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 .
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)(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.
(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) 1-4, 6, 11-14 and 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1/a2 as being anticipated by Parish (US 10,941,878), which discloses:
1. A check valve (preamble given limited patentable weight because it’s not necessary to understand body of claim) including:
a valve body (204) having a first port (at the inlet of 204) and a second port (at the outlet of 204); and
a poppet positioned inside said valve body, wherein said poppet includes a poppet exterior surface (208) abutting an interior surface (210) of said valve body, wherein said poppet exterior surface includes at least one poppet groove (206) extending from a poppet groove inlet (where fluid enters 206) to a poppet grove outlet (where fluid exits 206),
wherein, when said check valve is displaced from a closed position, fluid travels through said poppet groove from said first port to said second port (e.g., col. 5 lines 38-42).
2. The check valve of claim 1 further including a plurality of poppet grooves (206) extending from a plurality of poppet groove inlets to a plurality of poppet groove outlets (e.g., see FIGS 1 and 2, where grooves 106 are analogous to grooves 206).
3. The check valve of claim 1 wherein said poppet groove is helical (see FIGS 1 and 2).
4. The check valve of claim 1 wherein said poppet includes a poppet seat (see the annular flange-type portion of 202, shown FIG 2, located between the lead lines for elements 202 and 208) said valve body includes a body seat (the portion of 204 against which the poppet seat rests when 202 is fully inserted into 204), and said closed position is when said poppet seat is in contact with said body seat (as described at col. 4 lines 35-38).
6. The check valve of claim 1 wherein said poppet includes a bottom edge having at least one groove (206 extend to the bottom edge of 202, see FIGS 1 and 2).
Regarding claim 11, the method would necessarily be performed during the normal and usual provision of Parish’s device, as mapped above regarding claim 1.
Regarding claim 12, the method would necessarily be performed during the normal and usual provision of Parish’s device, as mapped above regarding claim 2.
Regarding claim 13, the method would necessarily be performed during the normal and usual provision of Parish’s device, as mapped above regarding claim 3.
Regarding claim 14, the method would necessarily be performed during the normal and usual provision of Parish’s device, as mapped above regarding claim 4.
Regarding claim 16, the method would necessarily be performed during the normal and usual provision of Parish’s device, as mapped above regarding claim 6.
Claim(s) 1-2, 4-6, 9-12, 14-16 and 19-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1/a2 as being anticipated by Bacino (US 3,245,429), which discloses:
1. A check valve (preamble given limited patentable weight because it’s not necessary to understand body of claim) including:
a valve body (10, 31) having a first port (18) and a second port (32); and
a poppet (16) positioned inside said valve body, wherein said poppet includes a poppet exterior surface (“cylindrical guiding head portion 19”) abutting an interior surface (15) of said valve body, wherein said poppet exterior surface includes at least one poppet groove (21) extending from a poppet groove inlet (where fluid enters 21) to a poppet grove outlet (where fluid exits 21, e.g., at 25),
wherein, when said check valve is displaced from a closed position (when it is open), fluid travels through said poppet groove from said first port to said second port (via 26, 25, 23).
2. The check valve of claim 1 further including a plurality of poppet grooves (21) extending from a plurality of poppet groove inlets to a plurality of poppet groove outlets (see FIGS 2, 3).
4. The check valve of claim 1 wherein said poppet includes a poppet seat (17, 34, 35) said valve body includes a body seat (which receives the poppet seat when the valve is closed, see FIG 1), and said closed position is when said poppet seat is in contact with said body seat (as described at col. 2 lines 10-15).
5. The check valve of claim 1 wherein said poppet includes at least one orifice (23, 25).
6. The check valve of claim 1 wherein said poppet includes a bottom edge having at least one groove (the outer, annular bottom edge includes groove 34 which receives o-ring 35).
9. The check valve of claim 4 wherein said poppet seat is induced to contact said body seat by a poppet spring (30).
10. The check valve of claim 1 wherein said poppet is hollow (at 23, 25) and fluid additionally passes through at least one orifice (23, 25) in said poppet through the interior of said poppet and to said second port (32).
Regarding claim 11, the method would necessarily be performed during the normal and usual provision of Bacino’s device, as mapped above regarding claim 1.
Regarding claim 12, the method would necessarily be performed during the normal and usual provision of Bacino’s device, as mapped above regarding claim 2.
Regarding claim 14, the method would necessarily be performed during the normal and usual provision of Bacino’s device, as mapped above regarding claim 4.
Regarding claim 15, the method would necessarily be performed during the normal and usual provision of Bacino’s device, as mapped above regarding claim 5.
Regarding claim 16, the method would necessarily be performed during the normal and usual provision of Bacino’s device, as mapped above regarding claim 6.
Regarding claim 19, the method would necessarily be performed during the normal and usual provision of Bacino’s device, as mapped above regarding claim 9.
Regarding claim 20, the method would necessarily be performed during the normal and usual provision of Bacino’s device, as mapped above regarding claim 10.
Claim(s) 1, 7, 8, 11, 17 and 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1/a2 as being anticipated by Zhao (CN 202790586), which discloses:
1. A check valve (preamble given limited patentable weight because it’s not necessary to understand body of claim) including:
a valve body (20, 21) having a first port (through 32) and a second port (70); and
a poppet (22) positioned inside said valve body, wherein said poppet includes a poppet exterior surface abutting an interior surface of said valve body (as shown in the closed position of FIG 1), wherein said poppet exterior surface includes at least one poppet groove (e.g., 174) extending from a poppet groove inlet (where fluid enters 174) to a poppet grove outlet (where fluid exits 174, e.g., as shown in FIG 2),
wherein, when said check valve is displaced from a closed position (when it is open), fluid travels through said poppet groove from said first port to said second port (as shown in FIG 2).
7. The check valve of claim 1 wherein said second port includes a first set of orifices positioned cylindrically around the exterior of said valve body (for example the top orifices 70, as shown in FIG 1).
8. The check valve of claim 7 wherein said second port also includes a second set of orifices positioned cylindrically around the exterior of the valve body (for example the bottom orifices 70, as shown in FIG 1).
Regarding claim 11, the method would necessarily be performed during the normal and usual provision of Zhao’s device, as mapped above regarding claim 1.
Regarding claim 17, the method would necessarily be performed during the normal and usual provision of Zhao’s device, as mapped above regarding claim 7.
Regarding claim 18, the method would necessarily be performed during the normal and usual provision of Zhao’s device, as mapped above regarding claim 8.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. WO 2009/064693 discloses a check valve including:
a valve body (16, 18) having a first port (12) and a second port (through 14); and
a poppet (22) positioned inside said valve body, wherein said poppet includes a poppet exterior surface (23, 23A; FIGS 3, 4) abutting an interior surface of said valve body (capability met, due to the raised portions of 23 and the arrangement thereof in the valve body as shown in FIGS 1-2), wherein said poppet exterior surface includes at least one poppet groove (23A) extending from a poppet groove inlet (where fluid enters 23A) to a poppet grove outlet (where fluid exits 23B),
but does not disclose:
wherein, when said check valve is displaced from a closed position, fluid travels through said poppet groove from said first port to said second port.
.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WILLIAM M MCCALISTER whose telephone number is (571)270-1869. The examiner can normally be reached M-F from 7am to 6pm.
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, or 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.
Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from Patent Center. Status information for published applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Patent Center for authorized users only. Should you have questions about access to Patent Center, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free).
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) Form at https://www.uspto.gov/patents/uspto-automated- interview-request-air-form.
/WILLIAM M MCCALISTER/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3753
1/9/25