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 .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority based on an application filed in the IDS on 03/26/2025. It is noted, however, that applicant has not filed a certified copy of the JP 2024-091546 application as required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 03/26/2025 is being considered by the examiner.
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.
Claims 1-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hoshina (JP 2012086535).
Regarding claim 1, Hoshina teaches a valve mechanism (figs.2,3,6) comprising:
an upstream chamber (“upstream chamber” in figure below, fig.3, corresponding to the upper chamber 22a in fig.2) into which fluid flows via an inflow port (80 fig.2);
a downstream chamber (“downstream chamber” in figure below, fig.3, corresponding to the upper chamber 22a in fig.2) that has a first flexible membrane (36 fig.3) and that is in communication with the upstream chamber via a communication port (23 fig.3) downstream of the upstream chamber (“upstream chamber” in figure below, fig.3);
a second flexible membrane (35 and/or 27 figs.3,6) that partitions the upstream chamber and the downstream chamber from each other;
an open and close section (26,25, and/or 32 figs.3,6) configured to open and close the communication port; and
a biasing section (“spring” in figure below, fig.3) that biases the first flexible membrane (36) in a direction of increasing volume of the downstream chamber, wherein
the open and close section (26,25, and/or 32 figs.3,6) includes
a shaft section (25 figs.3,6) that is provided across the upstream chamber (“upstream chamber” in figure below, fig.3) and the downstream chamber (“downstream chamber”) and that is configured to move following displacement of the first flexible membrane (36 fig.3) and the second flexible membrane (35 and/or 27 figs.3,6) and
a valve section (26,and/or 32 figs.3,6) that is connected to the shaft section (25) and that opens and closes the communication port (23).
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Regarding claim 2, Hoshina teaches a valve mechanism (figs.2,3,6) comprising:
an upstream chamber (“upstream chamber” in figure below, fig.3, corresponding to the bottom chamber 22b in fig.2) that has a first flexible membrane (36 fig.3) and into which a fluid flows via an inflow port (81 fig.2);
a downstream chamber (“downstream chamber” in figure below, fig.3, corresponding to the bottom chamber 22b in fig.2) that is in communication with the upstream chamber via a communication port (23 fig.3) downstream of the upstream chamber;
a second flexible membrane (35 and/or 27 figs.3,6) that partitions the upstream chamber and the downstream chamber from each other;
an open and close section (26,25, and/or 32 figs.3,6) configured to open and close the communication port; and
a biasing section (“spring” in figure below, fig.3) that biases the first flexible membrane (36) in a direction of decreasing volume of the upstream chamber, wherein
the open and close section (26,25, and/or 32 figs.3,6) includes
a shaft section (25 figs.3,6) that is provided across the upstream chamber and the downstream chamber and that is configured to move following displacement of the first flexible membrane (36) and the second flexible membrane (35 and/or 27 figs.3,6) and
a valve section (26,and/or 32 figs.3,6) that is connected to the shaft section (25) and that opens and closes the communication port (23).
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Regarding claim 3, Hoshina further teaches wherein the shaft section (25 figs.3,6) is inserted into the second flexible membrane (35 and/or 27 figs.3,6), one end of the shaft section (25 figs.3,6) is connected to the first flexible membrane (36), and an other end of the shaft section (25) is connected to the valve section (26,and/or 32 figs.3,6).
Regarding claim 4, Hoshina further teaches wherein the valve section (26,and/or 32 figs.3,6) has a seal section (portion of 27) configured to intimately contact the communication port.
Regarding claim 5, Hoshina further teaches wherein a bending amount of the first flexible membrane (36 fig.3) when the open and close section is in a closed state is smaller than a bending amount of the first flexible membrane when the open and close section is in an open state (figs.6) and
a bending amount of the second flexible membrane (35 and/or 27 figs.3,6) when the open and close section is in the closed state is smaller than a bending amount of the second flexible membrane when the open and close section is in the open state (figs.6).
Regarding claim 6, Hoshina further teaches wherein a pressure receiving area of the second flexible membrane (35 and/or 27 figs.3,6) and a pressure receiving area of the valve section (26, and/or 32 figs.3,6) are the same.
Regarding claim 7, Hoshina further teaches a liquid fluid device (figs.1,4) comprising:
a liquid storage section (6 fig.1) configured to store liquid;
a liquid flow path (34 fig.1) coupled to the liquid storage section;
a pressure varying mechanism (fig.2) configured to vary the pressure of liquid flowing through the liquid flow path; and the valve mechanism (figs.3,6) according to claim 1.
Regarding claim 8, Hoshina further teaches a liquid fluid device (figs.1,4) comprising:
a liquid storage section (6 fig.1) configured to store liquid;
a liquid flow path (34 fig.1) coupled to the liquid storage section;
a pressure varying mechanism (fig.2) configured to vary the pressure of liquid flowing through the liquid flow path; and the valve mechanism (figs.3,6) according to claim 2.
Regarding claim 9, Hoshina further teaches wherein the valve mechanism (figs.2,3,6) is provided in the liquid flow path (figs.1,2).
Regarding claim 10, Hoshina further teaches wherein the valve mechanism (figs.2,3,6) is configured to adjust pressure of the liquid storage section (6 figs.1,2).
Regarding claim 11, Hoshina further teaches further comprising:
a second valve mechanism (valve mechanism corresponding to the bottom chamber 22b in fig.2), wherein, assuming that
the valve mechanism (figs.2,3,6) is a first valve mechanism,
the inflow port (80 fig.2) is a first inflow port,
the upstream chamber (“upstream chamber” in figure above in claim 1, fig.3, corresponding to the upper chamber 22a in fig.2) is a first upstream chamber,
the first communication port (23 fig.3, corresponding to the upper chamber 22a in fig.2) is a first communication port,
the downstream chamber (“downstream chamber” in figure above in claim 1, fig.3, corresponding to the upper chamber 22a in fig.2) is a first downstream chamber,
the first open and close section (26,25, and/or 32 figs.3,6, corresponding to the upper chamber 22a in fig.2) is a first open and close section,
the biasing portion (“spring” in figure below, fig.3, corresponding to the upper chamber 22a in fig.2) is a first biasing section,
the shaft section (25 figs.3,6) is a first shaft section, and
the valve section (26, and/or 32 figs.3,6) is a first valve section,
the second valve mechanism (valve mechanism corresponding to the bottom chamber 22b in fig.2) includes
a second upstream chamber (“upstream chamber” in figure above in claim 2, fig.3, corresponding to the bottom chamber 22b in fig.2) that includes a third flexible membrane (36 fig.3) and into which fluid flows via a second inflow port (81 fig.2),
a second downstream chamber (“downstream chamber” in figure above in claim 2, fig.3, corresponding to the bottom chamber 22b in fig.2) that is in communication with the second upstream chamber via a second communication port (23 fig.3, corresponding to the bottom chamber 22b in fig.2) downstream of the second upstream chamber,
a fourth flexible membrane (35 and/or 27 figs.3,6 corresponding to the bottom chamber 22b in fig.2) that partitions the second upstream chamber and the second downstream chamber from each other,
a second open and close section (26,25, and/or 32 figs.3,6 corresponding to the bottom chamber 22b in fig.2) configured to open and close the second communication port, and
a second biasing section (“spring” in figure below, fig.3 in figure above in claim 2, fig.3, corresponding to the bottom chamber 22b in fig.2) that biases the third flexible membrane in a direction of decreasing volume of the second upstream chamber and
the second open and close section (26,25, and/or 32 figs.3,6 corresponding to the bottom chamber 22b in fig.2) includes
a second shaft section (25 figs.3,6 corresponding to the bottom chamber 22b in fig.2) that is provided across the second upstream chamber and the second downstream chamber and that is configured to move following displacement of the third flexible membrane and the fourth flexible membrane and
a second valve section (26, and/or 32 figs.3,6 corresponding to the bottom chamber 22b in fig.2) that is connected to the second shaft section and that opens and closes the second communication port.
Regarding claim 12, Hoshina further teaches a liquid ejection device (figs.1,4) comprising: the liquid fluid device (figs.1,4) according to claim 7 and a liquid ejection section (3 figs.1,4) configured to eject liquid.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HENOK D LEGESSE whose telephone number is (571)270-1615. The examiner can normally be reached General Schedule 9:00 am- 5:00 pm, IFP.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Douglas Rodriguez can be reached at (571)431-0716. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/HENOK D LEGESSE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853
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