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 § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-26 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
The claims are generally narrative and indefinite, failing to conform with current U.S. practice. For example, the terms “which”, “can be” “on the one hand, one the other hand”, “is usefully”, “is usefully realized”, “particularly”, and others are narrative, indefinite, and cause confusion.
Regarding claim 18, the phrase " in particular" renders the claim indefinite because it is unclear whether the limitations following the phrase are part of the claimed invention. See MPEP § 2173.05(d).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 1 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
Claims 2-26 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for indicating allowable subject matter: the prior art of record neither discloses nor makes obvious the combination set forth in the independent claim.
Regarding claim 1, Bogdanowicz (U.S. 2009/0126812) discloses a valve arrangement, comprising: - a valve assembly, (1a) which has a valve support (2) extending in a principle direction along a main axis and a plurality of electrically actuable directional valves (4), - wherein the valve support (2) has a mounting surface with a plurality of mounting points arranged successively in the principle direction, of which at least a plurality are designed as valve mounting points, on each of which one of the directional valves (4) can be or is mounted, - wherein a plurality of valve support fluid channels (37), through which a fluidic pressure medium can flow, are designed in the valve support (2), which are at least in part collecting fluid channels (37) extending in the principle direction, which open out at each valve mounting point and which are fluidly connected to the directional valves (4) mounted on the valve mounting points, - and wherein a communication channel (27) is designed in the valve support (2) extending in the principle direction, in which an electrical communication string (28) is arranged, having at least one electronic component (28) and is or can be connected to an electronic control device (35), with which the mounted directional valves (4) in the area of the valve mounting point allocated to each of them have an electrical contact.
Bogdanowicz fails to disclose wherein at least one of the mounting points of the valve supports is designed as a cooling module mounting point, on which a cooling module of the valve arrangement, penetrated by a cooling channel structure, can be or is mounted, - wherein by means of the cooling channel structure of the mounted cooling module, a fluidic connection between at least one collecting fluid channel of the valve support fluid channels, opening out at the cooling module mounting point, and the communication channel can be or is provided, through which fluidic pressure medium diverted from the collecting fluid channel can be fed into the communication channel by executing a cooling flow as a cooling medium for cooling the at least one electronic component of the electrical communication string, in combination with the other limitations of the independent claim.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. EP 3,296,602 discloses a valve arrangement comprising a valve support, a plurality of directional valves, mounting points, fluid channels, a communication channel.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisors, Craig Schneider can be reached at (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.
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/KELSEY E CARY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3753