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 .
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
Regarding amended claim 1, Applicants’ disclosure does not describe how “the first guide section, the threaded section and the second guide section are integrally formed.”
Claims 2-10 that dependent from claim 1 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112 above and therefore inherit the deficiencies of the parent claim.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
2. 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 1-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by ZENG et al (English Translated CN Publication No.: 211145371 U), hereinafter referred to as ZENG et al ‘371.
Regarding claim 1, ZENG et al ‘371 disclose an electronic expansion valve (Fig 1), comprising: a valve housing (10), wherein the valve housing is provided with an accommodating cavity (111) and a valve port (50), and the accommodating cavity is in communication with the valve port {as shown in Figs. 1 and 2}; a valve needle (70), wherein the valve needle is provided with a first end and a second end that are arranged opposite each other, the second end of the valve needle blocks or opens the valve port, and the valve needle comprises a first guide section (315), a threaded section (311) and a second guide section (312) that are sequentially arranged, wherein the first guide section is arranged close to the first end of the valve needle, and the second guide section is arranged close to the second end of the valve needle {as shown in Fig. 7: Description of Pictures, Page 4 of 12 through Page 12 of 12}, the first guide section, the threaded section and the second guide section are integrally formed {as shown in Fig. 7: wherein the first guide section (315), the threaded section (311) and the second guide section are integrally depicted or formed}; and a nut seat (31), wherein the nut seat is arranged in the accommodating cavity and is fixedly connected with the valve housing, a first through hole (31th) is provided on the nut seat, and the first through hole comprises a first guide hole section (315F), a threaded hole section (311T) and a second guide hole (312GH) section that are sequentially arranged, wherein the valve needle is arranged in the first through hole in a penetrating manner, the first guide hole section is cooperated with the first guide section for guiding, the threaded hole section is in threaded connection with the threaded section, and the second guide hole section is cooperated with the second guide section for guiding {as shown in Fig. 7: Description of Pictures, Page 4 of 12 through Page 12 of 12}.
Regarding claim 2, ZENG et al ‘371 disclose the electronic expansion valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first guide hole section is in clearance fit with the first guide section, and the second guide hole section is in clearance fit with the second guide section {as shown in Fig.1}.
Regarding claim 3, ZENG et al ‘371 disclose the electronic expansion valve as claimed in the electronic expansion valve as claimed in wherein the first guide section has a diameter greater than a diameter of the threaded section, and the diameter of the threaded section is greater than a diameter of the second guide section {see Page 2 of 12, lines 14-22}.
Regarding claim 4, ZENG et al ‘371 disclose the electronic expansion valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein an air hole (34A) is provided on the nut seat, and the air hole is in communication with the first through hole {as shown in annotated Fig. 7}.
Regarding claim 5, ZENG et al ‘371 disclose the electronic expansion valve as claimed in claim 4, wherein a first hole section (34) is arranged between the threaded hole section (311) and the second guide hole section (314), an inner diameter of the first hole section is greater than an inner diameter of the second guide hole section and less than an inner diameter of the threaded hole section, and the air hole is provided on a side wall of the first hole section {as shown in Fig. 7: Description of Pictures, Page 4 of 12 through Page 12 of 12}.
Regarding claim 6, ZENG et al ‘371 disclose the electronic expansion valve as claimed in claim 1, wherein the valve needle further comprises a third guide section (80), wherein the third guide section is arranged on a side of the first guide section away from the threaded section {as shown in Fig. 3}; and the electronic expansion valve further comprises a magnetic rotor (100), wherein the magnetic rotor is arranged in the accommodating cavity, and the magnetic rotor is fixedly connected with the third guide section {as shown in Figs. 1 and 3}.
Regarding claim 7, ZENG et al ‘371 disclose the electronic expansion valve as claimed in claim 6, wherein a diameter of the third guide section is less than a diameter of the first guide section {as shown in Fig. 3}.
Regarding claim 8, ZENG et al ‘371 disclose the electronic expansion valve as claimed in claim 6, further comprising a connecting plate (120), wherein the connecting plate is arranged in the magnetic rotor, a peripheral edge of the connecting plate is fixedly connected with the magnetic rotor, a second through hole is provided on the connecting plate, the second through hole is provided coaxial with the first through hole, and the third guide section is arranged in the second through hole in a penetrating manner and is fixedly connected with an inner wall of the second through hole {as shown in Fig. 3}.
Regarding claim 9, ZENG et al ‘371 disclose the electronic expansion valve as claimed in claim 8, further comprising a stopper (32), wherein a stop structure (40) is arranged between the stopper and the nut seat, an upper surface of the stopper is fixedly connected with a bottom surface of the connecting plate, a third through hole (42) is provided on the stopper, and the third through hole comprises a second hole section (70a) and a third hole section (70b) that are in communication with each other, wherein an inner diameter of the second hole section is less than an inner diameter of the third hole section, the third guide section is arranged in the third through hole in a penetrating manner, and the third guide section is in transition fit with the second hole section {see Figs. 5 and 6}.
Regarding claim 10, ZENG et al ‘371 disclose the electronic expansion valve as claimed in claim 9, wherein the stop structure comprises: a first stop boss (41) and a second stop boss (41) that are arranged on an inner wall of the third hole section at an interval in an axial direction of the first through hole {as shown in Fig. 6}; and a stop portion (40) arranged on an outer side wall of the nut seat, wherein the stop portion is located between the first stop boss and the second stop boss, the valve needle has a maximum opening position opening the valve port and a closing position blocking the valve port, and the first stop boss abuts against the stop portion when the valve needle moves to the closing position, and the second stop boss abuts against the stop portion when the valve needle moves to the maximum opening position {as shown in Figs. 4 and 6}.
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Response to Arguments
3. Applicant's arguments, see pages 5-6, filed 12/22/2025, with respect to the rejection of claim 1 under 35 USC § 102(b) have been fully considered but are moot in view of the new ground of rejection as detailed above. Secondly, amended claim 1, is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement.
With respect to Applicant argument, on page 5, item (1) Defective Office Action has been fully considered but is moot in view Claims 2-10 that dependent from the rejected claim 1, therefore, inherit the deficiencies of the parent claim.
Conclusion
4. Applicant's amendment necessitated the new grounds 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 extension fee 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 date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to EMMANUEL E DUKE whose telephone number is (571)270-5290. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday thru Friday; 6:00 AM to 2:00 PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, FRANTZ JULES can be reached on (571)272-6681. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/EMMANUEL E DUKE/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3763
02/21/2026