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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 02/10/2026 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, filed 02/10/2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1-5 under 103 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Sasnett, Jr. et al. (US Patent No. 5,867,403) as evidenced by Strong (US Patent No. 2,274,106). Sasnett teaching flanges extending from an inner surface of the display panel inherently capable of functioning as rain gutters as evidence by Strong in the rejection below.
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) 1-5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Sasnett, Jr. et al. (US Patent No. 5,867,403 herein after Sasnett) as evidenced by Strong (US Patent No. 2,274,106).
Re: Claim 1, Sasnett discloses the claimed invention including a gas filling device comprising: a housing body (20), an intermediate unit (25) couple to the housing body (Fig. 1 and 2, Col. 8, lines 37-40, intermediate modules), said intermediate unit including a display panel (70) having a filling amount indicator (30) thereon (Fig. 2 depicts the panel with indicator), the display panel being transitional relative to the housing body between an open position and a closed position (Fig. 4, depicts the panel able to be removed and translate relative to the housing); a sealing mechanism (74) disposed in a portion of said intermediate unit that faces an upper edge of the display panel (Depicted in Fig. 6, Col. 5, lines 44-49, seals the display panel); a rain gutter (71a inward flanges acts as a gutter as evidenced below) coupled to the display panel such that the rain gutter moves with the display panel as the display panel transitions between the open position and the closed position (Figs. 4-5, Col. 5, lines 34-37, moves with display panel), the rain gutter being mounted on an inner surface of the display panel and being concealed within the housing body when the display panel is in the closed position, the rain gutter being disposed above the filling amount indicator, said rain gutter extending in a width direction of the display panel (Figs. 4-6, Col. 5, lines 34-37, flanges extending from an inner surface of the display panel and being concealed and disposed above and extending the width) as further evidenced by Strong teaching in p. 3, col. 52-66 inwardly extending door flanges in their respective closures protect against rain water by their weatherproofing inward door flanges as the water will drain to either side of the flanges until it drains down the side and away from the panel.
Re: Claim 2, Sasnett discloses the claimed invention including said sealing mechanism is in contact with the display panel to cover an upper portion of said rain gutter (Depicted in Fig. 6).
Re: Claim 3, Sasnett discloses the claimed invention including a length of said rain gutter is longer than a width of said filling amount indicator (Depicted in Fig. 5).
Re: Claim 4, Sasnett discloses the claimed invention including a hole (72) is formed on a lower end of said display panel (Fig. 5).
Re: Claim 5, Sasnett discloses the claimed invention including a length of said rain gutter is longer than a width of said filling amount indicator (Depicted in Fig. 5, longer than the indicator).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. References cited in PTO-892 teach additional examples of water channeling around doors.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHARLES P. CHEYNEY whose telephone number is (571)272-9971. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm.
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/CHARLES P. CHEYNEY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3754