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 § 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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 4, 6, and 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Arai et al. (U.S. 2008/0067464) in view of Jerpbak-Bayless Company (https://www.jerpbakbayless.com/guide-to-multi-start-threads/).
Regarding claims 4 and 6, Arai discloses a motor-operated valve comprising: a valve body (10) that has a valve port 14 (see paragraph 0041; see Figure 1); a valve member (60) that faces the valve port 14 (see paragraph 0044; see Figure 1); a motor (1a) that includes a rotor 8 (see paragraph 0040); a driving shaft (52) that has an external thread 53 (see paragraph 0044); a guide member (50) that has an internal thread (51) into which the external thread (53) is screwed (see paragraph 0044; see Figure 1); and a gear mechanism (40) that reduces rotational speed of the rotor (8) and transmits rotation of the rotor (8) to the driving shaft (52),wherein when the driving shaft (52) rotates, the driving shaft (52) moves toward or away from the valve port (14) to move the valve member (60) with respect to the valve port 14 (see paragraphs 0042 and 0044), and wherein where L represents a lead of the external thread, and K represents a speed-reduction ratio of the gear mechanism (40), 30 ≤ K ≤ 100 (see paragraph 0052).
Arai further discloses the screw pitch of element 52 to be between 0.5-1.5mm (see paragraph 0052).
Arai fails to disclose the lead of the external thread; 0.04K ≤ L ≤ 0.10K; wherein the external thread and the internal thread are each a multi- start thread.
Jerpbak-Bayless Company teaches multi-start threads, specifically double and four-start threads, used in valves (see section titled Applications of Multi-Start Threads); wherein an external thread and an internal thread are each a multi- start thread.
Lead is equal to pitch x thread start, therefore if using a double start thread, the combination teaches 0.04K ≤ L ≤ 0.10K as seen below:
If K = 30 as disclosed by Arai and a double start thread is used, then L = 2(1.5), which is 3.
Therefore, 0.04(30) ≤ L ≤ 0.10(30) which equals 1.2 ≤ L ≤ 3.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed to have modified Arai to provide the lead of the external thread; 0.04K ≤ L ≤ 0.10K; wherein the external thread and the internal thread are each a multi- start thread. Using a multi-start thread would provide better transmitting power and generating movement (see section titled Applications of Multi-Start Threads), as recognized by Jerpbak-Bayless Company.
Regarding claim 7, Arai as modified teaches the invention as essentially claimed and further teaches wherein expression (2A) below is further satisfied: (2A) K = 30 (see paragraph 0052).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5, 8, and 9 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Ogawa et al. (U.S. 2022/0252312) discloses a valve comprising a valve body with a valve port closed by a valve member; the valve member being driven by a motor, with a threaded rod, a rotor, and speed reduction mechanism.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KELSEY E CARY whose telephone number is (571)272-9427. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9:30am-5:30pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisors, Craig Schneider can be reached at (571)-272-3607 or Kenneth Rinehart can be reached at 571-272-4881.. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KELSEY E CARY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3753
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