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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 11/10/2025 and 05/05/2026 was filed after the mailing date of the Application on 11/10/2025. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered 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.
Claim(s) 1-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wang (US 8,857,469).
The recitation “a heat medium in a heat management system” is considered to be a name given the claimed device relative to its intended use. From M.P.E.P. §2111.02 (II):
If the body of a claim fully and intrinsically sets forth all of the limitations of the claimed invention, and the preamble merely states, for example, the purpose or intended use of the invention, rather than any distinct definition of any of the claimed invention’s limitations, then the preamble is not considered a limitation and is of no significance to claim construction. Pitney Bowes, Inc. v. Hewlett-Packard Co., 182 F.3d 1298, 1305, 51 USPQ2d 1161, 1165 (Fed. Cir.1999). If a prior art structure is capable of performing the intended use as recited in the preamble, then it meets the claim. See, e.g., In re Schreiber, 128 F.3d 1473, 1477, 44 USPQ2d 1429, 1431 (Fed.Cir. 1997).
As evidenced by the explanation given below, the claimed structure finds their equivalents in the reference(s) applied. As such the device of Wang is readable as “a switching apparatus configured to switch a flowing route of a heat medium in a heat management system”.
With regards to claim 1:
Wang discloses (refer to Fig. 1-2 below) a switching apparatus configured to switch a flowing route of a heat medium in a heat management system, the switching apparatus comprising:
a case (70);
an intermediate member (60);
a gasket (63);
a drive unit (40); and
a locking portion (10), wherein:
the case (70, 75, 76, 77) includes:
a bottom wall portion (B) in which a first outlet hole (F) and a second outlet hole (S) that each pass through the bottom wall portion in a main direction (vertical) are provided;
a top wall portion (T) facing the bottom wall portion (B) in the main direction; and
a side wall portion (SW) positioned between the bottom wall portion (b) and the top wall portion (T);
an inlet hole (H) is provided in the top wall portion or the side wall portion (SW);
the intermediate member (60) is positioned between the bottom wall portion (B) and the top wall portion (T);
a first communicating hole (61) and a second communicating hole (62) that each pass through the intermediate member (60) in the main direction are provided in the intermediate member;
the first communicating hole (61) is aligned with the first outlet hole (F) in the main direction;
the second communicating hole (62) is aligned with the second outlet hole (S) in the main direction;
the gasket (63) is configured to seal a gap between the bottom wall portion (B) and the intermediate member (60);
the drive unit (40) is on opposite side of the intermediate member (60) from the bottom wall portion and is biased toward the intermediate member;
the drive unit (40) is configured to be driven to be switched between a state of facing the second communicating hole (62) and forming a first route through which the heat medium flows to an outside from an inside of the case via the first communicating hole and the first outlet hole (F), and a state of facing the first communicating hole (61) and forming a second route through which the heat medium flows to the outside from the inside of the case via the second communicating hole and the second outlet hole (S); and
the locking portion (10) is provided so as to be locked with respect to the intermediate member (60) upon application of an external force to the intermediate member in a direction separating from the bottom wall portion (B).
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Fig. 1
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With regards to claim 2:
Wang discloses the switching apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the locking portion (10) is in abutment with the intermediate member (60) on a side opposite to the bottom wall portion (B).
With regards to claim 3:
Wang discloses the switching apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the locking portion (10) is a separate member from the case (70, 75, 76, 77).
With regards to claim 4:
Wang discloses the switching apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the locking portion (10) is positioned between the top wall portion (T) and the intermediate member (60) and is in abutment with both the top wall portion and the intermediate member.
With regards to claim 5:
Wang discloses the switching apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:
the locking portion (10) is cylindrical and has a first opening end portion and a second opening end portion positioned opposite to the first opening end portion;
the drive unit (40) is disposed on an inner side of the locking portion;
the first opening end portion faces the intermediate member (60); and
the second opening end portion faces the top wall portion (T).
With regards to claim 6:
Wang discloses the switching apparatus according to claim he switching apparatus according to claim 5, wherein:
the inlet hole (H) is provided in the side wall portion (SW);
a side communicating hole (13) that provides communication between an inner circumferential side and an outer circumferential side of the locking portion is provided in the locking portion; and
the side communicating hole (13) faces the inlet hole (H).
With regards to claim 7:
Wang discloses the switching apparatus according to claim he switching apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:
an end edge of the first communicating hole (61) is positioned on an inner side of the first outlet hole (F) in a view along the main direction; and
an end edge of the second communicating hole (61) is positioned on an inner side of the second outlet hole (S) in the view along the main direction.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Minh Le, whose telephone number is 571-270-3805. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday (8:30AM-5:00PM EST).
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisors can be reached by phone. Kenneth Rinehart can be reached at 571-272-4881 or Craig Schneider can be reached at 571-272-3607. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MINH Q LE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3753
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