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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the
Claim 1 “a tank”,
Claim 7 “a carrier made at least in part of a second material”, and
Claim 13 “a skirt portion made at least in part of a skirt material; a carrier made at least in part of a second material”,
must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because specification is silent about claim 20 limitation “a set-resistance.”
Appropriate correction is required.
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 5, 7, 11, 13, and 20 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.
Claim 7 “a carrier made at least in part of a second material” in line 4.
The meaning of the limitation “the carrier 68 made at least in part of a second material” unclear because the carrier 68, a circular flange, can be made of two materials an any proportion by weight, one material may be circumferentially only on upper or lower part of the carrier, or one material may be only one half (semi-circle) of the circular carrier. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 13 “a skirt portion made at least in part of a skirt material”, in
line 2, and “a carrier made at least in part of a second material” in line 3. The limitation “a skirt portion made at least in part of a skirt material” is unclear because the skirt 46 can be made of two materials an any proportion by weight, one material may be circumferentially only on upper or lower part of the skirt, or one material may be only one half (semi-circle) of the skirt.
Similarly, the limitation “a carrier made at least in part of a second material” is unclear because the carrier 68 can be made of two materials an any proportion by weight, one material may be circumferentially only on upper or lower part of the carrier, or one material may be only one half (semi-circle) of the carrier.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 20 recites limitations “a set-resistance.” The meaning of “a set-resistance” is not clear. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim(s) that depend(s) from the rejected claim(s) 8-12 and 14-19 is/are rejected.
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) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a) (1) as being anticipated by D1 (Herold et al., US Pub. 2017-0189837).
For claim 1, D1 discloses, in Figures 1-17, a fluid system for a machine comprising:
a tank (200);
a header piece (as shown below);
a sock filter (as shown below); and
a grommet (includes 254, 252) connected to the sock filter, the grommet including a skirt portion (254) made at least in part of a first material (plastic, para. [0033], and a flange portion (252) made at least in part of a second material (metal, para. [0033]), the second material (metal) being less compressible than the first material (plastic); and
a plurality of bolt holes (256) formed within the flange portion (252), formed at least in part by the second material (metal).
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For claim 2, D1 discloses the fluid system of claim 1 wherein the skirt portion (254) includes a first piece (portion of 254 toward 252) and the flange portion (252) includes a second piece (268) irreversibly attached to the first piece (Figure 4)
For claim 3, D1 discloses the fluid system of claim 1 wherein the second material includes a non-rubber material (metal), and the first material includes a rubber or a rubber-like material (plastic, para. [0033].)
For claim 4, D1 discloses the fluid system of claim 1 wherein the bolt holes (256) are annularly arranged in the flange portion (252, Figure 4.)
For claim 5, D1 discloses the fluid system of claim 4 further comprising a plurality of notches (edge of the bolt hole 256) formed in part within the skirt portion and in part within the flange portion, and the plurality of notches forming the plurality of bolt holes (Figures 4-5.)
For claim 6, D1 discloses the fluid system of claim 1 further including at least two vents in the skirt portion (The skirt portion 254 has axial extensions away from 252, and the space between the axial extensions define the vent. Figure 4.)
For claim 7, D1 discloses, in Figures 1-17, a grommet assembly for an engine aftertreatment system comprising:
a sock filter (as shown above);
a grommet (includes 254, 252) connected to the sock filter, the grommet including a skirt portion (254) made of a first material (plastic, para. [0033], and a carrier (252) made at least in part of a second material (metal, para. [0033]) and attached to the skirt portion (254); and
a plurality of bolt holes (256) formed in the carrier (252, Figure 4.)
For claim 8, D1 discloses the grommet assembly of claim 7 wherein the skirt portion is irreversibly attached to the carrier by a tongue-in-groove connection (Figure 4.)
For claim 9, D1 discloses the grommet assembly of claim 8 wherein the plurality of bolt holes (256) is formed in part by the second material (metal, para. [0033]. Figure 4.)
For claim 10, D1 discloses the grommet assembly of claim 9 further including at least two vents formed in the skirt portion (The skirt portion 254 has axial extensions away from 252, and the space between the axial extensions define the vent. Figure 4.)
For claim 11, D1 discloses the grommet assembly of claim 9 further comprising a plurality of notches (edge of the bolt hole 256) formed in part within the skirt portion and in part within the carrier, and the plurality of notches forming the plurality of bolt holes (256, Figures 4-5.)
For claim 12, D1 discloses the filter assembly of claim 10 wherein the second material includes a non-rubber material (metal), and the first material includes a rubber or a rubber-like material (Plastic, para. [0033].)
For claim 13, D1 discloses, in Figures 1-17, a grommet (includes 254, 252) comprising:
a skirt portion (254) made at least in part of a skirt material (plastic, para. [0033]);
a carrier (252) made at least in part of a second material (metal, para. [0033]) more resistant to deformation than the skirt material (metal is more resistant to deformation than plastic), and attached to the skirt portion (254); and
a plurality of bolt holes (256) formed in the carrier (252), and formed at least in part by the second material (Metal, para. [0033].)
For claim 14, D1 discloses the grommet of claim 13 wherein the carrier (252) has an annular shape and the bolt holes (256) are annularly arranged in the carrier Figure 4.)
For claim 15, D1 discloses the grommet of claim 13 wherein each respective bolt hole (256) includes an inner bolt surface formed in part by the skirt material and in part by the second material (Para. [0033].)
For claim 16, D1 discloses the grommet of claim 15 wherein a minority of each respective inner bolt surface is formed by the skirt material (Para. [0033]), and a majority of each respective inner bolt surface is formed by the second material (Para. [0033].)
For claim 17, D1 discloses the grommet of claim 13 wherein the skirt material includes a rubber or rubber-like material (plastic, para. [0033]), and the second material includes a plastic material (plastic, para. [0033].)
For claim 18, D1 discloses the grommet of claim 17 wherein the skirt portion is attached to the carrier by a tongue-in-groove connection formed by a tongue of the carrier and a mating groove formed in the skirt portion, and wherein the skirt portion includes an annular protrusion forming the mating groove (352 has a groove to receive 380, Figure 8.)
For claim 19, D1 discloses the grommet of claim 13 wherein the skirt portion is formed uniformly of the skirt material, and the carrier is formed uniformly of the second material, and wherein the skirt portion is attached to the carrier via an interlocking mechanical attachment and via an adhesive attachment including an adhesive interposed abutting surfaces of the skirt portion and the carrier (Adhesive attachment, Para. [0039, 0042].)
For claim 20, D1 discloses the grommet of claim 13 wherein a set-resistance of the second material to a bolting load is greater than a set-resistance of the skirt material to the bolting load (Figures 1-17. Para. [0033].)
Conclusion
Prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure and provides example of invention. A few of the prior art cited but not applied includes Cassidy (9,468,874); Janik (5,489,384); and Hudgens (US Pub. 2015-0198071).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NATHAN CUMAR whose telephone number is (571)270-3112. The examiner can normally be reached Monday thru Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, KRISTINA FULTON can be reached at 571-272-7376. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/NATHAN CUMAR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3675
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