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 claims filed 5/7/2025. Claims 12 – 22 are pending in this application.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement filed 5/7/2025 is acknowledged by the examiner.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
The following title is suggested: “Multi-way valve for a fluid motor”.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claims 12 – 14, 17 – 19, are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US Patent Application Publication to Brower et al. (2007/0284008) in view of US Patent to Hausser (4,205,592).
Regarding claim 12, Brower et al. disclose a valve housing (50, Fig. 1) comprising a high-pressure connection (91, Fig. 1) and a low-pressure connection (75, Fig. 1); a valve seat ring (comprising two valve seats) arranged in the valve housing, wherein the valve seat ring comprises a second working chamber (77, Fig. 1), a high-pressure valve seat (94, Fig. 1) open to the second working chamber, and a low-pressure valve seat (78, Fig. 2) open to the second working chamber; an inlet valve (96, Fig. 1) arranged between the high-pressure connection and the valve seat ring on the high-pressure valve seat; and an outlet valve (66, Fig. 1) arranged between the low-pressure connection and the valve seat ring on the low-pressure valve seat, wherein at least one opening of the inlet valve is controllable via the outlet valve, wherein one opening and closing of the outlet valve is controllable via a valve control unit, wherein, in a working position, the outlet valve is closed and the inlet valve is moved into an open position by the outlet valve so that high-pressure fluid supplied via the high-pressure connection is feedable to the first working chamber via the second working chamber (Fig. 4) and, in a non-working position, the outlet valve is open and the inlet valve is closed so that low-pressure fluid is dischargeable from the first working chamber via the second working chamber (Fig. 2).
Brower et al. disclose consumer as aa gear shift valve (16, Fig. 1). Brower et al. do not explicitly disclose a plunger arrangement with a first working chamber and a second working chamber connected to first working chamber.
However, Houssler teaching a hydraulic control system teaches a three-position supply and exhaust valve (20, Fig. 3) operating a plunger (4, Fig. 3).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to the person having ordinary skill in the art at a time prior to the effective filing date of the application to have adapted the plunger system taught by Haussler with the valve discloser by Brower et al. as a combination of prior art elements according to known methods to yield predictable results.
In the combination of the prior art elements, one of ordinary skill in the art would have reasonably expected the elements to maintain their respective properties or functions.
Examiner notes Brower et al. discloses the valve housing 50 is shown as a single part for schematic representation.
Regarding claim 13, Brower et al. disclose the outlet valve comprises a tappet (70, Fig. 1) projecting into the second working chamber with a first sealing surface, and, in a closed position of the outlet valve, the tappet rests against a sealing surface (78, Fig. 2) of the low-pressure valve seat, and the inlet valve comprises a closing body (96, Fig. 1) with a second sealing surface, and, in a closed position of the inlet valve, the second sealing surface rests against a sealing surface (94, Fig. 1) of the high-pressure valve seat, and when moving the closing body from an open position to the closed position of the inlet valve, the tappet pushes the closing body from a closed position of the closing body to an open position of the closing body.
Regarding claim 14, Brower et al. disclose in the closed position of the outlet valve (66, Fig. 1), the first sealing surface of the tappet contacts the sealing surface of the low- pressure valve seat and, in the closed position of the inlet valve, the closing body contacts the sealing surface of the high-pressure valve seat (94, Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 17, examiner is interpreting the outlet pressure of pump 14 disclosed by Brower et al. as the energy accumulator.
Regarding claim 18, Brower et al. disclose the closing body (96, Fig. 1) is spherical.
Regarding claim 19, Brower et al. disclose the outlet valve is electrically (10, Fig. 1) controllable.
Regarding 21, the combination of Brower et al. and Hausser disclose the claimed invention except for the plurality of the plunger arrangements. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to, since it has been held that mere duplication of the essential working parts of a device involves only routine skill in the art. St. Regis Paper Co. v. Bemis Co., 193 USPQ 8.
Claims 15 - 16, 20 and 22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US Patent Application Publication to Brower et al. (2007/0284008) in view of US Patent to Hausser (4,205,592) and further view of UK Patent Document to Dettinger (GB 2237332).
Regarding claims 15 - 16, Brower et al. disclose the tappet is guided exclusively in a region of a section of the tappet extending from the second cylindrical tappet section away from the valve seat ring in a low-pressure section of a housing body of the valve housing or in a guide bushing arranged in the housing body [para. 16].
Brower et al. do not disclose conical annular sealing surface or a seal at the guide bushing.
Regarding the annular conical sealing surface, Dettinger also teaching supply and exhaust valve teaches valve seat (15’ and 15’’, Fig. 1) that are annular conical surfaces. Further, Dettinger teaches a crankshaft whose end positions are monitored.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to the person having ordinary skill in the art at a time prior to the effective filing date of the application to have modified the valve disclosed by Brower et al. with the annular conical sealing surface as a simple substitution of one known element for another to obtain predictable results.
Further, examiner takes official notice that a person having ordinary skill in the would have a seal at the guide bushing to prevent fluid leak and a sensor to monitor the position of the crank.
Regarding claim 22, Brower et al. disclose providing a disclose a valve housing (50, Fig. 1) comprising a high-pressure connection (91, Fig. 1) and a low-pressure connection (75, Fig. 1); a valve seat ring (comprising two valve seats) arranged in the valve housing, wherein the valve seat ring comprises a second working chamber (77, Fig. 1), a high-pressure valve seat (94, Fig. 1) open to the second working chamber, and a low-pressure valve seat (78, Fig. 2) open to the second working chamber; an inlet valve (96, Fig. 1) arranged between the high-pressure connection and the valve seat ring on the high-pressure valve seat; and an outlet valve (66, Fig. 1) arranged between the low-pressure connection and the valve seat ring on the low-pressure valve seat, wherein at least one opening of the inlet valve is controllable via the outlet valve, wherein one opening and closing of the outlet valve is controllable via a valve control unit, wherein, in a working position, the outlet valve is closed and the inlet valve is moved into an open position by the outlet valve so that high-pressure fluid supplied via the high-pressure connection is feedable to the first working chamber via the second working chamber (Fig. 4) and, in a non-working position, the outlet valve is open and the inlet valve is closed so that low-pressure fluid is dischargeable from the first working chamber via the second working chamber (Fig. 2).
Brower et al. disclose consumer as aa gear shift valve (16, Fig. 1). Brower et al. do not explicitly disclose a plunger arrangement with a first working chamber and a second working chamber connected to first working chamber. Brower et al. also do not disclose coupling the plunger via a crankshaft to a mechanism configured to use rotary motion transmitted to the crankshaft.
Regarding the plunger, Houssler teaching a hydraulic control system teaches a three-position supply and exhaust valve (20, Fig. 3) operating a plunger (4, Fig. 3).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to the person having ordinary skill in the art at a time prior to the effective filing date of the application to have adapted the plunger system taught by Haussler with the valve discloser by Brower et al. as a combination of prior art elements according to known methods to yield predictable results.
Regarding the crankshaft, Dettinger also teaching a supply and exhaust valve teaches a crankshaft whose end positions are monitored.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to the person having ordinary skill in the art at a time prior to the effective filing date of the application to have modified the valve disclosed by Brower et al. with the annular conical sealing surface as a simple substitution of one known element for another to obtain predictable results.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure US Patent to Male et al. (10,451,047) and US Patent to Fong et al. (6,065,495) teaching multi-way valves.
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 is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/UMASHANKAR VENKATESAN/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3753
