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 .
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
The following title is suggested: Inspection Method For A Liquid Feeding Device of A Liquid Chromatograph.
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 1-4 and 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hiraku et al. (US Publication 2005/0023205; IDS dated 11/12/2025 US Publication Cite No. 1; hereinafter Hiraku).
With regards to claim 1, Hiraku discloses a method for inspecting withstand pressure of a liquid feeding device (abstract), the liquid feeding device including
a first cylinder (including 12; [0029]; FIG. 1),
a first plunger (2) that reciprocates in the first cylinder ([0029]),
a fluid tank (51) that is connected to an upstream side of the first cylinder (including 12) and stores a fluid to be fed ([0051]),
a first check valve (4) that is connected to an upstream side of the first cylinder (including 12) and prevents a backflow of the liquid to be fed from the first cylinder to the fluid tank ([0029]; FIG. 1),
a second check valve (5) that is connected to a downstream side of the first cylinder (including 12) and prevents a backflow of the liquid to be fed from a flow path on a downstream side to the first cylinder ([0029]; FIG. 1), and
a pressure sensor (60) that is connected to a downstream side of the second check valve (FIG. 1; [0029]),
the method comprising:
a suction step of suctioning a fluid from the fluid tank into the first cylinder by driving the first plunger (2) in a suction direction (left direction as in FIG. 1, [0037]; see also FIG. 3);
a first step of driving the first plunger in a discharge direction (right direction as in FIG. 1) after the suction step (see “displacement of first plunger” in FIG. 3; [0037]);
a second step of stopping the first plunger for a predetermined first time (see “displacement of first plunger” at zero displacement in FIG. 3; [0037]);
a third step of driving the first plunger in the discharge direction (see “displacement of first plunger” following zero displacement in FIG. 3; [0037]); and
a fourth step of estimating a leakage amount in a flow path on an upstream side of the second check valve based on a detection value of a pressure detected by the pressure sensor from start of the second step to end of the third step ([0054, 0057-0059, 0064]).
With regards to claim 2, Hiraku discloses the method for inspecting withstand pressure of a liquid feeding device according to claim 1, wherein
in the first step, the first plunger is driven in the discharge direction such that the detection value of the pressure sensor reaches a first target pressure value ([0044]), and
in the third step, the first plunger is driven in the discharge direction such that the detection value of the pressure sensor reaches a second target pressure value ([0044]).
With regards to claim 3, Hiraku discloses method for inspecting withstand pressure of a liquid feeding device according to claim 1, wherein
the liquid feeding device includes a second cylinder (including 13) that is provided on a downstream side of the first cylinder (including 12) and provided between the first cylinder (including 12) and the pressure sensor (60), and a second plunger (3) that reciprocates in the second cylinder ([0029]),
upon completion of the first step, the first plunger and the second plunger are driven such that a pressure in the first cylinder and a pressure in the second cylinder are the same ([0040]),
in the second step, the first plunger and the second plunger are stopped for the first time, and in the third step, the second plunger is fixed, and only the first plunger is driven in the discharge direction (see “displacement of first plunger” and “displacement of second plunger” in FIG. 3).
With regards to claim 4, Hiraku discloses method for inspecting withstand pressure of a liquid feeding device according to claim 3, wherein upon the completion of the first step, the second plunger is driven such that the second cylinder moves to a predetermined position ([0038]).
With regards to claim 6, Hiraku discloses the method for inspecting withstand pressure of a liquid feeding device according to claim 1, wherein the first step to the fourth step are carried out when the liquid feeding device is started (see FIG. 3 and measurement at each point of the liquid feeding device).
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 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hiraku et al. (US Publication 2005/0023205; IDS dated 11/12/2025 US Publication Cite No. 1; hereinafter Hiraku) in view of Yanagibayashi et al. ( US Publication 2019/0211813; IDS dated 02/16/2024 US Publication Cite No. 2; hereinafter Yanagibayashi).
With regards to claim 5, Hiraku teaches the method for inspecting withstand pressure of a liquid feeding device according to claim 1. However, Hiraku is silent regarding the method further comprising: a fifth step of issuing a warning when the leakage amount estimated in the fourth step exceeds a predetermined threshold value.
Yanagibayashi teaches a liquid feeding device (abstract; FIG. 1) similar to Hiraku. Yanagibayashi further teaches the method of a step of issuing a warning when the leakage amount estimated exceeds a predetermined threshold value ([0018]).
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to combine the method as taught by Yanagibayashi to the method of Hiraku to alert the user that occurance of liquid leakage is happening ([0018]; Yanagibayashi).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to QUANG X.L NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)272-1585. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9AM-5PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, STEPHEN D. MEIER can be reached at (571) 272-2149. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/QXN/ Examiner, Art Unit 2853
/STEPHEN D MEIER/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2853