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 .
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.
Claim 5 is 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.
Regarding claim 5, the phrase “the through holes in the inner wall of the inner cylinder that are different in size, quantity and position, different differential pressures are generated, and thus different damping forces are generated” is indefinite because the claims have not positively recited that the through holes are different in size or quantity, thereby rendering it unclear whether the through holes are required to be different in size and quantity.
Regarding claim 5, the phrase “in this case, the damping forces are relatively small to ensure comfort” is indefinite because it is unclear relative to which reference point that the damping forces are “generally small.” Furthermore, it is unclear what is required to “ensure comfort” because “comfort” is a subjective determination without any quantifiable standard.
Regarding claim 5, the phrase “large damping force is able to be generated to meet a support, jumping and other off-road working conditions of vehicles” is indefinite because it is unclear what is considered to be a “large” damping force. Furthermore, it is unclear what is meant by meeting “a support, jumping and other off-road working conditions.”
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)(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 1-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Tong (US 12,168,379).
Regarding independent claim 1, Tong discloses a progressive-displacement nitrogen shock absorber (see e.g. Abstract, FIGS. 1-13; note: the embodiment shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 is relied upon in this rejection, but further reference is made to other figures for elements that are present in FIGS. 12 and 13 but not identified with reference numerals), mainly comprising a conjoined seat (40) (see e.g. FIG. 2; see also FIGS. 12, 13 showing a similar structure to the seat (40) shown in FIG. 2), a compression regulating valve system (see col. 9, line 47 to col. 10, line 7, “valved interconnection housing 40;” see also FIG. 12, showing valve located at interface between housing (40) and reservoir (30)), a nitrogen (see col. 9, lines 44-46) cylinder assembly (30), an inner cylinder (102) (see FIG. 2), an outer cylinder (104) (see FIG. 2), a piston valve system (124, 126) (see e.g. FIGS. 10; see also FIG. 13), a seal assembly (150) (see FIG. 2; see also FIGS. 12, 13) and a piston rod (60), wherein the inner cylinder is arranged inside the outer cylinder (see FIGS. 12, 13), and an annular cavity is formed between the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder (see FIGS. 12, 13); at least upper (520) and lower (540) groups of through holes are formed in an inner wall of the inner cylinder (see FIGS. 12, 13), and the inner cylinder is communicated with the annular cavity through the through holes (see FIGS. 12, 13); sizes and quantities of the through holes are determined according to parameters of different vehicles (see e.g. col. 17, lines 55-59; FIG. 16); wherein an oil path is formed among the nitrogen cylinder assembly, the compression regulating valve system and the inner cylinder (see FIGS. 12, 13); wherein the piston rod is located inside the inner cylinder (see FIGS. 12, 13), the piston valve system is arranged on the piston rod (see FIGS. 10, 12, 13), and the inner cylinder is divided into a restoration side and a compression side by the piston valve system (see FIGS. 12, 13); and wherein the seal assembly is located at an opening of the inner cylinder and limits the piston valve system (see FIGS. 12, 13).
Regarding claim 2, Tong discloses that the nitrogen cylinder assembly comprises a nitrogen cylinder (31), a floating piston (36) is arranged inside the nitrogen cylinder (see e.g. FIG. 2), an air nozzle cover (142, 144) is arranged on a top of the nitrogen cylinder (see e.g. FIG. 2), and an oil hole is formed in a bottom of the nitrogen cylinder to be communicated with the compression regulating valve system (see e.g. FIG. 2; col. 9, lines 47-55).
Regarding claim 3, Tong discloses that the piston valve system comprises a piston (122), a piston valve hole (128, 130) is formed in an interior of the piston (see FIG. 10), and valve slices (124, 126) are arranged on an upper and lower sides of the piston valve hole (see FIG. 10).
Regarding claim 4, Tong discloses that each group of the through holes is arranged in an annular array (see FIGS. 12, 13).
Regarding claim 5, Tong discloses a method of operating a progressive-displacement nitrogen shock absorber (see e.g. col. 12, line 63 to col. 13, line 8), comprising the following steps: step 1, when the shock absorber is compressed from an initial state, a part of oil on a compression side passes through a piston valve hole of a piston valve system into a restoration side (see col. 9, lines 19-25), a part of oil passes through through holes in an inner wall of an inner cylinder to enter into an annular cavity between the inner cylinder and an outer cylinder and then enters into the restoration side from the through holes in an other side of the inner wall of the inner cylinder (see col. 16, lines 17-38), the oil is capable of entering into a nitrogen cylinder from the inner cylinder (see col. 9, line 47 to col. 10, line 7), and nitrogen is compressed by a floating piston to generate gas reaction force (see col. 9, line 47 to col. 10, line 7); and for the through holes in the inner wall of the inner cylinder that are different in size, quantity and position, different differential pressures are generated, and thus different damping forces are generated (see FIG. 13; different damping forces are generated along the stroke; see also FIG. 16, different sizes and locations of orifices); in this case, the damping forces are relatively small to ensure comfort (see e.g. FIG. 13); step 2, when a compression stroke exceeds the through holes in the inner wall of the inner cylinder, the differential pressure is mainly generated by the piston valve system (see FIG. 13; when piston passes the last orifice (510), fluid in the compression chamber can only pass through the piston as the piston advances), and large damping force is able to be generated to meet a support, jumping and other off-road working conditions of vehicles (see col. 16, lines 21-31); and step 3, when the shock absorber is recovered from the initial state, a part of oil is capable of flowing back to the inner cylinder from the nitrogen cylinder under an action of nitrogen reaction force (see col. 9, line 47 to col. 10, line 7), a part of oil passes through the piston valve hole of the piston valve system from the restoration side to enter into the compression side (see col. 9, lines 11-18), a part of oil passes through the through holes in the inner wall of the inner cylinder to enter into the annular cavity between the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder and then enter into the compression side from the through holes in the other side of the inner wall of the inner cylinder (see col. 16, lines 39-59); the through holes in the inner wall of the inner cylinder are different in size, quantity and position, thus different differential pressures are generated, and then different damping force are generated (see FIG. 13; different damping forces are generated along the stroke; see also FIG. 16, different sizes and locations of orifices); in this case, the damping forces are relatively small to ensure the comfort (see e.g. FIG. 13); when the restored stroke exceeds the through holes in the inner wall of the inner cylinder, the differential pressure is mainly generated by the piston valve system (see FIG. 13; when piston passes the last orifice (520), fluid in the compression chamber can only pass through the piston as the piston retracts), and large damping forces are able to be generated to meet a stretching, buffer and other off-road working conditions of vehicles after jumping (see col. 16, lines 43-52).
Regarding claim 6, Tong discloses that the piston valve system is displaced between the through holes in an upper and lower sides of the inner cylinder (see FIG. 13); in the compression state, a part of oil enters into the nitrogen cylinder from the compression side through the through holes (see col. 9, line 47 to col. 10, line 7); and in the restoration state, a part of oil enters into the compression side from the nitrogen cylinder through the through holes, and a part of oil is conveyed from the piston valve system (see col. 9, line 47 to col. 10, line 7).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NICHOLAS J LANE whose telephone number is (571)270-5988. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM.
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/NICHOLAS J LANE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3616
July 17, 2026
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