DETAILED ACTION
Non-Final Rejection
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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 3 June 2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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.
Claims 1, 10-11, and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Chambers (U.S. Patent 11,566,481).
Regarding claim 1, Chambers discloses a valve apparatus 100 comprising:
a housing 56 that is configured to conduct a fluid 72 through an inside of the housing;
a passage hole forming portion 130 that is placed in the housing and is not rotatable relative to the housing, wherein the passage hole forming portion has at least one passage hole (140A-C, 142) which is configured to conduct the fluid through the at least one passage hole;
a rotor 122 that is placed in the housing on one axial side relative to the passage hole forming portion in an axial direction of a predetermined central axis of the rotor, wherein the rotor is configured to rotate about the predetermined central axis while sliding relative to the passage hole forming portion; and
a differential pressure device 170 that is placed on the one axial side relative to the rotor in the axial direction and has a pressure chamber 182/185 which is configured to receive the fluid, wherein:
the housing has:
a one-side space 177 that is placed on the one axial side relative to the rotor in the axial direction; and
at least one other-side space 84 that is placed on another axial side, which is opposite to the one axial side, relative to the passage hole forming portion in the axial direction, wherein the at least one other-side space is communicated with the at least one passage hole;
the rotor is configured to increase or decrease an opening degree of the at least one passage hole relative to the one-side space in response to rotation of the rotor;
the differential pressure device is configured to generate an urging force that urges the rotor against the passage hole forming portion by a differential pressure between a pressure in the pressure chamber and a pressure in the one-side space at least when a pressure in the at least one other-side space is higher than the pressure in the one-side space; and
the urging force is increased when the pressure in the pressure chamber is increased relative to the pressure in the one-side space (FIG. 3B; Col. 6 ln 11-Col. 7 ln 3, Col. 7 ln 36-Col. 8 ln 25, Col. 8 ln 45-Col. 10 ln 5).
Regarding claim 10, Chambers discloses a communication passage 188 is formed to communicate between the pressure chamber and a discharge side of a pump 23 placed at an outside of the housing (FIG. 1, 3B; Col. 12 ln 5-29).
Regarding claim 11, Chambers discloses the valve apparatus forms a part of a fluid circuit (FIG. 6) in which the fluid is circulated by a pump 23; in the fluid circuit, a discharge side of the pump (“from surface” in FIG. 6) is configured to connect with the at least one other-side space; and a communication passage 188 is formed to communicate between the discharge side of the pump and the pressure chamber (FIG. 1, 3B, 6; Col. 12 ln 5-29).
Regarding claim 14, Chambers discloses a resilient body 172 that is installed in a state where the resilient body is compressed and is deformed in the axial direction, wherein the resilient body is configured to urge the rotor toward the another axial side in the axial direction by a repulsive force of the resilient body generated in response to the state where the resilient body is compressed and is deformed in the axial direction (FIG. 3B; Col. 9 ln 54-Col. 10 ln 5).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-9 and 12-13 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: the closest prior art fails to anticipate or make obvious the communication passage communicating with the at least one other-side space, along with the other limitations of the claims.
Additionally, the closest prior art fails to anticipate or make obvious the shaft extends to the another axial side relative to the passage hole forming portion and the rotor, along with the other limitations of the claims.
The closest prior art fails to anticipate or make obvious a communication passage is formed to communicate between the discharge side of the pump and the pressure chamber, along with the other limitations of the claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Pawlik (U.S. Patent 9,109,824) discloses a valve apparatus similar to the one disclosed in the present application.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRISTOPHER D BALLMAN whose telephone number is (571)272-9984. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 6:00-3:00.
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) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Craig M Schneider can be reached at 571-272-3607. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CHRISTOPHER D BALLMAN/Examiner, Art Unit 3753
/CRAIG M SCHNEIDER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3753
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