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(s) was/were filed in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement(s) was/were considered by the examiner.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 1-3, and 5-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ichor (WO 2017/176815) in view of Glassman et al. (U.S. Publication 2015/0176744), hereinafter “Glassman).
In regards to claims 1, 12 and 13, Ichor discloses a fluid delivery system comprising: a substrate block (401) comprising: an upper portion (404); a substrate port (402) in the upper portion; a substrate fluid passageway (606) extending from the substrate port (402); a substrate ring (SR) defining the substrate port (402); and a substrate seal channel (SSC) formed in the upper portion (404) and surrounding the substrate ring (SR), an outer surface of the substrate ring (SR) forming an inner surface of the substrate seal channel (SSC); an active component comprising (962, Fig. 11A): a lower portion; a component port in the lower portion; a component fluid passageway extending from the component port; a component ring (CR) defining the component port; and a component seal channel (CSC) formed in the lower portion and surrounding the component ring (CR), an outer surface of the component ring (CR) forming an inner surface of the component seal channel (CSC); a seal ring (1680) comprising: an interior sleeve (1683) defining a sleeve fluid passageway; and an outer ring (1682) connected to and surrounding the interior sleeve (1683) so that: (1) a first annular groove (USG) is formed between the outer ring (1682) and the interior sleeve (1683) in the first side of the seal ring (1680); and (2) a second annular groove (LSG) is formed between the outer ring and the interior sleeve in the second side of the seal ring, the active component (962) mounted to the substrate block (401) so that: (1) the second substrate port and the first component port are aligned; and (2) the seal ring (1680) nests in each of the substrate seal channel and the component seal channel and the seal ring fluidly seals the substrate fluid passageway and the component fluid passageway.
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Ichor does not specifically disclose that the seal ring includes a seal retention feature, the seal retention feature formed on the outer surface of the outer ring.
Glassman teaches a seal ring (7) having an interior sleeve, sleeve fluid passageway, outer ring, annular upper sleeve groove and annular lower sleeve groove. The seal ring includes a retention feature (13). See para. [0029].
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to have designed the seal ring of Ichor to include a retention feature extending from the outer ring to retain the seal ring in a sealing position as taught by Glassman (para. [0029]).
In regards to claim 2, the seal ring (1680) comprises a longitudinal axis extending parallel to the interior sleeve, the seal ring being symmetrical about the longitudinal axis.
In regards to claim 3, Glassman teaches that the seal retention feature comprises a groove (i.e. slot(s), indent(s), hole(s)).
In regards to claim 5, Glassman teaches that the seal retention feature comprises a plurality of grooves. See para. [0029] which references the retention features in plural.
In regards to claim 6, Glassman teaches that the seal retention feature comprises a lip.
In regards to claim 7, Ichor discloses that the outer ring includes a first face and a second face positioned opposite the upper face while Glassman teaches that the lip is arranged at one of upper edge (UE) of the outer ring or a lower edge (LE) of the outer ring (19).
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In regards to claim 8, Glassman illustrates that the lip (13) has an outer diameter which is greater than an outer diameter of the outer surface of the outer ring.
In regards to claim 9, Glassman illustrates the outer diameter of the lip is greater than an outer diameter of an outer surface of the substrate seal channel.
In regards to claim 10, the lip extends toward the interior sleeve.
In regards to claim 11, Glassman teaches that the seal retention feature comprises a plurality of lips.
In regards to claims 20 and 23, if a prior art device, in its normal and usual operation, would necessarily perform the method claimed, then the method claimed will be considered to be anticipated by the prior art device. When the prior art device is the same as a device described in the specification for carrying out the Claimed method, it can be assumed that the device will perform the claimed process. See MPEP 2112.02
Claim(s) 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ichor and Glassman and further in view of Rao et al. (U.S. Patent 8,191,933), hereinafter Rao.
Ichor discloses all of the elements as discussed above.
Glassman further teaches that, “[a] set of one or more retaining pins, not shown, can engage the retaining feature from a mating hub.” Glassman does not specifically disclose the extending direction of the retaining groove.
Rao teaches a sealing ring retained between hubs via a retaining pin (see Fig. 2).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to have designed the retaining groove of Glassman to extend parallel to the longitudinal axis of the sealing ring to facilitate the insertion of retaining pins as illustrated by Rao.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to R.K. Arundale whose telephone number is 571-270-3453. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday (9:30AM-6:00PM 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, and 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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/ROBERT K ARUNDALE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3753
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