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 .
Response to Amendment
This action is responsive to the amendment dated 11/18/2025. The previous 112 rejections have been withdrawn due to applicant’s amendment. Claims 1-14 remain pending. This action is Final.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 10/5/2025 was filed after the mailing date of the Non-Final Rejection on 8/21/2025. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claim 7 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 7, line 2, “first conductive chamber” should be plural (i.e. --chambers--).
Claim 7, line 4, “conductive chamber” should be plural (i.e. --chambers--).
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code 102 not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 1-3, 9, and 11-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Martins (U.S. 2006/0118066).
Martins discloses a fluid control assembly (in particular the embodiment of figures 5-17), having an accommodation chamber (within the housing 2) and communication ports (the ports for the housing that lead to 50, 52, 54, 56, 58, 60, 62), wherein, the fluid control assembly comprises a connecting member (2), a valve core (80) and a seal (100), wherein the connecting member comprises a side wall portion (along 10 in fig. 10), which forms at least part of a peripheral wall of the accommodation chamber (fig. 10), the communication ports are located in the side wall portion (best shown in fig. 10), and at least part of the valve core is located in the accommodation chamber (figs. 11, 16, 17), wherein at least part of the seal is located between the side wall portion and the valve core in a radial direction of the accommodation chamber (fig. 11), and the seal comprises pore passages (102, 104, 106, 110, 110) in communication with the communication ports (as they align with the communication ports), wherein orthographic projections of all the pore passages of the seal in an axial direction of the seal are arranged at intervals in a circumferential direction of the valve core (circumferentially in fig. 10), the pore passages comprise at least two first pore passages (such as 104 and 106) and at least two second pore passages (see the two instances of 110 in fig. 10), which are spaced apart in the axial direction of the seal (fig. 10, see also figs. 5-9 showing the different axial positions of the ports which align with the ports, further see fig. 14 which shows 86 and 88 on the same plane with those ports aligning with pore passages 104 and 106 as described in para. 58 and being spaced axially from the two instances of 110 in fig. 10).
Regarding claim 2, Martins further discloses wherein orthographic projections of all first pore passages in the axial direction of the seal are arranged to be adjacent to each other (104 and 106 are adjacent, see fig. 14 which shows 86 and 88 on the same plane with those ports aligning with pore passages 104 and 106 as described in para. 58), and orthographic projections of all the second pore passages in the axial direction of the seal are arranged to be adjacent to each other (110 and 110 in fig. 10 are adjacent in a clockwise direction in fig. 10).
Regarding claim 3, Martins further discloses wherein orthographic projections of the communication ports (the ports for 50, 52, 54, 56, 58, 60, 62) in an axial direction of the side wall portion are arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction of the valve core (circumferentially in fig. 10, see the positioning also in figs. 5-9), the communication ports comprise a first communication port and a second communication port (such as 52 and 62, or 56 and 60, etc.), which are arranged in the axial direction of the valve core (best show in fig. 5), wherein the first communication port is in communication with the at least two first pore passages, and the second communication port is in communication with the at least two second pore passages (as the pore passages of the seal align with the communication ports so that fluid can flow through the ports and passages as desired and in the same manner as the applicant’s device).
Regarding claim 9, Martins further discloses a flow passage (the passages for 50, 52, 54, 56, 58, 60, 62) in communication with the communication ports, wherein the connecting member comprises a first flow passage plate (4, 6), which forms at least part of a wall portion of the flow passage (fig. 9), the first flow passage plate extends from the side wall portion in a direction away from the accommodation chamber (fig. 9 and in the same manner as the applicant’s device), and the first flow passage plate is integrated with the side wall portion (as they form the housing, see fig. 9).
Regarding claim 11, Martins discloses a fluid control device, comprising a fluid management assembly (the assembly of figs. 5-17) and at least one fluid control assembly according to claim 1 (see the rejection of claim 1 above), wherein the fluid control assembly comprises a flow passage (the passages for 50, 52, 54, 56, 58, 60, 62), a port of the fluid management assembly is in communication with the flow passage (see fig. 14 and the connections to the various flow passages, each having ports in order to convey fluid).
Regarding claim 12, Martins further discloses wherein the fluid management component comprises one of a heat exchanger, an electric pump, and a liquid reservoir or a combination thereof (see heat exchangers 124, 142, 144, 146, and pump 126).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code 103 not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Martins in view of Fima Carlo Frattini S.P.S. (EP3936747)(hereinafter “Fima”).
Martins discloses the claimed invention and further discloses a second flow passage plate (18), the second flow passage plate is sealed with the first flow passage plate (see fig. 7).
Martins does not appear to disclose the second flow passage plate forming part of the wall portion of the flow passage.
Fima teaches it was known in the art to have a similar multi-port fluid handling device with housing components that form part of wall portions for flow passages (see half-shells 13 and 14 which have cutouts for the conduits that define the fluid passages).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Martins such that the housing is formed of multiple plate portions that each help to form part of wall portions for the flow passages as taught by Fima in order to provide a functionally equivalent housing that can be more easily manufactured/assembled as the housing is formed by half-shells that can be readily coupled together and especially as it has been held that a change in shape of a component generally involves only routine skill in the art. See MPEP2144.04.
Claim(s) 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Martins in view of Fima and Takamatsu et al. (U.S. 10,330,208).
Martins discloses the claimed invention and further discloses a plurality of adapter pipes (figs. 14-15, the pipes shown schematically that connect to the valve flow passages), wherein the fluid control assembly comprises the flow passage (figs. 14 and 15, the flow passages as described above), the fluid control assembly comprises a first flow passage plate (4, 6) and a second flow passage plate (18), the second flow passage plate is sealed with the first flow passage plate (fig. 7), the first flow passage plate form part of the wall portion of the flow passage (fig. 9), wherein the fluid management assembly and the plurality of adapter pipes are all connected to and sealed with at least one of the first flow passage plate and the second flow passage plate (fluidly sealed in order to operate as shown in figs. 14-15), and a passage in the fluid management assembly and a passage in the plurality of adapter pipes are in communication with the flow passage in the fluid control assembly (fluidly connected in order to operate as shown in figs. 14-15).
Martins does not appear to disclose a plurality of temperature sensors that are connected to and sealed with at least one of the first flow passage plate and the second flow passage plate or both the first flow passage plate and the second flow passage plate forming part of the wall portion of the flow passage.
Fima teaches it was known in the art to have a similar multi-port fluid handling device with housing components that form part of wall portions for flow passages (see half-shells 13 and 14 which have cutouts for the conduits that define the fluid passages).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Martins such that the housing is formed of multiple plate portions that each help to form part of wall portions for the flow passages as taught by Fima in order to provide a functionally equivalent housing that can be more easily manufactured/assembled as the housing is formed by half-shells that can be readily coupled together and especially as it has been held that a change in shape of a component generally involves only routine skill in the art. See MPEP2144.04.
Takamatsu teaches it was known in the art to have a multi-way valve assembly with temperature sensors (32, notice fig. 8A showing multiple sensors, above and below 31) that are connected to and sealed with the valve housing (equivalent to the “plates”, see fig. 8A within body 23).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Martins by having multiple temperature sensors within the valve housing (reads on “plates”) and sealed within the housing as taught by Takamatsu in order to allow a user to monitor the different temperatures flowing through the valve to determine if an abnormality is/has occurred especially as compared to desired target values (see col. 8, ll. 36-44).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-8 and 14 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 filed 11/18/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
On pages 10-11 of the response, the applicant argues that orthographic projections of the openings of Martins in the axial direction are overlapped, while the there is no overlapping portion between adjacent pore passages in the axial direction of the applicant’s device. However, applicant’s claim 1 does not recite there being no overlapping between the openings. Applicant’s claim 1 recites the pore passages as being arranged at intervals. The pore passages of Martins are arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction as they are located at various positions in the circumferential direction and have structure located therebetween and thus are at different intervals.
For at least these reason(s), applicant’s arguments have not been found persuasive.
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 MICHAEL R REID whose telephone number is (313)446-4859. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 9am-5pm est.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisors can be reached by phone. Craig Schneider can be reached at 571-272-3607, or Ken Rinehart can be reached at 571-272-4881. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) Form at https://www.uspto.gov/patents/uspto-automated- interview-request-air-form.
/MICHAEL R REID/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3753