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
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.
Claims 9 – 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US Patent Application Publication No. 2019/0308125 to Neef et al. (hereinafter referred to as Neef).
In regard to claim 9, as shown in figures 1 and 2, Neef discloses a filter element (5) capable of being used for a filter system. The filter element (5) includes a filter bellows (6) with a first end face and along an axial direction an opposite second end face. At least one of the end faces comprises an end cap (9). As shown in the annotated figure below, the cutout (21) forms at least one recess arranged on an outside of the end cap. The recess (21) extends in the axial direction and is capable of cooperating with a coding pin of a housing of a filter system. As also shown in the annotated figure, Neef includes a projection (not number) that can be considered a coding element arranged at an outer circumference of the end cap (9). The coding element is capable of cooperating with a slot of a circular shield of a bottom housing part of the filter system. The coding element is shown to be arranged with a spacing along the axial direction from the at least one of the first end face and the second end face. With respect to the axial direction, a first angle between an angular position of the coding element of the filter element and an angular position of the recess is capable of matching a second angle between an angular position of the slot of the bottom housing part and an angular position of a coding pin of the filter system.
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In regard to claim 10, as best shown in figure 3, the recess (21) of the filter element is at least partially extending into the filter bellows, and can be considered to be formed by spreading pleats of the filter bellows.
In regard to claim 11, the coding element is integrally formed with the filter element and thus is non-detachably connected to the end cap (9),
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1 – 8 are allowed.
Claims 12 – 14 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 following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
In regard to independent claim 1, the prior art of record discloses similar filter systems with filter elements that have various positioning/coding elements to position the filter elements within housings. The cover (4) in Neef is shown to have a counter positioning element (23) and a notch (not numbered) to cooperate with the recess and coding element, respectively, on the filter element. There is no teaching or suggestion in Neef for a housing part having a circular shield in coaxial arrangement with the filter element, where the shield comprises a slot extending in the axial direction, and wherein the slot is configured to receive the coding element of the filter element when the filter element is inserted in the housing.
As shown in figures 2 – 5, US Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0082982 to Ruhland et al. (hereinafter referred to as Ruhland) also discloses a similar filter system. Ruhland includes a filter element having a coupling element (24) that extends from an outer surface of an end cap (18). The coupling element can be received in a slot (124) of a guide element (122), which forms a circular shield, of the housing. There is no teaching or suggestion in Ruhland for a recess extending in the axial direction on an outside of an end cap of the filter element, and for at least one coding pin arranged on an inside of a bottom housing part of the housing, where the coding pin is configured for cooperating with the recess when the filter element is inserted in the housing.
Claims 2 – 8 depend from claim 1 and are allowed for at least the same reason as claim 1.
In regard to claim 12, there is no teaching or suggestion in Neef for an at least partially circumferential ring to be arranged at the end cap, the circumferential ring providing a multitude of fixation elements for accommodating the at least one coding element at the end cap, and wherein the at least one coding element is connected to a corresponding one of the fixation elements of the circumferential ring. Claims 13 and 14 depend from claim 12 and would be allowable for at least the same reason as claim 12.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Other prior art references listed on the PTO-892 (Notice of References Cited) are considered to be of interest disclosing similar filter elements and systems.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Robert Clemente whose telephone number is (571)272-1476. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-5.
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/ROBERT CLEMENTE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1773
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