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.
Claim(s) 1, 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hebert (WO 2023/059691)
Regarding claim 1, a coupling member (100) that is a tubular body whose center axis is an axis extending in a prescribed direction (Figures 1-8) and includes inside a circulation path for a liquid so as to allow the liquid to circulate therethrough in an axis direction (Figure 7; Paragraph 0041), the coupling member comprising:
A valve housing (Figure 4; 141), the hollow movable valve (150) is positionally displaced in the axis direction between a position in a connected state (Figure 7) where the coupling member is connected to another coupling member and a position in a disconnected state (Figure 6) where the coupling member is disconnected from the other coupling member, thus allowing circulation of the liquid therethrough in the connected state (flow F of Figure 7), while restricting the circulation of the liquid therethrough in the disconnected state (Figures 6-7; Paragraphs 0023, 0036-0041)
In the connected state, a gap (Figure 7) is generated between a prescribed part of the hollow movable valve (150) and the valve housing (141) in a radial direction
The hollow movable valve (150) has a circulation opening (126) penetrating through the prescribed part in the radial direction (Figures 6-7; Paragraph 0041)
Regarding claim 4, the flow path connection mechanism further comprises a second coupling member that is connected to the first coupling member in the axis direction and includes inside a circulation path for the liquid so that the liquid is allowed to circulate through the first and second coupling members in the axis direction (Figure 7; Paragraphs 0023, 0036-0041)
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
Claim(s) 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hebert (WO 2023/059691) in view of Kitagawa (JP2011075055)
Regarding claim 2, Kitagawa discloses a plurality of circulation openings, and the plurality of the circulation openings each extend in a circumferential direction and are arranged in a staggered manner in the circumferential direction throughout an entire circumference of the hollow movable valve in the circumferential direction (Figures 4-5; Paragraph 0027)
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teaching of Kitagawa into the device of Hebert, for the purpose of facilitating proper flow through valve unit
Claim(s) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hebert (WO 2023/059691)
Hebert discloses the circulation opening and the claimed invention except for the circulation opening extends in a spiral shape and has a length in a circumferential direction longer than a full circle. It would have been an obvious matter of design choice to use a circulation opening extends in a spiral shape and has a length in a circumferential direction longer than a full circle, since such a modification would have involved a mere change in the shape of a component. A change in shape is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art. MPEP 2144.04; In reDailey, 357 F.2d 669, 149 USPQ 47 (CCPA 1966)
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate a circulation opening extends in a spiral shape and has a length in a circumferential direction longer than a full circle, for the purpose of facilitating proper flow through valve unit
Claim(s) 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hebert (WO 2023/059691) in view of Oda et al (U.S. Pub. 2004/0001126)
Regarding claim 5, Hebert discloses the flow path mechanism (Figure 7; Paragraphs 0023, 0036-0041)
Oda discloses connections members wherein the liquid is ink and the ink jet recording apparatus uses the ink to perform printing (Paragraphs 0004, 0051-0053, 0080; Figure 9)
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teaching of Oda into the device of Hebert, for the purpose of controlling the flow of ink within an ink jet apparatus
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JASON S UHLENHAKE whose telephone number is (571)272-5916. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8:00 am - 5:00 pm.
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/JASON S UHLENHAKE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853 July 24, 2026
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