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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 08/20/2025 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 12/19/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant’s arguments that Booyens does not disclose “a component coupled to or of any one of the pressure regulating valve, the slam-shut valve, and the flow control valve, the component including any one of: (1) a portion of an indicator assembly operatively coupled to a stem of the pressure regulating valve” is moot. Per claim 1, “including any one of: (1) a portion of an indicator assembly operatively coupled to a stem of the pressure regulating valve; (2) a shaft of an actuator assembly coupled to one of the slam-shut valve or the flow control valve; and (3) a plug” only one of the three conditions must be met. The Booyens–Slaughter combination is geared towards the limitation “a plug” which corresponds to Booyens’ element 26.
Double Patenting
The terminal disclaimer was submitted on 12/19/2025.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 1–20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Booyens (US PGPUB 20040129908 A1) in view of Slaughter (USPN 20040129908 A1).
Regarding Claim 1, Booyens discloses a modular valve system, comprising: a valve body having an inlet (16), an outlet (18), an outer wall (Booyens Annotated Fig. 5), a through-hole (14) in the outer wall(Booyens Annotated Fig. 5), and a fluid flow path (Fig. 5 which illustrates the flow path) between the inlet and the outlet; wherein the valve body is used to assemble a pressure regulating valve, and the through-hole (Booyens Annotated Fig. 5) in the outer wall is configured to receive a component coupled to or of any one of the pressure regulating valve (Fig. 5), but does not disclose an indicator.
Slaughter teaches an indicator (60) used to disclose the valve position. Col. 2, Lines 29–37.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the valve of Booyens with an indicator as taught by Slaughter in order to provide the valve position.
Per the Booyens–Slaughter combination Slaughter’s indicator (60) is located on Booyens valve body (12) such that Slaughter's indicating pin (50) engages Booyens’ valve member (26).
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Figure 1 - Booyens Annotated Fig. 5
Regarding Claims 2 and 12, the Booyens–Slaughter combination teaches the valve body further comprising a first end, a second end (Booyens Annotated Fig. 5), and a radial portion disposed between the first and second ends, the through-hole (Slaughter 52) disposed in the radial portion.
Regarding Claims 3 and 13, the Booyens–Slaughter combination teaches the pressure regulating valve is the portion of the travel indicator coupled to a stem of the pressure regulating valve, and the valve body is configured to receive any one of an actuator assembly of the pressure regulating valve and a valve assembly of one of the slam-shut valve or the flow control valve. Booyens Annotated Fig. 5.
Regarding Claims 4 and 14, the Booyens–Slaughter combination teaches the valve body (Booyens 12) further comprising and a bore disposed between the inlet and the outlet. Booyens does not illustrate the thickness of the valve body wall. Slaughter is used to illustrate a magnified illustration of Booyens valve body wall.
Regarding Claims 5 and 15, the Booyens–Slaughter combination teaches an inner wall disposed within the bore, a portion of the fluid flow path disposed between the inner wall and the outer wall. Booyens Annotated Fig. 5.
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Figure 2 - Slaughter Annotated Fig. 2
Regarding Claims 6 and 16, the Booyens–Slaughter combination teaches the through-hole having a first end and a second end disposed opposite the first end, the first end disposed at and extending into the outer wall of the valve body and the second end disposed at and extending into the bore. Slaughter Annotated Fig. 2 and Booyens Annotated Fig. 5.
Regarding Claims 7 and 17, the Booyens–Slaughter combination teaches a valve disc subassembly adapted to be disposed near the inlet of the valve body when the valve disc subassembly is assembled with the valve body, and each of the pressure regulating valve, the slam-shut valve, and the flow control valve uses the valve disc assembly when assembled with the valve body. Booyens Fig. 5.
Regarding Claims 8 and 18, the Booyens–Slaughter combination teaches a first channel (Booyens 50) and a second channel (Booyens 52), each of the first channel and the second channel disposed through the outer wall and terminating in the bore to provide an external fluid connection with a pathway of a fluid control device. Booyens Fig. 4.
Regarding Claims 9 and 19, the Booyens–Slaughter combination teaches the second channel is disposed closer to the end of the valve body and adjacent to the first channel. Booyens Fig. 4.
Regarding Claims 10 and 20, the Booyens–Slaughter combination teaches the through-hole includes a first end disposed at and extending into an outer wall of the valve body, a second end disposed opposite the first end and extending into a bore of the valve body, and a stepped portion disposed between the first and second ends. Slaughter Annotated Fig. 2
Regarding Claim 11, Booyens discloses a modular valve system, comprising: a valve body (12) having an inlet (16), an outlet (18), an outer wall (Booyens Annotated Fig. 5), a through-hole (14) in the outer wall (Booyens Annotated Fig. 5), and a fluid flow path between the inlet and the outlet (Fig. 5 which illustrates the flow path); wherein the valve body is used to assemble any one of a pressure regulating valve, a slam-shut valve, or a flow control valve, and the through-hole in the outer wall (Booyens Annotated Fig. 5) is configured to receive a component coupled to or of any one of the pressure regulating valve, the slam-shut valve, and the flow control valve (Fig. 5),
Slaughter teaches an indicator (60) used to disclose the valve position. Col. 2, Lines 29–37.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the valve of Booyens with an indicator as taught by Slaughter in order to provide the valve position.
Per the Booyens–Slaughter combination Slaughter’s indicator (60) is located on Booyens valve body (12) such that Slaughter's indicating pin (50) engages Booyens’ valve member (26).
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Angelisa L. Hicks whose telephone number is 571-272-9552. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday (9:30AM-5:00PM EST).
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/Angelisa L. Hicks/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3753
Prosecution Insights