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 .
DETAILED ACTION
This is responsive to the amendment filed 6/22/2026. Applicant amended claims 1, 4 - 5, 8, 11 and 13, cancelled claim 7; claims 1 – 6, 8 – 15 are pending in this application.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 6/22/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues Japanese Patent Document to Hiromasa (JP 2015224711) “does not disclose or suggest sealing seats that are each located in a sealing seat receptacle that is intentionally formed wider in the lateral direction than the sealing seat itself, thereby creating a designed gap within the receptacle that provides a defined range of motion for the sealing seat”.
Examiner respectfully disagrees. Hiromasa discloses a valve seat groove (50a, Fig. 5) wider than the valve seat (56a, Fig. 5). Further Hiromasa discloses the valve seat laterally moving when pressure is applied (pages 3 – 4), thereby reading on all the limitations of the claimed subject matter.
Based on the foregoing rejection of claims 1 – 6, 8 – 10, 12 and 15 are maintained and THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL.
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.
Claims 1 – 6, 8 - 10, 12, 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Japanese Patent Document to Hiromasa (JP2015-224711).
Regarding claim 1, Hiromasa discloses a four-way ball valve comprising: a valve housing (12, Fig. 1)and four fluid connection channels (44 a - c, 62, Fig. 1 – 2) arranged therein, a valve ball (20, Fig. 1) placed inside the valve housing and rotated around an axis of rotation and has a first ball passage channel (64, Fig. 1) and a second ball passage channel (66, Fig. 1) separated therefrom, three sealing seats (56 a – c, Fig. 2) for positioning the valve ball, wherein three of the four fluid connection channels are associated with a respective sealing seat; a drive shaft (18, Fig. 1), which is in an operative connection with the valve ball and is aligned in the direction of the axis of rotation, and an actuator (16, Fig. 1) for rotating the valve ball, wherein the four fluid connection channels are arranged offset from one another in such a way and the first ball passage channel and the second ball passage channel are shaped and positioned in the valve ball in such a way that at least two switching states of the four-way ball valve can be set by rotation of the valve ball around the axis of rotation, wherein in each case two of the four fluid connection channels with an associated sealing seat are connected to one another through the first ball passage channel, and a respective third one of the four fluid connection channels with an associated sealing seat is connected to a fourth one of the four fluid connection channels with no associated sealing seat, through the second ball passage channel as shown in figures 2 - 4. Hiromasa discloses the sealing seat (48 a – c, Fig. 2) receptacles are each formed to be wider than the sealing seat (56 a – c, Fig. 2), so that the sealing seat can be moved laterally within the sealing seat receptacle as noted above.
Regarding claim 2, Hiromasa discloses the three of the four fluid connection channels provided with a sealing seat (56 a - c , Fig. 2) are arranged offset from one another such that, of the three of the four fluid connection channels provided with a sealing seat, the two of the four fluid connection channels which are adjacent to one another in the direction of rotation of the valve ball are always aligned at an angle of 120° to one another and a rotational offset is 120° as shown in figure 2.
Regarding claim 3, Hiromasa discloses the fourth of the four fluid connection channels (62, Fig. 1), which is not provided with a sealing seat, is aligned at an angle of 90° in the direction of the axis of rotation and with respect to each of the three of the four fluid connection channels provided with a sealing seat (56 a – c, Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 4, Hiromasa discloses sealing between a sealing seat (54 a – c, Fig. 2) and a sealing seat (48 a – c, Fig. 2) receptacle takes place inside the valve housing by a sealing ring (54 a – c, Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 5, Hiromasa discloses the sealing ring is placed in a recess or a groove (52 a – c, Fig. 2) in the sealing seat.
Regarding claim 6, Hiromasa discloses the sealing ring is placed in a recess or a groove (52 a – c, Fig. 2) in the sealing seat receptacle (48 a – c, Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 8, Hiromasa discloses the valve housing (12, Fig. 1) is formed as a block housing into which sealing seat receptacle inserts for providing the sealing seat receptacle for the sealing seat are inserted into the four fluid connection channels.
Regarding claim 9, Hiromasa discloses all of the four fluid connection channels are arranged offset from one another such that the two of the four fluid connection channels of the four fluid connection channels which are adjacent to one another in the direction of rotation of the valve ball are always aligned with respect to one another at an angle of 90° and a rotational offset is 90° (Fig. 11).
Regarding claim 10, Hiromasa discloses the first ball passage channel (64, Fig. 2) and the second ball passage channel (66, Fig. 2) have cross-sections of different sizes – examiner maintains the 66c is smaller than 66 in figure 2 reading on the limitation of the claimed invention.
Regarding claim 12, Hiromasa discloses the second ball passage channel (66 a - b, Fig. 1) has at least two differently shaped – by means of size - channel sections.
Regarding claim 15, Hiromasa discloses a use of the four-way ball valve according to claim 1as a refrigerant valve (Abstract)
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 11, 13 – 14 are allowed.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to UMASHANKAR VENKATESAN whose telephone number is (571)270-5602. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 9:30 AM - 6:00 PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner' s supervisors Craig Schneider can be reached at (571) 272-3607 or Ken 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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/UMASHANKAR VENKATESAN/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3753
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