DETAILED ACTION
Claim(s) 1-11 as filed 9/25/2025 are pending for consideration.
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
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority based on an application filed in China on 11/21/2024. It is noted, however, that applicant has not filed a certified copy of the 2024228457500 application as required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the convex sealing ring (at least claim 1) and the O-ring seal (at least claim 2) must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). It is noted that applicant’s specification describes a convex sealing ring as reference number 320, however it is clear from the drawings that element 320 points to the discharge pipe fitting as the drawings point to the same element as reference number 310. Additionally, applicant’s specification describes the O-ring seal as element 60, however the drawings do not show an O-ring at element 60. No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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 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 1, 4, and 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang (CN 103362876; attached with machine translation) in view of Hall et al. (US Patent Application 2020/0370669) and further in view of Empson (US Patent 1,158,401).
Regarding Claim 1, Zhang discloses a vacuum oil extractor tank assembly (abstract), comprising a tank body (tank body as shown in the annotated Figure 2 below), the tank body being provided with a plurality of connection joints (connection joints to connect the upper portion of the tank with the lower portion as shown in the annotated Figure 2 below), a bottom of the tank body being formed with an oil discharge opening (opening in the bottom of the tank which is opened and closed by valve plug 9) extending downward (as shown in Figure 2), the oil discharge opening being connected to an oil discharge pipe fitting (fitting which accommodates spring 10 as shown in Figure 2), a sealing plug 9 being disposed within the oil discharge pipe fitting (as shown in Figure 2) for vertical movement (para. 0022), an upper surface of the tank body being provided with an actuator assembly (including handle connection seat 11) configured to drive the sealing plug 9 in vertical motion (via torque tube 6; para. 0022); wherein the actuator assembly comprises an actuating rod (including rod 12), a mounting base 11, and an operating handle 18 connected to the actuating rod 12; the actuating rod 12 being arranged for vertical displacement relative to the tank body (vertical displacement to move the tube 6 and plug 9); the mounting base 11 being fixedly disposed on the upper surface of the tank body (as shown in Figure 2), the mounting base 11 having a hollow interior (to accommodate 12) and an opening at a lower end thereof (opening for the actuating rod to extend into the tank body); a lower end of the actuating rod (including tube 6 coupled with rod 12) extending into the oil discharge pipe fitting (the rod includes the connected elements extending into the discharge pipe fitting to connect with plug 9 as shown in the annotated Figure 2 below) and being fixedly connected to the sealing plug 9.
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Zhang does not disclose an inner wall of the oil discharge pipe fitting being formed with a sealing convex ring.
Hall teaches a reciprocating valve and further teaches (Figure 4 especially) an inner wall of a pipe fitting (outer housing) being formed with a sealing convex ring 316 (ring 316 includes a convex curved surface at aperture 318; para. 0082) to deflect fluid away from seal 336.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the application was effectively filed to modify the device of Zhang to include a sealing convex ring in the discharge pipe fitting as taught by Hall for the purpose of providing an arrangement which deflects fluid away from a seal member as taught by Hall.
Zhang further does not disclose the combination of actuating rod being arranged for vertical displacement and rotational movement relative to the tank body; a side wall of the mounting base being formed with a longitudinal guide slot, the operating handle being vertically movable within the longitudinal guide slot; and a latching recess being formed on either lateral side of the longitudinal guide slot, the operating handle being configured to be received in the latching recess to achieve a limit-locking engagement.
Empson teaches an actuator for a valve and further teaches an actuating rod 14 being arranged for vertical displacement (shown by displacement of pin 18 within slot 19) and rotational movement (shown by rotation of pin 18 within notch 20) relative to a stationary body 3 to lock the valve in a desired position (page 2, lines 16-25); a side wall of a mounting base 13 being formed with a longitudinal guide slot 19, an operating handle (pin 18 is readable as a handle at least because it is capable of being grasped) being vertically movable within the longitudinal guide slot 19 (it is noted that the device is capable of being used in an orientation such that the guide slot is provided along a vertical direction); and a latching recess 20 being formed on either lateral side of the longitudinal guide slot 19, the operating handle 18 being configured to be received in the latching recess 20 to achieve a limit-locking engagement (page 2, lines 16-25).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the application was effectively filed to modify the device of Zhang such that the valve actuator includes an actuating rod being arranged for vertical displacement and rotational movement relative to the tank body to accommodate a handle in a guide slot as taught by Empson for the purpose of providing an alternative, functionally equivalent arrangement for actuating the valve and locking the valve in a desired position.
Regarding Claim 4, Zhang in view of Hall further discloses the sealing plug (9 of Zhang) is disposed beneath the sealing convex ring (convex ring as taught by Hall as described above; this arrangement as disclosed by Zhang in which the plug moves upwardly to engage the seat), and an upper surface of the sealing plug 9 engages a lower surface of the sealing convex ring to establish a closed state of the oil discharge pipe fitting (as described above).
Regarding Claim 7, Zhang in view of Hall further discloses an upper surface of the sealing plug (9 of Zhang) is provided with a sealing ring (as taught by Hall at 436 in Figure 5; it is noted that this embodiment also includes a sealing convex ring 416).
Claim(s) 2, 5, and 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang (CN 103362876) in view of Hall et al. (US Patent Application 2020/0370669) and further in view of Empson (US Patent 1,158,401) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Nimberger (US Patent 6,367,775) and further in view of Thompson et al. (US Patent 9,828,006).
Regarding Claim 2, Zhang further discloses a top of the tank body is provided with an opening (opening for the actuator extending therethrough), an upper end of the actuating rod extends into the mounting base 11 (as shown in Figure 2).
Zhang does not disclose an O-ring seal is disposed within the opening, an upper end of the actuating rod passes through the O-ring seal.
Nimberger teaches a reciprocating valve and further teaches an O-ring seal 75 is disposed within an opening, an upper end of an actuating rod 77 passes through the O-ring seal (as shown in Figure 1).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the application was effectively filed to modify the device of Zhang to include an O-ring seal between the actuating rod and the opening of the tank body as taught by Nimberger for the purpose of eliminating the possibility of leaks from the tank.
Zhang further discloses a spring 10 to bias the actuating rod such that the sealing plug 9 is maintained in engagement with the sealing convex ring (as taught by Hall) but does not disclose an elastic element is disposed within the mounting base.
Thompson teaches a valve actuator for a valve on a tank 14 and further teaches an elastic element 110 disposed outside of the valve and tank and inside of a mounting base 94.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the application was effectively filed to modify the device of Zhang such that the spring element is disposed within the mounting base as taught by Thompson for the purpose of providing an alternative arrangement in which the spring is more accessible, thereby making it easier to replace in the event that it becomes damaged.
Regarding Claim 5, Zhang in view of Hall further discloses the sealing plug (9 of Zhang) is disposed beneath the sealing convex ring (convex ring as taught by Hall as described above; this arrangement as disclosed by Zhang in which the plug moves upwardly to engage the seat), and an upper surface of the sealing plug 9 engages a lower surface of the sealing convex ring to establish a closed state of the oil discharge pipe fitting (as described above).
Regarding Claim 8, Zhang in view of Hall further discloses an upper surface of the sealing plug (9 of Zhang) is provided with a sealing ring (as taught by Hall at 436 in Figure 5; it is noted that this embodiment also includes a sealing convex ring 416).
Claim(s) 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang (CN 103362876) in view of Hall et al. (US Patent Application 2020/0370669) and further in view of Empson (US Patent 1,158,401) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Goodman (US Patent 6,036,446).
Regarding Claim 11, Zhang does not disclose the tank body is connected to a pressure gauge.
Goodman teaches a fluid exchange system and further teaches a vacuum tank 2 is connected to a pressure gauge 14 (as shown in Figure 1).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the application was effectively filed to modify the device of Zhang such that the tank body is connected to a pressure gauge as taught by Goodman for the purpose of providing a user with information about the pressure of the interior of the tank.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3, 6, 9, and 10 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. Nordskog (US Patent 4,209,163) and Hartman (US Patent 1,917,936) teach outlet valve assemblies for tanks.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KEVIN MURPHY whose telephone number is (571)270-5243. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8am-4pm.
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/KEVIN F MURPHY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3753
