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.
Claims 1-3 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.
In Claim 1, line 4, the claim recites the language indicating that a valve apparatus is controlled by operating a spool provided in a valve body. In lines 7 and 9 the elements of Travelling spools and Working equipment spools are described. It is unclear if the spool in line 4 is a singular spool provided in addition to the travelling and Working equipment spools or if the “operating a spool” language is referring to the capabilities provided by the travelling and Working equipment spools described later in the claim.
In Claim 1, line 4, the claim recites the language describing a hydraulic device and a hydraulic pump, between which sits a hydraulic valve apparatus. In lines 8 and 10 the elements of two travelling devices and working equipment hydraulic devices are described. It is unclear if the hydraulic device in line 4 is a hydraulic device provided in addition to the travelling and Working hydraulic devices or if the “hydraulic device” language is referring to the travelling and Working hydraulic devices described later in the claim.
In Claim 2, line 5, the claim recites the language describing the pump ports being “midway” of the respective pump oil passages. It is unclear what dimensions or distances the limitation “midway” describes in relation to the placement of the pump oil passages and their respective pump ports.
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.
Claims 1-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Muraoka (U.S. Pub. No. 2019/0285093).
Regarding Claim 1, Muraoka discloses a hydraulic valve apparatus that is interposed between a hydraulic device (Muraoka: 121, 122, 123) and a hydraulic pump (Muraoka: 10, 110) and controls supply of oil from the hydraulic pump (Muraoka: 10, 110) to the hydraulic device (Muraoka: 121, 122, 123) by operating a spool provided in a valve body, wherein the valve body includes:
Travelling spools (Muraoka: 111, 112) separately provided for two traveling hydraulic devices (Muraoka: 121, 122);
Working equipment spools (Muraoka: 113, 114) provided corresponding to working equipment hydraulic devices (Muraoka: 123); and
Two pump oil passages (Muraoka: Figure 2: hydraulic lines extending out of 10b and 110b) connected to the hydraulic pump (Muraoka: 10, 110) via pump ports (Muraoka: 10b, 110b); and
The two traveling spools (Muraoka: 111, 112) are separately connected to the pump oil passages (Muraoka: Figure 2: hydraulic lines extending out of 10b and 110b) at positions at which distances from the pump ports (Muraoka: 10b, 110b) are equal to each other without passing through other spools (Muraoka: Figure 2: hydraulic lines extending out 10b and 110b mirror each other, without intersecting other spools/valves, until reaching 111 and 112).
Regarding Claim 2, Muraoka discloses the hydraulic valve apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:
The two pump oil passages (Muraoka: Figure 2: hydraulic lines extending out of 10b and 110b) are provided in the valve body to be parallel to each other (Muraoka: Figure 2: portions of hydraulic lines extending from 10b and 110b are parallel along most of length of each);
The pump ports (Muraoka: 10b, 110b) are provided midway of the respective pump oil passages (Muraoka: Figure 2: hydraulic lines extending out of 10b and 110b) (Muraoka: the pump ports and pump oil passages are aligned and fluidly connected and therefore can be considered to be “midway” on one another); and
The Working equipment spools (Muraoka: 113, 114) are connected to a portion of the pump oil passages (Muraoka: Figure 2: hydraulic lines extending out of 10b and 110b) and are located on one side of the pump ports (Muraoka: 10b, 110b) and the traveling spools are connected to a portion of the pump oil passages (Muraoka: Figure 2: hydraulic lines extending out of 10b and 110b) and are located on another side of the pump ports (Muraoka: 10b, 110b)(Muraoka: Figure 2: both travelling and working spools are present on both hydraulic/oil lines and their respective sides associated with each pump port).
Regarding Claim 3, Muraoka discloses The hydraulic valve apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the two pump oil passages (Muraoka: Figure 2: hydraulic lines extending out of 10b and 110b) are connected to each other via a merging-separating oil passage (Muraoka: Figure 2: hydraulic lines extending from 116 and 117 and merging before extending to 125) including a merging-separating switching valve (Muraoka: 125) at one end portion.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 20220298752 (comparable valve arrangement but lacks description or visual representation of symmetry), US 11073171 (comparable valve arrangement but lacks specified travelling spools), US 11713557 (comparable valve arrangement but lacks description or visual representation of symmetry).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DOUGLAS S WOOD whose telephone number is (571)270-5954. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Thursday 8:30 AM - 7:00 PM EST.
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, Nicole A Coy can be reached at (571) - 272 - 5405. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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DOUGLAS S. WOOD
Examiner
Art Unit 3672
/DOUGLAS S WOOD/Examiner, Art Unit 3672
/Nicole Coy/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3672
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