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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 06/03/2026 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 06/03/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
In regards to applicant’s argument that the prior art reference Wang et al. does not disclose claimed joint portion Examiner respectfully disagrees. Wang et al. does disclose a protrusion of the first housing inserted into a groove of the second housing as is rejected below and illustrated in Figures 2-4 and 6-7. Figures 2-4 illustrate the projections of the first housing (10) projecting from the bottom of the connecting plate (12) and surrounding the adapter ports (14), and Figures 6-7 illustrate the second housing (17) receiving and coupled to the first housing via corresponding grooves illustrated in Figure 7 and disclosed in paragraphs 28 and 30.
Since the following grounds of rejection are being maintained, the instant Office action has been made final.
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Wang et al. (Pub. No. US 2024/0060569).
Regarding claim 9, Wang et al. disclose a manifold (Figs. 1-11) comprising: a resin-made manifold main body (paragraph 27) including a plurality of housings (10 and 17) joined to each other (paragraphs 27-30) and having a plurality of flow paths (141-144 and 1711-1741) therein; and a rotary valve (15) that regulates a flow of a fluid flowing through the flow paths (paragraph 19), wherein a first housing (10) that is one of two housings having joint portions (Fig. 4) joined to each other among the plurality of housings (paragraphs 27-30) constituting the manifold main body (10 and 17) includes a cylindrical valve accommodation portion (13) that is allowed to accommodate and support (paragraphs 20 and 25) the rotary valve (15), at least part (131) of the valve accommodation portion (13) protrudes toward a second housing (17) side relative to the joint portions (Fig. 2), the second housing (17) being the other of the two housings, and a protrusion (Figures 2-4 illustrate the projections of the first housing 10 projecting from the bottom of the connecting plate 12 and surrounding the adapter ports 14) of the first housing (10) is inserted into a groove (Figures 6-7 illustrate the second housing 17 receiving and coupled to the first housing 10 via corresponding grooves illustrated in Figure 7 and disclosed in paragraphs 28 and 30) of the second housing (17) in order to attach (paragraphs 28 and 30) the first housing (10) to the second housing (17).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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 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) 1 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang et al. (Pub. No. US 2024/0060569) in view of Hu (U.S. Patent No. 12,169,025).
Regarding claim 1, Wang et al. disclose a manifold (Figs. 1-11) comprising: a resin-made manifold main body (paragraph 27) including a plurality of housings (10 and 17) joined to each other (paragraphs 27-30) and having a plurality of flow paths (141-144 and 1711-1741) therein; and a rotary valve (15) that regulates a flow of a fluid flowing through the flow paths (paragraph 19), wherein a first housing (10) that is one of two housings having joint portions (Fig. 4) joined to each other among the plurality of housings (paragraphs 27-30) constituting the manifold main body (10 and 17) includes a cylindrical valve accommodation portion (13) that is allowed to accommodate and support (paragraphs 20 and 25) the rotary valve (15), at least part (131) of the valve accommodation portion (13) protrudes toward a second housing (17) side relative to the joint portions (Fig. 2), the second housing (17) being the other of the two housings, the valve accommodation portion (13) has an opening (top opening connected to the actuator 20) into which the rotary valve (15) is allowed to be inserted and a bottom wall (paragraph 25) that is allowed to support the rotary valve (15), and the second housing (17) has a through hole (179), and the bottom wall is disposed radially inside (paragraph 27) the through hole (179) of the second housing (17); and a lid (20) that covers the opening (Fig. 1) and is fixed to the first housing (10), wherein the rotary valve (15) includes a rotor (15) that rotates about a central axis (Fig. 5) of the valve accommodation portion (30) to regulate a flow of the fluid (paragraph 19), and a seal member (16) disposed between the rotor (15) and the valve accommodation portion (30), and a protrusion (Figures 2-4 illustrate the projections of the first housing 10 projecting from the bottom of the connecting plate 12 and surrounding the adapter ports 14) of the first housing (10) is inserted into a groove (Figures 6-7 illustrate the second housing 17 receiving and coupled to the first housing 10 via corresponding grooves illustrated in Figure 7 and disclosed in paragraphs 28 and 30) of the second housing (17) in order to attach (paragraphs 28 and 30) the first housing (10) to the second housing (17), but lack disclosure of the bottom wall of the valve accommodation portion has a groove around the central axis, the seal member is held by being inserted into the groove, the seal member includes a plurality of rotation stoppers, in the bottom of the groove, a plurality of stopper grooves is formed into which the rotation stoppers are inserted.
Hu teaches a manifold (Figs. 1-18) comprising a main body (10) having a cylindrical valve accommodation portion (102, Fig. 12), wherein the valve accommodation portion (102) has an opening (Fig. 12) for allowing a rotary valve (20) to be inserted and a bottom wall (11), the bottom wall (11) having an annular groove (124) around the central axis (Fig. 12), and a seal member (40) that is held by being inserted (Column 9 lines 18-41) into the annular groove (124), the seal member (40) includes a plurality of rotation stoppers (stoppers in between notches 46, Fig. 11) that are inserted into a plurality of stopper grooves (127, in between 126 Fig. 17) that are formed in the bottom (Figs. 10-18) of the annular groove (124).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the manifold of Wang et al. with a sealing member as taught by Hu for the advantage of limiting a position of the sealing member and preventing the sealing member from being separated from the valve body (Column 9 lines 18-41).
Claim(s) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang et al. (Pub. No. US 2024/0060569) in view of Hu (U.S. Patent No. 12,169,025), and further in view of Gray (U.S. Patent No. 11,454,330).
Regarding claim 3, Wang et al. modified above disclose the essential features of the claimed invention but lack disclosure wherein an inner diameter of the valve accommodation portion decreases from an opening side toward a bottom wall side.
Gray teaches a manifold (Figs. 1-25) comprising a chamber (30) as a valve accommodation portion (30) for a rotary valve (50), wherein the inner diameter (Fig. 5, Column 6 lines 29-42) of the valve accommodation portion (30) decreases from an opening side (23) toward a bottom side wall (22).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the manifold of Wang et al. with a change in diameter of the valve accommodation portion as taught by Gray, since such a modification would have involved a mere change in the form or shape of a component. A change in form or shape is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art. In re Dailey, 149 USPQ 47 (CCPA 1976).
Claim(s) 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang et al. (Pub. No. US 2024/0060569) in view of Hu (U.S. Patent No. 12,169,025), and further in view of Lin et al. (Pub. No. US 2020/0011437).
Regarding claim 5, Wang et al. modified above disclose the essential features of the claimed invention but lack disclosure wherein the first housing includes a fixing portion fixed to a support frame.
Lin et al. teach a manifold (Figs. 1-9) comprising a housing (1) including a valve accommodation portion (101) for a rotary valve (2), wherein the housing (1) includes a fixing portion (50) for fixing to a support frame (paragraph 30).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the housing of Wang et al., with a fixing portion as taught by Lin et al. for the advantage of enabling the manifold to be connected/mounted to a vehicle (paragraph 30).
Claim(s) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang et al. (Pub. No. US 2024/0060569) in view of Hu (U.S. Patent No. 12,169,025), and further in view of Gray (U.S. Patent No. 11,454,330), and even further in view of Lin et al. (Pub. No. US 2020/0011437).
Regarding claim 7, Wang et al. modified above disclose the essential features of the claimed invention but lack disclosure wherein the first housing includes a fixing portion fixed to a support frame.
Lin et al. teach a manifold (Figs. 1-9) comprising a housing (1) including a valve accommodation portion (101) for a rotary valve (2), wherein the housing (1) includes a fixing portion (50) for fixing to a support frame (paragraph 30).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the housing of Wang et al., with a fixing portion as taught by Lin et al. for the advantage of enabling the manifold to be connected/mounted to a vehicle (paragraph 30).
Conclusion
All claims are identical to or patentably indistinct from, or have unity of invention with claims in the application prior to the entry of the submission under 37 CFR 1.114 (that is, restriction (including a lack of unity of invention) would not be proper) and all claims could have been finally rejected on the grounds and art of record in the next Office action if they had been entered in the application prior to entry under 37 CFR 1.114. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL even though it is a first action after the filing of a request for continued examination and the submission under 37 CFR 1.114. See MPEP § 706.07(b). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Reinaldo Sanchez-Medina, telephone number 571-270-5168, fax number 571-270-6168. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday (7:30AM-4:00PM EST).
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/REINALDO SANCHEZ-MEDINA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3753
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