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 § 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(s) 1 and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and/or 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by DONGGUAN PUW EPTFE MATERIAL CO. LTD CN 212226111 U.
Regarding claim 1, CN 212226111 discloses a balance explosion-proof valve (Figs. 1-14, paragraphs 33-48), comprising:
a valve body 1;
a pressure relief assembly 4, 5, and 44 assembled on an upper side of the valve body; and
an air pressure balance assembly 2 assembled on a lower side of the pressure relief assembly;
wherein the valve body comprises an outer ring body, an inner ring body, and connecting arms (see Figs. 1-5), wherein the connecting arms are connected to an inner surface of the outer ring body and an outer surface of the inner ring body, pressure relief holes (see Figs. 1 and 3, openings between the connecting arms) are defined between the outer ring body and the inner ring body, a central sleeve hole 11 is defined in the inner ring body, and the central sleeve hole penetrates through the inner ring body in a vertical direction (see Figs. 3-4, 11 goes all the way through);
wherein the pressure relief assembly comprises a piston 4 pressed against a surface of the outer ring body (see Fig. 4), a waterproof breathable membrane 5, and an upper cover plate 44 covering the waterproof breathable membrane (see Fig. 4);
wherein a periphery of the waterproof breathable membrane is connected to the piston (see Fig. 4), the air pressure balance assembly is mounted on a lower side of the piston and passes through the central sleeve hole (see Fig. 4), and the piston comprises an inner concave cavity, a pressing step, and an outer ring portion (see Fig. 4);
wherein the pressing step protrudes upward from a periphery of the inner concave cavity (see Fig. 4), the outer ring portion protrudes upward from an outer edge of the pressing step (see Fig. 4), the periphery of the waterproof breathable membrane is fixed to the pressing step and covers the inner concave cavity (see Fig. 4), and the waterproof breathable membrane is communicated with an outside through the upper cover plate or a space defined between the upper cover plate and the piston (see Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 19, CN 212226111 discloses a balance explosion-proof valve (Figs. 1-14, paragraphs 33-48), comprising:
a valve body 1;
a pressure relief assembly 4, 5, and 44 assembled on an upper side of the valve body; and
an air pressure balance assembly 2 assembled on a lower side of the pressure relief assembly;
wherein the valve body comprises an outer ring body, an inner ring body, and connecting arms (see Figs. 1-5), wherein the connecting arms are connected to an inner surface of the outer ring body and an outer surface of the inner ring body, pressure relief holes (see Figs. 1 and 3, openings between the connecting arms) are defined between the outer ring body and the inner ring body, a central sleeve hole 11 is defined in the inner ring body, and the central sleeve hole penetrates through the inner ring body in a vertical direction (see Figs. 3-4, 11 goes all the way through);
wherein the pressure relief assembly comprises a piston 4 pressed against a surface of the outer ring body (see Fig. 4), a waterproof breathable membrane 5, and an upper cover plate 44 covering the waterproof breathable membrane (see Fig. 4);
wherein a periphery of the waterproof breathable membrane is connected to the piston (see Fig. 4), the air pressure balance assembly is mounted on a lower side of the piston and passes through the central sleeve hole (see Fig. 4), and the piston comprises an inner concave cavity, a pressing step, and an outer ring portion (see Fig. 4);
wherein the pressing step protrudes upward from a periphery of the inner concave cavity (see Fig. 4), the outer ring portion protrudes upward from an outer edge of the pressing step (see Fig. 4), the periphery of the waterproof breathable membrane is fixed to the pressing step and covers the inner concave cavity (see Fig. 4), a bottom surface of the outer ring portion is pressed against a first sealing ring 14 disposed on the surface of the outer ring body, the upper cover plate defines vent grooves (Fig. 3, see bottom of 44) corresponding to the outer ring portion, the vent grooves communicate the waterproof breathable membrane with an outside (see Figs. 3-5).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-13 and 20 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.
Claims 14-18 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The primary reason for the allowance of claims 2-13 is a balance explosion proof valve having the combination of a magnetic sheet clamped between the upper cover plate and the piston with notches are formed in a periphery of the magnetic sheet that communicate the waterproof breathable membrane with the outside with the magnetic sheet middle portion and a connecting outer ring integrally extending outward from the middle portion in a radial direction and the connecting outer ring is clamped between the outer ring portion and the upper cover plate with the notches extend outward from the magnetic sheet middle portion to penetrate the connecting outer ring in the radial direction, so that the waterproof breathable membrane is communicated with the outside in combination with the rest of the device as cited in claim 1. The primary reason for the allowance of claim 20 is a balance explosion proof valve having the combination of a lower protruding portion formed on a periphery of the upper cover plate with the vent grooves penetrate through the lower protruding portion in a radial direction with a lower surface of the lower protruding portion bonded to a surface of the outer ring portion with the lower protruding portion bottom surface forms rough surfaces with the lower protruding portion bottom surface accommodates an adhesive that is bonded to the surface of the outer ring portion in combination with the rest of the device as cited in claim 19.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: The primary reason for the allowance of the claims 14-18 is a balance explosion-proof valve having the combination of a valve body with a pressure relief assembly on an upper side of the valve body with an air pressure balance assembly on a lower side of the pressure relief assembly with the valve body has an outer ring body, an inner ring body, and connecting arms with pressure relief holes between the outer ring body and the inner ring body with a central sleeve hole in the inner ring body and penetrates through the inner ring body with the pressure relief assembly has a piston, a waterproof breathable membrane, and an upper cover plate covering the waterproof breathable membrane with a periphery of the waterproof breathable membrane coupled to the piston with the air pressure balance assembly has a guide rod connected to a lower side of the piston with a lower plugging cover connected to a lower end of the guide rod with a balance valve that is mounted in the guide rod and the lower plugging cover with a central hole is defined in the guide rod and is communicated with the waterproof breathable membrane with an outer protruding ring protrudes from a periphery of the lower plugging cover in the radial direction with a pressure relief spring is sleeved on an outer side of the guide rod and especially with the pressure relief spring is supported between the inner ring body and the outer protruding ring in combination with the rest of claim 14.
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. Kim, Uemura, and Chen disclose vent valves.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOHN BASTIANELLI whose telephone number is (571)272-4921. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Craig Schneider, can be reached at telephone number (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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/John Bastianelli/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3753
571-272-4921