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 .
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 12/10/2025 has been entered.
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)(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) 1-2, 5-6, and 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Fraser et al (US Patent No. 6,099,275).
Fraser teaches:
limitations from claim 1, a compressor (10) comprising: a valve plate (30) having a suction port (30-2); a cylinder (40) forming a compression chamber (40-3); a piston (42) in the compression chamber, and which is movable in the compression chamber; a suction valve unit (~20) coupled to the valve plate and having a suction valve (the portion of 20 extending over passages 30-2) which is movable, based on movement of the piston, to open and close the suction port (C. 4 Lines 24-31) and a discharge valve (50); the suction valve (20) including a valve hole (see annotated FIG. 2 below) therethrough which corresponds to the discharge port (30-3); and a cushioning member (60 or 20-1) disposed between the valve plate and the suction valve unit (FIG. 1-3), outside of the suction port, the cushioning member configured such that, with the suction valve moved to close the suction port, the cushioning member is elastically deformed by contact with the suction valve (C. 4 Lines 32-37 and 66-67); wherein the valve plate includes a receiving portion recessed from a side that faces the suction valve unit to receive the cushioning member, and two opposite ends of the cushioning member are disposed in the receiving portion between the valve plate and the suction valve unit (see annotated FIG. 3 below);
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limitations from claim 2, wherein the cushioning member includes a leaf spring (C. 5 Lines 5-6);
limitations from claim 5, wherein the receiving portion has an extension length extending in a length direction of the cushioning member (FIG. 2-3);
limitations from claim 6, wherein the extension length of the receiving portion is longer than a length of the cushioning member (see FIG. 3 annotated below);
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limitations from claim 13, wherein the suction valve unit includes an elastic plate (20), the suction valve is formed in the elastic plate and is configured so that movement to open the suction valve causes the suction valve to be elastically deformed from a side of the elastic plate (C. 4 Lines 24-31), and the cushioning member (20-1) is integrally formed with the suction valve (see FIG. 2-3; C. 4 Line 66 through C. 5 Line 4);
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(s) 7-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fraser et al (US Patent No. 6,099,275).
Regarding claim 7:
Fraser teaches that the cushioning member (60) is a leaf spring (C. 5 Lines 5-6) rather than a wave spring;
However, Fraser teaches that the spring may be embodied as other springs (C. 5 Lines 5-6). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to choose a spring type for the cushioning member of Fraser, such as a wave spring, as a matter of design choice in order to reach an expected result, i.e. the cushioning of a valve closure.
Fraser further teaches:
limitations from claim 8, wherein the cushioning member includes a plurality of segments (20-1, and/or portions of spring 60 as seen in FIG. 3);
Claim(s) 1, 3, 5, 9, and 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over KR 2007105745 (herein Hong) in view of Bortoli et al (US Patent No. 8,096,791).
A machine translation of Hong was provided with a previous Office Action, and is relied upon herein.
Hong teaches:
limitations from claim 1, a compressor comprising: a valve plate (40) having a suction port (41); a cylinder (13) forming a compression chamber (13a); a piston (12) in the compression chamber, and which is movable in the compression chamber; a suction valve unit (50) coupled to the valve plate and having a suction valve (51-52) which is movable, based on movement of the piston, to open and close the suction port; and a cushioning member (90) disposed between the valve plate and the suction valve unit (see FIG. 3-4), outside of the suction port, the cushioning member configured such that, with the suction valve moved to close the suction port, the cushioning member is elastically deformed by contact with the suction valve (see Pages 6-7 and Lines 365-373 of the translation); wherein the valve plate includes a receiving portion recessed from a side that faces the suction valve unit to receive the cushioning member, and two opposite ends of the cushioning member are disposed in the receiving portion between the valve plate and the suction valve unit (see annotated FIG. 4 below);
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Hong teaches a discharge port (42), but does not teach that the suction valve has an opening such that the discharge port corresponds to the opening; Hong instead teaches the suction valve and discharge port adjacent one another (FIG. 1);
However, Bortoli teaches a compressor having a suction valve (10) opening and closing a suction port (4), and wherein the suction valve includes an opening (13) corresponding to a discharge port (3; FIG. 1);
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art of compressors at the time the invention was filed to form the suction valve assembly of Hong to have overlapping suction valve/discharge valve components, relying on a suction valve opening as taught by Bortoli, in order to reduce the footprint of the valve assemblies by axially aligning portions of each (discharge port and suction valve) for example.
Hong further teaches:
limitations from claim 3, wherein the valve plate further includes: a discharge valve (60) coupled to the valve plate and which is movable, based on movement of the piston, to open and close the discharge port (FIG. 2; Page 6 Lines 243-249), and the cushioning member does not block the suction port and does not block the discharge port (see FIG. 2-4 in which the member 90 is offset from the discharge port 42);
limitations from claim 5, wherein the receiving portion has an extension length extending in a length direction of the cushioning member;
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limitations from claim 9, wherein the cushioning member surrounds at least a portion of the suction port (see FIG. 3, the member 90 surrounds port 41);
limitations from claim 12, wherein the suction valve unit includes an elastic plate (50), the suction valve (51-52) is formed in the elastic plate and is configured so that movement to open the suction valve causes the suction valve to be elastically deformed from a side of the elastic plate (see Page 5 Lines 232-233), and the receiving portion is configured to receive two opposite ends of the cushioning member so as to overlap a remaining area of the elastic plate where the suction valve is not formed (see FIG. 3-4; spring 90 has two ends within recess 44);
Claim(s) 1 and 13-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Oyagi et al (US PGPub No. 2017/0009759) in view of Bortoli et al (US Patent No. 8,096,791).
Oyagi teaches:
limitations from claim 1, a compressor (FIG. 1) comprising: a valve plate (117) having a suction port (118); a cylinder (114) forming a compression chamber (113); a piston (16) in the compression chamber, and which is movable in the compression chamber; a suction valve unit (120) coupled to the valve plate and having a suction valve (120) which is movable, based on movement of the piston, to open and close the suction port (paragraph 59); and a cushioning member (160) disposed between the valve plate and the suction valve unit, outside of the suction port (see FIG. 3, 6, and 9 for example), the cushioning member configured such that, with the suction valve moved to close the suction port, the cushioning member is elastically deformed by contact with the suction valve (paragraphs 73, 97); wherein the valve plate includes a receiving portion recessed from a side that faces the suction valve unit to receive the cushioning member, and two opposite ends of the cushioning member are disposed in the receiving portion between the valve plate and the suction valve unit (see annotated FIG. 3 below);
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Oyagi teaches a discharge port (119), but does not teach that the suction valve (120) has an opening such that the discharge port corresponds to the opening; Oyagi instead teaches the suction valve and discharge port adjacent one another (FIG. 2);
However, Bortoli teaches a compressor having a suction valve (10) opening and closing a suction port (4), and wherein the suction valve includes an opening (13) corresponding to a discharge port (3; FIG. 1);
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art of compressors at the time the invention was filed to form the suction valve assembly of Oyagi to have overlapping suction valve/discharge valve components, relying on a suction valve opening as taught by Bortoli, in order to reduce the footprint of the valve assemblies by axially aligning portions of each (discharge port and suction valve) for example.
Oyagi further teaches:
limitations from claim 13, wherein the suction valve unit includes an elastic plate (120; paragraphs 59-61), the suction valve (120, 121) is formed in the elastic plate and is configured so that movement to open the suction valve causes the suction valve to be elastically deformed from a side of the elastic plate (paragraph 59), and the cushioning member is integrally formed with the suction valve (paragraph 108; wherein the resin 160 is applied to the valve 120);
limitations from claim 14, wherein the suction valve includes: a valve neck (120b), and a valve head (120a) extending from the valve neck and having a shape corresponding to the suction port (see FIG. 4);
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 12/10/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant has amended the claims to include the limitations “wherein the valve plate includes a receiving portion recessed from a side that faces the suction valve unit to receive the cushioning member, and two opposite ends of the cushioning member are disposed in the receiving portion between the valve plate and the suction valve unit.”.
Regarding Hong (KR 2007105745), applicant argues that the buffer member (spring 90) which is adhesively fixed to the bottom of a recess (groove 44) does not teach that two opposite ends of the cushioning member are disposed in the receiving portion between the valve plate and the suction valve unit. As in the above rejection the examiner maintains that, at least in the closed state, the spring 90 meets the limitations (see FIG. 4 as annotated below).
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Regarding Oyagi (US 2017/0009759), applicant argues that the buffer member (coating 160) does not teach the two ends of the cushioning member positioned between the valve plate and suction valve unit as claimed (applicant cites FIG. 6-7). However, as illustrated in FIG. 3 annotated below, the buffer 160 is located in a recess between the valve and the valve plate.
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Regarding Fraser, applicant argues that buffer member (60) does not have two ends disposed in the receiving portion between the valve plate and the suction valve. However, as illustrated in FIG. 3 below, the examiner maintains that spring (60) is positioned between plate (30) and valve 20 (see dashed lines in the annotated Figure).
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Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 10-11 are allowed.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRISTOPHER S BOBISH whose telephone number is (571)270-5289. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 9-5.
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/CHRISTOPHER S BOBISH/Examiner, Art Unit 3746