18). Frank et al. also discloses wherein the valve cartridges 4a, 5a, and 6a run in transverse direction through pilot control housing 2 (col. 3, line 50-55).
Conclusion
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/JAMES K HSIAO/Examiner, Art Unit 3616