DETAILED ACTION
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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group C, figures 3-5 in the reply filed on 9/11/2025 is acknowledged.
Currently no claims stand as withdrawn. Claims 1-20 are being examined.
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) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Eilers et al. (U.S. 10,221,963).
Eilers discloses a valve comprising: a valve body (12) defining an inner cavity (within 12) that fluidly couples an inlet of the valve (18) and an outlet of the valve (20); a rotary ball (30, 60) to vary a flow of fluid between the inlet and the outlet, the rotary ball including a bore (left to right in fig. 2, see also fig. 1); and a screen (68, 70, see col. 3, ll. 64 – col. 4, ll. 8) at least partially surrounded by annular cavities (annular spaces 76) spaced apart from one another along a direction of flow of the bore (fig. 2), the screen including a pattern of apertures to disperse sound waves generated when the fluid moves therethrough (col. 3, ll. 67 – col. 4, ll. 34-35, col. 4, ll. 34-35).
Regarding claim 2, Eilers further discloses wherein a first center axis of the screen and a second center axis of the bore are generally aligned (see fig. 2, generally aligned horizontally).
Regarding claim 3, Eilers further discloses wherein the screen is positioned in the bore of the rotary ball (fig. 2).
Regarding claim 4, Eilers further discloses wherein the screen extends longitudinally between a first end of the bore to a second end of the bore (fig. 2).
Regarding claim 5, Eilers further discloses wherein the bore includes an inner surface, the inner surface including the annular cavities (fig. 2, the inner surface defining the bore and including the annular cavities).
Regarding claim 6, Eilers further discloses wherein the annular cavities vary in depth along the direction of flow (see fig. 2 and also col. 4, ll. 13-19).
Regarding claim 7, Eilers further discloses wherein the inlet is a first inlet (18) and the outlet is a first outlet (20), wherein the rotary ball includes a second inlet (62) and a second outlet (64), the annular cavities spaced apart from each other between the second inlet and the second outlet.
Regarding claim 8, Eilers further discloses wherein a first one of the annular cavities is positioned adjacent to the second inlet (such as 74a) and a second one of the annular cavities is positioned between the first one of the annular cavities and the second outlet (such as 74c or 74d, or the largest diameter cavity where the lead line for 76 is located in fig. 2), the first one of the annular cavities having a first diameter, the second one of the annular cavities having a second diameter greater than the first diameter (see fig. 2).
Regarding claim 9, Eilers further discloses including a third one of the annular cavities (74b) positioned adjacent to the second outlet (fig. 2), the third one of the annular cavities having a third diameter less than the second diameter, the second one of the annular cavities positioned between the first and third ones of the annular cavities (fig. 2).
Regarding claim 10, Eilers further discloses wherein the second one of the annular cavities is adjacent a center of the bore (fig. 2).
Regarding claim 11, Eilers discloses an apparatus for use with a valve, the apparatus comprising: a rotary ball (30, 60) having an inner wall to define a fluid passageway (left to right in fig. 2), the rotary ball to vary a flow of fluid between an inlet of the valve and an outlet of the valve (by rotation as is known in the art via 32, 34); and a screen (68, 70, see col. 3, ll. 64 – col. 4, ll. 8) at least partially covering the inner wall (fig. 2), the screen including a pattern of apertures (col. 3, ll. 67 – col. 4, ll. 8) surrounded by ring-shaped grooves (annular grooves 76) to disperse sound waves generated when a fluid moves through the valve (col. 4, ll. 34-35)
Regarding claim 12, Eilers further discloses wherein the inner wall includes the ring-shaped grooves (fig. 2).
Regarding claim 13, Eilers further discloses wherein the inner wall is cylindrically shaped (fig. 2).
Regarding claim 14, Eilers further discloses wherein the screen is fully surrounded by the inner wall (fig. 2).
Regarding claim 15, Eilers further discloses wherein the screen is aligned with the ring-shaped grooves (fig. 2).
Regarding claim 16, Eilers further discloses wherein first ones of the ring-shaped grooves are adjacent a first end of the rotary ball (74a, 74c) and second ones of the ring-shaped grooves are adjacent a second end of the rotary ball (74b, 74d), the first end facing the inlet, the second end facing the outlet (fig. 2).
Regarding claim 17, Eilers further discloses wherein the first ones of the ring-shaped grooves increase in diameter along a direction from the first end to the second end (fig. 2, from the left end to the center at 76), wherein the second ones of the ring-shaped grooves decrease in diameter along a direction from the first end to the second end (fig. 2, from the center to the right end).
Regarding claim 18, Eilers further discloses wherein the first and second ones of the ring-shaped grooves are spaced apart from each other along the inner wall (fig. 2).
Regarding claim 19, Eilers discloses a method of producing a noise reduction valve, the method comprising: positioning a rotary ball (30, 60) in a valve body (12), the rotary ball to vary a flow of fluid between an inlet and an outlet of the valve body (by rotation as is known in the art via 32, 34); and placing a screen (68, 70, see col. 3, ll. 64 – col. 4, ll. 8) proximate a bore (from left to right in fig. 2) of the rotary ball, the screen at least partially surrounded by annular cavities (annular cavities 76), the screen including a pattern of apertures (col. 3, ll. 67 – col. 4, ll. 8).
Regarding claim 20, Eilers further discloses including placing the screen against the annular cavities of the bore of the rotary ball (fig. 2), the bore including an inner surface with the annular cavities spaced apart from each other along a direction of flow of the valve body (fig. 2, the inner surface defining the bore and including the annular cavities, see the spacing in fig. 2 from left to right).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
It is noted there is currently no double-patenting between the instant application and the parent application now U.S. Patent No. 12,066,124.
Leinen (U.S. 5,287,889) discloses a low-noise rotary valve with aperture cavities in the ball valve.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL R REID whose telephone number is (313)446-4859. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 9am-5pm est.
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 supervisors can be reached by phone. Craig Schneider can be reached at 571-272-3607, or Ken 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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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) Form at https://www.uspto.gov/patents/uspto-automated- interview-request-air-form.
/MICHAEL R REID/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3753