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 .
DETAILED ACTION
This is responsive to the amendment filed 12/23/2025. Applicant amended claims 1, 4, 9 and 14; claims 1 – 15 are pending in this application.
Applicant argues regarding German Patent document DE 7116788 are argues “document D1 does not disclose a bearing arranged between a first and a second partial body of the tilting armature; instead, it discloses an armature that is pressed by a spring against a leg of the magnetic core, and it is via this leg that the armature is tiltably mounted” and concludes “the tilting bearing is located on the underside of the armature and not between the first and the second partial bodies of the armature”. Examiner respectfully disagrees.
The German Patent document discloses an armature plate 34 and a holding plate 38 [para. 28]. The holding plate 28 is U-shaped and holds armature 34 and soft plate made of rubber 37 (seal) together. As shown in figure 3 the holding plate extends for entire length of the armature plate 34. As such the first sub body (34) and the second sub body (38) are connected in a loss-proof manner with the seal in between them.
Further, the German Patent document discloses “lower, angled end 41a of the leaf spring projects into a rectangular or at least non-round groove 34a on the surface of the armature … can tilt around the edge of the magnetic core“.
Examiner maintains the spring element 41a needs to penetrate through element 38 to reach the surface of armature 34, and is an attachment for the armature to provide a spring force thereby reading on the limitation “bearing”. Examiner asserts the reference as interpreted reads on all the limitations of the claimed subject matter.
Applicant’s amendment to claims 4 and 9 overcome the 35 USC 112 (b) rejection of the previous office. Based on the foregoing the anticipation rejection of claim 1 of the previous office action is maintained and THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
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.
Claims 1 – 3, 4 - 6, 8, 10, 13 - 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by German Patent Document (DE 7116788).
Examiner is interpreting the term “loss-proof” to mean the elements have no relative movement between them.
Regarding claim 1, the German Patent document discloses a pivoted armature (38, Fig. 3) for an electromagnetic pivoted armature solenoid valve, which comprises a bearing (39, 41 Fig. 3) and a seal (37, Fig. 3), characterized in that wherein the pivoted armature (38, Fig. 3) comprises a first sub-body (34, Fig. 3) and a second sub-body (38, Fig. 3), the seal (37, Fig. 3) and the bearing (39, 41 Fig. 3) are arranged between the first sub-body (34, Fig. 3) and the second sub-body (38, Fig. 3) and the first sub-body (34, Fig. 3) is connected to the second sub-body (38, Fig. 3) in a loss-proof manner.
Regarding claim 2, the German Patent document discloses the seal (37, Fig. 3) is inserted between the first sub-body (34, Fig. 3) and the second sub-body (38, Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 3, the German Patent document discloses the second sub-body (38, Fig. 3) comprise(s) at least one recess which is formed to at least partially receive the seal (37, Fig. 3).
Regarding claims 4 and 5, the German Patent document discloses a bearing axle (39, 40 Fig. 3) is clamped between the first sub-body (34, Fig. 3) and the second sub-body (38, Fig. 3) in the connected state of the first and second sub-bodies.
Regarding claim 6, the German Patent document discloses the first sub-body (34, Fig. 3) is connected to the second sub-body (38, Fig. 3) by clinching – by means of element 38a.
Regarding claim 8, the German Patent document discloses a circumferential material cut-out – as seen in figure 1 above 38a.
Regarding claim 10, the rotational axis of element 41a disclosed by the German Patent document reads on the claimed subject matter.
Regarding claim 13, the German Patent document discloses a coil core (23, Fig. 2) which is arranged in the valve housing (21, Fig. 2) and is at least partially surrounded by an electromagnetically activatable coil (51, Fig. 2), and comprising a pivoted armature (34, 38 Fig. 3) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pivoted armature (34, 38 Fig. 3) is connected to the valve housing (21, Fig. 3) so as to be pivotable about at least one bearing axle (39, 41 Fig. 3) and is configured to cooperate with a fixed valve seat (32, 33 Fig. 3) so that, in response to the coil being supplied with electrical power, closing or releasing of the valve seat can be carried out.
Regarding claim 14, the German Patent document discloses a method for producing a pivoted armature (34, 38 Fig. 3) for an electromagnetic pivoted armature solenoid valve, comprising the following steps: providing a first sub-body (38, Fig. 3) of the pivoted armature (34, 38 Fig. 3), a second sub-body (34, Fig. 3) of the pivoted armature (38, 34 Fig. 3), a seal (37, Fig. 3) and a bearing (39, 41a Fig. 3); inserting the seal (37, Fig. 3) in the first sub-body (38, Fig. 3); inserting the bearing (39, 41a Fig. 3) in the first sub-body (38, Fig. 3); positioning the second sub-body (34, Fig. 3) relative to the first sub-body (38, Fig. 3); and joining the first sub-body (38, Fig. 3) with the second sub-body (34, Fig. 3) to form the pivoted armature (34, 38 Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 15, the German Patent document discloses wherein the step of joining comprises as a joining process clinching – as discussed for claim 6.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7, 9, 11 - 12 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.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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.
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/UMASHANKAR VENKATESAN/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3753