DETAILED ACTION
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.
Claims 1-3, 12, 17-20, and 31 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Goldsborough 1,873,878.
Goldsborough discloses, regarding claim 1, a multi-displacer pumping assembly comprising: a first pump 12/14 comprising: a first fluid displacer 14 configured to reciprocate along a first pump axis within a first displacer cavity 12 to pump fluid through a first pumping chamber (on either side of the piston 14 within 12); and a second pump 8/10 comprising: a second fluid displacer 10 configured to reciprocate along a second pump axis within a second displacer cavity 8 to pump fluid through a second pumping chamber (on either side of the piston 10 within 8); wherein the first pumping chamber (12) is fluidly connected to the second displacer cavity 8 to receive fluid from and output fluid to the second displacer cavity 8 (clearly shown in Fig. 1 by the structure and assembly of 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, and 18); Re claim 2, wherein the second fluid displacer 10 is configured to alternatingly fluidly connect the first pumping chamber (12) to an inlet passage 6 such that the first pumping chamber (12) receives the fluid from the inlet passage 6 and to an outlet passage 36 such that the first pumping chamber (12) outputs the fluid to the outlet passage 36 (via the subsequent chambers and passages); Re claim 3, wherein the second pumping chamber 8 is alternatingly fluidly connected to the inlet passage 6 to receive the fluid from the inlet passage 6 and to the outlet passage 36 to output the fluid to the outlet passage 36 (via the subsequent chambers and passages); Re claim 12, wherein the second fluid displacer 10 includes a chamber connector (see rod connected to 10 – “chamber connector” is substantially broad) formed at least one of on and in the second fluid displacer 10, the chamber connector configured to alternatingly connect the first pumping chamber (12) to an inlet pathway 6 and to an outlet pathway 16/18 (the rod or “chamber connector” does this by reciprocating the piston 10); Re claim 17, a third pump 20/21 comprising: a third fluid displacer 21 configured to reciprocate along a third pump axis within a third displacer cavity 20 to pump fluid through a third pumping chamber (on either side of the piston 21 within 20); wherein the second pumping chamber (8) is fluidly connected to the third displacer cavity 20 to receive fluid from and output fluid to the third displacer cavity 20 (via 12). Re claim 18, further comprising: a fourth pump 26/31 comprising: a fourth fluid displacer 31 configured to reciprocate along a fourth pump axis within a fourth displacer cavity 26 to pump fluid through a fourth pumping chamber (on either side of the piston 31 within 26); wherein the third pumping chamber 21 is fluidly connected to the fourth displacer cavity 26 to receive fluid from and output fluid to the fourth displacer cavity 26 (clearly shown in Fig. 1); Re claim 19, wherein the fourth pumping chamber 26 is fluidly connected to the first displacer cavity 12 to receive fluid from and output fluid to the first displacer cavity (due to the structure show in Goldsborough, this is clearly possible); Re claim 20, wherein the first displacer cavity 12 is formed in a first pump body, the second displacer cavity 8 is formed in a second pump body, and the first pump body is fixed to the second pump body (clearly shown in Fig. 1).
Goldsborough discloses, regarding claim 31, a method of pumping, the method comprising: reciprocating a first fluid displacer 14 on a first pump axis to pump fluid through a first pumping chamber 12 from an intake passage 6 to an outlet passage 36; reciprocating a second fluid displacer 10 on a second pump axis to pump fluid through a second pumping chamber 8 from the intake passage 6 to the outlet passage 36; fluidly connecting the first pumping chamber 12 with the intake passage 6 with the second fluid displacer 10 during a fill stroke of the first fluid displacer 14 (this is clearly the case with the way 10 reciprocates and allows fluid in through 6); and fluidly connecting the first pumping chamber 12 with the outlet passage 36 by the second fluid displacer 10 during a discharge stroke of the first fluid displacer 14 (this is clearly the case as 10 will block 6 and fluid will flow towards 36 from 12).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 21 is allowed.
Claims 4-10 and 13-15 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
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Peter J Bertheaud whose telephone number is (571)272-3476. The examiner can normally be reached 9am - 5pm M-F.
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PJB
/PETER J BERTHEAUD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3746
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