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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 03/15/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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.
Claim(s) 1-2, 4-6, 8-10, 12-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Mori (WO 2015020227).
As to independent claim 1, Mori teaches a solenoid comprising: a first member (43) including a peripheral portion to cover a periphery of a coil (37) contained in a cylindrical housing (25), the first member (43) covering an opening of the housing (25); a second member(44) provided around an outer periphery of the first member (43), the second member (44) being configured to be disassemblable; and a sealing element (see figure 2) disposed inside the second member (44), the sealing element (see figure 2) being configured to prevent foreign matters from entering the housing (25), wherein the first member (43) and the second member (44) include restraining portions (inherent in a nut to restrict movement) configured to engage each other to restrain the second member (44) from rotating about a centerline of the housing (25) relative to the housing (25) as shown in figure 2.
As to claims 2/1, 6/5 and 10/9, Mori teaches wherein the second member (44) is configured to be assemblable onto the housing (25) in a state where the second member (44) is coupled to the first member (43) as shown in figure 3.
As to claims 4/1 and 8/5, Mori teaches wherein the sealing element (see figure 2) is configured to be assemblable onto the housing (25) in a state where the sealing element is coupled to the second member (44) as shown in figure 2.
As to independent claim 5, Mori teaches a solenoid comprising: a first member (43) including a peripheral portion to cover a periphery of a coil (37) contained in a cylindrical housing (25), the first member (43) covering an opening of the housing (25); a second member (44) provided around an outer periphery of the first member (43), the second member (44) being configured to be disassemblable; and a single sealing element (see figure 2) configured to prevent foreign matters from entering the housing (25) through between the first member (43) and the second member (44) and between the housing (25) and the second member (44) as shown in figure 2.
As to independent claim 9, Mori teaches a solenoid comprising: a first member (43) including a peripheral portion to cover a periphery of a coil (7) contained in a cylindrical housing (25), the first member (43) covering an opening of the housing (25), the first member (43) being provided with a recess depressed from a surface of the first member (43) that faces the opening; a second member (44) of a cylindrical shape provided around an outer periphery of the first member (43), the second member (44) having one end thereof contacting the recess, the second member (44) being configured to be disassemblable from the first member (43); a first sealing element (see figre 2) disposed on a contact surface between the first member (43) and the second member (44), the first sealing element (see figure 2) being configured to prevent foreign matters from entering the housing (25) through between the first member (43) and the second member (44); and a second sealing element (see figure 2) with a different radial size than the first sealing element, the second sealing element (see figure 2) being configured to prevent foreign matters from entering the housing (25) through between the housing (25) and the second member (44) as shown in figure 2.
As to claim 12/9, Mori teaches wherein the second sealing element (see figure 2) is configured to be assemblable onto the housing (25) in a state where the second sealing element (see figure 2) is coupled to the second member (44) as shown in figure 2.
As to independent claim 13, Mori teaches a method of assembling a solenoid, the solenoid comprising: a first member (43) including a peripheral portion to cover a periphery of a coil (7) contained in a cylindrical housing (25), the housing (25) including, in a portion of a circumference thereof, a cutaway portion depressed from an outer circumferential surface thereof, the first member (43) covering an opening of the housing (25); a second member (44) including a protruding portion configured to engage the cutaway portion, the second member (44) being provided around an outer periphery of the first member (43), the second member (44) being configured to be disassemblable; and a sealing element (see figure 2) disposed inside the second member (44), the sealing element (see figure 2) being configured to prevent foreign matters from entering the housing (25), the method comprising: inserting the peripheral portion into the housing (25) in a state where the protruding portion is fitted in the cutaway portion to restrain the second member (44) from rotating relative to the housing (25) and the second member (44) is coupled to an outer periphery of the first member (43) with the sealing element (see figure 2) disposed inside the second member (44) as shown in figure 2.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3,7,and 11 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
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOSE A GONZALEZ QUINONES whose telephone number is (571)270-7850. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday: 6:30-2:30 EST.
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/JOSE A GONZALEZ QUINONES/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834 November 13, 2025