DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1-5 are pending.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
Specification paragraphs 0090-0094 restate the claims. Numbered claims should be avoided in the specification because claimed subject matter is expected to change during the course of prosecution.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
PNG
media_image1.png
584
1031
media_image1.png
Greyscale
Annotations on Applicant’s fig 5
PNG
media_image2.png
704
582
media_image2.png
Greyscale
Annotations on Applicant’s fig 2
Claims 1-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kawamura (JP 2016/200067).
PNG
media_image3.png
610
693
media_image3.png
Greyscale
Annotations on Kawamura fig 7
PNG
media_image4.png
606
420
media_image4.png
Greyscale
Annotations on Kawamura fig 3
Claim 1, Kawamura discloses A fluid control device (fig 7) comprising:
a pump (piezoelectric pump 10) including a pump housing (191-91; aligns with applicant’s figures);
and a valve (170) including a valve housing (191-192),
the pump and the valve being disposed side by side in a first direction (valve is atop pump),
wherein the pump has a first hole (52) provided in the pump housing,
a second hole (56) provided in the pump housing,
and a vibrator (40) disposed in the pump housing (40 is between 191 and 91),
the vibrator being configured to send gas from the first hole to the second hole (piezoelectric actuator 40 drives the pump and causes gas flow upward, see flow direction arrows in fig 7),
the valve has the second hole provided in a first valve housing member (191) of the valve housing (hole 56 passes through 191 of the valve housing),
the first valve housing member being connected to the pump housing (191 is a component of both the pump and valve housing; this is the same as applicant’s plate 36 being a component of both the pump and valve housing),
a third hole (112, in center of 191 of valve housing; fig 7 shows air outflow through 112, fig 8 shows inlet flow) provided in a second valve housing member of the valve housing (192 is the upper/second part of the valve housing),
the second valve housing member being disposed to face the first valve housing member (192 and 191 face each other on other sides of valve 170),
and a discharge passage (113, fig 8 shows outlet flow through 113) provided in the second valve housing member of the valve housing (113 is embedded in 191 of the valve housing),
the second valve housing member includes a projection (124) provided by a part (123 and 124) not overlapping an external shape of the pump housing when viewed in the first direction (fig 7 shows that 123/124 does not overlap the center part or upper part 109 of the housing in the vertical direction),
the projection has at least part of the discharge passage (123/124 overlaps and thereby reasonably directs flow from 113),
an outside end surface of the discharge passage (upper surface of 113 is the outside surface) opened to an outside faces (upper face of 192) the pump in the first direction (the first direction is the vertical direction; ie the valve and pump are oriented in a vertical direction, See above),
the vibrator includes a vibrator projection (fig 3 shows projection 83 from the actuator) projecting from the pump housing when viewed in the first direction,
and at least part of the outside end surface of the discharge passage is located outside the pump housing when viewed in the first direction (113 is in 192 and above plate 191 and therefore vertically above the pump housing).
Claim 2 dependent on claim 1, Kawamura discloses wherein the outside end surface of the discharge passage does not overlap the vibrator projection when viewed in the first direction (fig 2 shows 113 on the upper housing; since 83 extends outwardly to obtain power, it reasonably will extend further than the pump housing in order to attach to external power).
Claim 3 dependent on claim 1, Kawamura discloses
wherein the discharge passage includes a plurality of discharge passages (fig 2, reasonably both 113 and 112 may be considered discharge passage; fig 7 and fig 8 show the discharge flow through both),
and wherein the plurality of discharge passages is disposed at positions located point-symmetrically relative to a center of the valve housing when viewed in the first direction (112 is on the center of the pump and therefore there is at least one discharge passage with point-symmetry in the vertical direction).
Claim 4 dependent on claim 1, Kawamura discloses
wherein the outside end surface of the discharge passage has a part overlapping the pump housing when viewed in the first direction (fig 7 shows that passage 113 is vertical through plate 192, passage 113 overlaps the pump housing plates 191-91 in the vertical direction).
Claim 5 dependent on claim 1, Kawamura discloses
wherein the vibrator has a multilayer structure (40 includes 41, 42, 43) including a piezoelectric body (42 is the piezoelectric element),
and a vibration body (41 is the diaphragm of the actuator) comprising a metal (41 is disclosed as a metal plate, pg 3, 4th and 9th paragraph),
and the vibration body (41) is held by the pump housing (plates 91-191) and includes the vibrator projection (fig 3 shows the projection off of metal plate 41).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Mou (US 2021/0099105) discloses a discharge passage 16b, exterior of the piezoelectric pump. Uruma (WO 2016/133024) discloses a piezolecetric pump with a valve housing (2, fig 6) with two discharges (22a / 22b) in the same vertical arrangement as applicant. Kamitani (US 2009/0148318) discloses a diaphragm valve (20) with two discharge valve (12) and a third central hole (11).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GEOFFREY S LEE whose telephone number is (571)272-5354. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 0900-1800.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Essama Omgba can be reached at (469) 295-9278. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/GEOFFREY S LEE/Examiner, Art Unit 3746
/DOMINICK L PLAKKOOTTAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3746