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 . This is a first action on the merits of the application. Claims 1-13 are pending.
Claim Objections
Claims 1, 4, 10 and 11 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1 recites “a first fluid flow path leading from the input connector to the output connector;”. It is respectfully suggested to amend the limitation to “a first fluid flow path leading from the input connector to the output connector; and” for conventional recitation of claim limitation.
Claim 4 recites “the second fluid flow path is released” in line 6. It is respectfully suggested to amend the limitation to “the second fluid flow path is opened
Claim 10 recites “in a sense of a seat valve” in lines 4-5. It is respectfully suggested to amend the limitation to “via through
Claim 10 recites “selectively release or close the second fluid flow path” in line 7. It is respectfully suggested to amend the limitation to “selectively open
Claim 11 recites “the pressure in the first pressure chamber and the second pressure chamber from one another” in lines 3-4. It is respectfully suggested to amend the limitation to “the pressure in the first pressure chamber and the pressure in the second pressure chamber from one another” for clarification purposes.
Appropriate corrections are required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 11-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regard(s) as the invention.
Claim 11 recites “the valve slider” in line 4 which lacks an antecedent basis.
Claims 12-13 are also rejected under 35 U.S. §112 by virtue of its dependence on claim 11.
Claim 13 recites “the closing direction of the seat valve” in line 3 which lacks an antecedent basis.
Allowable Subject Matters and Allowed claims
Claims 1-13 in the instant application are allowed if previously presented objection to claims 1, 4, 10 and 11, and 35 U.S.C. 112(b) rejections to claims 11-13 are resolved.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: A thorough search for pertinent prior art did not locate any prior art that discloses or suggests the invention recited in claims 1-13. The concept of a filter apparatus for use with a hydraulic machine, the filter apparatus comprising:
a connecting part comprising (i) a sealing face configured for sealing abutment on the hydraulic machine, and (ii) a pivoting appendage extending along a pivot axis on a side of the connecting part facing away from the sealing face;
a filter cartridge;
an input connector arranged within the sealing face;
an output connector arranged within the sealing face;
a first fluid flow path leading from the input connector to the output connector; and
a separate retaining part on which the filter cartridge is fixedly received, the retaining part fluid-tightly adapted to the pivoting appendage such that (i) a pivoting position of the pivoting appendage with respect to the pivot axis is continuously adjustable relative to the connecting part, and (ii) between the retaining part and the pivoting appendage, a first pressure chamber and a second pressure chamber are arranged,
wherein the first fluid flow path leads from the input connector through the connecting part by way of the first pressure chamber through the retaining part to the filter cartridge, further through the retaining part to the second pressure chamber, and further to the output connector by way of the connecting part, as recited in claim 1 is considered novel.
A closest prior art to Page et al. (US 2018/0193781 A1) discloses a removable filtration cartridge for filtering at least one fluid, comprising: (i) an upper flange; (ii) a lower flange; and (iii) a filtration medium extending between the upper flange and the lower flange, the filtration cartridge configured for housing within a filter body, the filtration cartridge having a tubular slot for surrounding a tube, characterized in that: the upper flange has a circular rim configured to cooperate radially inwardly with a circular rib of a cover of the filter body, wherein during replacement of the removable filtration cartridge the removable filtration cartridge can be separated from the tube.
Other pertinent prior art to Weaver et al. (US 11,638,889 B2) discloses an aircraft fluid filter arrangement comprising: (i) a fluid circulating system including a manifold mounting; (ii) a filter cartridge; (iii) a housing having an internal fluid chamber fluidly connected to the fluid circulating system, the housing fastened to the manifold mounting, the filter cartridge received in the internal fluid chamber, the housing having an open end through which the filter cartridge can pass along a housing axis; and (iv) a cover movable relative to the fluid circulating system and the housing between an open position and a closed position; the cover sealed over the open end of the housing in the closed position, the cover in the open position exposing the open end of the housing, the cover including a fluid passage in communication with the internal fluid chamber in the closed position, the fluid passage in communication with the fluid circulating system in the closed position and in the open position, wherein the fluid passage of the cover remains fluidly connected to fluid circulating system while the cover is moved from the closed position to the open position.
Other pertinent prior art to Neubauer et al. (US 9,726,296 B2) discloses a hydraulic cartridge valve, comprising: (i) a sleeve having a first longitudinal bore that extends along a longitudinal axis, the first longitudinal bore configured to form a working port via an end opening; (ii) a plunger accommodated for linear motion in the first longitudinal bore; (iii) at least one first radial bore penetrating the sleeve in the region of an inlet port and extending radially with respect to the longitudinal axis; (iv) at least one second radial bore penetrating the sleeve in the region of a return port, the at least one second radial bore extending radially with respect to the longitudinal axis and being arranged at a distance from the at least one first radial bore in the direction of the longitudinal axis; (v) a first fluid flow path extending from the inlet port to the working port; (vi) a second fluid flow path extending from the working port to the return port, and (vii) a third fluid flow path extending from the working port via a restrictor and an adjustable pilot valve to the return port.
Other pertinent prior art to Li et al. (US 2018/0214803 A1) discloses a filter cartridge comprising: (i) filtering media defining an interior space, the filtering media having a first end and a second end; (ii) a first endcap coupled to the first end of the filtering media; (iii) a second endcap coupled to the second end of the filtering media; wherein the second endcap including an annular perimeter portion secured to the second end of the filtering media, and a central portion extending axially from the annular perimeter portion into the interior space and defining a recess inside the interior space; the central portion including a side wall and a bottom closure, the side wall extending axially between the annular perimeter portion and the bottom closure and surrounding the recess together with the bottom closure; the side wall having at least one perforation such that the interior space is in fluid communication with the recess; and (iv) a seal mechanism connected to the bottom closure of the second endcap.
Other pertinent prior art to South et al. (US 10,213,715 B2) discloses an outer cap for an exterior of a fluid filter housing, the outer cap comprising: (i) a stem configured to communicate a fluid to be filtered to the fluid filter housing, configured to communicate the fluid out of the fluid filter housing, and configured to localize fluid flow both into and out of the outer cap; (ii) a flow separator configured to maintain separate flow channels for the fluid flowing into and out of the outer cap, the stem and flow separator formed within the outer cap such that the combination of the stem, flow separator, and outer cap are formed as a single component; (iii) a seal structure disposed about an outer surface of the stem, the seal structure configured to substantially prevent or confine leakage from the stem; and (iv) an endplate sealingly engaged with an outer annular surface of the flow separator, the endplate configured to engage a filter cartridge within the fluid filter housing, wherein the outer cap is configured to attach to the fluid filter housing, the fluid filter housing is configured to contain the filter cartridge, and at least a portion of the fluid filter housing is configured to contact the fluid.
Other pertinent prior art to Frick et al. (US 10,539,130 B2) discloses a pressure-maintaining valve arrangement for a purge circuit of a closed hydraulic circuit, comprising: (i) a pilot valve including a valve body and an inlet of the pilot valve; and (ii) a pressure-maintaining valve including a valve housing and a valve body located at least partially within the valve housing, the valve housing of the pressure-maintaining valve defining an inlet of the pressure-maintaining valve, and the valve body of the pressure-maintaining valve defining a nozzle located downstream of the inlet of the pressure-maintaining valve, the nozzle configured to receive an inlet pressure from the inlet of the pressure-maintaining valve and to output a nozzle pressure downstream of the nozzle, the valve body of the pressure-maintaining valve configured to be acted upon in a closing direction by a force of a spring and in an opening direction by the nozzle pressure.
Other pertinent prior art to Wanschura et al. (US 7,367,258 B2) discloses a reversible axial piston machine having a cylinder drum which rotates about an axis of rotation and in the cylinder cutouts of which pistons, which are supported against an inclined surface, are movable, a control angle (α1, α2) of said inclined surface being adjustable by an adjusting device, the adjusting device having a control piston which adjusts the control angle (α1, α2) in both pivotal directions and extends with a substantial direction component parallel to the direction of the axis of rotation of the cylinder drum, wherein a zero position of the inclined surface, in which the inclined surface is oriented perpendicularly to the axis of rotation of the cylinder drum, can be set without play by a zero-position setting device; the zero-position setting device comprising a first adjusting rod which is positionably guided in a stepped cutout of the control piston, said cutout extending in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the control piston, and positions the control piston in the two directions of its longitudinal axis, wherein the control piston is guided in a hollow cylinder which has a first step on the inside and whereof a first opening, which is oriented in the direction of the inclined surface, is not closed in order to also enable an axial movement of the control piston outside the hollow cylinder, and whereof a second opening, which is oriented away from the pivot balance, is closed by a closing cover.
The cited prior arts, alone or in combination, do not teach or suggest to construct a filter apparatus for use with a hydraulic machine, as recited in claim 1 of claimed invention.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to YOUNGSUL JEONG whose telephone number is (571)270-1494. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 9AM-5PM.
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/YOUNGSUL JEONG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1772