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 .
Amendment filed February 18, 2026 has been acknowledged. Newly presented claim 21 has been entered. Claims 1-5, 9-17, and 19-21 remain pending in the application.
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.
Claim(s) 1-3, 10-16, and 19-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Rudick et al. (20070205220) in view of Little (20100221404).
Regarding claim 1, Rudick discloses a dispensing manifold (110) comprising: a first end configured to be coupled with a shank (see annotated Fig. 5 below); a second end opposite the first end, wherein the second end is configured to be coupled with dispensing equipment (par. 0034); a center bore (250) that extends through an interior of the dispensing manifold and connects the first end and the second end; and one or more ingredient valves (220, 230; par. 0039) arranged on an outer circumference of the dispensing manifold (Figs. 5-6), wherein each of the ingredient valves provide a selective fluid connection to the center bore (Figs. 5-6).
Rudick DIFFERS in that it does not disclose explicitly disclose a tap. However, Rudick discloses that any dispensing equipment may be employed (par. 0034). Little discloses dispensing equipment in the form of a liquid dispensing tap (7).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the Rudick reference in view of the teachings of the Little reference by including a tap because Rudick discloses that any dispensing equipment may be included to deliver the beverage (par. 0034 of Rudick).
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Regarding claim 2, the manifold further comprising: one or more valve ports (Figs. 5-6 of Rudick), wherein each of the one or more ingredient valves are removeably coupled to a corresponding valve port of the one or more valve ports (par. 0039 of Rudick).
Regarding claim 3, the manifold further comprising: a drain (255, 275 of Rudick) configured to selectively drain contents of the dispensing manifold (par. 0043 of Rudick).
Regarding claim 10, the dispensing manifold is configured to be retrofitted to an existing beverage tap that includes the shank and the tap (par. 0034 of Rudick).
Regarding claim 11, the first end and/or the second end include one or more of a threaded connection, a connection with a coupling nut, a press and fit connection, or a twist and lock connection (Fig. 5 of Rudick).
Regarding claim 12, the first end is configured to be coupled directly to the shank (see annotated Fig. 5 of Rudick), and the second end is configured to be coupled directly to the tap (par. 0034 of Rudick).
Regarding claim 13, Rudick discloses a dispensing manifold (110) comprising: a first end configured to be coupled with a shank (see annotated Fig. 5); a second end opposite the first end, wherein the second end is configured to be coupled with dispensing equipment (par. 0034); a center bore (250) that extends through an interior of the dispensing manifold and connects the first end and the second end; and a plurality of valve ports (par. 0039) arranged on an outer circumference of the dispensing manifold (Figs. 5-6).
Rudick DIFFERS in that it does not disclose explicitly disclose a tap. However, Rudick discloses that any dispensing equipment may be employed (par. 0034). Little discloses dispensing equipment in the form of a liquid dispensing tap (7).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the Rudick reference in view of the teachings of the Little reference by including a tap because Rudick discloses that any dispensing equipment may be included to deliver the beverage (par. 0034 of Rudick).
Regarding claim 14, the manifold further comprising a plurality of ingredient valves (220, 230 of Rudick) removeably coupled with the plurality of valve ports (par. 0039 of Rudick).
Regarding claim 15, the plurality of ingredient valves and the plurality of valve ports have corresponding threaded connects such that the plurality of ingredient valves screw into the plurality of valve ports (Figs. 4-5 of Rudick).
Regarding claim 16, the plurality of valve ports are arranged in a series of in-line sets of valve ports (Figs. 5-6 of Rudick).
Regarding claim 19, the dispensing manifold is configured to be retrofitted to an existing beverage tap that includes the shank and the tap (par. 0034 of Rudick).
Regarding claim 20, Rudick discloses a beverage dispensing system, comprising: one or more ingredient pumps (200) configured to be fluidly coupled to one or more ingredient sources (180, 190), wherein the one or more ingredient pumps is configured to pump one or more ingredients from the one or more ingredient sources (par. 0038); a dispensing manifold (110) configured to be retrofitted to an existing beverage tap that includes a shank (see annotated Fig. 5), wherein the dispensing manifold comprises: a first end configured to be coupled with the shank (see annotated Fig. 5); a second end opposite the first end, wherein the second end is configured to be coupled with dispensing equipment (par. 0034); and one or more ingredient valves (220, 230) arranged on an outer circumference of the dispensing manifold, wherein the one or more ingredient valves are fluidly coupled to the one or more ingredient pumps (par. 0038-0039); wherein the dispensing manifold is configured to: receive the one or more ingredients from the one or more ingredient pumps (Fig. 1); and receive a volume of beverage from a beverage source (170) such that the volume of beverage mixes with the one or more ingredients within the manifold (Fig. 1).
Rudick DIFFERS in that it does not disclose explicitly disclose a tap. However, Rudick discloses that any dispensing equipment may be employed (par. 0034). Little discloses dispensing equipment in the form of a liquid dispensing tap (7).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the Rudick reference in view of the teachings of the Little reference by including a tap because Rudick discloses that any dispensing equipment may be included to deliver the beverage (par. 0034 of Rudick).
Claim(s) 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Rudick et al. in view of Little as applied to claim 1, and further in view of Ziesel (20150315006).
Regarding claim 4, Rudick DIFFERS in that it does not disclose the one or more ingredient valves are umbrella valves. Attention, however, is directed to the Ziesel reference, which discloses one or more ingredient valves are umbrella valves (par. 0038).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify the Rudick reference in view of the teachings of the Ziesel reference by employing umbrella valves because Rudick teaches that any suitable valve may be used (par. 0039 of Rudick).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5, 9, 17, and 21 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.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim 1, 13, and 20 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 5, 17, and 21 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The rejection of claims 5, 9, and 17 has been withdrawn.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 DONNELL ALAN LONG whose telephone number is (571)270-5610. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Fri 8AM-5PM.
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/DONNELL A LONG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3754
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