DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1-14 are pending.
This action is in response to the amendment filed 5/14/2026.
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
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d).
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 5/14/2026 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see pages filed 5/14/2026, with respect to the pending claims have been fully considered and are persuasive. The 35 USC § 102 and 103 rejections of the previous action have been withdrawn.
The amendment to claim 13 has created indefiniteness in the limitations and therefor a 112 rejection has been set forth below.
Since applicant’s amendments necessitated the new grounds for rejection, this action has been made Non-Final.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the cutout portion has a shape that combines arc surfaces having a radius equal to a thickness of the two partition walls or the one partition wall (claim 13), must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Objections
Applicant’s amendments overcome the claim objections.
Claims 7 and 8 are objected to because of the following informalities: the numerals in paratheses should be removed from the claim limitations.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 13-14 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor, regards as the invention.
Claim 13 recites the limitation, “the cutout portion has a shape that combines arc surfaces having a radius equal to a thickness of the two partition walls or the one partition wall”, which is unclear as to how the shape has a radius as claimed. Should “surfaces having a radius equal to a thickness” be changed to - - surfaces having a length between the arc surfaces that is equal to a thickness - -.
Appropriate correction is required.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-12 are allowed.
None of the prior art of record discloses or renders as obvious, "the plurality of flow path chambers formed between the partition wall and an inner wall of the housing", and, “the first opening is formed by an upper partition wall rib extending downward from an upper surface of the upper housing facing the lower housing, and the second opening is formed by a lower partition wall rib extending upward from an lower surface of the lower housing facing the upper housing, and wherein the valve rotates about a valve axis that extends from the upper housing toward the lower housing”, in combination with the rest of the limitations in claim 1.
Claims 13-14 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b), set forth in this Office action.
None of the prior art of record discloses or renders as obvious, “the cutout portion has a shape that combines arc surfaces having a radius equal to a thickness of the two partition walls or the one partition wall” in combination with the rest of the limitations in claim 13.
Lin et al. (WO202226945A1) disclose a manifold (100) comprising: a valve (130) configured to control a flow of fluid; and a housing (120), wherein the housing includes a joining portion (the outer perimeter of 120a that mates with 120b) where an upper housing (120b) having a first opening (the opening within 120b facing 120a) opened downward and a lower housing (120a) having a second opening (the opening in 120a facing 120b) opened upward are joined by thermally welding (p.9, bottom paragraph in the English translation).
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Lin et al. do not provide, as best understood, “the cutout portion has a shape that combines arc surfaces having a radius equal to a thickness of the two partition walls or the one partition wall” in combination with the rest of the limitations in claim 13.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Craig Price, whose telephone number is (571)272-2712 or via facsimile (571)273-2712. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday (8:00AM-4:30PM EST).
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Craig Schneider, can be reached at telephone number 571-272-3607, 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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/CRAIG J PRICE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3753
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