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 .
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
In paragraph [0098], “lower surface” should read “upper surface” for protrusion portion 75, consistent with Figure 7 and paragraph [0104].
In paragraph [0108], “constricts radially inward” is inconsistent with the preceding description and Figure. 7. The inner circumferential surface recedes radially outward near plate portion 81.
In paragraph [0017], [0018], [0031], “plan view” should read “perspective view” for Figures 2 and 3.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
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 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ishikawa et al. (US 20130069289 A1) (hereinafter “Ishikawa”) in view of Ishikawa (US 20190285133 A1) (hereinafter “Ish”),
Regarding claim 1, Ishikawa discloses a liquid seal type vibration isolation device (engine mount 10) comprising:
a first member (12) and a tubular second member (14) (see Fig. 1);
a vibration-isolating base body (main rubber elastic body 16) made of an elastic body and connecting the first member and the second member (see ¶ 0038);
a diaphragm (flexible film 32) made of an elastic body and mounted on the second member to form a liquid chamber (fluid filling zone 36) in which a liquid is sealed between the vibration-isolating base body and the diaphragm (see ¶¶ 0040-41);
a partition (38) partitioning the liquid chamber into a first liquid chamber (pressure-receiving chamber 72) and a second liquid chamber (equilibrium chamber 74) (see ¶ 0049);
an orifice (second orifice passage 82) formed in the partition and providing communication between the first liquid chamber and the second liquid chamber (see ¶ 0051); and
a switching membrane (rubber elastic movable member 86, including switching portion 92) made of an elastic body and configured to switch between an opened state and a blocked state of the orifice (second orifice passage 82) (see ¶¶ 0053, 0062, 0065),
wherein the partition includes a first partition plate (partition member main body 40) facing the first liquid chamber and a second partition plate (base plate member 42) facing the second liquid chamber (see Fig. 1),
the orifice is formed by an annular housing space (69) formed between the first partition plate and the second partition plate, a plurality of first through holes (upper communication holes 60) formed in the first partition plate so as to penetrate the first partition plate and providing communication between the first liquid chamber and the housing space,
and a plurality of second through holes (lower communication holes 68) formed in the second partition plate so as to penetrate the second partition plate and providing communication between the second liquid chamber and the housing space (see ¶¶ 0045-47, 0051),
the switching membrane (86) includes a plate portion (clasped portion 88, thin portion 108, and axial middle of switching portion 92) having a circumferential edge portion (outer peripheral edge of 92) composed of either an outer circumferential edge (outer peripheral edge of 92) facing an outer circumferential wall surface (inner circumferential face of outer peripheral portion 44) of the housing space in a radial direction over an entire circumference or an inner circumferential edge facing an inner circumferential wall surface of the housing space in the radial direction over the entire circumference, and sandwiched between the first partition plate and the second partition plate (clasped portion 88 held between clasping projection 54 and clasping piece 66) such that the circumferential edge portion side thereof extends into the housing space (see ¶¶ 0058, 0060, 0062), and
a pair of tubular valve portions (upper and lower abutting portions 106) protruding from an entire circumference of the circumferential edge portion of the plate portion toward both sides in a plate thickness direction of the plate portion, respectively (see ¶¶ 0056-57),
in the opened state, each valve portion (106) and an opposing wall surface (inner circumferential face of outer peripheral portion 44) composed of either the outer circumferential wall surface or the inner circumferential wall surface facing the circumferential edge portion in the radial direction are separated from each other (annular gap 110) (see ¶ 0062),
in the blocked state, the valve portion (106) that has been deformed toward the opposing wall surface side in the radial direction is brought into contact with the opposing wall surface (inner circumferential face of outer peripheral portion 44) to block the orifice (second orifice passage 82) (see ¶ 0065), and
the switching membrane (rubber elastic movable member 86) has a circumferential surface (outside peripheral face of 92) including the circumferential edge portion (outer edge at the axial middle of 92) and an outer circumferential surface (outer surfaces of upper and lower 106) or an inner circumferential surface of each valve portion (upper and lower abutting portions 106) which is connected to the circumferential edge portion (see ¶¶ 0056-57; Fig. 5).
Ishikawa does not expressly disclose an inclined surface inclined toward a side away from the opposing wall surface in the radial direction while extending toward a center in the plate thickness direction of the plate portion is formed in the circumferential surface at least at a position including the circumferential edge portion.
Ish teaches an inclined surface (curved sides of concave portion 86) inclined toward a side away from the opposing wall surface (outer peripheral wall face 54) in the radial direction while extending toward a center (axial midplane of switch part 84) in the plate thickness direction of the plate portion (proposed correspondence: support 80, thin part 88, and axial middle of 84) is formed in the circumferential surface (outer peripheral face of 84) at least at a position including the circumferential edge portion (outer peripheral face of 84 at its axial middle) (see ¶¶ 0055-60, 0063; Fig. 11).
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 outer circumferential face of switching portion 92 of Ishikawa to include Ish’s axially centered circumferential concave portion 86 and to provide Ish's cooperating wall projection 58 with inclined side faces 60, while maintaining clearance in the opened state, in order to accommodate different valve-contact angles during tilting, thereby providing more stable sealing and blocking of the orifice (see Ish ¶¶ 0080-0081).
Claims 2, 3, and 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ishikawa et al. (US 20130069289 A1) (hereinafter “Ishikawa”) in view of Ishikawa (US 20190285133 A1) (hereinafter “Ish”), and further in view of Ichikawa et al. (US 20110006466 A1) (hereinafter “Ichikawa”).
Regarding claim 2, Ishikawa as modified discloses the liquid seal type vibration isolation device of claim 1.
Ishikawa does not expressly disclose wherein of the outer circumferential surface and the inner circumferential surface of each valve portion, a surface connected to the circumferential edge portion is formed by the inclined surface, and a surface not connected to the circumferential edge portion is inclined along the inclined surface.
Ichikawa teaches that both opposed faces of each elastic valve projection (upper projection 112 and lower projection 116) incline toward communication hole (111) as they extend toward the projecting tip, to obtain dependable closing operation (see ¶ 0150). Applying this cross-sectional configuration to Ishikawa’s annular valve portions provides:
of the outer circumferential surface (outer face of each modified portion 106) and the inner circumferential surface (inner face of each modified portion 106) of each valve portion (annular abutting portions 106), a surface connected to the circumferential edge portion (outer face of each modified portion 106) is formed by the inclined surface (outer face sloping toward the opposing wall toward its tip), and a surface not connected to the circumferential edge portion (inner face of each modified portion 106) is inclined along the inclined surface (inner face sloping in the same direction) (see ¶ 0150; Fig. 2).
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 annular valve portions 106 of Ishikawa, as modified by Ish, to incorporate Ichikawa's inclination of both opposed valve faces toward the passage-closing direction, while retaining the clamped support, initial clearance, and Ish’s concave valve profile and cooperating wall projection, in order to promote fluid-pressure-induced deformation toward the opposing wall, thereby providing dependable blocking of second orifice passage 82.
Regarding claim 3, Ishikawa as modified discloses the liquid seal type vibration isolation device of claim 2, and further discloses:
a recess (Ish's concave portion 86 applied to switching portion 92) is formed on the circumferential edge portion side (axially central root side of modified portions 106) of the inclined surface (modified outer valve face) so as to be recessed toward the side away from the opposing wall surface (inner circumferential face of outer peripheral portion 44) in the radial direction (radially inward) (see Ish, ¶ 0059).
Under the plate-portion mapping for claim 1, the axial middle of switching portion 92 forms the outer edge of the plate portion between the upper and lower valve portions 106. Applying Ish's axially centered circumferential recess at this location therefore places the recess on the circumferential-edge side of the inclined valve faces. Retaining that recess while incorporating Ichikawa's face inclinations preserves its cooperation with the wall projection during tilting and produces the claimed recess location in the modified structure.
Regarding claim 5, Ishikawa as modified discloses the liquid seal type vibration isolation device of claim 3, and further provides:
the recess (Ish's concave portion 86 applied to switching portion 92) is formed on both the outer circumferential surface (outer root surfaces of modified abutting portions 106) or the inner circumferential surface of the valve portion which is connected to the circumferential edge portion and the circumferential edge portion of the plate portion (outer edge of the axially centered region of switching portion 92) (see Ish ¶¶ 0059-60; Fig. 11)
Ish's concave portion 86 opens at the axial center of switch part 84 and joins its outer peripheral face above and below that center. Under the plate-and-valve mapping used for claims 1-3, applying this profile to switching portion 92 places the central region of the recess on the plate’s circumferential edge and its upper and lower flanks on the adjoining valve-root surfaces. Thus, the retained recess spans both claimed surfaces in the proposed combination.
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ishikawa et al. (US 20130069289 A1) (hereinafter “Ishikawa”) in view of Ishikawa (US 20190285133 A1) (hereinafter “Ish”), and further in view of Ichikawa et al. (US 20110006466 A1) (hereinafter “Ichikawa”) and Masuda et al. (US 20120228813 A1).
Regarding claim 4, Ishikawa as modified discloses the liquid seal type vibration isolation device of claim 3, and further discloses:
the outer circumferential surface or the inner circumferential surface of each valve portion (inner surfaces of abutting portions 106) which is not connected to the circumferential edge portion (outer edge of switching portion 92) (see Ishikawa, ¶¶ 0057-0058; Fig. 5).
However, Ishikawa does not expressly disclose is provided with a projection portion bulged toward the side away from the opposing wall surface in the radial direction on a side opposite to the recess in the radial direction.
Masuda teaches a projection portion (rib 82) formed on the membrane portion (62C) inside each upper and lower cylindrical buffer portion (74) and connected to its inner peripheral surface. Each rib increases in height toward the cylindrical buffer portion to reinforce its base (see ¶ 0045; Fig. 6). Applying this reinforcement to the inner root surfaces of the modified abutting portions 106, at positions radially opposite the retained outer recess, provides the claimed inwardly bulged projection portions.
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 upper and lower valve roots of Ishikawa, as modified by Ish and Ichikawa, to include localized reinforcing ribs on their inner root surfaces, radially opposite the retained recess , as taught by Masuda, in order to reinforce the recessed valve bases against collapse caused by repeated deformation while preserving the outer recess and its cooperating contact profile, thereby improving resistance to collapse while permitting elastic valve operation (see Masuda ¶¶ 0045, 0054). Masuda's teaching that the reinforcing ribs produce only a small change in overall rigidity supports a reasonable expectation that localized base reinforcement would preserve elastic valve operation (see Masuda ¶ 0054).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6 and 7 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Karem Algarash whose telephone number is (571)272-5789. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8:30am-5:30pm.
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/K.A/Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3616
/Robert A. Siconolfi/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3616
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