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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) 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) 1-4, 6-7, 11-14, and 16-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Giacomazzi et al (US 4798306).
Regarding claim 1, Giacomazzi (FIGs 1-4) discloses “A fuel system for a vehicle, comprising:
a fuel tank (12) configured to carry a liquid fuel;
a filler tube (16) in communication with the fuel tank, the filler tube having an inlet (at 18) configured for receipt of a fuel nozzle (26) and an outlet (30, 28) downstream from the inlet and upstream from the fuel tank (see FIGs 1-2);
a recirculation check valve (36-44) attached to the outlet (see FIG 2); and
a recirculation line (46) that is connected to the recirculation check valve (see FIG 1);
wherein the recirculation check valve includes:
a housing (36, 38) have an inlet end (bottom of 38) attached to the outlet and an outlet end (left end of 36) attached to the recirculation line, and a channel (interior) extending between the inlet end and the outlet end that fluidly connects the outlet of the filler tube to the recirculation line (see FIG 3);
a hollow cylindrical insert (body of 42, seen to have a cylindrical profile matching 44) is provided in the channel between the inlet end and the outlet end (see FIG 2), the hollow cylindrical insert having a plurality of radially inwardly extending projections (finger portion of 42; Column 4 lines 36-37) provided around an inner circumference of the hollow cylindrical insert (define interior of 42) that are separated by a plurality of gaps therebetween (gaps between 42); and
a valve member (44) provided in the channel between the hollow cylindrical insert and the outlet end of the housing (see FIG 2, between bottom of 42 and end of 36), and configured to move between an open position (FIG 4) where the valve member is seated against the plurality of radially inwardly extending projections (see FIG) and a closed position (seated on 40, Column 4 lines 38-41) where the valve member is seated against a valve seat formed in the channel;
wherein in the open position, fumes of the liquid fuel are permitted to travel from the fuel tank through the filler tube and the channel of the recirculation check valve by passing through the plurality of gaps past the valve member to the recirculation line (FIG 4), and fumes of the liquid fuel in the recirculation line are permitted to enter the outlet end of the housing and flow through the channel of the recirculation check valve by passing past the valve member and through plurality of gaps to the filler tube (communication would occur in FIG 4); and
wherein when liquid fuel enters the inlet end of the recirculation check valve and reaches the valve member, the valve member is configured to move away from being seated against the plurality of protrusions in a direction toward the valve seat to close the recirculation check valve and prevent the liquid fuel from exiting the outlet end of the housing and entering the recirculation line (Column 4 lines 38-41).”
Regarding claim 2, Giacomazzi (FIGs 1-4) discloses “wherein the valve member is a ball valve (44) formed of a material having a density less than that of the liquid fuel (evidenced by buoyancy on Column 4 lines 38-41).”
Regarding claim 3, Giacomazzi (FIGs 1-4) discloses “wherein the channel includes a first section (surface interior at body of 38) having a first diameter, a second section (surface interior at outer diameter of 40) having a second diameter that is less than the first diameter, a third section (surface at interior at 42) having a third diameter that is less than the second diameter, and a fourth section (surface at choked interior right above 40) having a fourth diameter that is less than the third diameter.”
Regarding claim 4, Giacomazzi (FIGs 1-4) discloses “wherein the first section (interior at body of 38) is separated from the second section by a radially inwardly extending shoulder (top rounded corner end surface of 38, located between body of 38 and outer diameter portion of 40, seen to be a “radially inwardly extending shoulder” relative to the outside of 36/38).”
Regarding claim 6, Giacomazzi (FIGs 1-4) discloses “wherein the third section (surface at interior at 42 where 44 resides) is separated from the fourth section (surface at choked interior of 36 right above 40) by the valve seat (40).”
Regarding claim 7, Giacomazzi (FIGs 1-4) discloses “wherein the valve member has a diameter that is less than a diameter of the third section (it is within the third section).”
Regarding claim 11, Giacomazzi (FIGs 1-4) discloses “A recirculation check valve configured for use in a fuel system (FIG 1) for a vehicle that includes a fuel tank (12) configured to carry a liquid fuel; a filler tube (16) in communication with the fuel tank and having an inlet at 18) configured for receipt of a fuel nozzle (26) and an outlet (at 30, 28) downstream from the inlet and upstream from the fuel tank (see FIGs 1-2); and a recirculation line (46) that is connected to the recirculation check valve, the recirculation check valve comprising:
a housing (36, 38) have an inlet end (bottom of 38) configured to be attached to the outlet and an outlet end (left end of 36) configured to be attached to the recirculation line, and a channel (interior) extending between the inlet end and the outlet end that is configured to fluidly connect the outlet of the filler tube to the recirculation line (see FIG 3);
a hollow cylindrical insert (body of 42, seen to have a cylindrical profile matching 44) provided in the channel between the inlet end and the outlet end (see FIG 2), the hollow cylindrical insert having a plurality of radially inwardly extending projections (finger portion of 42; Column 4 lines 36-37) provided around an inner circumference of the hollow cylindrical insert that are separated by a plurality of gaps therebetween (gaps between 42); and
a valve member (44) provided in the channel between the hollow cylindrical insert and the outlet end of the housing (see FIG 2, between bottom of 42 and end of 36), and configured to move between an open position (FIG 4) where the valve member is seated against the plurality of radially inwardly extending projections and a closed position (seated on 40, Column 4 lines 38-41) where the valve member is seated against a valve seat formed in the channel;
wherein in the open position, the recirculation check valve is configured such that fumes of the liquid fuel are permitted to travel from the fuel tank through the filler tube and the channel of the recirculation check valve by passing through the plurality of gaps past the valve member to the recirculation line (FIG 4), and fumes of the liquid fuel in the recirculation line are permitted to enter the outlet end of the housing and flow through the channel of the recirculation check valve by passing past the valve member and through plurality of gaps to the filler tube (communication would occur in FIG 4); and
wherein the recirculation check valve is configured such that when liquid fuel enters the inlet end of the recirculation check valve and reaches the valve member, the valve member is configured to move away from being seated against the plurality of protrusions in a direction toward the valve seat to close the recirculation check valve and prevent the liquid fuel from exiting the outlet end of the housing and entering the recirculation line (Column 4 lines 38-41.”
Regarding claim 12, Giacomazzi (FIGs 1-4) discloses “wherein the valve member is a ball valve (44) formed of a material having a density less than that of the liquid fuel (evidenced by buoyancy on Column 4 lines 38-41).”
Regarding claim 13, Giacomazzi (FIGs 1-4) discloses “wherein the channel includes a first section (surface interior at body of 38) having a first diameter, a second section (surface interior at outer diameter of 40) having a second diameter that is less than the first diameter, a third section (surface at interior at 42) having a third diameter that is less than the second diameter, and a fourth section (surface at choked interior right above 40) having a fourth diameter that is less than the third diameter.”
Regarding claim 14, Giacomazzi (FIGs 1-4) discloses “wherein the first section (interior at body of 38) is separated from the second section by a radially inwardly extending shoulder (top rounded corner end surface of 38, located between body of 38 and outer diameter portion of 40, seen to be a “radially inwardly extending shoulder” relative to the outside of 36/38).”
Regarding claim 16, Giacomazzi (FIGs 1-4) discloses “wherein the third section (surface at interior at 42 where 44 resides) is separated from the fourth section (surface at choked interior of 36 right above 40) by the valve seat (40).”
Regarding claim 17, Giacomazzi (FIGs 1-4) discloses “wherein the valve member has a diameter that is less than a diameter of the third section (it is within the third section).”
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5, 8-10, 15, and 18-20 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claims 5 and 15, closest art of record Giacomazzi is silent regarding “wherein the hollow cylindrical insert includes first end that includes a radially outwardly extending lip, a second end that includes the plurality of radially inward extending projections, and a cylindrical section that extends between the first end and the second end, and
wherein the radially outwardly extending lip being configured to abut against the radially inwardly extending shoulder, and the radially inwardly extending projections and cylindrical section being provided in the second section of the channel” in the context of intervening claims. In Giacomazzi the insert does not have a lip and it is spaced from the housing 38.
It would not be obvious to modify Giacomazzi to teach this feature without undue hindsight reasoning.
Regarding claims 8 and 18, Giacomazzi (FIGs 1-4) discloses “further comprising at least one annular seal provided in the first section between the inlet end and the hollow cylindrical insert.”
While possible, it would not be obvious to modify Giacomazzi to teach this feature without undue hindsight reasoning. The body of 36 already appears to seal 38 at a location spaced from the insert (above and outside 40).
Claims 9-10 and 19-20 are allowable by virtue of their dependency on claims 8 and 18.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Devices similar to the supplication are disclosed by Aschoff et al (US 20050155670), Bucci (US 5131439), Sherwood et al (US 5054520), Morris et al (US 5027868) (US 4714172), Covert et al (US 5014742), and Woodcock et al (US 4809863).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PATRICK C WILLIAMS whose telephone number is (571)431-0767. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:00-5:00 PM.
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/PATRICK C WILLIAMS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3753