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
Claims 12 and 22-23 are objected to because of the following informalities. Appropriate correction is required.
In claim 12, line 2, the phrase “an O-ring” should be changed to -- the O-ring --.
In claim 22, line 1, the word -- the -- should be inserted before the phrase “depressing the depressable valve”.
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 9 and 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 (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
In claim 9, lines 1 and 2, the phrase “the stem” lacks antecedent basis. In lines 2 and 3, the phrase “the flow path” lacks antecedent basis.
In claim 13, line 3, the phrase “the stem” lacks antecedent basis.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 1-4 and 6-23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. Patent Application Publication 2002/0185174 (Dolan).
With regards to claim 1, Dolan discloses a system for automatic shutoff of a valve comprising, as illustrated in Figures 1-17, a sensor assembly 10 (e.g. valve system; paragraph [0030]); Figures 1-3) comprising a sensor housing 11,12 (e.g. valve cover and valve body; paragraph [0030]) configured to couple to a pipe 14 (e.g. inlet pipe; paragraph [0030]; Figures 2,4); a sensor 33 (e.g. polystyrene sensor element; paragraph [0033]) mounted on the sensor housing and configured to measure a parameter (e.g. presence of hydrocarbon; paragraph [0033]); a pressable valve 32,40,41,23 (e.g. stopper with stopper shaft and spring-loaded plunger and plunger shaft form this pressable valve; paragraphs [0033],[0036]) mounted on the sensor housing and selectively movable from a closed configuration (e.g. when stopper 32 is positioned into outlet port 31; paragraphs [0033],[0036]) to an open configuration (e.g. when stopper is positioned above outlet port 31; paragraphs [0033],[0036]). (See, paragraphs [0030] to [0048]).
With regards to claim 2, Dolan further discloses the sensor housing 11,12 defines a top surface (e.g. top side of the valve cover 11; Figure 3); the pressable valve 32,40,41,23 extends through the top surface within the sensor housing (e.g. observed in Figure 3).
With regards to claim 3, Dolan further discloses the pressable valve 32,40,41,23 defines a central axis (e.g. imaginary line going through the center of these element in Figure 4) and the pressable valve defines a transverse flow path 51,52,53,54 (e.g. fluid travels a horizontal path over a recessed area of the ring and into a channel through a slot in the shroud; paragraph [0037]; Figures 4,5) in the open configuration such that the transverse flow path directs an escaping fluid (e.g. fluid from the inlet pipe) out of the sensor housing 11,12 in a direction that is substantially transverse to the central axis (e.g. paragraph [0037]).
With regards to claim 4, Dolan further discloses the sensor assembly 10 is coupled to a modular connector 16,17,18,19,20 (e.g. flange with dogs and wing nuts forms this modular connector; paragraph [0030]) that couples to an inner portion of the sensor housing 11,12 such that the modular connector configured to mount to the sensor housing on the pipe (e.g. observed in Figure 2).
With regards to claim 6, Dolan further discloses the sensor is selected from a group consisting of a hydrophone, a vibration sensor, a pressure transducer, a flow meter, an acoustic emission sensor, a PH sensor, a chemical sensor, a temperature sensor, a strain gauge, a noise logger, and a remote field eddy current sensor. (See, paragraphs [0034],[0037]).
With regards to claim 7, Dolan further discloses in the open configuration, the pressable valve 32,40,41,23 comprises a stem 30 (e.g. a ring; paragraph [0035]) defining a flow path (e.g. flow path formed from access hole 61; paragraph [0039]) where a portion of the flow path extends through the stem (e.g. paragraphs [0037],[0039]; observed in Figures 4,7,8).
With regards to claim 8, Dolan further discloses in the open configuration, the pressable valve 32,40,41,23 comprises a stem 30 (e.g. a ring; paragraph [0035]) defining a flow path (e.g. flow path formed from access hole 61; paragraph [0039]) where a portion of the flow path extends about the stem (e.g. paragraphs [0037],[0039]; observed in Figures 4,7,8).
With regards to claim 9, Dolan further discloses when an operator (e.g. not mentioned, but a user is needed for cover removal; paragraph [0033] moves the stem into an open configuration, a stem 30 (e.g. a ring; paragraph [0035]) defines the flow path (e.g. flow path formed from access hole 61; paragraph [0039]) through the sensor housing 11,12, and a compressible fluid trapped in the sensor housing escapes from the flow path (e.g. fluid is then collected at a cavity 57; paragraph [0057]).
With regards to claim 10, Dolan further discloses the pressable valve 32,40,41,23 comprises a bias element 41,73 (e.g. spring-loaded plunger with compression spring; paragraph [0039],[0042]) that maintains the pressable valve in the closed configuration (e.g. paragraphs [0036],[0042]); in the open configuration, a user (e.g. depressed when user remove the cover for servicing after the presence of hydrocarbon when in closed position; paragraph [0033]) overcomes a bias to selectively move the pressable valve from the closed configuration to the open configuration.
With regards to claim 11, Dolan further discloses the bias element is a spring (e.g. spring loaded plunger with compression spring; paragraphs [0039],[0042]); the pressable valve 32,40,41,23 further comprises a stem 28 (e.g. plunger shaft; paragraph [0042]) extending through the spring such that the spring surrounds the stem (e.g. observed in Figure 10); an O-ring 85 (e.g. O-rings; paragraph [0044]) coupled to the stem 28 (e.g. observed in Figure 13).
With regards to claim 12, Dolan further discloses in the closed configuration, the O-ring 85 couples to the stem to form a seal within the sensor housing; in the open configuration, the pressable valve 32,40,41,23 translates to break the seal of the O-ring within the sensor housing.
With regards to claim 13, Dolan further discloses in the open configuration, the pressable valve defines an escape path 51,52,53,54 (e.g. fluid travels horizontal path over a recessed area of the ring and into a channel through a slot in the shroud; paragraph [0037]; Figure 4) extending through a portion of the sensor housing 11,12 and a portion of the stem 30 (e.g. a ring; paragraph [0035]).
With regards to claims 14-18, claims 14-18 are commensurate in scope with the above claims 1-3,7-8 and are rejected for the same reasons as set forth above.
With regards to claim 19, Dolan further discloses the pressable valve 32,40,41,23 comprises a bias element 41 (e.g. spring-loaded plunger; paragraph [0039]) that maintains the pressable valve in the closed configuration (e.g. paragraphs [0036],[0042]).
With regards to claim 20, Dolan discloses a system for automatic shutoff of a valve comprising, as illustrated in Figures 1-17, a method comprising coupling a sensor assembly 10 (e.g. valve system; paragraph [0030]); Figures 1-3) to a pipe 14 (e.g. inlet pipe; paragraph [0030]; Figure 2); a sensor 33 (e.g. polystyrene sensor element; paragraph [0033]) and a pressable valve 32,40,41,23 (e.g. stopper with stopper shaft and spring-loaded plunger and plunger shaft forms this pressable valve; paragraphs [0033],[0036]) within a sensor housing 11,12 (e.g. valve cover and valve body; paragraph [0030]); depressing (e.g. depressed when user remove the cover for servicing after the presence of hydrocarbon when in closed position; paragraph [0033]) the pressable valve to selectively move the pressable valve from a closed configuration to an open configuration (e.g. paragraphs [0033],[0036]). (See, paragraphs [0030] to [0048]).
With regards to claim 21, Dolan further discloses releasing (e.g. releasing of stopper 32 from open configuration to closed configuration in presence of hydrocarbon) the pressable valve 32,40,41,23 to selectively move the pressable valve from the open configuration to the closed configuration.
With regards to claim 22, Dolan further discloses depressing the pressable valve 32,40,41,23 ejects a compressible fluid from the pipe (e.g. fluid flow from inlet pipe 14 to flow path 51,52,53,54 where the fluid travels horizontal path over a recessed area of the ring and into a channel through a slot in the shroud; paragraph [0037]; Figures 4,5).
With regards to claim 23, Dolan further discloses the pressable valve 32,40,41,23 defines an axis (e.g. imaginary line going through the center of these element in Figure 3) within the sensor housing 11,12 and the compressible fluid ejected from the pipe is oriented in a non-axial direction (e.g. horizontal direction) relative to the axis (e.g. paragraph [0037]).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Patent Application Publication 2002/0185174 (Dolan).
With regards to claim 5, Dolan does not disclose the sensor is a piezoelectric sensor configured to measure at least one parameter of a wave frequency. However, to have set such structural characteristics for the sensor is considered to have been a matter of choice possibilities and a well-known concept to use a piezoelectric sensor (e.g. as evidenced by U.S. Patent Application Publication 2001/0003286 issued to Philippbar et al.) to the operator and/or manufacturer the type of sensor to use to measure a parameter of the fluid that would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention without departing from the scope of the invention.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
The references, particularly Webber, Hammond, Acterman, Varga, Brown and Roy, are related to shutoff valve systems for monitoring the flow of a fluid in pipelines.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Helen C Kwok whose telephone number is (571)272-2197. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Friday, 7:30 to 4:00 EST.
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/HELEN C KWOK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2855