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 .
Response to Amendment
This office action is in response to the amendment filed 07/09/2026. As directed by the amendment - claim 1 is amended. Applicant’s amendments to the claims have overcome the previous rejections in the non-final office action mailed 04/10/2026.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see remarks, filed 07/09/2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1-11 under 102 and 103, have been fully considered and are persuasive due to the amendments. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Lewis et al. (U.S. 2021/0355882).
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) 1-4, 8, and 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lewis et al. (U.S. 2021/0355882).
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Annotated Figure 3 from Lewis.
Regarding claim 1, Lewis discloses:
A valve for a fluid system of an aircraft engine, comprising: (see paragraph 0002)
a housing (40, 42) defining an internal cavity circumscribed by a peripheral wall extending along a longitudinal axis between a first end (see annotated figure above) and a second end (see annotated figure above), the internal cavity having an outlet (70) extending through the peripheral wall at a location intermediate between the first end (see annotated figure above) and the second end (see annotated figure above), and an inlet (50) at a location between the first end (see annotated figure above) and the outlet 70 (see paragraphs 0025, 0044, 0048)
a spool (46) movably received within the internal cavity for reciprocating movement along the longitudinal axis, the spool (46) defining an internal passage (104) extending along the longitudinal axis, the spool (46) having a valving section (see annotated figure above) sealingly engaged to the peripheral wall between the outlet (70) and the second end (see annotated figure above), a guiding section (see annotated figure above) sealingly engaged to the peripheral wall between the outlet (70) and the first end (see annotated figure above), and an apertured section (108) between the guiding section (see annotated figure above) and the valving section (see annotated figure above), the apertured section (108) defining one or more apertures (108) communicating with the internal passage (104) of the spool (46), the spool (46) moveable between:
a closed position (Figure 3) in which the valving section (see annotated figure above) overlaps and blocks the outlet (70) and in which the spool (46) blocks fluid communication between the inlet (50) and the outlet (70), and an open position (Figure 2B) in which the valving section (see annotated figure above) is offset from the outlet (70) and in which the inlet (50) is fluidly connected to the outlet (70) via the internal passage (104) of the spool (46) and through the one or more apertures (108) of the apertured section (108) of the spool 46 (see Figures 3 and 4; see paragraph 0033)
a biasing member (48) biasing the spool (46) to the closed position (see Figure 3; see paragraph 0046)
Regarding claim 2, Lewis discloses:
wherein the housing (40, 42) includes a sleeve (42), the peripheral wall defined by the sleeve (42), the spool (46) sealingly engaged to the sleeve 42 (see Figure 3)
Regarding claim 3, Lewis discloses:
wherein the sleeve (42) defines one or more sleeve apertures (70) aligned with the outlet 54, 70 (see Figure 4; see paragraph 0033)
Regarding claim 4, Lewis discloses:
wherein a cap (44) is removably secured to the peripheral wall of the housing (40, 42) at the second end (see annotated figure above) of the internal cavity
Regarding claim 8, Lewis discloses:
wherein the spool (46) divides the internal cavity into a reference cavity (80) between the outlet (70) and the second end (see annotated figure above) and an inlet cavity between the inlet (50) and the outlet (70), the reference cavity fluidly connectable to a source (52) of the fluid being at a reference pressure (see paragraph 0049)
Regarding claim 11, Lewis discloses:
wherein the reference cavity (80) is fluidly connected to the source (52) of the fluid via a reference inlet (68) defined by the housing 40, 42 (see Figure 3)
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
Claim(s) 5-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lewis in view of Padilla et al. (U.S. 2018/0023710).
Regarding claims 5-7, Lewis discloses the invention as essentially claimed, but fails to disclose an adjustment member threadingly engaged to the peripheral wall of the housing and movable relative to the housing to vary a biasing force generated by the biasing member; wherein the cap has an anti-rotation feature for preventing rotation of the adjustment member once the cap is mounted to the peripheral wall; wherein the adjustment member has an aperture receiving a stem protruding from the cap, the anti-rotation feature defined by an inner face extending around the aperture and an outer face of the stem contacting each other and being non-cylindrical.
Padilla teaches spring biased spool valve comprising an adjustment member (28) threadingly engaged to a peripheral wall of a housing (22) and movable relative to the housing (22) to vary a biasing force generated by a biasing member 24 (see paragraphs 0026 and 0029-0033); wherein a cap (36) has an anti-rotation feature (40) for preventing rotation of the adjustment member (28) once the cap (36) is mounted to the peripheral wall (see paragraphs 0029-0033); wherein the adjustment member (28) has an aperture (44) receiving a stem (42) protruding from the cap (36), the anti-rotation feature (40) defined by an inner face extending around the aperture (44) and an outer face of the stem (42) contacting each other and being non-cylindrical (see paragraphs 0029-0033).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention as effectively filed to have modified Lewis to provide an adjustment member threadingly engaged to the peripheral wall of the housing and movable relative to the housing to vary a biasing force generated by the biasing member; wherein the cap has an anti-rotation feature for preventing rotation of the adjustment member once the cap is mounted to the peripheral wall; wherein the adjustment member has an aperture receiving a stem protruding from the cap, the anti-rotation feature defined by an inner face extending around the aperture and an outer face of the stem contacting each other and being non-cylindrical. Doing so would allow the spring force to be adjusted, while also preventing a change in the spring force after assembly, as recognized by Padilla (see paragraph 0029).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 12-20 are allowed.
Claims 9 and 10 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
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KELSEY E CARY whose telephone number is (571)272-9427. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9:30am-5:30pm.
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/KELSEY E CARY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3753
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