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 § 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.
Claim(s) 1-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 5,547,348 to Riley et al. (Riley).
Regarding claim 1. A radial piston pump for conveying fluid under high pressure, the radial piston pump comprising:
a suction port (45, figs. 1-4);
a pressure port (46, figs. 1-4);
a plurality of pump elements (4, 5, 6, figs. 1-4);
a pump shaft (1, figs. 1-4) which defines a pump axis; and
an eccentric (3, figs. 1-4),
wherein each pump element comprises at least one suction inlet (13, figs. 1-4) and at least one pressure outlet (through 14, figs. 1-4),
wherein the pump shaft is configured to drive the pump elements via the eccentric in order to convey the fluid under high pressure from the suction port to the pressure port (operation of the pump), wherein the radial piston pump comprises a high-pressure-resistant pressure line structure connecting the pressure port to the at least one pressure outlet of each one of the plurality of pump elements, wherein the radial piston pump comprises a high-pressure-resistant suction line structure which connects the suction port to the at least one suction inlet of each one of the plurality of pump elements (col. 11, line 20-24; modular design will have suction port connecting to the first suction inlet of the piston pumps in series and will have a pressure port connected to the last pressure outlet of the piston pump in series. The suction pipe connecting the suction port to the first suction inlet along with suction manifold 11 is the a high-pressure-resistant suction line structure and pressure pipe connecting the pressure port to the last pressure outlet along with exhaust manifold 17 is the high-pressure-resistant pressure line structure).
Regarding claim 2. The radial piston pump according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of pump elements are disposed in at least two axial pump planes which differ from one another in their axial position in relation to the pump axis (fig. 2; axial stacked relation).
Regarding claim 3. The radial piston pump according to claim 1, wherein the high-pressure-resistant suction line structure is at least partially formed by a separate piping arrangement (connection to different pumping elements in axial direction will have separate piping arrangements).
Regarding claim 4. The radial piston pump according to claim 1, wherein the high-pressure-resistant suction line structure is at least partially integrated into a housing of the radial piston pump (11 is integrated into the housing; figs. 1-4).
Regarding claim 5. The radial piston pump according to claim 1, wherein the high-pressure-resistant suction line structure comprises at least one suction collecting section (11, figs. 1-4) and at least one suction riser section (connection to different pumping elements in axial direction will have separate piping arrangements), wherein the at least one suction collecting section extends at least partially circumferentially with respect to the pump axis (11, figs. 1-4) and the at least one suction riser section extends parallel to the pump axis (pipe connecting pumping elements in axial direction).
Regarding claim 6. The radial piston pump according to claim 1, wherein each pump element is disposed in a separate housing block (figs. 1-4; each pumping element individually carries its own housing that houses the piston and the cylinder).
Regarding claim 7. The radial piston pump according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of pump elements are disposed in at least one annular casing block (figs. 1-4).
Regarding claim 8. The radial piston pump according to claim 5, wherein the at least one suction collecting section is formed by a separate piping arrangement (11 is a separate piping arrangement; figs. 1-4).
Regarding claim 9. The radial piston pump according to claim 5, wherein the at least one suction collecting section is formed in at least one separate collecting plate (50, 60, figs. 31-33).
Regarding claim 10. The radial piston pump according to claim 5, wherein the at least one suction riser section is formed by a separate piping arrangement (52, fig. 31).
Regarding claim 11. The radial piston pump according to claim 5, wherein the at least one suction collecting section is integrated into at least one annular casing block (figs. 1-4).
Regarding claim 12. The radial piston pump according to claim 5, wherein the at least one suction riser section is integrated into at least one annular casing block (figs. 1-4; 31-33).
Regarding claim 13. The radial piston pump according to claim 11, wherein the at least one annular casing block comprises three suction riser sections in the form of suction through-holes (fig. 31, from 5-9) and three suction collecting sections (at 50, fig. 31) in the form of partially circumferential suction collecting grooves, wherein each suction through-hole opens into a suction collecting groove on one side and opens into an axial end face of the annular casing block on the other side (fig. 31).
Regarding claim 14. The radial piston pump according to claim 1, wherein a mirror plane is defined by the pump axis and a suction riser section, wherein the high-pressure-resistant suction line structure is mirror-symmetrical to the mirror plane (fig. 2).
Regarding claim 15. The radial piston pump according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of pump elements do not comprise return elements (self-compensating output pressure regulation; col. 9, lines 17-21).
Regarding claim 16. The radial piston pump according claim 1, wherein the pump shaft is disposed at least in sections in a housing chamber of the radial piston pump (figs. 1-4), wherein the housing chamber is configured to be pressure-tight with respect to an environment and a cleaning fluid (housing is pressure tight), which is different from the fluid to be conveyed and is accommodated in the housing chamber (col. 6, lines 26-33; different types of lubrication. One of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that a lubricant also acts like a cleaner).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 11,608,831 to Koeppel et al.
US 6,764,285 to Kellner
US 2024/0240627 to Mueller et al.
All references above describe general state of art.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAPINDER SINGH whose telephone number is (571)270-1774. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Mark Laurenzi can be reached at (571) 270-7878. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DAPINDER SINGH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3746
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