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 § 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 10-18 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.
Claim 10 recites the limitations, emphasis "the control of the heating and cooling parameters" and “the components” in lines 5-6. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 11 recites the limitations, emphasis added "the thermal energy in the heated support" and “the components” and “the body” in lines 3-4. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 12 recites the limitations, emphasis added "the parts" and “the elements inside the nozzle, when in motion, in the respective direction” lines 3-4 There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 13 recites the limitations, emphasis added “the central heating control unit” line 3. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 14 recites the limitations, emphasis added “the heating control” line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 15 recites the limitations, emphasis added “the electronic circuitry” and “the power uses” lines 2-3. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 16 recites the limitations, emphasis added “the inner heated area” and “the transfer of thermoplastic adhesive” lines 3-5. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 17 recites the limitations, emphasis added “the outer handling surface” line 3. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
The remaining dependent claims are rejected for being dependent upon a rejected base claim.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 10-14 and 16-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over GM Tools & Machinery (NPL), HillBilly (NPL) and Bogue (US 2016/0185028).
Regarding claim 10, GM an industrial
a
the see in figure 1 re-annotated below),
each one with applicator tip with wedge-end adhesive release device,
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Gm is silent regarding the control unit having a central heating.
However HillBilly teaches the control unit (1) of resting applicator (2) having a central heating (via heat controller 3, see re-annotated figure A below).
The advantage of the control unit having a central heating, is to keep hotmelt glue molten in an applicator resting on said control unit, preventing premature solidification of thermal/hotmelt glues.
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, having the teachings of Gm and HillBilly before him or her, to modify the glue roller dispenser control/stand system of Gm to include the electronic control unit heating system of HillBilly, because a heating control unit prevents premature solidification of hotmelt glues in applicator.
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Gm as already modified is silent regarding the control unit having cooling.
However Bogue teaches the control unit (housing 208 / control system 106) having cooling (fan/impeller 402).
The advantage of the control unit having a cooling fan is to keep enhance control of heat creep, localizing to medium being heating “The impeller 402 can direct air drawn into the housing 208 toward the outlet 206 and along the drive system 102 and heater system 104 to cool them. Air moving through the housing 208 toward the outlet 206 passes over the heat sink 304 and between the fins 308, facilitating dissipation of heat. The air is pushes out of the housing 208 through an annular space 408 (see FIG. 3) between (a) the heater mass 324 and/or outlet 206 and (b) the housing 8, e.g., the front cover 210.” [0088].
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, having the teachings of Gm as modified and Bogue before him or her, to modify the glue roller dispenser control/stand system of Gm to include the electronic control unit temperature management system of Bogue, because a control unit with both heating and cooling prevents heat localized to target substrate.
Regarding claim 11, Gm as modified teaches the industrial thermoplastic adhesive applicator according to claim 10, Gm as already modified teaches wherein the heating and cooling control unit collects the thermal energy in the heated support with a thermal energy accumulator (HillBilly as modifying teaches mass of applicator 2 retaining heat from control unit 1 as shown in figure A, where control unit is separated from applicator 2) of the hand-held applicator and cools the cover of the body by active cooling induced by air circulation (as already modified by Bogue, the cooling fan 402 cools control unit except where heat is heat applied to medium “The impeller 402 can direct air drawn into the housing 208 toward the outlet 206 and along the drive system 102 and heater system 104 to cool them. Air moving through the housing 208 toward the outlet 206 passes over the heat sink 304 and between the fins 308, facilitating dissipation of heat. The air is pushes out of the housing 208 through an annular space 408 (see FIG. 3) between (a) the heater mass 324 and/or outlet 206 and (b) the housing 8, e.g., the front cover 210.” [0088]).
Regarding claim 12, Gm as modified teaches the industrial thermoplastic adhesive applicator according to claim 10, Gm as already modified teaches wherein the applicator tip has a wedge-shaped three-dimensional form (where wedge housing D meets roller E limiting glue leak around cylindrical roller, see re-annotated figure 1) located between a transfer roll (E) and a roll support (where roller e is held by housing D) formed by the parts; and
a dynamic result of the elements inside the nozzle, when in motion, in the respective direction added to the shape at the wedge-end, results in the pumping or compression of adhesive (as inherent to a glue roller applicator supplying glue when rolled).
Regarding claim 13, Gm as modified teaches the industrial thermoplastic adhesive applicator according to claim 10, Gm as already modified teaches wherein the heating system of the hand-held applicator is made by resistance RES 1 or electromagnetic inductance GIl and L1 installed in the central heating control unit (as already modifying Bogue anticipates resistance heating, emphasis added “the heater system 104 can comprise a heating element 318 and a heater mass 324. The heating element 318 can comprise wire, which can be metal, such as, for example, nichrome. The heating element 318 can be attached to a film 320. The film can comprise a polymer, such as, for example, polyimide. In some embodiments, the film comprises DuPont Kapton® polyimide film. In some embodiments, the heating element 318 can be embedded in the film 320. The heating element 318 and the film 320 can together form a heater wrap or band 302. In some embodiments, the heater system 104 can comprise a ceramic heater, e.g., a heater having a wire embedded in ceramic material.” [0067]).
Regarding claim 14, Gm as modified teaches the industrial thermoplastic adhesive applicator according to claim 13, Gm as already modifying teaches wherein the heating control of the applicator nozzles is carried out by electronic temperature thermo-regulator RT1 (see below HillBilly), with electronic temperature feedback senso, or infrared ST IR and also by bi-metal thermo-regulator or with gas or thermostat-type temperature sensor (regulation of temperature as already modified by HillBilly, see temperature knob/regulator 3 of re-annotated figure A).
Regarding claim 16, Gm as modified teaches the industrial thermoplastic adhesive applicator according to claim 10, Gm as already modified teaches wherein the hand-held applicator is provided with an insulated knob body (Bogue as modifying provides user held portion of housing 208 with airflow path between heated area 206, see figure 3/5b “The impeller 402 can direct air drawn into the housing 208 toward the outlet 206 and along the drive system 102 and heater system 104 to cool them. Air moving through the housing 208 toward the outlet 206 passes over the heat sink 304 and between the fins 308, facilitating dissipation of heat. The air is pushes out of the housing 208 through an annular space 408 (see FIG. 3) between (a) the heater mass 324 and/or outlet 206 and (b) the housing 8, e.g., the front cover 210.” [0088]) which is separated from the inner heated area, from where there is projected a ferrule (as modified by Bogue 324/310, see figure 5b) which receives the applicator tip (as modified by Bogue threaded tip 342, see figure 5b), region where the support of the applicator tip is threaded (as modified by Bogue “The inside surface of the attachment portion 340 includes features, such as, for example, threads extending along the inner surface thereof, configured to mate with attachment portion 328, e.g. threads, of the heater mass 324.” [0072]), to make the transfer of thermoplastic adhesive (as modified by Bogue heating having flow passage 310 of heated substrate, see figure 5b).
Regarding claim 17, Gm as modified teaches the industrial thermoplastic adhesive applicator according to claim 13, Gm as already modified teaches wherein the hand-held applicator contains a system of fins (as modified by Bogue fins 308 keeping heat localized “The fins 308 increase the surface area available for heat dissipation.” [0080], see figure 7) and inner ducts (as modified by Bogue, space around fins for air flow, see figure 7) for thermal insulation and heating on the outer handling surface, or an insulated knob body induced by air circulation system (as already modified by Bogue, see above [0080] and user held portion of housing 208 with airflow path between heated area 206, see figure 3/5b “The impeller 402 can direct air drawn into the housing 208 toward the outlet 206 and along the drive system 102 and heater system 104 to cool them. Air moving through the housing 208 toward the outlet 206 passes over the heat sink 304 and between the fins 308, facilitating dissipation of heat. The air is pushes out of the housing 208 through an annular space 408 (see FIG. 3) between (a) the heater mass 324 and/or outlet 206 and (b) the housing 8, e.g., the front cover 210.” [0088]).
Regarding claim 18, Gm as modified teaches the industrial thermoplastic adhesive applicator according to claim 10, Gm as already modified teaches further comprising a thermal energy accumulator (HillBilly as modifying, mass of applicator 2) system for cordless portable thermoplastic adhesive applicator (as already modified by HillBilly, see applicator 2 removed from heating control unit 1 wherein glue of applicator 2 is molten).
Claims 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over GM, HillBilly and Bogue and in further view of Maayeh (US 6,041,972).
Regarding claim 15, Gm as modified teaches the industrial thermoplastic adhesive applicator according to claim 10, Gm as already modified teaches wherein the electronic circuitry symbolizes a minimum requirement for protection and functionality resources (as routinely provided to functioning electronic devices), thermo-regulator RT1 (as already modified by HillBilly, thermo-regulator 3 of re-annotated figure A) or thermostat, and in a case of electromagnetic inductance, an inductor coil BL1.
Gm as modified is silent regarding where the power a 3A fuse.
However Maayech teaches where the power uses a 3A fuse (fuse 342 is used for circuit protection “Fuses 342 provide over current protection” (column 8, lines 46-60), selecting specifically a 3Amp sized fuse would be obvious under Routine Optimization to someone with ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed, because a finite and predictable range of fuse ratings exist for consumer and industrial electronics devices based on the electrical load required to supply heating current to the applicator (see MPEP 2144.05 B. II.)).
The advantage of where the power a 3A fuse, is to provide overcurrent protection based on the current load of appliance “Fuses 342 provide over current protection” (column 8, lines 46-60).
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, having the teachings of Gm as modified and Maayech before him or her, to modify the glue roller dispenser control/stand system of Gm to include the circuit protection fuse system of Maayech, because the fuse systems provide circuit protection, preventing circuit failure.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Spencer H Kirkwood whose telephone number is (469)295-9113. The examiner can normally be reached 12:00 am - 9:00 pm Eastern.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Steven Crabb can be reached at 571-270-5059. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Spencer H. Kirkwood/ Examiner, Art Unit 3761
/STEVEN W CRABB/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3761