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 .
Specification
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because phrases that can be implied, such as “A spray gun head and a sprayer using the same are disclosed” in line 1, should be avoided. A corrected abstract of the disclosure is required and must be presented on a separate sheet, apart from any other text. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-7 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 1, the claim recites “the marble” in line 17 and “the through hole” in line 18. There is insufficient antecedent basis for these limitations in the claim. Examiner notes that these limitations appear to have been added to the amended claim 1 from the original filed claims 8 and 9 without including the antecedent basis provided in the original filed claims 5 and 6. It is also noted that simply replacing “the” with “a” would not cure the indefiniteness of the claim, as the context provided in claims 5 and 6 is required for a proper understanding of the claim. For purposes of examination, the claims will be interpreted according to Examiner’s best understanding.
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 1-7 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Tada (US 4,911,361).
Regarding claim 1, Tada discloses a spray gun head (10, Fig. 1) that includes a connecting cap (20), having an internal thread (Col. 6, line 6); a gun body (12), located above the connecting cap (Figs. 1-3); and a blank cap (upper portion of 42), arranged on the connecting cap (Fig. 1), wherein a lower end of the gun body (16) is rotatably arranged on the blank cap along a circumferential direction of the blank cap (16 coupled to 42 via annular features 43 and 44; Col. 6, lines 25-34; Figs. 1-2; thus allowing relative rotation between 16 and 42); a spray gun component (79) with a water distribution rod (112; Fig. 13) , and a press type structure, wherein the press type structure comprises: a wrench (26), arranged on the gun body in a manner of moving back and forth (Col. 7, lines 22-26); a piston (22), linked with the wrench and arranged in a water inlet cavity (16) of the gun body in a manner of moving back and forth (Col. 7, lines 22-27), wherein the water inlet cavity communicates with a water outlet cavity (14) where the spray gun component is located (Fig. 1); a first elastic component (76), linked with the piston and telescopically arranged in the water inlet cavity of the gun body (Col. 7, lines 43-46; Fig. 1); and a second elastic component (92 with 94; Col. 11, lines 21-31), telescopically located on an outer side of the water inlet cavity of the gun body (coaxial with piston against outer side of 16; Col. 8, lines 13-15; Fig. 1); wherein the piston squeezes the first elastic component under a pressure of the wrench to be compressed to allow water to enter the water inlet cavity (Col. 7, lines 22-27), and then a marble (64; Fig. 1) moves to seal a through hole (60; Col. 7, lines 8-18).
Regarding claims 2-4, Tada discloses the spray gun head of claim 1, as described above, and further discloses that an annular slide rail groove (annular groove of 42 between rings 42a and 42b) is formed along the circumferential direction of the blank cap (Col. 6, lines 12-16; Fig. 1), and the lower end of the gun body is slidably arranged on the slide rail groove (Col. 6, lines 18-21; Fig. 1) via a slide fit structure (36, Fig. 2) formed at the lower end of the gun body (rotation enabled as described above regarding claim 1; 34 and 36 limit extents of vertical sliding; Col. 6, lines 38-67).
Regarding claim 5, Tada discloses the spray gun head of claim 1, as described above, and further discloses that the blank cap is arranged on an inner side of the connecting cap (Fig. 1) and the blank cap has an opening penetrated by at least a liquid transport tube (lower end of 58) of the gun body in a matched manner (Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 6, Tada discloses the spray gun head of claim 5, as described above, and further discloses a marble seat (58 with valve seat 62; Figs. 1, 5), wherein a through hole (60) being through in an up-down manner is formed in the marble seat (Fig. 5), a marble (64) is arranged at an upper end of the through hole (Col. 7, lines 9-11; Fig. 1), an upper end part of the marble seat penetrates through the opening of the blank cap and is arranged in the gun body (Fig. 1), and the liquid transport tube (lower end of 58) has one end located in the through hole and the other end penetrating through the connecting cap and capable of extending into a liquid container (Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 7, Tada discloses the spray gun head of claim 6, as described above, and further discloses a sealing ring (lower portion of 42; Fig. 1), wherein the sealing ring has an open hole (interior of portions 130, 71) penetrated by a lower end of the marble seat in a matched manner and is located on the inner side of the connecting cap and arranged below the blank cap (Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 10, Tada discloses a sprayer (Fig. 1) that includes a liquid container (18) and uses the spray gun head (10; Col. 5, lines 23-34) of claim 1, as described above.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-7 and 10 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Regarding the indicated allowability of claim 9 in the Office Action dated 6/2/2025, Examiner notes that Applicant has failed to incorporate all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims into independent claim 1. Further, the amendments have changed the scope of the subject matter that was indicated allowable, and thus additional search and consideration was applied to the amended claim 1. Specifically, the removal of the limitations “for automatically sealing the water distribution rod during liquid feeding” and “connected to the wrench” from the subject matter of the original filed claims 8 and 9 have broadened the scope of the claimed invention such that the Tada reference anticipates the subject matter of the amended claim 1, as described in the above rejection under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1), according to Examiner’s best understanding of the claim.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See PTO-892 form. In particular, Foster (US 5,722,569) discloses a spray gun head having features, including a second elastic component, relevant to the independent claim of the instant application.
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL C PATTERSON whose telephone number is (571)270-5558. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30-4:00 CST.
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, Paul Durand can be reached at 571-272-4459. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/MICHAEL C PATTERSON/Examiner, Art Unit 3754
/PAUL R DURAND/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3754 October 27, 2025
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