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 § 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) 1–8 and 15–17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Rowland (USPN 3107546).
Regarding Claim 1, Rowland discloses valve comprising an actuator flange (11) forming a recess (13); a valve stem (2) disposed through the recess (13) of the actuator flange (11); and an end stop plate (6): disposed within the recess (13) of the actuator flange (11); coupled to the valve stem (2) such that rotations of the valve stem (2) and the end stop plate (6) around a rotation axis of the valve are coupled (Col. 2, 4–11) and configured to interface with the actuator flange (11) such that: a rotation of the end stop plate (6) around the rotation axis is limited in at least one direction (Col. 1, Lines 62–63, nonrotatable); and in at least a portion of the rotation of the end stop plate (6) around the rotation axis (Col. 1, Lines 51–54, where the stem rotates and the stop plate is fixed to the stop plate), the end stop plate is prevented from translating out of the recess (Col. 2, Lines 6–11, where elements 9 and 10 of the end stop plate are on the same horizontal plane as the as the actuator flange).
Regarding Claim 2, Rowland discloses the actuator flange (11) comprises one or more tabs (15/16) configured to interface with the end stop plate (6) to prevent the end stop plate (6) from translating out of the recess (13).
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Figure 1 - Rowland Annotated Fig.1
Regarding Claim 3, Rowland discloses the actuator flange (11) comprises one or more actuator flange rotation portions (Rowland Annotated Fig.1) configured to interface with the end stop plate (6) to limit the rotation of the end stop plate (6) in the at least one direction (Col. 2, Lines 6–15).
Regarding Claim 4, Rowland discloses the end stop plate (6) is a flat plate with a single thickness (Fig. 1).
Regarding Claim 5, Rowland discloses the tabs (15/16) are configured to interface with the end stop plate (6) to limit the rotation of the end stop plate (6) in the at least one direction (Col. 2, Lines 6–15).
Regarding Claim 6, Rowland discloses the end stop plate (6) comprises: one or more rotation surfaces (Rowland Annotated Fig.1) configured to interface with the tabs (15/16) to limit the rotation of the end stop plate (6) in the at least one direction (Col. 2, Lines 9–10); and one or more end stop plate (6) translation surfaces (Rowland Annotated Fig.1) configured to interface with the tabs (15/16) to prevent the end stop plate (6) from translating out of the recess (13) in the portion of the rotation (Col. 2, Lines 6–15).
Regarding Claim 7, Rowland discloses the end stop plate rotation surfaces (Rowland Annotated Fig.1) are orthogonal to the end stop plate translation surfaces (Rowland Annotated Fig.1).
Regarding Claim 8, Rowland discloses the end stop plate translation surfaces (Rowland Annotated Fig.1) have angular durations of at least 90 degrees relative to the rotation axis (Rowland Annotated Fig.1).
Regarding Claim 15, Rowland discloses the valve stem (2) comprises an engagement portion configured (Fig. 1, where the valve stem engagement portion is the external wall of the valve) to interface with: an engagement hole (Rowland Annotated Fig.1) of the end stop plate (6) and an actuator (Fig. 2, where there must be an actuator to move the valve stem) for the valve.
Regarding Claim 16, Rowland discloses the engagement portion (Rowland Annotated Fig.1) has one or more valve stem translation surfaces (Rowland Annotated Fig.1) configured to transfer a force on the valve stem (2) along the rotation axis to the end stop plate (6).
Regarding Claim 17, Rowland discloses the valve comprises a valve body (1) that forms a valve opening (5); the actuator flange (11) comprises an actuator flange top surface (Rowland Annotated Fig.1); the recess (13) of the actuator flange (11) extends from the actuator flange (11) top surface towards the valve opening (5); a valve stem hole (14) communicates with the recess (13) and the valve opening (5); and the valve stem (2) is disposed through the valve stem hole (14).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9–14 and 18–20 are 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.
The primary reason for the allowable dependent claim 9 is the inclusion of limitations “flange forms one or more undercuts beneath the tabs.” Claim 10 is also allowable because it includes the limitation related to the undercuts.
The primary reason for the allowable dependent claim 11 is the inclusion of limitations “closed position further than their positions in the open position relative to the closed position.” Claims 12–13 are dependent from claim 11.
The primary reason for the allowable dependent claim 14 is the inclusion of limitations “the valve body comprises the actuator flange.”
The primary reason for the allowable dependent claim 18 is the inclusion of limitations “the valve stem and the end stop plate are formed as a single structure.”
The primary reason for the allowable dependent claim 19 is the inclusion of limitations “a recess of the actuator flange such that one or more end stop plate translation portions of the end stop plate translate past the tabs.”
The primary reason for the allowable dependent claim 20 is the inclusion of the combination of the limitations “an end stop plate: disposed within the recess of the actuator flange,” “configured to interface with fasteners disposed within the recess” and “a rotation of the end stop plate around the rotation axis is limited in at least one direction.”
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Haikawa et al. (USPN 6880806 B2), Lester (USPN 5139230), Hubacek (USPN 4867414) and Owen et al. (USPN 5329959) disclose “an actuator flange forming a recess; a valve stem disposed through the recess of the actuator flange; and an end stop plate. Feldman (USPN 5941272 ) discloses a valve with an undercut.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Angelisa L. Hicks whose telephone number is 571-272-9552 and email is Angelisa.Hicks@USPTO.gov. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday (9:30AM-5:00PM EST).
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/Angelisa L. Hicks/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3753
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