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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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.
Claim(s) 1 and 7-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Heigis et al (US 2353161).
Regarding claim 1, Heigis (FIGs 1, 3) discloses “A check valve comprising:
a valve body (16’) comprising an inlet (portion at 26’, 51) and an outlet (portion at 20’, 27’), wherein a valve seat (51) is disposed at the inlet of the valve body, and wherein a fuel passage (within 22’), connecting the inlet to the outlet, is formed inside the valve body;
a valve poppet (59, 67, 55, 54) disposed in the valve body and configured to open the inlet by moving (to the right) inside the valve body, wherein the valve poppet comprises a flange (55, 60) that extends outward from a bottom portion of the valve poppet (see FIG 3, extends rightward via 60 and radially outward via 60), the bottom portion of the valve poppet being located closer to the outlet than to the inlet (see FIG 3), and wherein the flange has a groove (inner section that contains 61) on a bottom surface thereof; and
a gasket (53) disposed on an inner surface of the valve body and around the outlet (see FIG 3), wherein the gasket is configured to maintain airtightness while in contact with the valve poppet (page 3, first paragraph).”
Regarding claim 7, Heigis (FIGs 1, 3) discloses “wherein the valve body has a top surface (left inner surface face of 16’ defined by 51), a bottom surface (face of 20’ that abuts 53), and a first cylindrical wall (understood to be cylindrical) connecting the top surface and the bottom surface of the valve body (see FIG 3), and wherein the top surface, the bottom surface of the valve body, and the first cylindrical wall of the valve body form a valve cavity (for 54).”
Regarding claim 8, Heigis (FIGs 1, 3) discloses “wherein an inlet hole (26’) of the inlet is formed at a center of the top surface (see FIG 3), wherein an outlet hole (27’) of the outlet is formed at a center of the bottom surface of the valve body (see FIG 3), wherein the inlet hole and the outlet hole connect to the valve cavity (FIG 3), and wherein the top surface comprises the valve seat that is disposed around the inlet hole (FIG 3).”
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 13-16 are allowed.
Claims 2-6 and 9-12 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 2, Heigis is silent regarding “wherein an inner surface of the groove is concentric with an outer circumferential surface of the flange, and wherein the groove is recessed from the inner surface of the groove toward a center of the valve poppet.”
It would not have been obvious to modify Heigis without undue hindsight reasoning.
Claim 3 is allowable by virtue of its dependency on claim 2.
Regarding claim 4, Heigis is silent regarding “wherein the groove comprises a tapered groove such that an inner diameter of the groove narrows toward the inlet and widens toward the outlet.” Instead it is a rounded corner.
While this shape is known in the art, it would not have been obvious to modify Heigis without undue hindsight reasoning.
Regarding claim 5, Heigis is silent regarding “wherein the gasket comprises a tapered protrusion having an outer diameter that widens toward the outlet and narrows toward the inlet.”
While this shape is known in the art, it would not have been obvious to modify Heigis without undue hindsight reasoning.
Claim 6 is allowable by virtue of its dependency on claim 5.
Regarding claim 9, Heigis is silent regarding “wherein the valve poppet comprises: a tapered top surface, the flange… comprises a circular lip disposed around an outer edge of the flange and protruding toward the outlet hole…”
While this shape is known in the art, it would not have been obvious to modify Heigis without undue hindsight reasoning.
Claims 10-12 are allowable by virtue of its dependency on claim 9.
Regarding claim 13, Heigis is silent regarding “wherein the valve poppet comprises: a tapered top surface … wherein the flange comprises a circular lip disposed around an outer edge of the flange and protruding toward the outlet hole…”
While this shape is known in the art, it would not have been obvious to modify Heigis without undue hindsight reasoning.
Claims 14-16 are allowed by virtue of its dependency on claim 13.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Devices similar to the application are disclosed by Andersson (US 20170108131), Achterman (US 7644726), Baker et al (US 20040173215), Schaefer (US 5810142), Morris (US 5240036), Griswold et al (US 4333495), and Louie et al (US 3877489).
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.
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/PATRICK C WILLIAMS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3753
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