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 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 1-2, 6, 8, 10-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by applicant-cited Hasunuma (US20170370792)
Claim 1: Hasunuma discloses a fluidic device comprising: a liquid contact part (pressure sensor 12, Fig. 2) including a contact surface (film 11) to be in contact with a liquid ([0040] the film 11 breaks contact between the diaphragm 12a and the fluid); a resin (fluororesin) flow path part (flow channel body 21a) including a flow path (introduction flow channel 22) and an accommodation part (recess 21d), the flow path extending along an axis and being configured to guide a liquid to the contact surface ([0035] introduction flow channel 22 guides fluid along the X axis, Fig. 2), and the accommodation part accommodating the liquid contact part (Fig. 2 shows the pressure sensor 12 and protective film 11 disposed in the recess 21d; [0040]); a fixing part (outer holder 13) configured to press the liquid contact part (pressure sensor 12 including conductive protective film 11) against the accommodation part (recess 21d) along the axis to fix a position along the axis of the liquid contact part ([0040, 0044]); and a seal part (o-ring 18) forming an annular seal area configured to prevent inflow of a liquid ([0091] This seal region inhibits inflow of the fluid from the flow channel 21a to the pressure detection unit 10.) to an outer circumferential side of a contact area where the liquid contact part (film body 11a) and the accommodation part (recess 21d) are in contact with each other (see Fig. 2), wherein the accommodation part has an inner circumferential face (the surface of the recess 21d) formed cylindrically about the axis (the outer holder 13, inner holder 14, and housing 17 and cylindrical and the film 11 is circular; therefore it is understood that the device, including the recess 21d, is cylindrical about the X-axis), an opening hole (the hole at the end of the flow channel 22 at the face of the film 11) communicating with the flow path, and a bottom face formed annularly about the axis so as to surround the opening hole (the bottom face of recess 21d resides on the inner and outer sides of the o-ring 18, see Fig. 2), the liquid contact part being in contact with the bottom face (the film 11 is in contact with the bottom face of the recess 21d, see Fig. 2), wherein the fixing part (outer holder 13) has an outer circumferential face formed cylindrically about the axis, and a tapping screw formed on the outer circumferential face ([0073] The outer holder 13 is made of metal (for example, made of stainless steel) formed into a cylindrical shape about the axis line X, and a male screw 13a is formed on the outer periphery of the outer holder 13.), and wherein the fixing part (outer holder 13) fastens the tapping screw into the inner circumferential face to fix the liquid contact part to the accommodation part (([0073] The outer holder 13 holds the pressure sensor 12 at a constant position with respect to the flow channel body 21 by fastening the male screw 13a formed on the outer periphery of the outer holder 13 to a female screw 21e formed on the inner periphery of the recess 21d.).
Claim 2: Hasunuma discloses the fluidic device according to claim 1, wherein at least one groove formed annularly about the axis is formed in a region of the inner circumferential face of the accommodation part ([0073] a female screw 21e formed on the inner periphery of the recess 21d), the tapping screw being fastened to the region [0073].
Claim 6: Hasunuma discloses the fluidic device according to claim 1, wherein an annular groove formed annularly about the axis is formed in the bottom face of the accommodation part, wherein the seal part is formed annularly of an elastic material and secured in the annular groove, and wherein the seal area is formed by contact of the seal part with the liquid contact part ([0091] The O-ring 18 is an annular elastic member disposed in a groove that is formed into an annular shape extending about the axis line X at a bottom portion of the recess 21d of the flow channel body 21. The O-ring 18 forms a seal region that is formed into an endless shape about the axis line X between the O-ring and the protective film body 11a. This seal region inhibits inflow of the fluid from the flow channel 21a to the pressure detection unit 10.).
Claim 8: Hasunuma discloses the fluidic device according to claim 1, wherein the fixing part (outer holder 13) is formed of a metal material ([0045] As described later, the outer holder 13 and the substrate holding member 16 are each formed of a metal member such as stainless steel.).
Claim 10: Hasunuma discloses the fluidic device according to claim 1, wherein the liquid contact part (pressure sensor 12) detects a pressure of a fluid in contact with the contact surface ([0070] The pressure sensor 12 is a strain gauge pressure sensor which outputs a pressure signal corresponding to the resistance value of the strain gauge 12b that varies depending on the pressure to be transmitted to the diaphragm 12a. [0071] The diaphragm 12a has a lower surface (first surface) in contact with the conductive protective film 11, and an upper surface (second surface) that is not in contact the conductive protective film 11, and the strain gauge 12b is attached to the upper surface of the diaphragm 12a.).
Claim 11: Hasunuma discloses a manufacturing method of a fluidic device, wherein the fluidic device comprises a liquid contact part (pressure sensor 12, Fig. 2) including a contact surface (film 11) to be in contact with a liquid ([0040] the film 11 breaks contact between the diaphragm 12a and the fluid), a resin (fluororesin) flow path part (flow channel body 21a) including a flow path (introduction flow channel 22) and an accommodation part (recess 21d), the flow path extending along an axis and being configured to guide a liquid to the contact surface([0035] introduction flow channel 22 guides fluid along the X axis, Fig. 2), and the accommodation part accommodating the liquid contact part (Fig. 2 shows the pressure sensor 12 and protective film 11 disposed in the recess 21d; [0040]), a fixing part (outer holder 13) configured to press the liquid contact part (pressure sensor 12 including film 11) against the accommodation part (Recess 21d) along the axis to fix a position along the axis of the liquid contact part([0040, 0044]), and a seal part (o-ring 18) forming an annular seal area configured to prevent inflow of a liquid ([0091] This seal region inhibits inflow of the fluid from the flow channel 21a to the pressure detection unit 10.) to an outer circumferential side of a contact area where the liquid contact part (pressure sensor 12 and film 11) and the accommodation part (recess 21d) are in contact with each other (see Fig. 2), wherein the accommodation part has an inner circumferential face (the surface of the recess 21d) formed cylindrically about the axis(the outer holder 13, inner holder 14, and housing 17 and cylindrical and the film 11 is circular; therefore it is understood that the device, including the recess 21d, is cylindrical about the X-axis), an opening hole (the hole at the end of the flow channel 22 at the face of the film 11) communicating with the flow path, and a bottom face formed annularly about the axis so as to surround the opening hole(the bottom face of recess 21d resides on the inner and outer sides of the o-ring 18, see Fig. 2), the liquid contact part being in contact with the bottom face (the film 11 is in contact with the bottom face of the recess 21d, see Fig. 2), and wherein the fixing part (outer holder 13) has an outer circumferential face formed cylindrically about the axis, and a tapping screw formed on the outer circumferential face ([0073] The outer holder 13 is made of metal (for example, made of stainless steel) formed into a cylindrical shape about the axis line X, and a male screw 13a is formed on the outer periphery of the outer holder 13.), the manufacturing method comprising: an installation step of installing the liquid contact part in the accommodation part; and a fixing step of fixing the liquid contact part to the accommodation part by fastening the tapping screw into the inner circumferential face ([0073] The outer holder 13 holds the pressure sensor 12 at a constant position with respect to the flow channel body 21 by fastening the male screw 13a formed on the outer periphery of the outer holder 13 to a female screw 21e formed on the inner periphery of the recess 21d.).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hasunuma in view of Hershey et al. (US20180259414)
Claim 7: Hasunuma teaches the fluidic device according to claim 1, wherein the liquid contact part (pressure sensor 12) has a pressure detection surface configured to detect a pressure of a liquid (pressure sensor 12 including diaphragm 12a), and a protective film (film 11) arranged in contact with the pressure detection surface and configured to block contact between the pressure detection surface and a liquid ([0040] the film 11 breaks contact between the diaphragm 12a and the fluid), and wherein the protective film (film 11) is arranged so as to close the opening hole of the accommodation part (see Fig. 2), wherein the protective film and the bottom face are formed of a resin material ([0043])
Hasunuma fails to teach that the protecting film 11 is welded to the bottom face in the seal area extending in a circumferential direction about the axis.
However, Hershey teaches [0050] that a weld or o-ring can be placed around the periphery of a diaphragm in order to create a seal. Therefore, a weld and an o-ring are art-recognized equivalents when wanting to create a seal with/against a diaphragm).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to use a weld to create a seal, as taught by Hershey, with the device of Hasunuma in order to create a seal at the external manifold or other component that is used to input pressures to the sensor (Hershey [0050]).
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hasunuma in view of Ichimura et al. (US20230418233).
Claim 9: Hasunuma teaches the fluidic device according to claim 1, wherein the fixing part is formed of a material having higher hardness than the inner circumferential face of the accommodation part ([0073] The outer holder 13 is made of metal (for example, made of stainless steel) formed into a cylindrical shape about the axis line X, and a male screw 13a is formed on the outer periphery of the outer holder 13.).
Hasunuma fails to teach wherein the fixing part is formed of resin.
However, Ichimura teaches a sensor device including a pressure sensor 13 wherein metal such as stainless steel is an art-recognized equivalent for a synthetic resin [0016-0017]. Therefore, a person having ordinary skill in the art could have substituted resin for metal and the results of the substitution would have been predictable.
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to use a resin, as taught by Ichimura, instead of metal, as taught by Hasunuma for the predictable result of securing the fixing part (holder 13) with the accommodation part (recess).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-5 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.
Hasunuma teaches the device of claim 2, previous. Hasunuma fails to teach, suggest, or make obvious wherein the inner diameter of the groove is larger than the nominal diameter of the tapping screw.
While the groove is interpreted as the female screw 21e of Hasunuma, there is no reasonable teaching, suggestion, or motivation for a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to make the groove have an inner diameter larger than the nominal diameter of the screw (outer holder 13). A person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention would not make the inner diameter of the female screw 21e larger than the nominal diameter of the holder 13 without hindsight. The groove being larger than the diameter of the screw is designed to absorb stress that occurs when fastening the tapping screw. Claims 4-5 depend from claim 3.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US20240200706, US20230384177 teaches metal and resin equivalence.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JEAN MORELLO whose telephone number is (313)446-6583. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-4.
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/JEAN F MORELLO/Examiner, Art Unit 2855 1/6/26
/KRISTINA M DEHERRERA/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2855