DETAILED ACTION
Non Final
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
Each information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 04/30/2026 and 01/16/2025 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Interpretation
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(f):
(f) Element in Claim for a Combination. – An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The claims in this application are given their broadest reasonable interpretation using the plain meaning of the claim language in light of the specification as it would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. The broadest reasonable interpretation of a claim element (also commonly referred to as a claim limitation) is limited by the description in the specification when 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is invoked.
As explained in MPEP § 2181, subsection I, claim limitations that meet the following three-prong test will be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
(A) the claim limitation uses the term “means” or “step” or a term used as a substitute for “means” that is a generic placeholder (also called a nonce term or a non-structural term having no specific structural meaning) for performing the claimed function;
(B) the term “means” or “step” or the generic placeholder is modified by functional language, typically, but not always linked by the transition word “for” (e.g., “means for”) or another linking word or phrase, such as “configured to” or “so that”; and
(C) the term “means” or “step” or the generic placeholder is not modified by sufficient structure, material, or acts for performing the claimed function.
Use of the word “means” (or “step”) in a claim with functional language creates a rebuttable presumption that the claim limitation is to be treated in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph. The presumption that the claim limitation is interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is rebutted when the claim limitation recites sufficient structure, material, or acts to entirely perform the recited function.
Absence of the word “means” (or “step”) in a claim creates a rebuttable presumption that the claim limitation is not to be treated in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph. The presumption that the claim limitation is not interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is rebutted when the claim limitation recites function without reciting sufficient structure, material or acts to entirely perform the recited function.
Claim limitations in this application that use the word “means” (or “step”) are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, except as otherwise indicated in an Office action. Conversely, claim limitations in this application that do not use the word “means” (or “step”) are not being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, except as otherwise indicated in an Office action.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because the drawings are incomplete. There are missing hatch lines as well as hatch lines that cross over from one element to another, making the features of the figures difficult to parse out. Furthermore, the line weight for the element materials and hatching does not comport with the drawing requirements.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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 Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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(s) 1-5, 7, 11, 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by He (US 2022/0042728);
Claim(s) 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over He as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Hulme (US 3488030);
Claim(s) 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over He as applied to claims 1 and 13 above, and further in view of Kajio (US 3488030);
Claim(s) 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over He in view of Kajio as applied to claims 1 and 13 above, and further in view of Yonezawa (US 6923427.)
He discloses in claim 1: (see at least annotated figure 8 below)
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A shaft assembly (1-100 figure 8), comprising a compound motion assembly (1000 at 1/31a/1002/1004/1006/1-24a/1-25a), a shaft rod assembly (1008/1002 (which matches 201/30 of the instant application fig. 6, where it is noted that the rod is also part of the composite motion assembly as shown in figure 6 of the instant application) and 1-26/1006) and a bearing assembly (1-23), wherein the compound motion assembly is rotatable around an axis thereof and is movable, and the shaft rod assembly is movable when being pushed by the compound motion assembly (see ph 0112-0114); the shaft rod assembly comprises a shaft rod (at 1002 or 1006) and a bushing (at 1008 or 1-26) that are connected to each other (for axial and rotational force transmission purposes as discussed id), and the shaft rod comprises a bottom wall portion (at 1012); a part of the compound motion assembly is located between the bushing (1008) and the bottom wall portion (1012, where 100 is so located and interposed…) in an axial direction of the shaft assembly; the bearing assembly (1-23) is provided between and can abut against the bushing (1-26) and the compound motion assembly in the axial direction of the shaft assembly, and/or (indicating alternative grouping under MPEP 2131), the bearing assembly is provided between and can abut against the bottom wall portion (1012) and the compound motion assembly (as shown) in the axial direction of the shaft assembly; and the bearing assembly comprises a plurality of rotating members (as discussed in ph 0113, 0114, and indicated at 1014) that are arranged in a circumferential direction of the compound motion assembly (to provide the multipoint rotation), and the plurality of rotating members are rotatable under an action of the compound motion assembly (as discussed, id).
He discloses in claim 2: The shaft assembly according to claim 1, wherein the bearing assembly further comprises a first bearing ring (top of 1-12a per ph 0113) and a second bearing ring (bottom of 1-23a); the plurality of rotating members (at 1014 and as also discussed per 0113, 0114) are located between the first bearing ring and the second bearing ring in an axial direction of the bearing assembly (as shown), and the compound motion assembly (via 1006) passes through the first bearing ring and the second bearing ring; and one of the first bearing ring and the second bearing ring is in interference fit with the compound motion assembly (as discussed ph 0114), and a gap (axial gap for the fit of the ball bearings at 1014 themselves) is provided between the other of the first bearing ring and the second bearing ring and the compound motion assembly.
He discloses in claim 3: The shaft assembly according to claim 2, wherein the bearing assembly comprises a first bearing assembly (at 1-23a) and a second bearing assembly (at 1004 which is a surface bearing for the spring seat), the first bearing assembly is located between the bushing (of 1-26) and the compound motion assembly (as discussed) in the axial direction of the shaft assembly, and the second bearing assembly (1004) is located between the compound motion assembly (at least that of 1002) and the bottom wall portion (at 1012) in the axial direction of the shaft assembly (where it is noted that both bearings are there between.)
He discloses in claim 4: The shaft assembly according to claim 3, wherein the compound motion assembly comprises a first rod assembly (1-13a/1002), an elastic member (1-25a) and a second rod (1-24a/1006/1-22a), and the first rod assembly and the second rod are formed separately and are arranged in the axial direction of the compound motion assembly (as shown); a part of the elastic member is provided on the first rod assembly (at 1016), and another part of the elastic member is provided on the second rod (at 1-24a); the first bearing assembly is provided on the first rod assembly (per the surface bearing as discussed at 1004), and the second bearing assembly is provided on the second rod (at 23a); and the elastic member (1-25a) is located between the first bearing assembly and the second bearing assembly (as shown) in the axial direction of the shaft assembly.
He discloses in claim 5: The shaft assembly according to claim 4, wherein the first rod assembly comprises a flange (at 1008) and a first rod (1002) that are connected (axially) to each other; and in the axial direction of the shaft assembly, the first bearing assembly (at 1004) is located between the flange (1008) and the bushing (surface of 1016), and the elastic member is located between the flange (1008) and the second bearing assembly (1-23a as shown).
He discloses in claim 7: The shaft assembly according to claim 4, wherein the second rod (at 1006/1-22a) comprises a first shaft portion (at 1006) and a second shaft portion (at 1-22a); in an axial direction of the second rod, at least a part of an orthographic projection of the first shaft portion (that of cross section at 1004) is within an orthographic projection of the second shaft portion (that of projection of 1012); and the second bearing assembly (of 1004) is provided on the first shaft portion (part of 1002/1-31a), and the second bearing assembly is located between the second shaft portion and the bottom wall portion in the axial direction of the second rod (as shown.)
He discloses in claim 11: The shaft assembly (100) according to claim 3, wherein the first bearing assembly (at 1-23a per ph 0113-0114) is a thrust ball bearing or (MPEP 2131) a needle roller thrust bearing; and/or (id) the second bearing assembly is a thrust ball bearing or (id) a needle roller thrust bearing.
He discloses in claim 12: The shaft assembly according to claim 1, but He does not disclose, although Hulme teaches: the shaft rod (of 14 figure 1) is provided with a through hole (about 21), and a hole wall of the through hole is located on a side of the bottom wall portion (of 14) away from the bushing (of 16) in an axial direction of the shaft rod (for the purpose of for example, providing a rotational bearing of the shaft rod while allowing for axial reciprocation thereof);
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing of the invention to provide He as taught in Hulme with the shaft rod being provided with a through hole, and with a hole wall of the through hole which can be located on a side of the bottom wall portion of the shaft rod as taught in Hulme and away from the bushing in an axial direction of the shaft rod, and all for the purpose of providing for example, a rotational bearing of the shaft rod while allowing for axial reciprocation thereof.
He discloses in claim 13: An electric valve (1-100) having a valve port (at 1020) and a valve chamber (at 1022), and comprising a housing (at 1024), a cover assembly (at 1026) and the shaft assembly according to claim 1, wherein the cover assembly and the housing are sealedly connected (as shown), and the shaft rod of the shaft assembly is movable towards or away from the valve port (as shown); and the housing and the cover assembly form at least a part of a wall portion of the valve chamber (at 1028), and a part of the shaft rod (that of 1-22a) extends through the cover assembly and is located into the valve chamber (as shown).
He discloses in claim 14: The electric valve according to claim 13, He does not disclose, although Kajio teaches: (see at least partially annotated figure 2 below)
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a diaphragm seal (35 figure 2), wherein the diaphragm seal comprises a first part (center of 35), a second part (middle of 35) and a third part (outside of 35), and the first part is connected to the third part through the second part (as shown); the first part is provided on an outer surface side of a part of the shaft rod (of 33), and is sealedly connected to the shaft rod (via annular seal), and the third part is sandwiched between the housing (32b) and the cover assembly (32a); the cover assembly has a first surface (at 2002) and a second surface (at 2004), the second surface is located on an inner side of the first surface in a radial direction of the cover assembly, and the first surface abuts against the third part (2006c); and the second surface is located closer to the second part (radially and axially inward) than the first surface in an axial direction of the cover assembly (especially when the diaphragm is biased downwards, and all for the purpose of for example, providing a sealed working chamber to reduce corrosion and aide in pressure balancing of the stem without exposure to fluid).
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing of the invention to provide He as taught in Kajio with a diaphragm seal arranged with a first part, a second part and a third part as taught by Kajio, with the first part connected to the third part through the second part; the first part provided on an outer surface side of a part of the shaft rod as taught in Kajio, and being sealed and connected to the shaft rod of He as taught in Kajio, with the third part being sandwiched between the housing and the cover assembly; the cover assembly arranged with a first surface and a second surface as taught in Kajio, with the second surface being located on an inner side of the first surface in a radial direction of the cover assembly, and with the first surface abuting against the third part of the diaphragm as taught in Kajio; with the second surface being located closer to the second part as taught in Kajio than the first surface in an axial direction of the cover assembly, and especially when the diaphragm is biased downwards all as taught in Kajio, and all for the purpose of for example, providing a sealed working chamber to reduce corrosion and aide in pressure balancing of the stem without exposure to fluid.
He discloses (as modified for the reasons discussed above) in claim 15: The electric valve according to claim 14, wherein the cover assembly is provided with a second accommodation chamber (at 1030), a mounting opening (at 1032) and a limiting opening (at 1034, the opening providing an end surface for the stem 1-22a), and the mounting opening and the limiting opening are respectively located on both axial sides of the cover assembly (the facing side/direction) and are in communication with each other through the second accommodation chamber (as a part); a part of the shaft rod (at 1036) is located inside a portion where the limiting opening is located (generally at 1034); the shaft assembly comprises a shaft rod (1-22a), He does not disclose, although Yonezawa teaches: the shaft rod (3 figure 2) is provided with a through hole (about pin 30), and the electric valve (of figure 2) further comprises an anti-rotation pin (30 is anti-rotationally locked relative to 7), the anti-rotation pin extends through the through hole (as shown) and is limitedly arranged relative to the cover assembly (for limited axial reciprocation during rotation); and at least a part of the mounting opening (at 70) has an inner diameter larger than or equal to a axial length of the anti-rotation pin (30 is seated into 70), and an inner diameter of the limiting opening (of 70 at the outer edge of 3 and see figure 3) is smaller than the axial length of the anti-rotation pin (all provided for the purpose of for example, maintaining axial alignment and rotational transmission of the shaft during axial reciprocation, providing for a more accurate axial alignment between parts).
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing of the invention to provide He as taught in Yonezawa, with the shaft rod provided with a through hole as taught in Yonezawa, with the electric valve having an anti-rotation pin that is anti-rotationally locked relative to the cover assembly as arranged in He as taught in Yonezawa, where the anti-rotation pin can extend through the through hole be limitedly arranged relative to the cover assembly for limited axial reciprocation during rotation; and at least a part of the mounting opening can have an inner diameter larger than or equal to an axial length of the anti-rotation pin as taught in Yonezawa, and where an inner diameter of the limiting opening can be smaller than the axial length of the anti-rotation pin as taught in Yonezawa, and all provided for the purpose of for example, maintaining axial alignment and rotational transmission of the shaft during axial reciprocation, providing for a more accurate axial alignment between parts.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6, 8 and 9 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. Claim 10 depends from claim 9 and would be allowable for the reasons of the parent claim.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the prior art fails to disclose or render obvious:
in claim 6 “…the first bearing ring of the first bearing assembly is in interference fit with the first rod and can abut against the flange; and a gap is provided between the second bearing ring of the first bearing assembly and the first rod in a radial direction of the first rod, and the second bearing ring of the first bearing assembly abuts against the bushing” in combination with the other limitations set forth above;
in claim 8 “…the second bearing ring of the second bearing assembly is located between a first bearing ring of the second bearing assembly and the bottom wall portion, and the first bearing ring of the second bearing assembly is in interference fit with the first shaft portion and can abut against the second shaft portion; and a gap is provided between the second bearing ring of the second bearing assembly and the first shaft portion in a radial direction of the second rod, and the second bearing ring of the second bearing assembly can abut against the bottom wall portion” in combination with the other limitations set forth above;
in claim 9 “…the first rod comprises a third shaft portion, a fourth shaft portion, a fifth shaft portion and a sixth shaft portion that are sequentially arranged in an axial direction of the first rod; and in the axial direction of the first rod, at least a part of an orthographic projection of the third shaft portion is within an orthographic projection of the fourth shaft portion, at least a part of the orthographic projection of the fourth shaft portion is within an orthographic projection of the fifth shaft portion, and at least a part of the orthographic projection of the fifth shaft portion is within an orthographic projection of the sixth shaft portion” in combination with the other limitations set forth above;
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MATTHEW W JELLETT, whose telephone number is 571-270-7497. 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. Ken Rinehart can be reached at (571)-272-4881, or 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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/Matthew W Jellett/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3753
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