DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1-10 are pending in the present application.
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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 8/20/2024 were filed. The submissions are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1, 3, 9, and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by Harrison (US Pat. No. 4,915,133, hereinafter Harrison).
Regarding claim 1, Harrison teaches a valve (see Abstract; see also Fig. 1-6, valve 16) for a fluid line (23/24), comprising at least: a valve housing (see Fig. 1-3, valve housing of valve 16) having an inlet (see Fig. 1-5, inlet 31 or inlet 32) for a fluid and an outlet (see Fig. 1-5, respective outlet 32 or outlet 31) for the fluid; a pressure sensor (see col. 3, lines 22-43, pressure reading, interpreted as including a pressure sensor, provided at receptacle 49); and at least one valve body (see Fig. 1-6, valve body 27), which can be moved into an open position to open the valve (see Fig. 1 and 4, valve body 27 in open position providing fluid passage between 23/24) and into a first closed position (see Fig. 2, first closed position shown) and into a second closed position (see Fig. 3, second closed position shown) to close the valve (see Fig. 2 and 3, closed positions shown close the passage between 23 and 24), wherein the pressure sensor can be used to measure a pressure of the fluid in the inlet in the first closed position and to measure the pressure of the fluid in the outlet in the second closed position (see Fig. 2, 3, and 6; see also col. 3, lines 22-43, pressure reading can be measured in the first closed position or second closed position at the receptacle 49 of either valve 16 (utilizing second closed position of Fig. 3) or of valve 17 (utilizing first closed position of Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 3, Harrison above teaches all of the limitations of claim 1.
Furthermore, Harrison teaches that the valve body can be rotated by at least 90° about an axis of rotation between the first closed position and the second closed position (see Fig. 2 and 3, valve body 27 rotates 180 about axis of rotation 42 between first closed positioned (Fig. 2) and second closed position (Fig. 3)).
Regarding claim 9, Harrison above teaches all of the limitations of claim 1.
Furthermore, Harrison teaches a device for a fluid line, comprising the valve according to claim 1 (see Fig. 6, purge and testing device for a fluid line 15/24/25 comprising valves 16/17 shown; see also Abstract).
Regarding claim 10, Harrison above teaches all of the limitations of claim 1.
Usage of a valve according to claim 1 for a leakage detector or a fluid meter (see Fig. 6 and col. 3, lines 22-43, use of valves for tightness (leak) test described).
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.
Claims 2 and 4-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Harrison as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Feng et al. (US 2018/0259076 A1, hereinafter Feng).
Regarding claim 2, Harrison above teaches all of the limitations of claim 1.
Harrison fails to specifically teach that the open position the pressure sensor can be used to measure the pressure of the fluid as it flows through the valve.
Feng teaches a valve and valve body (see Fig. 1-2D, valve with valve body 1d shown), the valve including an inlet (1a), an outlet (1c), and an access port (1c), and wherein the valve body is configured such that the access port (1c) may access one of the inlet/outlet (see Fig. 2C) or both of the inlet/outlet (see Fig. 2A).
Therefore, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, to modify the device of Harrison with the valve body of Feng. This would allow for the clearing of multiple blockages or testing of fluid tightness in both the inlet and outlet lines simultaneously of the valve of Harrison, thereby reducing testing/clearing time.
Regarding claim 4, Harrison above teaches all of the limitations of claim 1.
Furthermore, Harrison teaches that the valve body comprises a first fluid duct and a second fluid duct (see Fig. 3, first fluid duct 51 and second fluid duct 61), wherein the first fluid duct extends through the valve body (see Fig. 3, first fluid duct 51 extends through the valve body 27 as shown).
Harrison fails to teach that the second fluid duct opens out into the first fluid duct.
Feng teaches a valve and valve body (see Fig. 1-2D, valve with valve body 1d shown), the valve including an inlet (1a), an outlet (1c), and an access port (1c), and wherein the valve body comprises a first fluid duct (see Fig. 2A and 2D, valve body 1d includes first fluid duct 1g-1h) and a second fluid duct (see Fig. 2A and 2D, valve body 1d includes second fluid duct 1i), wherein the first fluid duct extends through the valve body and wherein the second fluid duct opens out into the first fluid duct (see Fig. 2A and 2D, first fluid duct 1g-1h extends through the valve body 1d and includes second fluid duct 1i opening out into the first fluid duct 1g-1h as shown).
Therefore, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, to modify the device of Harrison with the valve body configuration of Feng. This would allow for the clearing of multiple blockages or testing of fluid tightness in both the inlet and outlet lines simultaneously of the valve of Harrison, thereby reducing testing/clearing time.
Regarding claim 5, Harrison as modified by Feng above teaches all of the limitations of claims 1 and 4.
Furthermore, Harrison teaches that the first fluid duct and the second fluid duct are orthogonal to each other (see Fig. 1, first fluid duct 51 and second fluid duct 61 orthogonal as shown).
Regarding claim 6, Harrison as modified by Feng above teaches all of the limitations of claims 1 and 4.
Harrison as modified by Feng above fails to specifically teach that in the open position of the valve body the first fluid duct connects the inlet to the outlet and the second fluid duct connects the first fluid duct to the pressure sensor.
However, as described above, Feng teaches a valve and valve body (see Fig. 1-2D, valve with valve body 1d shown), the valve including an inlet (1a), an outlet (1c), and an access port (1c), and wherein the valve body is configured such that the access port (1c) may access one of the inlet/outlet (see Fig. 2C) or both of the inlet/outlet (see Fig. 2A); wherein the valve body comprises a first fluid duct (see Fig. 2A and 2D, valve body 1d includes first fluid duct 1g-1h) and a second fluid duct (see Fig. 2A and 2D, valve body 1d includes second fluid duct 1i), wherein the first fluid duct extends through the valve body and wherein the second fluid duct opens out into the first fluid duct (see Fig. 2A and 2D, first fluid duct 1g-1h extends through the valve body 1d and includes second fluid duct 1i opening out into the first fluid duct 1g-1h as shown).
Therefore, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, to modify the device of Harrison with the valve body of Feng such that the pressure sensor was connected to the inlet and outlet via the first and second fluid ducts. This would allow for the clearing of multiple blockages or testing of fluid tightness in both the inlet and outlet lines simultaneously of the valve of Harrison, thereby reducing testing/clearing time.
Regarding claims 7 and 8, Harrison as modified by Feng above teaches all of the limitations of claims 1 and 4.
Harrison as modified by Feng above fails to specifically teach that the first fluid duct and the second fluid duct connect the inlet to the pressure sensor in the first closed position of the valve body; or wherein the first fluid duct and the second fluid duct connect the outlet to the pressure sensor in the second closed position of the valve body.
However, Feng teaches that the valve body (1d) is configurable such that the pressure sensor or access port may be connected to the inlet or outlet via the first and second fluid duct (see Fig. 2C, access port 1c may be connected to the inlet 1a or outlet 1b via the first fluid duct 1g-1h and second fluid duct 1i as shown).
Therefore, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, to modify the device of Harrison with the valve body of Feng such that the pressure sensor was connected to the inlet or outlet via the first and second fluid ducts. This would allow for the device to have several configurations for the clearing of blockages or testing of fluid tightness in both the inlet and/or outlet lines simultaneously of the valve of Harrison, thereby reducing testing/clearing time.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NATHANIEL T WOODWARD whose telephone number is (571)270-0704. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM.
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/NATHANIEL T WOODWARD/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2855
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