DETAILED ACTION
This action is in response to the preliminary amendment date 8/29/2025. Claims 1-12 are currently amended. Claims 13-20 are newly added. No claims have been canceled. Presently, claims 1-20 are pending.
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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements filed 5/30/2024, 4/29/2025, 8/04/2025, 11/04/2025, 3/30/2026, and 5/15/2026 are acknowledged and have been considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings were received on 8/29/2025. These drawings are acceptable.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
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.
Claim(s) 1-3, 6, 16 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Tang (US 20210041028).
Regarding claim 1, the Tang reference discloses an electronic expansion valve, comprising:
a valve seat (64A);
a valve core sleeve (62A), wherein the valve core sleeve (62A) is fixed together with the valve seat (64A) by welding to form a welded structure (see paragraph [0091], lines 22-43); and
a mounting base body (2A), wherein the mounting base body (2A) is provided with a second mounting channel (considered the channel along the longitudinal axis of the mounting base body 2A), and both the valve seat (64A) and the valve core sleeve (62A) are disposed in the second mounting channel;
wherein an outer wall of the valve seat (64A) or an outer wall of the valve core sleeve (62A) is provided with an avoidance space to avoid the welded structure, or an inner wall of the mounting base body (2A) is provided with an avoidance space to avoid the welded structure (see paragraph [0091], lines 22-43).
In regards to claim 2, the Tang reference discloses wherein an end of the valve seat (64A) or an end of the valve core sleeve (62A) is provided with an avoidance notch (see “notch” in the annotated figure 7 below), the avoidance notch forms the avoidance space, and the valve core sleeve (62A) and the valve seat (64A) are welded at the avoidance notch.
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In regards to claim 3, the Tang reference discloses wherein the welded structure is a welded ring structure (it is considered that the weld would surround the valve seat 64A in the “notch”), the valve core sleeve (62A) and the valve seat (64A) are welded at the avoidance notch to form the welded ring structure, an outer diameter of the welded ring structure is d1, an outer diameter of the valve seat (64A) is d2, and an outer diameter of the valve core sleeve (62A) is d3;
wherein d1<d3.
In regards to claim 6, the Tang reference discloses wherein the valve seat (64A) is provided with a first mounting channel (considered the opening through the valve seat 64A);
the electronic expansion valve further comprises:
a valve needle (51A), which is movably disposed in the first mounting channel; and
a drive assembly (3A, 4A), which is disposed at one end of the valve seat (64A; through the valve core sleeve 62A), wherein the drive assembly is in transmission connection with the valve needle (51A) to drive the valve needle (51A) to move.
In regards to claim 16, the Tang reference discloses “a connecting sleeve (631A), a sleeve (625A), a screw (41A), and a nut sleeve (421A), wherein the connecting sleeve (631A) and the valve seat (64A) are separately provided and connected (through the valve core sleeve 62A), the sleeve is connected with the connecting sleeve (see figure 3 and figure 5), the nut sleeve (421A) is disposed in a space enclosed by the sleeve and the connecting sleeve (see figure 3) and is connected with the connecting sleeve, and the screw is connected with the nut sleeve (see figure 5).
In regards to claim 20, the Tang reference discloses wherein the mounting base body (2A) is further provided with an annular groove (it is considered that the widening of the mounting base body 2A at the end 23A constitutes an annular groove) communicating with the second mounting channel, and an outer wall of the mounting base body (2A) is provided with a first opening (considered the opening at the top of the mounting base body 2A that leads to the annular groove at 23A; see figure 6) communicating with the annular groove and a second opening (22A) communicating with the second mounting channel.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4, 5, 7-15, and 17-19 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
In regards to claim 4, the prior art of record does not disclose or suggest “wherein the welded structure is a welded ring structure, and the valve core sleeve is welded to an end of the valve seat to form the welded ring structure; and the mounting base body is provided with an avoidance recess part, and the avoidance recess part and the welded ring structure are disposed oppositely to avoid the welded ring structure by means of the avoidance recess part” and in combination with the other limitations of the claim.
Claim 5 depends from claim 4, and, therefore, claim 5 is allowable for containing the indicated allowable subject matter of claim 4.
In regards to claim 7, the prior art of record does not disclose or suggest “wherein the valve core sleeve is disposed at one end, away from the drive assembly, of the valve seat” and in combination with the other limitations of the claim.
In regards to claim 8, the prior art of record does not disclose or suggest
“a valve core, wherein the valve core is disposed in the first mounting channel, and the valve core is provided with a valve port to open or close the valve port by means of the valve needle; the valve core sleeve comprises a main body part and a positioning part which are connected with each other, wherein at least part of the main body part is inserted into the first mounting channel, and an end of the main body part abuts against an end of the valve core; and the positioning part protrudes from an outer wall of the main body part, the positioning part is configured for abutting and positioning with an end of the valve seat, and the positioning part is fixed together with the end of the valve seat by welding to form the welded structure” and in combination with the other limitations of the claim.
Claim 13 depends from claim 8, and, therefore, claim 13 is allowable of containing the indicated allowable subject matter of claim 8.
In regards to claim 9, the prior art of record does not disclose or suggest “wherein one end of the first mounting channel forms a first mounting port, an other end of the first mounting channel forms a second mounting port, the first mounting port is disposed above the second mounting port, a cross-sectional area of the second mounting port is greater than a cross-sectional area of the first mounting port, and the valve core sleeve (90) is disposed at the second mounting port;
wherein a cross-sectional area of the valve needle (20) is greater than the cross-sectional area of the first mounting port, and the cross-sectional area of the valve needle is less than the cross-sectional area of the second mounting port, so that the valve needle is disposed into the first mounting channel through the second mounting port” and in combination with the other limitations of the claim.
Claim 14 depends from claim 9, and, therefore, claim 14 is allowable of containing the indicated allowable subject matter of claim 9.
In regards to claim 10, the prior art of record does not disclose or suggest “a valve core, wherein the valve core is disposed in the first mounting channel, and the valve core is provided with a valve port to open or close the valve port by means of the valve needle; and the valve core is made of a material with a hardness smaller than that of the valve needle, an inner wall of the valve core or an end surface of the valve core forms a sealing surface, and the sealing surface cooperates with an outer wall surface of the valve needle to form a soft sealing structure” and in combination with the other limitations of the claim.
Claims 11 and 15 depend from claim 10, and, therefore, claims 11 and 15 are allowable for containing the indicated allowable subject matter of claim 10.
In regards to claim 12, the prior art of record does not disclose or suggest “a spring sleeve and a spring, wherein one end of the spring sleeve (50) is sleeved at an end of the valve needle, and the spring is disposed in the spring sleeve;
a screw, which is disposed at an other end of the spring sleeve; and
a bearing, which is sleeved on the screw, wherein the bearing is disposed between the screw and the spring sleeve” and in combination with the other limitations of the claim.
In regards to claim 17, the prior art of record does not disclose or suggest “a mounting groove is provided at a top of the valve seat, and an end, away from the sleeve, of the connecting sleeve is disposed in the mounting groove” and in combination with the other limitations of the claim.
In regards to claim 18, the prior art of record does not disclose or suggest “the valve seat comprises a guide sleeve and the electronic expansion further comprises a spring sleeve, wherein at least part of the guide sleeve extends into the nut sleeve, and the guide sleeve is sleeved outside the spring sleeve” and in combination with the other limitations of the claim.
In regards to claim 19, the prior art of record does not disclose or suggest “wherein a first annular protrusion is provided at a top of the valve seat; wherein an inner wall of the mounting base body is provided with a second annular protrusion, and the first annular protrusion is in limiting fit with the second annular protrusion; the electronic expansion valve further comprises a second sealing piece, wherein the second sealing piece is disposed between the valve seat and the second annular protrusion; and a bottom surface of the valve core sleeve is spaced apart from at least part of the inner wall of the mounting base body” and in combination with the other limitations of the claim.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Andrew J. Rost whose telephone number is (571) 272-2711. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm EST.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Craig Schneider can be reached at 571-272-3607 or Kenneth 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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/ANDREW J ROST/Examiner, Art Unit 3753
/MICHAEL R REID/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3753
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