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 .
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 August 31, 2026 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.
Claim(s) 1-6 and 8-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. Patent No. 3,831,626 to Peddinghaus.
Regarding Claim 1, Peddinghaus discloses a fluid redirection and noise and heat reduction ramp system (see Figures 1-4, wherein due to the angled deflection of the fluid ramp 13", the speed of the fluid would be reduced thus also the noise and heat associated therewith would also be reduced) having all the features of the instant invention including: a damper piston 9, the damper piston 9 having a plurality of compression ports and a plurality of rebound ports 5-8 (see Figures 1, 3, and 4 and column 3 lines 3-14), and a fluid ramp 13" on a first side (i.e., the left side of piston 9 on the left side of piston rod 1) of the damper piston 9 (Figures 3-4), the first side of the damper piston 9 being a compression side of the damper piston 9 (due to compression ports 5 and 7), the fluid ramp 13" being of a shape that creates an angled exit for fluid exiting the damper piston 9 (see Figures 3-4 and column 3 lines 17-39), the fluid ramp 13" configured such that the angled exit for the fluid exiting the first side of the damper piston 9 causes an amount of noise caused when the fluid, with the angled exit, impacts a wall of a damper cylinder to be reduced compared to an amount of noise caused by the fluid impacting the wall of the damper when the fluid lacks an angled exit, and wherein the angled exit for the fluid exiting the first side of the damper piston 9 causes an amount of heat generated by the fluid, with the angled exit, impacting the wall of the damper cylinder to be reduced compared to an amount of heat generated by the fluid impacting the wall of the damper when fluid lacks the angled exit (as stated above, due to the angled exit of the fluid at fluid ramp 13", the speed of the fluid impacting the fluid ramp would be significantly reduced by the time it hits the wall of the damper cylinder compared to the speed of the fluid if no ramp was present, thus reducing the noise generated by this impact. Further, also due to the angled exit of the fluid at fluid ramp 13", fluid flow would be smoother along the wall of the damper cylinder, hence both turbulence and heat generation would also be reduced), and wherein a second fluid ramp 13’ on a second side (i.e., right side of piston 9 on the right side of piston rod 1) of the damper piston 9 (see Figures 3-4), wherein the second side of the damper piston 9 is a rebound side of the damper piston (due to rebound ports 6 and 8), the second fluid ramp 13’ being of a shape that creates an angled exit for fluid exiting the damper piston 9 (see Figures 3 and 4).
Regarding Claim 2, Peddinghaus further discloses that the fluid ramp can consist of a round ramp (see Figure 2 and the rounded end of edge 15).
Regarding Claim 3, Peddinghaus further discloses that the fluid ramp consists of a beveled ramp (see Figure 4 and ramp portion 13").
Regarding Claim 4, Peddinghaus further discloses that the fluid ramp can consist of a square ramp (see Figure 1 and the squared edges at element 13').
Regarding Claim 5, Peddinghaus further discloses that the fluid ramp 13" is not present all around the entire edge of the damper piston 9 but rather the locations are based on where fluid flows when exiting the plurality of compression ports and the plurality of rebound ports 5-8 (see Figure 1 and Claim 1 of the reference, wherein portion 13” doesn’t extend across the entire width of piston 9).
Regarding Claim 6, Peddinghaus further discloses that the fluid ramp 13" redirects fluid flow to merge more seamlessly with the boundary layer along a wall of a cylinder (as implied from column 1 line 61 - column 2 line 4).
Regarding Claim 8, see Claim 1 above.
Regarding Claim 9, see Claim 2 above.
Regarding Claim 10, see Claim 3 above.
Regarding Claim 11, see Claim 4 above.
Regarding Claim 12, see Claim 5 above.
Regarding Claim 13, see Claim 6 above.
Regarding Claim 14, Peddinghaus discloses a suspension and noise and heat reduction ramp system (see Figures 1-4) having a cylinder, the cylinder comprising a wall (inherently present and housing the piston assembly of the reference), a piston shaft 1, a damper piston 9 coupled to the piston shaft 1 and configured for operation within the cylinder (see Figures 1-4), the damper piston 9 configured to divide the cylinder into a compression side and a rebound side (inherently forming part of the shock assembly of the reference), the damper piston 9 having a plurality of compression ports and rebound ports 5-8 (see Figures 1, 3, and 4 and column 3 lines 3-14), and a fluid ramp 13" on a first side of the damper piston 9 (i.e., the portion of the piston on the left side of piston rod 1 in Figures 3-4), wherein the first side of the damper piston 9 is a compression side of the damper piston (due to compression ports 5 and 7), the fluid ramp 13" being of a shape that creates an angled exit for fluid exiting the damper piston 9 (see Figures 1-4 and column 3 lines 17-39), the fluid ramp 13" configured such that the angled exit for the fluid exiting the first side of the damper piston 9 causes an amount of noise caused when the fluid, with the angled exit, impacts a wall of a damper cylinder to be reduced compared to an amount of noise caused by the fluid impacting the wall of the damper when the fluid lacks an angled exit, and wherein the angled exit for the fluid exiting the first side of the damper piston 9 causes an amount of heat generated by the fluid, with the angled exit, impacting the wall of the damper cylinder to be reduced compared to an amount of heat generated by the fluid impacting the wall of the damper when fluid lacks the angled exit (as stated above, due to the angled exit of the fluid at fluid ramp 13", the speed of the fluid impacting the fluid ramp would be significantly reduced by the time it hits the wall of the damper cylinder compared to the speed of the fluid if no ramp was present, thus reducing the noise generated by this impact. Further, also due to the angled exit of the fluid at fluid ramp 13", fluid flow would be smoother along the wall of the damper cylinder, hence both turbulence and heat generation would also be reduced), and a second fluid ramp 13’ on a second side (i.e., right side of piston 9 to the right of piston rod 1) of the damper piston 9, wherein the second side of the damper piston 9 is a rebound side of the damper piston (due to rebound ports 6 and 8), the second fluid ramp 13’ being of a shape that creates an angled exit for fluid exiting the damper piston 9 (see Figures 3 and 4).
Regarding Claim 15, see Claim 2 above.
Regarding Claim 16, see Claim 3 above.
Regarding Claim 17, see Claim 4 above.
Regarding Claim 18, see Claim 5 above.
Regarding Claim 19, see Claim 6 above.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed August 31, 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant’s argues that the Peddinghaus reference does not teach “a fluid ramp on a first side of the damper piston, wherein the first side of the damper piston is a compression side of the damper piston” AND “a fluid ramp on a second side of the damper piston, wherein the second side of the damper piston is a rebound side of the damper piston” as now recited in newly amended independent Claims 1, 8, and 14.
As outlined in the rejection above, Peddinghaus does teach a fluid ramp 13” in Figures 3 and 4 on a first side of the piston 9 (i.e., the piston portion on the left side of piston rod 1 in Figures 3 and 4), wherein the first side is a compression side of the piston 9 due to compression ports 5 and 7 and a second fluid ramp 13’ on a second side of the piston 9 (i.e., the piston portion on the right side of piston rod 1 in Figures 3 and 4), wherein the second side is a rebound side of the piston 9 due to rebound ports 6 and 8. When taken in this context, the new limitations of independent Claims 1, 8, and 14 are still met by the Peddinghaus reference.
It is for these reasons that the rejections of Claims 1-6 and 8-19 have been maintained.
Conclusion
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PAMELA RODRIGUEZ
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3616
/PAMELA RODRIGUEZ/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3616 09/09/26
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