DETAILED ACTION
Claim(s) 1-15 as filed 3/15/2024 are pending for consideration.
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 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 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) 1-4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Oueslati et al. (US Patent Application 2021/0178390).
Regarding Claim 1, Oueslati discloses a pneumatic circuit (Figure 2 especially) capable of use with a pneumatic drive apparatus (the limitation of “for a pneumatic drive apparatus” is a recitation of an intended use of the claimed circuit and the device of Oueslati is capable of being used with a pneumatic drive apparatus), comprising: a pump 113; a reservoir 104; a first valve 117 operable to selectively provide a fluid connection between an inlet of the pump 113 (i.e. on the right side of pump 113 as shown in Figure 2) and the reservoir 104; a second valve 118 operable to selectively provide a fluid connection between an outlet of the pump 113 (i.e. on the left side of pump 113 as shown in Figure 2) and the reservoir 104; and a third valve 116 configured to selectively provide a fluid connection between the reservoir 104 and an actuation port (the port inherently provided at the end of the conduit downstream of valve 116 is readable as an “actuation port” because any port is capable of being used in part to actuate another element), the pneumatic circuit being configured such that the first 117 and second 118 valves are operable to selectively pressurise the reservoir (via the connection with the pump 113 which is used to pressurize air within the reservoir), and such that the third valve 116 is operable to selectively communicate pressure from the reservoir 104 to the actuation port (at the downstream end of the conduit downstream of valve 116).
Regarding Claim 2, Oueslati is seen as further disclosing the first valve (it is noted that for the purpose of this claim, the combination of valves 117 and 119 is readable on the recited “first valve”; i.e. the limitation of a first valve is not limited to a single valve element and instead a valve assembly is readable on the recited first valve) has a first position (first position such that valve 117 is closed and valve 119 is open) and a second position (second position such that valve 117 is open and valve 119 is closed), the first position providing a fluid connection between the inlet and an external region (via valve 119, the inlet of the pump is connected to an external region coupled to the inlet of valve 119), and the second position providing a fluid connection between the inlet and the reservoir (via valve 117, the inlet of the pump is connected to the reservoir 104), and wherein the second valve (it is noted that for the purpose of this claim, the combination of valves 118 and 120 is readable on the recited “second valve”; i.e. the limitation of a second valve is not limited to a single valve element and instead a valve assembly is readable on the recited second valve) has a first position (first position such that valve 118 is closed and valve 120 is open) and a second position (second position such that valve 118 is open and valve 120 is closed), the first position providing a fluid connection between the outlet and the external region (via valve 120, the outlet of the pump is connected to the external region coupled to the outlet of valve 120), and the second position providing a fluid connection between the outlet and the reservoir (via valve 118, the outlet of the pump is connected to the reservoir 104).
Regarding Claim 3, Oueslati further discloses a pressure sensor 107 configured to sense pressure in the reservoir 104.
Regarding Claim 4, Oueslati further discloses the pump 113 is configured to pump a gas from the inlet to the outlet (injecting air; para. 0094).
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.
Claims 5 and 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Oueslati et al. (US Patent Application 2021/0178390) in view of Spiss (US Patent Application 2007/0140916).
Regarding Claim 5, Oueslati discloses a pneumatic drive apparatus (the limitation of “a pneumatic drive apparatus” is merely the name given to the claimed device in the preamble of the claim and therefore not accorded patentable weight) comprising: a manifold (including the region indicated at 106 in Figure 2); and a pneumatic circuit (Figure 2 especially) comprising: (i) a pump 113, (ii) a reservoir 104, (iii) a first valve 117 operable to selectively provide a fluid connection between an inlet of the pump 113 (i.e. on the right side of pump 113 as shown in Figure 2) and the reservoir 104, (iv) a second valve 118 operable to selectively provide a fluid connection between an outlet of the pump 113 (i.e. on the left side of pump 113 as shown in Figure 2) and the reservoir 104, and (v) a third valve 116 configured to selectively provide a fluid connection between the reservoir 104 and an actuation port (the port inherently provided at the end of the conduit downstream of valve 116 is readable as an “actuation port” because any port is capable of being used in part to actuate another element), wherein the pneumatic circuit is configured such that the first 117 and second 118 valves are operable to selectively pressurise the reservoir (via the connection with the pump 113 which is used to pressurize air within the reservoir), and such that the third valve 116 is operable to selectively communicate pressure from the reservoir 104 to the actuation port (at the downstream end of the conduit downstream of valve 116).
Oueslati does not disclose the manifold comprises a main body in which the reservoir is comprised, wherein the main body is configured to support the first valve, the second valve and the third valve of the pneumatic circuit.
Spiss teaches a fluid circuit and further teaches a manifold (as shown in Figure 1) comprises a main body (housing 30) in which a reservoir 6 is comprised, wherein the main body 30 is configured to support a first valve 25, a second valve 24 and the third valve 47 of the circuit (as shown in Figure 2A, the main body 30 houses the reservoir and valves of the pneumatic circuit).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the application was effectively filed to modify the device of Oueslati to include a main body to house the reservoir and valves as taught by Spiss for the purpose of providing a device to protect the fluid components from damage.
Regarding Claim 6, Oueslati in view of Spiss further discloses the main body (30 as taught by Spiss as described above) is formed of a unitary body (the housing as taught by Spiss at 30 at least includes a unitary body).
Claim 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Oueslati et al. (US Patent Application 2021/0178390) in view of Spiss (US Patent Application 2007/0140916) as applied to claim 5 above, and further in view of Hamasaki et al. (US Patent 10,725,062).
Regarding Claim 12, Oueslati discloses the valves are solenoid valves, however does not disclose the first valve, the second valve, and the third valve are each configured to actuate a corresponding valve plunger in an actuation direction, wherein actuation directions of the first valve, the second valve, and the third valve are coplanar.
Hamasaki teaches (Figure 7 especially) a solenoid valve in which the valve actuates a valve plunger 411 in an actuation direction to open and close the valve.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the application was effectively filed to modify the device of Oueslati such that the first valve, second valve, and third valves are each configured to actuate a corresponding valve plunger in an actuation direction as taught by Hamasaki for the purpose of utilizing a valve configuration which is old and well-known in the art.
It is noted that Oueslati in view of Hamasaki does not specifically disclose actuation directions of the first valve, the second valve, and the third valve are coplanar. However, providing the actuation directions of the first valve, the second valve, and the third valve such that they are coplanar requires a mere rearrangement of parts and it has been generally held that a mere rearrangement of parts is within the level of ordinary skill in the art (MPEP 2144.04). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the application was effectively filed to modify the device of Oueslati in view of Hamasaki such that the actuation directions of the first valve, the second valve, and the third valve extend in any desired locations, including locations which are coplanar, for the purpose of accommodating particular spatial requirements of the system.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7-11 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.
Claims 13-15 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding Claim 7, Oueslati is considered the closest prior art as described above. However, Oueslati fails to teach “the reservoir comprises a first chamber adjacent the first valve and a second chamber adjacent the second valve, wherein the first chamber and second chamber are connected by a connecting channel” as required by claim 7. Furthermore, there is not sufficient evidence that it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have made the modifications necessary to have arrived at the invention recited in claim 7.
Regarding Claims 13 and 14, Oueslati is considered the closest prior art as described above. However, Oueslati fails to teach “the housing has a width direction transverse to a longitudinal axis of the actuation port, and comprises: a first portion having a first width in the width direction and containing the pump, and a second portion having a second width in the width direction and containing the manifold; wherein the first width is greater than the second width” as required by claims 13 and 14. Furthermore, there is not sufficient evidence that it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have made the modifications necessary to have arrived at the inventions recited in claims 13 and 14.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Ota et al. (US Patent 11,262,292) teaches a fluid delivery system including 3-way valves 52 and 53). LaChance et al. (US Patent 10,168,347) teaches a fluid delivery system with a plurality of modules 120.
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/KEVIN F MURPHY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3753
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