DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Response to Amendment
2. The Amendment filed June 06, 2026 has been entered. Claims 1, 2, 4-12 and 16-18 remain pending in the application. Applicant’s amendments overcome the rejections of claims 1, 2, 4-12 and 16-18, as previously set forth in the Non-Final Office Action mailed April 1, 2026.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
3. 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.
4. The amendment filed June 06, 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: "wherein the pressure detection mechanism is provided in at least one of the rectifying bodies." This limitation is not supported in the specification, where in ¶0009 it states, “the pressure detection mechanism is provided at the rectifying body.”
Applicant persists the previously cited prior art does not contain or teach the limitation in claim 1, while the specification of the pending application does not support this new matter. Furthermore, dependent claims 2, 6 and 8-10 are subject to the same rejection due to their dependence on a claim that lacks support in the specification. Therefore, Applicant is required to cancel the new matter in the reply to this Office Action.
Allowable Subject Matter
5. Claims 4-5, 7, 11-12 and 16-18 are allowed.
Response to Arguments
6. Applicant’s arguments, see page 6, filed June 06, 2026 , with respect to claims 1, 2, 4-12 and 16-18 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The rejections of claims 1, 2, 4-12 and 16-18 have been withdrawn. However, a new rejection was made of claims 1, 2, 6 and 8-10 in regards to new matter unsupported by the original specification.
Conclusion
7. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL ROBERT DIGIOVANNANTONIO whose telephone number is (571)272-4526. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 7 a.m. to 5 p.m..
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/D.R.D./Examiner, Art Unit 3612
/AMY R WEISBERG/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3612