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 4/3/2025. Claims 1 – 20 are pending in this application.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement filed 4/3/2025 is acknowledged by the examiner.
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.
Claims 1 – 9, 11 – 12, 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US Patent Application Publication to Bryant et al. (2023/0151894).
Regarding claim 1, Bryant et al. disclose a multi-port valve (Fig. 7) with a connection point, in which an inlet (44, Fig. 7) and at least a first (46, Fig. 7) and a second (48, Fig. 7) outlet are provided, which are connected to one another, wherein a first passage is formed at least between the inlet and the first outlet (Fig. 5) and a second passage is formed between the inlet and the second outlet (Fig. 6), with a valve body (50, Fig. 7), a stroke movement of the valve body along a stroke axis in the connection point is controllable by an actuating element (80, Fig. 10) of a drive (72, Fig. 10), wherein the valve body (50, Fig. 7) is tubular, and the valve body is arrangeable in a first end position (Fig. 6), in which the first passage is closed, and in a second end position (Fig. 5), in which the second passage is closed, by the stroke movement, wherein the valve body is displaceably guided by at least one seal (60, Fig. 7), which is arranged between the first and second end positions.
Regarding claim 2, Bryant et al. disclose the tubular valve body has a first valve closing member which opens and closes a first valve (52B, Fig. 8), and a second valve closing member (52A, Fig. 8) which opens and closes a second valve.
Regarding claim 3, Bryant et al. disclose the valve body (50, Fig. 7) closes the first outlet (46, Fig. 7) in the first end position (Fig. 6) by the first valve (52B, Fig. 8) and opens the second outlet by the second valve (52A, Fig. 8) and closes the second outlet (48, Fig. 7) in the second end position (Fig. 5) and opens the first outlet (46, Fig. 7).
Regarding claim 4, Bryant et al. disclose the valve body (50, Fig. 7) is moveable into an intermediate position (Fig. 7) between the first end position and the second end position, in which the inlet (44, Fig. & is connected to the first (46, Fig. 7) and second outlet (48, Fig. 7).
the tubular valve body (50, Fig. 7) has a cylindrical section which is displaceably received by the seal, and the cylindrical section of the valve body has a length such that the valve body is displaceably guided by the seal (middle seal 60 shown in figure 7) between the first and second end position.
Regarding claim 6, Bryant et al. disclose the first valve closing member is formed at one end of the cylindrical section of the valve body and the second valve closing member is formed at the opposite end of the cylindrical section.
Regarding claim 7, Bryant et al. disclose a first valve (52B, Fig. 7) is formed in the first passage between the inlet (44, Fig. 7) and the first outlet (46, Fig. 7) and a second valve (52A, Fig. 7) is formed in the second passage between the inlet (44, Fig. 7) and the second outlet (48, Fig. 7).
Regarding claims 8 and 9, Bryant et al. disclose at least one valve closing member has two conical closing bodies (52A, 52B Fig. 8) which tapers towards the end face of the tubular valve body.
Regarding claim 11, Bryant et al. disclose the opposing valve closing members (5a, 52B Fig. 8) are designed in mirror image to the cylindrical section of the valve body and symmetrically to a central plane of the valve body.
Regarding claim 12, Bryant et al. disclose the valve seat of the first and second valves have a radial sealing surface.
Regarding claim 18, Bryant et al. disclose the valve closing member and the radial sealing surface of the valve seat are made of metal [para. 14].
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 10, 16, 19 – 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US Patent Application Publication to Bryant et al. (2023/0151894) in view of US Patent to Watson (5,771,931).
Regarding claim 10, 16, 19 – 20 Bryant et al. do not disclose widening valve closing members, first and second sleeves with first and second valve seats.
However, Watson teaching a multi-way spool valve teaches a valve closing member (140, Fig. 1) with widening ends (158, 160, Fig. 1) sealing against sleeves (164, 162 Fig. 1) with a seal (180, Fig. 1) between the sleeves.
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 valve disclosed by Bryant et al. with the valve closing member taught by Watson as a simple substitution of one known element for another to obtain 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.
Claims 13 – 15 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US Patent Application Publication to Bryant et al. (2023/0151894).
Regarding claims 13 – 15 and 17, Bryant et al. discloses the claimed invention, including the valve member tapering towards the end surfaces and inside diameter of the radial sealing surface of the valve seat – step for element 62 in figure 7 - is smaller than an inside diameter of the seal (60, Fig. 7), except for utilization of the specific percentages recited. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to diameter to the range(s) recited, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US Patent Application Publication to Milinaric et al. (2021/0388857) and US Patent Application Publication to Lamb et al. (2012/0247582) both teaching multi-way valves.
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/UMASHANKAR VENKATESAN/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3753
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