DETAILED ACTION
Non-Final Rejection
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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 9 September 2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 11 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
The term “substantially” in claim 11 is a relative term which renders the claim indefinite. The term “substantially equal” is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention. It is unclear to what extent the circumferential dimension of the third circumferential opening may vary from the circumferential dimension of the oversized seal.
Claim 14 recites the limitation "the cover panel" in lines 2-3. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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.
Claims 1-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ledvora (U.S. Patent 11,255,450).
Regarding claim 1, Ledvora discloses a multi-port valve 32 comprising:
a valve housing 40 having an axial port 24 and a plurality of circumferential ports (238, 240, 242, 244);
a valve member 58 having at least two flow channels (20, 22) therethrough, the valve member being movable within the valve housing about an axis to alter a fluid flow through the multi-port valve by changing the position of the at least two flow channels (FIG. 1-6), wherein at least one dedicated proportional flow condition is achievable between the plurality of circumferential ports; and
a sealing arrangement 60 positioned between the valve housing and the valve member, the valve member being movable relative to the sealing arrangement, the sealing arrangement comprising a seal associated with each of the plurality of circumferential ports (Col. 5 ln 22-31);
characterized in that the seal associated with the third circumferential port and the seal associated with the fourth circumferential port are provided on a single sealing element (FIG. 1-6, 12, 19; Col. 4 ln 54-Col. 6 ln 32).
Regarding claim 2, Ledvora discloses the single sealing element comprises at least one lip (See Annotated Image below) and at least one wing (See Annotated Image below) (FIG. 1).
Annotated Image 1 (Ledvora FIG. 1)
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Regarding claim 3, Ledvora discloses the at least one lip is provided for improving the internal leakage between circumferential ports (FIG. 1; Col. 5 ln 22-44).
All aspects and portions of a seal are meant in some way to prevent leakage and provide for ease of movement of a valve member.
Regarding claim 4, Ledvora discloses at least one wing is provided for reducing the torque required for driving the multi-port valve (FIG. 1; Col. 5 ln 22-44).
All aspects and portions of a seal are meant in some way to prevent leakage and provide for ease of movement of a valve member.
Regarding claim 5, Ledvora discloses the at least one seal of the sealing arrangement is oversized relative to the corresponding circumferential port to provide a surge-prevention pathway (FIG. 4, at the bottom of 58 at the connection between the housing and the port body 228, the seal has a larger diameter than the port) around the valve member to the axial port (FIG. 4).
Regarding claim 6, Ledvora discloses the plurality of circumferential ports is located in a single plane (FIG. 1-12).
Regarding claim 7, Ledvora discloses the valve member comprises first 22 and second 20 said flow channels, a circumferential dimension of an inter-channel wall (FIG. 19, between 20 and 20b) of a body of the valve member which is between the two flow channels being less than a circumferential dimension of a seal aperture of the at least one oversized seal (FIG. 19).
Regarding claim 8, Ledvora discloses the first flow channel extends from a first circumferential opening to a second circumferential opening of the valve member (FIG. 2, 3, 17-20).
Regarding claim 9, Ledvora discloses the plurality of circumferential ports comprises two outlet circumferential ports (FIG. 12, ports 2 and 4) which are circumferentially spaced apart by a distance which is less than a circumferential dimension of at least one of the first and second circumferential openings of the first said flow channel (FIG. 12).
Regarding claim 10, Ledvora discloses the second flow channel extends from a third circumferential opening (20a, 20, 20b) to an axial opening (at 24) of the valve member (FIG. 19-20).
Regarding claim 11, Ledvora discloses the third circumferential opening has a circumferential dimension which is equal to or substantially equal to the circumferential dimension of the at least one oversized seal (FIG. 19-20).
Regarding claim 12, Ledvora discloses the plurality of circumferential ports comprises a first circumferential port (at 228), a second circumferential port (at 230), a third circumferential port (at 226), and a fourth circumferential port (at 224) (FIG. 1-4).
Regarding claim 13, Ledvora discloses the said sealing element comprises a cover panel (See Annotated Image 1 above) intermediate the seals (FIG. 1-4).
Regarding claim 14, Ledvora discloses a shape of the said sealing element is a superposition of two overlapping oblong or obround shapes (the ports are substantially round and the seals surround the ports, therefore the seals are substantially round or obround), wherein the cover panel is dimensioned to an overlap region thereof (FIG. 1-4).
Regarding claim 15, Ledvora discloses there is at least one proportional flow condition (FIG. 1) from the first circumferential port to the third and fourth circumferential ports, and at least one proportional flow condition (FIG. 4) from the second circumferential port to the third and fourth circumferential ports (FIG. 1-4).
Regarding claim 16, Ledvora discloses there is at least one further proportional flow condition (FIG. 2, 3).
Regarding claim 17, Ledvora discloses at least one seal is provided as a protruding rim relative to a surface of an associated sealing element (FIG. 1-4).
Regarding claim 18, Ledvora discloses the valve member being movable within the valve housing to provide crossing function and proportional function (FIG. 1-4).
Regarding claim 19, Ledvora discloses a coolant system for a motor vehicle (Col. 7 ln 47-49), the coolant system comprising at least one multi-port valve as claimed in claim 1 (FIG. 1-6, 12, 19; Col. 4 ln 54-Col. 6 ln 32, Col. 7 ln 47-49).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Lin (U.S. Patent 7,293,660) discloses a multi-port valve similar to the one disclosed in the present application.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRISTOPHER D BALLMAN whose telephone number is (571)272-9984. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 6:00-3:00.
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 supervisor, Craig M Schneider can be reached at 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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/CHRISTOPHER D BALLMAN/ Examiner, Art Unit 3753
/CRAIG M SCHNEIDER/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3753