DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1-19 are pending.
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/Restriction
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I, claims 13,14 and 19, where claims 1-12 are believed to be generic according to applicant, in the reply filed on 8/4/2026 is acknowledged. Claims 15-18 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention/group, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 8/4/2026.
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d).
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 11/13/2024, 1/5/2026 and 1/27/2026 were filed prior to the mailing date of the mailing of this action. The submissions comply with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements have been considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings were received on 11/13/2024. These drawings are accepted.
Specification
The specifications filed 11/13/2024 regarding the marked-up version and the clean version do not appear to have the matching paragraph numerals, as an example, page 2 in the marked-up version has deleted para. 0012 completely and then having the next paragraph as para. 0013, where it appears that the clean version has listed para. 0012 to be para. 0013 in the marked-up version. Applicant is asked to carefully review and match all paragraphs so no new matter has been entered.
A substitute specification excluding the claims is required pursuant to 37 CFR 1.125(a) because the marked-up copy and clean copy filed 11/13/2024 do not have matching paragraphs, as discussed above.
A substitute specification must not contain new matter. The substitute specification must be submitted with markings showing all the changes relative to the immediate prior version of the specification of record. The text of any added subject matter must be shown by underlining the added text. The text of any deleted matter must be shown by strike-through except that double brackets placed before and after the deleted characters may be used to show deletion of five or fewer consecutive characters. The text of any deleted subject matter must be shown by being placed within double brackets if strike-through cannot be easily perceived. An accompanying clean version (without markings) and a statement that the substitute specification contains no new matter must also be supplied. Numbering the paragraphs of the specification of record is not considered a change that must be shown.
Claim Objections
Claims 1-3,6-8,10 and 11 are objected to because of the following informalities: the limitations, “formed” should be - -located - -, since these are claims are intended for an apparatus.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 1-14 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor, regards as the invention.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "the same line".
There is insufficient antecedent basis for these limitations in the claim.
Claim 1 recite the limitations “a plurality of ports are formed on the same line in a height direction; and a flow path switching housing having an outer peripheral surface in which a plurality of communication holes are formed on the same line in the height direction” which is indefinite as to what the claims intend to define. Should the limitation be, as a suggestion; - -a plurality of ports are located on a same plane at a same height; and a flow path switching housing having an outer peripheral surface in which a plurality of communication holes are located on the same plane at the same height as the plurality of ports - -?
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) 1-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Lee et al. (KR102166939B1, as supplied by applicant). The claims being rejected as best understood, based on the 112 rejections above.
Regarding claim 1, Lee et al. disclose a fluid valve (100) comprising: a main body housing (112) having an outer peripheral surface in which a plurality of ports (112a-e) are formed on the same line in a height direction; and a flow path switching housing (150) having an outer peripheral surface in which a plurality of communication holes (holes at 156b,c,d,e) are formed on the same line in the height direction, the flow path switching housing having therein a plurality of flow paths (158a,b paths) divided by separation walls (the walls shown clearly in Fig. 2 between 158a,b) so that the plurality of communication holes are selectively connected, and the flow path switching housing being rotatably provided in the main body housing and configured to rotate about a center of the main body housing (page 2, lns. 15-21), wherein the plurality of ports are allowed to selectively communicate with one another by a rotation of the flow path switching housing, such that a flow path of a fluid is changed.
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Regarding claim 2, Lee et al. disclose the plurality of ports are formed at preset intervals based on a central axis of the main body housing (as shown above).
Regarding claim 3, Lee et al. disclose the plurality of communication holes are formed at preset intervals based on a central axis of the flow path switching housing (as shown above).
Regarding claim 4, Lee et al. disclose the plurality of flow paths are divided into a first group and a second group (left group 158a, right group 158b) by the separation wall, and the first group or the second group is selected as the flow path, through which the fluid flows, by the rotation of the flow path switching housing (housing 150 rotates about the centerline through stem 154).
Regarding claim 5, Lee et al. disclose when the first group or the second group is selected, the plurality of ports communicate with one another two by two (156e-d/156b-c) so that the fluid flows.
Regarding claim 6, Lee et al. disclose the plurality of ports are formed at preset intervals radially based on the central axis (the inherent vertical centerline axis through stem 154) of the main body housing (as shown above).
Regarding claim 7, Lee et al. disclose the plurality of communication holes are formed at preset intervals radially based on the central axis of the flow path switching housing.
Regarding claim 8, Lee et al. disclose a sealing member (160,162,164) is provided on an inner peripheral surface of the main body housing at positions at which the plurality of ports are formed, and the sealing member prevents the fluid from leaking.
Regarding claim 9, Lee et al. disclose a drive part (154) disposed above or below the main body housing, connected to the flow path switching housing, and configured to rotate the flow path switching housing.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 10-14 and 19 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
None of the prior art of record discloses or renders as obvious, “ first to twelfth communication holes are formed around an outer peripheral surface of the flow path switching housing, and flow paths, which are made by connecting two pairs of communication holes among the first to twelfth communication holes, are formed in the flow path switching housing”, in combination with the claim(s) from which it depends.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Craig Price, whose telephone number is (571)272-2712 or via facsimile (571)273-2712. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday (8:00AM-4:30PM EST).
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Craig Schneider, can be reached at telephone number 571-272-3607, Kenneth Rinehart can be reached at 571-272-4881. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CRAIG J PRICE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3753
