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 I, claims 1-14 in the reply filed on 12/02/2025 is acknowledged. Furthermore, applicant elected Species II (e.g. Figures 22-23), claims 1, 6-10, 13, and 14 in a telephone interview on 1/06/2026. Therefore, claims 1-28 as filed 12/02/2025 remain pending with claims 2-5, 11, 12, and 15-28 withdrawn from consideration. Claims 1, 6-10, 13, and 14 are treated on their merits.
Claim Objections
Claim 10 is objected to because of the following informalities: “each flapper alignment members” (line 1) should be “each flapper alignment member”. Appropriate correction is required.
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 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, 6, 7, 10, and 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Partridge (US Patent Application 2021/0095772).
Regarding Claim 1, Partridge discloses a check valve (abstract), comprising: a housing 102 having an upstream end 108a and a downstream end 106, wherein the housing includes: a throughbore (including 108 and 110 as shown in Figure 5) extending from the upstream end to the downstream end (as shown in Figure 5); an outer surface extending from the upstream end to the downstream end (outer surface of 110 as shown in e.g. Figures 3, 5, and 6); and an access port 112 extending from the outer surface to the throughbore (as best shown in Figures 5-7), wherein the access port 112 includes an internal annular shoulder 120 and one or more recesses (pockets 138; Figure 6 especially) extending into the internal annular shoulder 120; and a valve seat 132 disposed in the throughbore of the housing (disposed in portion 110 of the throughbore); a check valve assembly (including flapper 130) at least partially disposed in the access port (including at least pivot pin 134 disposed in the access port 112; i.e. above the cavity 110 as shown in Figure 6), wherein the check valve assembly includes:a flapper 130 extending into the throughbore (as shown in Figure 6) and configured to pivot relative to the valve seat 132 between an open position spaced apart from the valve seat and a closed position engaging the valve seat (abstract); one or more flapper alignment members 136 pivotally coupled to the flapper (pivotally coupled via pin 134), wherein each flapper alignment member 136 is slidingly seated in one of the recesses 138 (as shown in Figure 6, the alignment member 136 is slid into the pocket 138) in the internal annular shoulder 120 of the access port to align the flapper 130 with the valve seat in the throughbore (as shown in Figure 6).
Regarding Claim 6, Partridge further discloses the one or more flapper alignment members 136 are configured to be received into the one or more recesses 138 in a single rotational orientation about a central axis of the access port 112 (as shown in Figure 6, the alignment member 136 is received in the recess 138 in a single rotational orientation; it is noted that the limitation of a single rotational orientation does not preclude additional rotational orientations and furthermore it is seen that the valve is only capable of one rotational orientation because the alignment member 136 is positioned along the axis of the pivot pin 134 as shown in Figure 6).
Regarding Claim 7, Partridge further discloses the check valve assembly includes a pair of hinge blocks (each bushing 136 forms a hinge block and also provides the alignment member in the same manner as achieved by applicant and as required by claim 10) and a pin 134 coupled to the flapper 130, wherein the pin 130 extends into a receptacle in each hinge block (at respective ends 134a and 134b).
Regarding Claim 10, Partridge further discloses each flapper alignment members 136 is one of the hinge blocks (bushing 136 provides an alignment member and hinge block as described above with respect to claim 7).
Regarding Claim 14, Partridge further discloses the housing 102 has a central axis (unnumbered center axis along the throughbore as shown in Figure 4) and the throughbore extends axially through the housing from the upstream end to the downstream end (as described above), and wherein the access port 112 has a central axis oriented perpendicular to the central axis of the throughbore (as best shown in Figures 3-6).
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 8 and 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Partridge (US Patent Application 2021/0095772) in view of Anderson et al. (US Patent 2,925,827).
Regarding Claim 8, Partridge does not disclose the check valve assembly further includes: a pair of bushings, wherein each of the pair of bushings includes a flange that defines an outer annular shoulder, wherein each bushing of the pair of bushings is disposed in a corresponding one of receptacles of the hinge blocks with the outer annular shoulder of each of the pair of bushings engaging an inner annular shoulder disposed along the corresponding one of the receptacles; andwherein the pin extends into each of the pair of bushings.
Anderson teaches a pivoting check valve 10 and further teaches the check valve assembly further includes: a pair of bushings 35, wherein each of the pair of bushings includes a flange (radial flange indicated at 35 in Figure 4) that defines an outer annular shoulder (outer annular shoulder defined by the flange, shoulder engaging the end of plug 34), wherein each bushing 35 of the pair of bushings is disposed in a corresponding one of receptacles of hinge blocks (each bushing 35 is disposed in a receptacle of a hinge block 34 as shown in Figure 4) with the outer annular shoulder of each of the pair of bushings (outer radial flanges of 354) engaging an inner annular shoulder disposed along the corresponding one of the receptacles (34 defines an inner annular shoulder at the base of the threaded end); and wherein a pin 30 extends into each of the pair of bushings (as shown in Figure 3).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the application was effectively filed to modify the device of Partridge to include a bushing inserted within each hinge block as taught by Anderson for the purpose of providing a structure known in the art to ensure desired rotation of the pin is achieved.
Regarding Claim 9, Partridge does not disclose the flapper is coupled to the pin with a pair of hinge ears, and wherein the flange of each of the pair of bushings is positioned between the internal annular shoulder of the corresponding one of the receptacles and a corresponding one of the hinge ears.
Anderson further teaches a flapper 20 is coupled to the pin 30 with a pair of hinge ears (hinge ears provided on opposite sides of hub portion 31; i.e. one hinge ear provided on either side of the central portion 29 as shown in Figure 3), and wherein the flange of each of the pair of bushings 35 (radially extending flanges of bushings 35 as described with respect to claim 8 above) is positioned between the internal annular shoulder of the corresponding one of the receptacles (i.e. the end of the threaded end of 34) and a corresponding one of the hinge ears 31 (as shown in Figure 4).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the application was effectively filed to modify the device of Partridge to include a hinge ear around the pin as taught by Anderson for the purpose of providing additional rigidity to the pin to thereby reduce bending and the possibility of fracture.
Claim 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Partridge (US Patent Application 2021/0095772) in view of Scaramucci (US Patent 5,215,118).
Regarding Claim 13, Partridge does not disclose the valve seat is configured to be slidably inserted axially into the throughbore at the upstream end of the housing.
Scaramucci teaches a pivoting check valve and further teaches (in the embodiment shown in Figure 14) a valve seat 52A is configured to be slidably inserted axially into a throughbore at an upstream end of a housing 102 (col. 4, lines 23-34).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the application was effectively filed to modify the device of Partridge such that the valve seat is configured to be slidably inserted axially into the throughbore at the upstream end of the housing as taught by Scaramucci for the purpose of utilizing an alternative arrangement known in the art for securing the valve seat in the housing.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Paulin et al. (US Patent 7,784,489) teaches a pivoting check valve attached to a housing using hinge blocks 88. Lee (US Patent 4,862,910) teaches a check valve including a bushing 40 and hinge block 46.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KEVIN MURPHY whose telephone number is (571)270-5243. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8am-4pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Craig Schneider can be reached on (571) 272-3607. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KEVIN F MURPHY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3753