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 12/27/2024 was filed after the mailing date of the Application on 12/27/2024. 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) 1-4, 7-8, and 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by DEHRMANN (US 2023/0026974).
With regards to claim 1:
DEHRMANN discloses (refer to Fig. 1-4 below and [0077]-[0081]) a fluid-dispensing motorized valve (100), including:
- a housing (300) defining an internal volume through which a fluid passes through the housing, which internal volume (A, B) is connected to the outside of the housing (300) by an inlet (320A) of the housing, through which the fluid enters the internal volume, and by at least two outlets (320B, 320C) of the housing (300), through which the fluid exits the internal volume,
- an electric pump (110A), which is arranged in a first sub-volume (B) of the internal volume (A, B) and which is provided with a suction (from 320A), opening out into the inlet (320A) of the housing (300), and with a discharge, opening out into a passage (D) of the internal volume,
- a valve disk (330), which is arranged in a second sub-volume (A) of the internal volume (A, B) and which is movable in rotation about a valve disk axis (312B) with respect to the housing (300) so as to control the opening-closing the at least two outlets (320B, 320C) of the housing, the first and second sub-volumes (A, B) being connected directly to each other by the passage (D) which is delimited by the housing (300) opening out along the second sub-volume (A) along a direction radial to the valve disk axis (312B),
- an electric actuator (210B), which is supported by the housing and which is provided with a driving output (310B) which is rotatable about an actuator axis (312B) with respect to the housing ,
- a mechanical transmission system (350), which is supported by the housing and which connects the valve disk (330) to the driving output in such a way that a rotation of the driving output about the actuator axis (X40) drives the valve disk (330) in rotation about the valve disk axis (312B), and
- an electronic device (220), which is supported, directly or indirectly, by the housing (300) and which is suitable for controlling the pump (110A) and the actuator (350), being electrically connected to the pump and to the actuator, as well as to a single connector (204) for connection to an external source of electrical power supply, the connector being supported externally by the housing.
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Fig. 1
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Fig. 2
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Fig. 3
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Fig. 4
With regards to claim 2:
DEHRMANN discloses the valve according to claim 1, wherein the opening of the passage (D) into the second sub-volume (A) is located along the valve axis both between and spaced from opposite axial ends of the second sub-volume (B).
With regards to claim 3:
DEHRMANN discloses the valve according to claim 1, wherein the passage (D) extends along a direction radial to the valve axis (312B) between the two opposite ends of the passage which open out into the first sub-volume (B) and the second sub-volume (A), respectively.
With regards to claim 4:
DEHRMANN discloses the valve according to claim 1, wherein the pump (110A) and the valve disk (330) are arranged opposite each other along a direction radial to the valve disk axis (312B).
With regards to claim 7:
DEHRMANN discloses the valve according to claim 1, wherein the transmission system (350) and the electronic device (220) are arranged in the same sealed compartment (200), which is delimited by the housing (300) and a cover (202) directly mounted on the housing.
With regards to claim 8:
DEHRMANN discloses the valve according to claim 1, wherein the pump (110A), the valve disk (330) and the actuator (350) are arranged on a same axial side of the compartment.
With regards to claim 10:
DEHRMANN discloses (see [0080]) the valve according to claim 1, wherein the electronic device (200) includes a printed circuit (control board) having an insulating support attached, directly or indirectly, to the housing (300).
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) 5-6, and 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over DEHRMANN, as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Saarem et al. (US 4,398,562).
With regards to claim 5:
DEHRMANN discloses the valve according to claim 1, wherein the valve (330) is actuated by the actuator (350) via the mechanical transmission system (350).
DEHRMANN does not disclose wherein the valve axis and the actuator axis are substantially parallel to each other.
Saarem et al. discloses (refer to Fig. 5 below) an electrical actuated rotating valve (12) actuated by an actuator (32) wherein the valve axis and the actuator axis are parallel to each other.
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Fig. 5
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the valve of DEHRMANN to have the actuator design as disclosed by Saarem et al. as an alternative design for the actuator (350) to provide the same functional operation to rotate the valve, since they are both electrical actuated rotating valve.
DEHRMANN, as modified, discloses the valve according to claim 5.
With regards to claim 6:
DEHRMANN, as modified, discloses the valve according to claim 1, wherein the pump (110A) and the valve disk (330) are arranged opposite each other along a direction radial to the valve disk axis,
wherein the valve axis and the actuator axis are substantially parallel to each other, and
wherein the actuator (32) is arranged both opposite the pump (110A) along a direction radial to the actuator axis and opposite the valve disk (330) along a direction radial to the actuation axis.
With regards to claim 9:
DEHRMANN, as modified, discloses (refer to Fig. 5 above) the valve according to claim 1, wherein the transmission system includes a gear (32A, 18) consisting of intermeshing toothed wheels which are rotatable relative to the housing about respective axes of rotation which are substantially parallel to the valve disk axis (312A).
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.
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/MINH Q LE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3753
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