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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 12/10/2024 was filed after the mailing date of the Application on 12/10/2024. The submission 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 § 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.
Claim(s) 1-5, 8-11, 16, 21-22, and 24-25 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Bhandari et al. (US 2023/0078232).
With regards to claim 1:
Bhandari et al. discloses (refer to Fig. 1 below) a valve unit (1) comprising
- a valve which comprises a movable piston (4, 6, 7) for closing and opening the valve,
- a magnet (3) or a magnetizable element and
- a sensor unit (12) which comprises a magnetic field sensor for determining a position of the piston (4, 6,7),
wherein the magnet (3) or the magnetizable element and the sensor unit (12) are movable relative to one another by the movement of the piston (4, 6, 7),
wherein the valve unit comprises a control device (automobile engine control unit (not shown); see [0020]) which continuously evaluates positions of the piston (4, 6,7), and wherein the control device is configured to evaluate further positions during a movement of the piston in addition to a closed and an open state of the valve (see [0020]).
PNG
media_image1.png
1245
1008
media_image1.png
Greyscale
Fig. 1
With regards to claim 2:
Bhandari et al. discloses the valve unit according to Claim 1 wherein the magnetic field sensor is a Hall sensor (Hall sensor with I.C.; see [0017], [0020]).
With regards to claim 3:
Bhandari et al. discloses the valve unit according to Claim 1 wherein the sensor unit (12) is arranged in a receiving opening in the valve unit (1), said receiving opening being of closed configuration in relation to a space into which the piston (4, 6, 7) penetrates during its movement.
With regards to claim 4:
Bhandari et al. discloses the valve unit according to Claim 1 wherein the magnet (3) or the magnetizable element is arranged in the piston (4, 6, 7) and the sensor unit (12) is arranged in a positionally fixed manner.
With regards to claim 5:
Bhandari et al. discloses (refer to Fig. 1 above) the valve unit according to Claim 1 wherein the sensor unit (12) is arranged in a housing part (2) of the valve unit (1) and wherein the receiving opening is of open configuration towards an outer side for the purpose of introducing the sensor unit (12).
With regards to claim 8:
Bhandari et al. discloses (refer to Fig. 1 above) a valve unit (1) comprising
- a valve which comprises a movable piston (4, 6, 7) for closing and opening the valve,
- a magnet (3) or a magnetizable element and
- a sensor unit (12) which comprises a magnetic field sensor, for determining a position of the piston (4, 6, 7),
wherein the magnet (3) or the magnetizable element and the sensor unit (12) are movable relative to one another by the movement of the piston (4, 6, 7),
wherein the sensor unit (12) is arranged in a receiving opening in the valve unit (1), said receiving opening being of closed configuration in relation to a space into which the piston (4, 6, 7) penetrates during its movement.
With regards to claim 9:
Bhandari et al. discloses the valve unit according to Claim 8, wherein the magnet (3) or the magnetizable element is arranged in the piston (4, 6, 7) and the sensor unit (12) is arranged in a positionally fixed manner.
With regards to claim 10:
Bhandari et al. discloses the valve unit according to Claim 8, wherein the sensor unit (12) is arranged in a housing part (2) of the valve unit (1) and wherein the receiving opening (not labeled) is of open configuration towards an outer side for the purpose of introducing the sensor unit (12).
With regards to claim 11:
Bhandari et al. discloses the valve unit according to Claim 10, wherein the piston (4, 6, 7) is fastened to the housing part (2) in a releasable manner and so as to be movable relative to the housing part, as a result of which the housing part (2) together with the piston (4, 6, 7) and the sensor unit (12) are jointly exchangeable.
With regards to claim 16:
Bhandari et al. discloses the valve unit according to Claim 8 wherein the sensor unit (12) is arranged without a housing in the receiving opening, wherein the housing part (2) surrounds the sensor unit (12) in a protective manner.
With regards to claim 21:
Bhandari et al. discloses the valve unit according to Claim 8 wherein the valve unit comprises a control device (automobile engine control unit (not shown); see [0020]) which continuously evaluates positions of the piston (4, 6, 7), wherein the control device is configured to evaluate further positions during a movement of the piston in addition to a closed and an open state of the valve (see [0020]).
With regards to claim 22:
Bhandari et al. discloses (refer to Fig. 1 above) a valve unit (1)
- comprising a valve which comprises a movable piston (4, 6, 7) for closing and opening the valve,
- having a magnet (3) or a magnetizable element and
- comprising a sensor unit (12) which comprises a magnetic field sensor, preferably a Hall sensor, for determining a position of the piston (4, 6, 7),
wherein the magnet (3) or the magnetizable element and the sensor unit (12) are movable relative to one another by the movement of the piston (4, 6, 7),
wherein the sensor unit (12) is arranged without a housing in a receiving opening in the valve unit, and wherein the receiving opening surrounds the sensor unit (12) in a protective manner.
With regards to claim 24:
Bhandari et al. discloses the valve unit according to claim 8 wherein the magnetic field sensor is a Hall sensor.
With regards to claim 25:
Bhandari et al. discloses the valve unit according to claim 22 wherein the magnetic field sensor is a Hall sensor.
Claim(s) 1, 3, 5, 7-11, 13-14, 17-18, and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Robert (DE 20081062301).
With regards to claim 1:
Robert discloses (refer to Fig. 2 below) a valve unit comprising
- a valve which comprises a movable piston (1, 2) for closing and opening the valve,
- a magnet (11) or a magnetizable element and
- a sensor unit (10) which comprises a magnetic field sensor for determining a position of the piston (4, 6,7),
wherein the magnet (11) or the magnetizable element and the sensor unit (10) are movable relative to one another by the movement of the piston (1, 2),
wherein the valve unit comprises a control device (not shown) which continuously evaluates positions of the piston (1, 2), and wherein the control device is configured to evaluate further positions during a movement of the piston in addition to a closed and an open state of the valve (see [0025]).
With regards to claim 3:
Robert discloses the valve unit according to Claim 1 wherein the sensor unit (10) is arranged in a receiving opening in the valve unit, said receiving opening being of closed configuration in relation to a space into which the piston (1, 2) penetrates during its movement.
PNG
media_image2.png
725
772
media_image2.png
Greyscale
Fig. 2
With regards to claim 5:
Robert discloses the valve unit according to Claim 1 wherein the sensor unit (10) is arranged in a housing part (9) of the valve unit and wherein the receiving opening is of open configuration towards an outer side for the purpose of introducing the sensor unit (10).
With regards to claim 7:
Robert discloses the valve unit according to Claim 1 wherein the sensor unit (10) comprises an elongate base plate (10), wherein the magnetic field sensor (12) is arranged in an end region of the base plate (10) and wherein the base plate (10) is received in the receiving opening.
With regards to claim 8:
Robert discloses (refer to Fig. 2 above) a valve unit comprising
- a valve which comprises a movable piston (1, 2) for closing and opening the valve,
- a magnet (11) or a magnetizable element and
- a sensor unit (10) which comprises a magnetic field sensor (12), for determining a position of the piston (1, 2),
wherein the magnet (11) or the magnetizable element and the sensor unit (10) are movable relative to one another by the movement of the piston (1, 2),
wherein the sensor unit (10) is arranged in a receiving opening in the valve unit, said receiving opening being of closed configuration in relation to a space into which the piston (1, 2) penetrates during its movement.
With regards to claim 9:
Robert discloses the valve unit according to Claim 8, wherein the magnet (11) or the magnetizable element is arranged in the piston (1,2) and the sensor unit (10) is arranged in a positionally fixed manner.
With regards to claim 10:
Robert discloses the valve unit according to Claim 8, wherein the sensor unit (10) is arranged in a housing part (9) of the valve unit and wherein the receiving opening is of open configuration towards an outer side for the purpose of introducing the sensor unit (10).
With regards to claim 11:
Robert discloses the valve unit according to Claim 10, wherein the piston (1, 2) is fastened to the housing part (9) in a releasable manner and so as to be movable relative to the housing part, as a result of which the housing part (9) together with the piston (1, 2) and the sensor unit (10) are jointly exchangeable.
With regards to claim 13:
Robert discloses the valve unit according to Claim 8, wherein the magnetic field sensor and the magnet (11) or the magnetizable element are arranged spaced apart from one another along a common axis, wherein the common axis extends along the movement direction of the piston (1, 2) during the opening and closing of the valve.
With regards to claim 14:
Robert discloses the valve unit according to Claim 13, wherein the receiving opening has a longitudinal direction which extends along the common axis.
With regards to claim 17:
Robert discloses the valve unit according to Claim 8, herein the sensor unit (10) comprises an elongate base plate 0, wherein the magnetic field sensor (12) is arranged in an end region (of the base plate and wherein the base plate is received in the receiving opening.
With regards to claim 18:
Robert discloses the valve unit according to Claim 17, wherein a plug (not labeled) is fixedly connected to the base plate at an end lying opposite to the end region, wherein the plug is accessible from the outside in the state when the base plate is mounted in the receiving opening.
With regards to claim 20:
Robert discloses the valve unit according to Claim 8, wherein the piston (1, 2) has a circular-cylindrical base body which defines a longitudinal central axis, wherein the common axis is the longitudinal central axis of the piston and wherein the magnetic field sensor and the magnet (11) or the magnetizable element are arranged centrally with respect to the longitudinal central axis.
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.
Claim(s) 6, 15, 23 and 26 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bhandari et al., as applied to claims 1, 8 above, and further in view of Huber et al. (US 2022/0178407).
With regards to claims 6 and 15:
Bhandari et al. discloses the valve unit according to claims 1, 8 (see rejected claims 1 and 8 above).
Bhandari et al. does not disclose the magnetic field sensor is a 2D sensor or, preferably a 3D sensor.
Huber et al. teaches (see [0047]) 2D or 3D Hall sensor is used for position sensor.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use 2D or 3D Hall sensor as the Hall sensor for the magnetic field sensor of Bhandari et al. as taught by Huber et al. to detect the position of the piston of the valve unit of Bhandari et al..
Bhandari et al., as modified, discloses the valve unit according to claims 6 and 15.
With regards to claims 23:
Bhandari et al., as modified, discloses a valve unit (1)
- comprising a valve which comprises a movable piston (4, 6, 7) for closing and opening the valve,
- comprising a magnet (3) or a magnetizable element and
- comprising a sensor unit (12) which comprises a magnetic field sensor, preferably a Hall sensor, for determining a position of the piston (4, 6, 7),
wherein the magnet (3) or the magnetizable element and the sensor unit (12) are movable relative to one another by the movement of the piston (4, 6, 7),
wherein the magnetic field sensor is a 3D sensor with lateral and vertical sensor elements for measuring a three-dimensional vector of a magnetic flux density.
With regards to claims 26:
Bhandari et al., as modified, discloses the valve unit according to claim 23 wherein the magnetic field sensor is a Hall sensor.
Claim(s) 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Robert (DE 20081062301).
With regards to claim 19:
Robert discloses the valve unit according to Claim 8, wherein the sensor unit is screwed in the receiving opening of the housing part (9), except wherein the sensor unit comprises an O-ring, by means of which it is mounted in the receiving opening. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use O-ring to seal the sensor unit from the wet environment which is the common environment of the valve works since it is known in the art that O-ring is used to seal the threaded coupling parts. Robert, as modified, discloses the valve unit according to Claim 19.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 12 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
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 Minh Le, whose telephone number is 571-270-3805. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday (8:30AM-5:00PM EST).
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisors can be reached by phone. Kenneth Rinehart can be reached at 571-272-4881 or Craig 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.
Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/MINH Q LE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3753
Prosecution Insights