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 .
Double Patenting
Claims 1-20 are directed to the same invention as that of claim 1-20 of commonly assigned 12264626. Under 35 U.S.C. 101, more than one patent may not be issued on the same invention.
The USPTO may not institute a derivation proceeding in the absence of a timely filed petition. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office normally will not institute a derivation proceeding between applications or a patent and an application having common ownership (see 37 CFR 42.411). The applicant should amend or cancel claims such that the reference and the instant application no longer contain claims directed to the same invention.
A table of claim 1 is shown below to show the comparison of the duplicate claim language.
US 12264626
Pending Application
1. A multi-adjustable valve for metering a flow of fluid within a lubrication system, the valve having a longitudinal axis, the valve comprising: a biasing member; a housing having an interior cavity, a fluid inlet port, and a fluid outlet port, the interior cavity extending from a first end of the housing to a second end of the housing; a first adjustable piston configured for threaded engagement with the housing interior cavity adjacent to the first end of the housing, the first adjustable piston axially moveable within the housing interior cavity via the threaded engagement with the housing interior cavity; a second adjustable piston having a shaft and a head disposed at a distal end of the shaft, the shaft configured for threaded engagement with the first adjustable piston, the second adjustable piston axially moveable via the threaded engagement between the shaft and the first adjustable piston; and a spool having a spool shaft connected to and extending between a spring housing (SH) and an end cap, the end cap disposed adjacent to the second end of the housing, and the spring housing having an SH interior cavity configured to receive the biasing member, wherein the spool is configured for axial movement within the housing interior cavity; wherein the second adjustable piston head is disposed in the spring housing and the biasing member is disposed between the second adjustable piston head and a base surface of the spring housing, wherein in a compressed state the biasing member produces a biasing force that biases the spool toward the second end of the housing; wherein the multi-adjustable valve is configured to receive said fluid at a first pressure between the spring housing and the first end of the housing, and to receive said fluid at a second pressure between the spool end cap and the second end of the housing, and during use the multi- adjustable valve meters flow of the fluid by the spool spring housing entirely blocking the housing fluid outlet port, or partially blocking the housing fluid outlet port, or not blocking the housing fluid outlet port as a function of a difference between the first pressure and the second pressure and the biasing force.
1. A multi-adjustable valve for metering a flow of fluid within a lubrication system, the valve having a longitudinal axis, the valve comprising: a biasing member; a housing having an interior cavity, a fluid inlet port, and a fluid outlet port, the interior cavity extending from a first end of the housing to a second end of the housing; a first adjustable piston configured for threaded engagement with the housing interior cavity adjacent to the first end of the housing, the first adjustable piston axially moveable within the housing interior cavity via the threaded engagement with the housing interior cavity; a second adjustable piston having a shaft and a head disposed at a distal end of the shaft, the shaft configured for threaded engagement with the first adjustable piston, the second adjustable piston axially moveable via the threaded engagement between the shaft and the first adjustable piston; and a spool having a spool shaft connected to and extending between a spring housing (SH) and an end cap, the end cap disposed adjacent to the second end of the housing, and the spring housing having an SH interior cavity configured to receive the biasing member, wherein the spool is configured for axial movement within the housing interior cavity; wherein the second adjustable piston head is disposed in the spring housing and the biasing member is disposed between the second adjustable piston head and a base surface of the spring housing, wherein in a compressed state the biasing member produces a biasing force that biases the spool toward the second end of the housing; wherein the multi-adjustable valve is configured to receive said fluid at a first pressure between the spring housing and the first end of the housing, and to receive said fluid at a second pressure between the spool end cap and the second end of the housing, and during use the multi-adjustable valve meters flow of the fluid by the spool spring housing entirely blocking the housing fluid outlet port, or partially blocking the housing fluid outlet port, or not blocking the housing fluid outlet port as a function of a difference between the first pressure and the second pressure and the biasing force.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to P. MACADE NICHOLS whose telephone number is (571)270-5428. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 9:00-5:00 P.M..
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/P. MACADE NICHOLS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3753
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