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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 1/20/2026 has been entered.
Response to Amendment
This action is responsive to the amendment and RCE dated 1/20/2026. Claims 1, 3-11, and 13-23 remain pending. Claims 7-10 and 18-20 remain withdrawn. Claims 21-23 are newly presented. This action is Non-Final.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the threads from claim 22 must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Specification
The amendment filed 1/20/2026 is objected to under 35 U.S.C. 132(a) because it introduces new matter into the disclosure. 35 U.S.C. 132(a) states that no amendment shall introduce new matter into the disclosure of the invention. The added material which is not supported by the original disclosure is as follows: New paragraph 33 presents new matter.
Newly added paragraph 33 on page 4 of the applicant’s response presents new matter. The originally filed disclosure does not provide support for the “protrusions 53, 21” being threads. While the components now labeled as 53 and 21 do protrude, there is no indication that they are continuous helical ridges or grooves.
Applicant is required to cancel the new matter in the reply to this Office Action.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claim 22 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
Claim 22 recites that the protrusions are threads. However, for reasoning similar to the above specification objection for new matter, the originally filed disclosure does not provide support for the “protrusions 53, 21” being threads. While the components now labeled as 53 and 21 do protrude, there is no indication that they are continuous helical ridges or grooves.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code 103 not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yancheng Guorun Machinery Mfg Co Ltd (CN111720577)(supplied by the applicant in the IDS dated 6/20/2024, hereinafter “Yancheng”) in view of Scull (U.S. 4,248,403).
Yancheng discloses a valve with seal inserts comprising: a valve housing (1) including a valve housing body (1) shaped to define an internal cavity (within 1) and an outlet port at the left or right side) extending around an outlet axis (horizontally in fig. 1), a valve (2) arranged in the internal cavity of the valve housing body, the valve formed to include a passage for selectively controlling a flow of fluid through the outlet port (fig. 1), and a monolithic elastic seal (10) that extends around the outlet axis, the monolithic elastic seal shaped to include: an internal sleeve portion including an inner contact member that engages the valve (as shown in fig. 1, the narrower diameter portion that contacts the ball) to block movement of fluid from the passage in the valve to the internal cavity of the valve housing body exterior to the valve (fig. 1), and an external ring portion (the larger diameter portion at the ends of the seal that are away from the ball) that engages a line cap (13 on the left or right side) for carrying fluid discharged from the outlet port away from the valve housing, wherein the external ring portion is axially and radially positioned between and contacting the valve housing body (see Detail A in the annotated figure below, radially as it at least has portions that are radially between the housing radially exterior facing surface and the radially inward facing surface of the line cap that defines the fluid passage) and the line cap at a location axially spaced apart from the inner contact member of the internal sleeve portion relative to the outlet axis (see Detail B in the annotated figure below).
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Yancheng does not appear to disclose the internal sleeve portion fixed relative to the valve housing body.
Scull teaches it was known in the art to have a rotary valve member with a valve seat (28, reads on applicant’s seal) that is threadably connected to a valve housing (24).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the assembly of Yancheng such that the seat/seal (which includes the internal sleeve portion) is threadably connected to the housing (and thus having the internal sleeve portion of the seat fixed relative to the valve housing body) as taught by Scull in order to more securely affix the seat to and within the housing, especially if the components 13 are removed.
Claim(s) 13-17 and 23 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yancheng in view of Scull as applied to claim 11 above, and further in view of Wicher et al. (U.S. 2018/0340620).
It is noted the below ordering of claims is in order of dependency and not necessarily numerical order.
Regarding claim 23, Yancheng as modified discloses the claimed invention but does not appear to disclose a rigid seal shape retainer that engages an interior face of the internal sleeve portion inside the outlet port of the valve housing to retain a round shape of the internal sleeve portion around the outlet axis.
Wicher teaches it was known in the art to have a ball valve with a seal assembly that has a seal (2) and a rigid seal shape retainer (3, in particular the embodiment of fig. 7) that engages an interior face of an internal sleeve portion (see the location where the lead line is for numeral 3 in fig. 7) inside the outlet port of the valve housing (the port leading from the valve, not particularly depicted) to retain a round shape of the internal sleeve portion around the outlet axis (in the same manner as the applicant’s device).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify Yancheng by modifying the seal of Yancheng by having a rigid seal shape retainer that engages an interior face of the internal sleeve portion as taught by Wicher in order to enhance the stability and rigidity of the seal and provide a better sealing effect for a longer lifespan of the seal.
Regarding claim 13, Yancheng as modified further discloses wherein the monolithic elastic seal is overmolded onto the rigid seal shape retainer (see fig. 7 and the teaching by Wicher above, especially at the area of 30 near numeral 2). Further, to the extent that overmolded is a type of manufacturing process, Yancheng as modified is interpreted to meet this limitation as the patentability of a product does not depend on its method of production. If the product in the product-by-process claim is the same as or obvious from a product in the prior art, the claim is unpatentable even though the prior product was made by a different process (see MPEP 2113).
Regarding claim 14, Yancheng as modified further discloses wherein the line cap includes a base (the larger diameter flange portion at the end opposite the end that contacts 10 and the narrower portion that leads to the slightly larger diameter portion at numeral 13 in fig. 1) and an outer shell (the slightly larger diameter portion at numeral 13 in fig. 1) extending axially from a rim of the base toward the outlet port (from the base and rim portion of the base which is the portion closer to numeral from the flange portion and extending toward 10), and wherein the outer shell is located radially outward of the monolithic elastic seal and the rigid seal shape retainer relative to the outlet axis (due to the slightly wider diameter of the area where the lead line for numeral 13 is directed to in fig. 1).
Regarding claim 15, Yancheng as modified further discloses wherein the valve housing body is formed to include an outer wall facing away from the valve (See Detail F in the annotated figure below) and a shoulder extending axially away from the outer wall (see Detail G in the annotated figure below) and positioned radially between the outer shell of the line cap and the external ring portion of the monolithic elastic seal relative to the outlet axis (as shown in the annotated figure below, fig. 1 of Yancheng, as it is located toward the outlet axis as compared to the outer shell of the line cap as described above), and wherein the external ring portion engages the outer wall of the valve housing body, an inward facing surface of the shoulder, and an internal facing surface of the base of the line cap (as shown in the annotated figure below).
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Regarding claim 16, Yancheng as modified further discloses wherein the rigid seal shape retainer includes a tube (as taught by Wicher, at the area of numeral 3 in fig. 7) that engages the interior face of the internal sleeve portion and a flange at 30 in fig. 7 of Wicher) arranged to extend from the tube perpendicularly away from the outlet axis, and wherein the flange is located axially between the valve housing body and the base of the line cap relative to the outlet axis (the rigid seal shape retainer of Wicher, now residing as part of the seal of Yancheng, will have the flange portion be located between the area of Detail A and Detail B in the annotated figure above in the axial direction and thus between the external facing surface of the valve housing body and the internal facing surface of the line cap relative to the outlet axis).
Regarding claim 17, Yancheng as modified further discloses wherein the external ring portion of the monolithic elastic seal (as taught by Wicher) extends along an inner axial face of the flange (see Detail C in the annotated figure above), an outer axial face of the flange (See Detail D in the annotated figure above), and a radially outer edge of the flange relative to the outlet axis (See Detail E in the annotated figure above).
Claim(s) 1, 3-6, and 21-22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yancheng in view of Scull and Wicher.
Yancheng discloses a multi-way valve with seal inserts comprising: a valve housing (1) including a valve housing body (1) shaped to define an internal cavity (within 1), an inlet port (at the left or right side) extending around an inlet axis (horizontally in fig. 1), and an outlet port (the other of the left or right side) extending around an outlet axis (horizontally in fig. 1), a ball valve (2) mounted for rotation about a valve axis (vertically in fig. 1) in the internal cavity of the valve housing body, the ball valve formed to include a passage for selectively carrying fluid from the inlet port to the outlet port (fig. 1), and a monolithic elastic seal (10) that extends around the outlet axis (both the inlet and outlet axis), the monolithic elastic seal shaped to include: an internal sleeve portion including an inner contact member that engages the ball valve (as shown in fig. 1, the narrower diameter portion that contacts the ball) to block movement of fluid from the passage in the ball valve to the internal cavity of the valve housing body exterior to the ball valve when the ball valve is carrying fluid from the inlet port to the outlet port (fig. 1), and an external ring portion (the larger diameter portion at the ends of the seal that are away from the ball) that engages a line cap (13 on either the left or right side) for carrying fluid discharged from the outlet port away from the valve housing (fig. 1), wherein the external ring portion is positioned between and contacting an external facing surface of the valve housing body facing away from the ball valve (see Detail A in the annotated figure above) and an internal facing surface of the line cap facing toward the ball valve at a location axially and radially spaced apart from the inner contact member of the internal sleeve portion relative to the outlet axis (see Detail B in the annotated figure above, which is also radially spaced apart (outward) from the inner contact member of the narrower internal sleeve portion) so that compressive forces applied to the external ring portion by the external facing surface of the valve housing body and the internal facing surface of the line cap are not transferred to the inner contact member of the internal sleeve portion in order to avoid inducing excess friction on the ball valve that would resist rotation of the ball valve (as shown in fig. 1 and the annotated figure below and in the same manner as the applicant’s device).
Yancheng does not appear to disclose the internal sleeve portion fixed relative to the valve housing body or a rigid seal shape retainer that engages an interior face of the internal sleeve portion inside the outlet port of the valve housing to retain a round shape of the internal sleeve portion around the outlet axis.
Scull teaches it was known in the art to have a rotary valve member with a valve seat (28, reads on applicant’s seal) that is threadably connected to a valve housing (24).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the assembly of Yancheng such that the seat/seal is threadably connected to the housing (and thus having the internal sleeve portion of the seat fixed relative to the valve housing body) as taught by Scull in order to more securely affix the seat to and within the housing, especially if the components 13 are removed.
Wicher teaches it was known in the art to have a ball valve with a seal assembly that has a seal (2) and a rigid seal shape retainer (3, in particular the embodiment of fig. 7) that engages an interior face of an internal sleeve portion (see the location where the lead line is for numeral 3 in fig. 7) inside the outlet port of the valve housing (the port leading from the valve, not particularly depicted) to retain a round shape of the internal sleeve portion around the outlet axis (in the same manner as the applicant’s device).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the seal of Yancheng by having a rigid seal shape retainer that engages an interior face of the internal sleeve portion as taught by Wicher in order to enhance the stability and rigidity of the seal and provide a better sealing effect for a longer lifespan of the seal.
Regarding claim 3, Yancheng as modified further discloses wherein the monolithic elastic seal is overmolded onto the rigid seal shape retainer (see fig. 7 and the teaching by Wicher above, especially at the area of 30 near numeral 2). Further, to the extent that overmolded is a type of manufacturing process, Yancheng as modified is interpreted to meet this limitation as the patentability of a product does not depend on its method of production. If the product in the product-by-process claim is the same as or obvious from a product in the prior art, the claim is unpatentable even though the prior product was made by a different process (see MPEP 2113).
Regarding claim 4, Yancheng as modified further discloses wherein the rigid seal shape retainer includes a tube (as taught by Wicher, at the area of numeral 3 in fig. 7) that engages the interior face of the internal sleeve portion and a flange (at 30 in fig. 7 of Wicher) arranged to extend from the tube perpendicularly away from the outlet axis, and wherein the flange is located axially between the external facing surface of the valve housing body and the internal facing surface of the line cap relative to the outlet axis (the rigid seal shape retainer of Wicher, now residing as part of the seal of Yancheng, will have the flange portion be located between the area of Detail A and Detail B in the annotated figure above in the axial direction and thus between the external facing surface of the valve housing body and the internal facing surface of the line cap relative to the outlet axis).
Regarding claim 5, Yancheng as modified further discloses wherein the external ring portion of the monolithic elastic seal (as taught by Wicher) extends along an inner axial face of the flange (see Detail C in the annotated figure below), an outer axial face of the flange (See Detail D in the annotated figure below), and a radially outer edge of the flange relative to the outlet axis (See Detail E in the annotated figure below).
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Regarding claim 6, Yancheng as modified further discloses wherein the external ring portion includes a first leg (at the area of Detail C in the annotated figure above), a second leg spaced apart axially from the first leg relative to the outlet axis (at the area of Detail D in the annotated figure above), and a terminal end connecting the first leg and the second leg (at the area of Detail E in the annotated figure above), and wherein the terminal end of the external ring portion is located radially between the flange of the rigid seal shape retainer and the valve housing body relative to the outlet axis (see the annotated figure above, the housing being located above the seal in figure).
Regarding claim 21, Yancheng as modified further discloses wherein one of the internal sleeve portion and the valve housing body is formed to include protrusions that engage the other of the internal sleeve portion and the valve housing body to fix the internal ring portion of the monolithic elastic seal relative to the valve housing body (the threading as taught above by Scull form protrusions on the valve housing body).
Regarding claim 22, Yancheng as modified further discloses wherein the protrusions are threads that mate with corresponding features in the other of the internal sleeve portion and the valve housing body (the threading as taught above by Scull).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1 and 11 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 arguments pertain to the newly added limitations of the internal sleeve portion being fixed relative to the valve housing body. This has been addressed above by the Scull reference.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL R REID whose telephone number is (313)446-4859. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 9am-5pm est.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisors can be reached by phone. Craig Schneider can be reached at 571-272-3607, or Ken Rinehart can be reached at 571-272-4881. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) Form at https://www.uspto.gov/patents/uspto-automated- interview-request-air-form.
/MICHAEL R REID/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3753