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 .
Status of Claims
Currently claims 1-6 are pending.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-6 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "in inlet" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. It appears that the “in” is a type for “an” in the claim, and should be corrected.
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) 1-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Berthoud (U.S. 3,863,841).
With respect to claim 1, Berthoud discloses a valve assembly (see figures 1-3) comprising:
a valve body (valve body of 2,3,5) having in inlet (inlet at 2), an outlet (outlet at 5), a first opening (opening at 20/4), and a second opening (opening at 21/4a);
a connection bracket (bracket 7) connected to the valve body adjacent to the inlet (as shown in figure 1) and configured for connection to a fluid line (fluid line 1);
a cap (cap of 20, which caps off the threads); and
a valve (valve of 21 having 4a); wherein the cap and the valve are interchangeably connectable to the first opening and the second opening (as they are both threaded onto threads, see figure 1, the threads being the same).
With respect to claim 2, Berthoud discloses the connection bracket comprises an upper bracket hingably connected to the valve body (as the upper bracket being 7 is hingedly connected via 11 to that of 6).
With respect to claim 3, Berthoud discloses the first opening and second opening are transverse to the inlet and outlet (as seen in figure 1, being side openings where the inlet and outlet exist on a vertical direction).
With respect to claim 4, Berthoud discloses the first opening and second opening are opposite each other on the valve body (as shown in figure 1).
With respect to claim 5, Berthoud discloses the inlet and outlet are opposite each other on the valve body (as shown in figure 1).
With respect to claim 6, Berthoud discloses the valve body has mirror symmetry along a line through a center of the valve body (as shown in figure 1, where the cut line for figure 1, shows each side being identical through the middle, understood that figure 2 is cut in the middle such that each side is symmetrical with one another upon the cut portion) with the first opening and second opening being perpendicular to the line (as the first and second openings within 20 and 21 are perpendicular to the line shown in figure 1, going down the middle of 2 and 15).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOSEPH A GREENLUND whose telephone number is (571)272-0397. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am-5pm EST.
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/JOSEPH A GREENLUND/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3752