DETAILED ACTION
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I, claims 1, 2, 4-6, 8, 9, 14, 32, and 33, in the reply filed on 4/29/2026 is acknowledged. Claims 42-50 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1, 2, 32, and 33 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipate by Kachkovskiy US 2024/0102460 A1.
Kachkovskiy discloses, regarding claim 1, a cover assembly 400/402 for closing a port of a high-power pump, the cover assembly (see embodiment in Figs. 7-8) comprising: a cap (see 403) including a cap body 403, the cap body 403 being substantially cylindrical and extending between a proximal cap end 406 and a distal cap end 412 along a longitudinal cap axis (clearly shown in Figs. 7-8), the cap body including: a proximal cap portion 409 having a first exterior surface having a first diameter (see the diameter of flange lip 409 – it should be noted that Fig. 7-8 have some questionable reference numeral designations, but the Examiner’s interpretation is that element 409 is the lip portion of 403 that has the same outer diameter as 320 and 430 in Fig. 8); a distal cap portion 410/411 (410 is mislabel in Fig. 7 – 410 is the circular midsection of 403 – 410 is called the “sealing portion” of 403 in the specification, and 410 includes “step 411”) having a second exterior surface 414 having a second diameter (see outer diameter of 410/411 which mates with 320) less than the first diameter (of 409), the proximal cap portion 409 terminating at the distal cap portion 410/411, thereby to form a radial wall 415 extending between the first exterior surface (of 409) and second exterior surface 414 and an axial wall coextensive with the second exterior surface of the distal cap portion 410/411; and a cap connector 450 associated with the distal cap portion 410/411 (substantially broad); and a retainer (see 420) including a retainer body 420, the retainer body 420 having a substantially cylindrical outer retainer surface and extending between a proximal retainer end 422 and a distal retainer end 428 along a longitudinal retainer axis, the retainer body 420 having: a proximal retainer portion (see proximal end of 430 in Figs. 7-8) having a retainer exterior surface having a retainer diameter substantially equal to the first diameter of the proximal cap portion 409 (see how the diameter of 409 and the largest diameter portion of 430 are the same); and a retainer connector 424 associated with the proximal retainer end 422, the cap connector 450 and the retainer connecter 424 being positioned to connect the cap (403) and the retainer (420) to one another (clearly shown in Figs. 7-8), thereby to provide an annular location 440 for an annular seal 320 between the radial wall 415 and the proximal retainer portion (proximal end of 430) of the retainer (clearly shown in Figs. 7-8); Re claim 2, wherein: the cap connector 450 includes a connector projection (see threaded end of 450) extending axially from the distal cap portion of the cap body 403, the connector projection (threaded end of 450) having a projection surface, at least a portion of the projection surface being substantially cylindrical and having threads (clearly shown in Figs. 7-8); the retainer connector 424 includes a connector recess 427 extending axially into the proximal retainer portion (proximal end of 430), at least a portion of the connector recess including threads (clearly shown in Figs. 7-8); and the threads of the projection surface and the threads of the connector recess are positioned to engage one another and connect the cap (403) and the retainer (420) to one another.
Kachkovskiy discloses, regarding claims 32 and 33, a high-power pump comprising: a power end 102 positioned to convert power into reciprocating motion; a plunger 202 connected to the power end 102 and positioned to reciprocate; and a fluid end 104 connected to the power end 102, the fluid end 104 comprising: a fluid end housing (clearly shown in Fig. 1) at least partially defining: a chamber 208; a suction port 216 providing a fluid path into the chamber 208; a discharge port 214 providing a fluid path from the chamber 208; and an access port 2224 providing access to the chamber 208; and a cover assembly 400/402 received in the access port 2224, the cover assembly comprising: a cap (see 403) including a cap body 403, the cap body 403 being substantially cylindrical and extending between a proximal cap end 406 and a distal cap end 412 along a longitudinal cap axis, the cap body 403 including: a proximal cap portion 409 having a first exterior surface having a first diameter (see the diameter of flange lip 409 – it should be noted that Fig. 7-8 have some questionable reference numeral designations, but the Examiner’s interpretation is that element 409 is the lip portion of 403 that has the same outer diameter as 320 and 430 in Fig. 8); a distal cap portion 410/411 (410 is mislabel in Fig. 7 – 410 is the circular midsection of 403 – 410 is called the “sealing portion” of 403 in the specification, and 410 includes “step 411”) having a second exterior surface 414 having a second diameter (see outer diameter of 410/411 which mates with 320) less than the first diameter, the proximal cap portion 409 terminating at the distal cap portion 410/411, thereby to form a radial wall 415 extending between the first exterior surface (of 409) and second exterior surface 414 and an axial wall coextensive with the second exterior surface of the distal cap portion 410/411; and a cap connector 450 associated with the distal cap portion (substantially broad); and a retainer (see 420) including a retainer body 420, the retainer body 420 having a substantially cylindrical outer retainer surface and extending between a proximal retainer end 422 and a distal retainer end 428 along a longitudinal retainer axis, the retainer body 420 having: a proximal retainer portion (see proximal end of 430 in Figs. 7-8) having a retainer exterior surface having a retainer diameter substantially equal to the first diameter of the proximal cap portion 409 (see how the diameter of 409 and the largest diameter portion of 430 are the same); and a retainer connector 424 associated with the proximal retainer end 422, the cap connector 450 and the retainer connecter 424 being positioned to connect the cap (403) and the retainer (420) to one another (clearly shown in Figs. 7-8), thereby to provide an annular location 440 for an annular seal 320 between the radial wall and the proximal retainer portion of the retainer; and an annular seal 320 in the annular location 440.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kachkovskiy US 2024/0102460 A1.
Kachkovskiy discloses the claimed invention except for: the cap connector including a connector recess extending into the distal cap portion, at least a portion of the connector recess including threads; the retainer connector including a connector projection extending from the proximal retainer end of the retainer body, the connector projection having a projection surface, at least a portion of the projection surface being substantially cylindrical and having threads; and the threads of the projection surface and the threads of the connector recess being positioned to engage one another and connect the cap and the retainer to one another.
Nevertheless, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention to construct the connector assembly in this way because this modification would simply be the reverse of the assembly recited in claim 2, as anticipated by Kachkovskiy. It has been held that a mere reversal of the essential working elements of a device involves only routine skill in the art (In re Gazda, 219 F.2d 449, 104 USPQ 400 (CCPA 1955) (see MPEP 2144.04 VI. A - Reversal of Parts)).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5, 6, 8, 9, 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Peter J Bertheaud whose telephone number is (571)272-3476. The examiner can normally be reached 9am - 5pm M-F.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Mark Laurenzi can be reached at 5712707878. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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PJB
/PETER J BERTHEAUD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3746
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