DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application is being examined under the pre-AIA first to invent provisions.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) filed 6/17/2026 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Response to Amendment/Arguments filed 8/17/2026
The Amendment overcomes the prior art rejections of record. However, applicant’s cited KR 20230049376 (see IDS filed 6/17/2026), hereinafter Shin, is seen to read on some of the claims, as shown in the new prior art rejections below.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 1-2, 4, 6, and 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by applicant’s cited Shin (KR 20230049376).
Regarding claim 1, Shin (system in FIG 5 with valve variant in FIG 8) discloses “A pressurizer valve device comprising:
a valve housing (100) disposed in a reactor vessel (20; as it is defined by the reactor vessel, it is seen to be ”disposed in” like applicant’s FIGs 1-2) accommodated in a containment vessel (30), and having a communication hole (lower left opening in FIG 8) through which steam in the reactor vessel is introduced (see fluid introduction in FIG 5), a discharge hole (130) through which the steam introduced into an interior of the reactor vessel is discharged to the containment vessel (when 300 and 100 are open), and a connection hole (opening at left end of 410) through which a control fluid (from 400/500) is introduced;
a valve piston (210) disposed to be movable in one direction (horizontal) in the interior of the valve housing and configured to open and close the communication hole (fluidly closes communication hole to 130) depending on a change in a vessel pressure in the reactor vessel (understood that pressure differential between 20 and 30 would affect position of 210 as it bears pressure from both); and
a valve spring (230) configured to be compressed by the valve piston when the valve piston is moved to open the communication hole (FIG 8a), and to provide a restoring force to the valve piston (to the right) when the valve piston is moved to close the communication hole (via closing passage in FIG 8b).”
Regarding claim 2, Shin (system in FIG 5 with valve variant in FIG 8) discloses “a discharge passage (410) connected to the valve housing such that one side thereof communicates with the connection hole (left side), and extending such that an opposite side thereof is disposed on an outside of the containment vessel (right side is outside, see FIG 5) to provide a passage through which the control fluid flows.”
Regarding claim 4, Shin (system in FIG 5 with valve variant in FIG 8) discloses “wherein the communication hole is disposed below the valve piston (above in perspective of FIG 8a; “above” is seen to be a matter of perspective, where any direction would read theron as long as the perspective is consistent through the claim and its dependents),
wherein the connection hole is located above the discharge hole (in perspective of FIG 8a), and
wherein the communication hole and the discharge hole communicate with each other when the valve piston opens the communication hole (FIG 8a).”
Regarding claim 6, Shin (system in FIG 5 with valve variant in FIG 8) discloses “wherein the valve spring is disposed above the valve piston (“above” is seen to be a matter of perspective, where any direction would read theron as long as the perspective is consistent through the claim and its dependents).”
Regarding claim 14, Shin (system in FIG 5 with valve variant in FIG 8) discloses “A reactor facility comprising:
a reactor vessel (20);
a containment vessel (30) accommodating the reactor vessel;
an isolation valve device (300) disposed in the reactor vessel (see FIG 5), and configured to discharge steam in the reactor vessel to an interior of the containment vessel so that an internal pressure of the reactor vessel decreases (would occur with opening of 300);
a valve housing (100), disposed in the reactor vessel (as it is defined by the reactor vessel, it is seen to be ”disposed in” like applicant’s FIGs 1-2) accommodated in the containment vessel, and having a communication hole (lower left opening in FIG 9) through which the steam in the reactor vessel is introduced, a discharge hole (130) through which the steam introduced into an interior of the reactor vessel is discharged to the containment vessel (when 300 is open), and a connection hole (opening at left end of 410) through which a control fluid (from 400/500) is introduced;
a valve piston (210) disposed to be movable in one direction (horizontal) in the interior of the valve housing, and configured to open and close the communication hole (fluidly closes communication hole to 130) depending on a change in a vessel pressure in the reactor vessel (understood that pressure differential between 20 and 30 would affect position of 210 as it bears pressure from both); and
a valve spring (230) configured to be compressed by the valve piston when the valve piston is moved to open the communication hole (FIG 8a), and to provide a restoring force to the valve piston (rightward force) when the valve piston is moved to close the communication hole (FIG 8b).”
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7-9 are allowed.
Claims 3 and 10-13 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 3, closest art of record Shin is silent regarding “wherein the valve piston is configured to:
be pressed by the vessel pressure, and be spaced apart from the communication hole to open the communication hole when the vessel pressure reaches a preset opening pressure; and
be pressed by the control fluid introduced through the discharge passage, and be moved toward the communication hole to close the communication hole when the vessel pressure is less than the preset opening pressure.” While the communication hole does open and close fluidically, this is accomplished by 210 moving toward/away from an opening at 130, in a manner that opening 210 moves toward the communication hole to open communication and away to close it.
It would not be obvious to modify Shin to include this feature without undue hindsight reasoning.
Regarding claim 7, closest art of record Shin is silent regarding “a bellows supported by the protrusion to be expanded and contracted as the valve piston is moved, and configured to block the steam introduced into the interior of the valve housing from flowing to the connection hole.”
It would not be obvious to modify Shin to include this feature without undue hindsight reasoning.
Claims 8-9 are allowed by virtue of their dependency on claim 7.
Regarding claim 10, closest art of record Shin is silent regarding “an isolation valve disposed in the discharge passage to be disposed on an outside of the containment vessel so as to open and close the discharge passage.” While valve 300 is present, it does not control a passage to an outside of the containment vessel.
It would not be obvious to modify Shin to include this feature without undue hindsight reasoning.
Claims 11-12 are allowed by virtue of their dependency on claim 10.
Regarding claim 13, closest art of record Shin is silent regarding “further comprising:
a vacuum valve configured to vacuum at least a portion of the interior of the valve housing and maintain a created vacuum state.” While valve 500 is present, this is not used to maintain a created vacuum state.
It would not be obvious to modify Shin to include this feature without undue hindsight reasoning.
Conclusion
Applicant's submission of an information disclosure statement under 37 CFR 1.97(c) with the timing fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(p) on 6/17/2026 prompted the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 609.04(b). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PATRICK C WILLIAMS whose telephone number is (571)431-0767. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:00-5:00 PM.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, 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.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/PATRICK C WILLIAMS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3753
Prosecution Insights