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) 1-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102)(a)(1) as being anticipated by Francini et al. (Pub. No. US 2010/0024891).
Regarding claim 1, Francini et al. disclose a valve device (Figs. 1-5) comprising: a housing (52) including a valve port (58) located on one side in an axial direction (78) and through which gas flows (Fig. 4), and a valve chamber (Figs. 2A-5) connected to the valve port (58); a guide (56) disposed in the valve chamber (Figs. 2A-5) and including a guide body (body of 56) that is cylindrical and a plurality of supports (extending past passages 68, Fig. 4) that extend outward from an outer peripheral surface of the guide body (56) and abut an inner peripheral surface of the valve chamber (Fig. 4); and a valve body (54) inserted into the guide body (56) and configured to open and close (paragraphs 24-25) the valve port (58), wherein: one end (end facing the valve body 54) of the guide body (56) is spaced apart (Fig. 2A) from the housing (52) in the axial direction (78).
Regarding claim 2, Francini et al. disclose the valve device (Figs. 1-5), wherein: the housing (52) further includes a diameter-expanding part (Figs. 2A-5, paragraphs 25-27) around the valve chamber (Fig. 2A); and the diameter-expanding part extends (Figs. 2A-5) on the one side (Figs. 2-5) and the other side (Figs. 2A-5) of the one end of the guide body (56) in the axial direction (78).
Regarding claim 3, Francini et al. disclose the valve device (Figs. 1-5), wherein: on the other side (rear side, Figs. 2A-5) of the one end of the guide body (56) in the axial direction (78), the diameter-expanding part (Figs. 2-5) is reduced further in diameter (Figs. 2A-5) toward the guide body (56) with increasing distance on the other side in the axial direction (78).
Regarding claim 4, Francini et al. disclose the valve device (Figs. 1-5), wherein: the valve body (54) includes: a valve shaft (Fig. 2A) that is inserted into the guide body (56); and a valve head part (62) located on the one side (Figs. 2A-5) of the one end of the guide body (56) in the axial direction (78) and including an outermost peripheral portion (Fig. 2A) greater in diameter than the valve shaft (Figs. 2-5); and the valve head part (62) covers an area between the guide body (56) and the valve shaft (Fig. 2A) as viewed from the one side in the axial direction (78).
Regarding claim 5, Francini et al. disclose the valve device (Figs. 1-5), wherein: the valve body (54) includes: a valve shaft (Fig. 2A) that is inserted into the guide body (56); and a valve head part (62) located on the one side (Figs. 2A-5) of the guide body (56) in the axial direction (78) and including an outermost peripheral portion greater in diameter than the valve shaft (Figs. 2A-5); and the outermost peripheral portion of the valve head part (62) overlaps the one end of the guide body (56) as viewed from the one side in the axial direction (78).
Regarding claim 6, Francini et al. disclose the valve device (Figs. 1-5), wherein: the guide body (56) includes, on the outer peripheral surface (Figs. 2A-5), an inclined part (bottom outer corner has an inclined portion, Figs. 2A-5) increasing in diameter from the one end toward the other side in the axial direction (78); and the inclined part is located on or inward of an extended line (Figs. 2A-5) of the valve head part (62) that extends on the other side in the axial direction (78).
Regarding claim 7, Francini et al. disclose the valve device (Figs. 1-5), wherein: the housing (52) includes a valve seat (64) around the valve port (58); and the valve head part (62) includes: a seating portion (at 62) that is seated on the valve seat (64); and a sudden shape-changing part (Figs. 2A-5) located on the other side of the seating portion (at 62) in the axial direction (78).
Regarding claim 8, Francini et al. disclose the valve device (Figs. 1-5), wherein: the valve shaft (Figs. 2A-5) further includes a recessed groove (in between the shaft and valve head, Figs. 2A-5) depressed radially inward (Fig. 2A); and the recessed groove extends around an entire perimeter (Figs. 2A-5) of an outer peripheral surface of the valve shaft (Figs. 2A-5) and includes at least a portion exposed from the guide body (56) to the one side in the axial direction (78).
Regarding claim 9, Francini et al. disclose the valve device (Figs. 1-5), wherein: the valve body (54) is disposed so that at least a portion of the recessed groove (Figs. 2A-5) is open downward in a direction of gravity (Fig. 2A).
Regarding claim 10, Francini et al. disclose the valve device (Figs. 1-5), wherein: the recessed groove is U-shaped in cross section (Fig. 2A).
Regarding claim 11, Francini et al. disclose the valve device (Figs. 1-5), wherein: the guide body (56) includes a bottom part (where the supports and passages 68 are located, Fig. 2A); and a damping chamber (80) is formed between the valve body (54) and the bottom part (Fig. 2A) in the axial direction (78).
Regarding claim 12, Francini et al. disclose a valve device (Figs. 1-5) comprising: a housing (52) including valve port (58) located on one side in an axial direction (78) and through which gas flows, and a valve chamber (Figs. 2A-5) connected to the valve port (58); a guide body (56) that is cylindrical and disposed in the valve chamber (Figs. 2A-5); and a valve body (54) inserted into the guide body (56) and configured to open and close (paragraphs 24-25) the valve port (58), wherein: the housing (52) further includes a diameter-expanding part (Figs. 2A-5, paragraphs 25-27) around the valve chamber (Figs. 2A-5); and the diameter-expanding part (Figs. 2A-5) extends on the one side and the other side of one end (end facing valve 54, Fig. 2A) of the guide body (56) in the axial direction (78), the one end being an end located on the one side in the axial direction (78).
Regarding claim 13, Francini et al. disclose a valve device (Figs. 1-5) comprising: a housing (52) including a valve port (58) located on one side (Figs. 2A-5) in an axial direction (78) and through which gas flows, and a valve chamber (Figs. 2A-5) connected to the valve port (58); a guide body (56) that is cylindrical and disposed in the valve chamber (Figs. 2A-5); and a valve body (54) inserted into the guide body (56) and configured to open and close (paragraphs 24-25) the valve port (58), wherein: the valve body (54) includes: a valve shaft (Figs. 2A-5) that is inserted into the guide body (56); and a valve head part (62) located on the one side of the guide body (56) in the axial direction (78) and including an outermost peripheral portion greater in diameter than the valve shaft (Figs. 2A-5); and the valve head part (62) covers an area between the guide body (56) and the valve shaft (Figs. 2A-5) as viewed from the one side in the axial direction (78).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Flynn (Pub. No. US 2005/0092958) disclose a similar valve device having a diameter expanding part, with a guide guiding a valve body.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Reinaldo Sanchez-Medina, telephone number 571-270-5168, fax number 571-270-6168. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday (7:30AM-4:00PM EST).
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/REINALDO SANCHEZ-MEDINA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3753
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