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 .
Claim Objections
Claim 6 is objected to because of the following informalities: Claim 6 line 3, the recitation “wherein the slot” appears incomplete or incorrect. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim(s) 1-5, 9-12, 14-16 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 4,822,110 to Angelillo.
Re-claim 1, Angelillo discloses a pneumatic valve for providing a working pressure, comprising a housing 2 having a first housing side (i.e. lower side); a supply connection 12 for receiving a supply pressure; a working connection 22 for providing the working pressure; an exhaust portion 13, for discharging pressurized air from the pneumatic valve, the exhaust portion is located proximate to the first housing side (see figure below), an attachment portion (as indicated in the figure below); a valve member 32 is slidable from an exhaust position to a fully open position, the working connection 22 is in fluid communication with the exhaust portion 13 when the valve member is in the exhaust position (as shown in figure 1), the working connection 22 is in fluid communication with the supply connection 12 and sealed from the exhaust portion when the valve member is in an at least partially open position (such as when seat 30 is moved from the adjacent annular seat as part of 31), a venting guide (see figure below), the venting guide comprising a venting channel and complementary connection elements engaging the attachment portion the venting guide comprising a spout 13 and a support projection, the support projection is positioned adjacent to a contact region of the housing provided on the first housing side and is configured to abut the contact region to block tilting of the venting guide relative to the housing. The vent guide as fitted into the recess and held in place by a snap ring (not shown) positioned in the groove within the recess will be prevented from tilting.
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Re-claims 2 and 3, the spout is L-shaped with a first leg and a second leg, the support portion extends opposite to the first leg.
Re-claim 4, the venting guide comprises a venting channel (i.e. internal passage) having a first venting channel portion extending in the first leg and a second venting channel portion extending in the second leg of the L-shaped spout, a tapered end portion of the first venting channel portion extends beyond an intersection between the first venting channel portion and the second venting channel portion (see annotated figure).
Re-claim 5, the attachment portion and the complimentary connection elements allow rotation of the venting guide about an axis. The connection does not appear to prevent an amount of rotation.
Re-claim 9, a protrusion (a top portion of the support region is provided with an almost annular ridge which is interpreted as the protrusion) of the venting guide extends from the support projection towards the contact region, the contact region of the housing comprises a first contact surface (such as a horizontal surface) and a second contact surface (such as a vertical surface) transverse to the first contact surface, the support projection is positioned adjacent to the first contact surface and configured to abut the first contact surface to block tilting of the venting guide relative to the housing in a first tilt direction, the protrusion is positioned adjacent to the second contact surface and configured to abut the second contact surface to prevent tilting of the venting guide relative to the housing in a second tilt direction opposite the first tilt direction. The internal recess that receives the vent guide forms the two recited contact surfaces.
Re-claim 10, the valve member 32 is slidably arranged on a guide element, the guide element comprising an internal channel, the internal channel forms part of an exhaust flow path between the working connection 22 and the exhaust portion 13 when the valve member 32 is in the exhaust position
Re-claim 11, the venting guide is separate from the guide element, the attachment portion is formed on the guide element, see annotated figure.
Re-claim 12, a valve sealing member (i.e. o-ring seal) is provided at a transition between the internal channel and the venting channel.
Re-claim 14, the venting guide is shown with a rib like feature, see annotated figure.
Re-claim 15, a gap (or spacing) is formed between the contact region and the support projection.
Re-claim 16, the contact region forms an end stop for the venting guide, this limits any excessive loads on the attachment portion when attached.
Re-claim 20, the valve is part of a brake system.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-8, 13 and 17-19 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Beck, Fauck, Schnaeker, Vollmer, Fogg, Angelillo, Bartscher, and Bennett each teach a pneumatic valve having a venting guide with a supporting portion positioned adjacent a contact region.
Any inquiries concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Thomas Williams whose telephone number is 571-272-7128. The examiner can normally be reached on Tuesday-Friday from 6:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Robert Siconolfi, can be reached at 571-272-7124. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Any inquiry of a general nature or relating to the status of this application or proceeding should be directed to the receptionist whose telephone number is 571-272-6584.
TJW
February 13, 2026
/THOMAS J WILLIAMS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3616