DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . This is the initial office action based on the 18/998,126 application filed January 24, 2025. Claims 1-9 are pending and have been fully considered.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) dated January 24, 2025 is noted. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98. Accordingly, the IDS is being considered by the Examiner.
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.
Claim(s) 1 and 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ogawa et al. (U.S. Patent No. 8,181,635, herein “Ogawa”).
Regarding Claim 1, Ogawa discloses a ventilation structure for a crankcase (2) comprising a crankshaft chamber (2a) and a ventilation chamber (15), the ventilation structure comprising a one-way valve plate (28) enabling only gas in the crankshaft chamber (2a) to flow into the ventilation chamber (15). Ogawa discloses that an inner side wall of the ventilation chamber (15) is provided with a backflow groove (20), wherein an inner cavity of the backflow groove (20) communicates with the crankshaft chamber (15) (see Figure 1), and wherein the one-way valve plate (28) is arranged in an up-down direction (while depicted as shown in Figure 1, one of ordinary skill in the art would observe that the plate (28) in an “up-down” direction by merely rotating the drawing 90 degrees) and is capable of closing an opening of the backflow groove (20). Ogawa discloses that an upper end of the one-way valve plate (28) is a free end (see Figure 1), and a lower end of the one-way valve plate (28) is fixedly connected to an open-end face of the backflow groove (20) via a bolt (30).
Regarding Claim 5, Ogawa discloses that the ventilation structure includes a pressure baffle (29) is connected at the opening of the backflow groove (20) (see Figure 3), wherein the one-way valve plate (28) is clamped between the pressure baffle (29) and the open end face of the backflow groove (20 (see Figure 3), and wherein the pressure baffle (29) has a strip shape (see Figure 3), and an upper end (29b) of the pressure baffle is bent toward a side away from the one-way valve plate (28) (see Figure 1).
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.
Claim(s) 6 and 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ogawa.
Regarding Claim 6, Ogawa discloses the invention substantially as claimed, including that the pressure baffle (29) is fixedly connected to the open-end face of the backflow groove (20) by a bolt (30), but does not specifically provide for a plurality of bolts arranged as claimed.
However, Examiner takes Official Notice that it is well known in the art to provide multiple fasteners for coupling engine components together for the purpose of providing a stronger, more robust attachment of the components. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to form Ogawa’s ventilation structure with multiple fasteners coupling the baffle and valve plate to the crankcase for the purpose of providing a stronger, more robust attachment of the components to the structure.
Regarding Claim 7, Ogawa discloses the invention substantially as claimed, including wherein the pressure baffle (29) is provided with an avoidance through hole (31). However, Ogawa does not specifically provide that the baffle (29) includes a plurality of avoidance through holes.
However, it nevertheless would have been an obvious matter of design choice to provide multiple through holes, since Applicant has not disclosed that doing so solves any stated problem or is for any particular purpose and it appears that the invention would perform equally well with any appropriate number of through holes.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-4, 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Specifically, various references are cited that provide detail of relevant ventilation structures for engines.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAMES G MOUBRY whose telephone number is (571)270-5658. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 10AM - 6:30PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Lindsay M. Low can be reached at 571-272-1196. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/GRANT MOUBRY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3747
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