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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 July 14, 2026 has been entered.
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.
(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) 23 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Addison (EP1046427).
With respect to claim 23, Addison discloses a paint spray gun (Figs. 1-7) comprising:
a gun body (36) having a gun bore (occupied by 16) formed therein, the gun bore extending along a (horizontal) bore axis; and
a valve cartridge (elements shown in Figs. 5-7) mountable to and dismountable from the gun body, the valve cartridge configured to (capable of) connect to a hose (at 60) supplying spray fluid to the paint spray gun, the valve cartridge including a valve (16 and mechanism related to 16) within the valve cartridge, the valve configured to be (capable of) actuated between an open state (spray) and a closed state;
wherein the valve cartridge is at least partially disposed within the gun body, the valve cartridge (at least the left end of 14, container mount 60 and the male thread connecting 50 are) projecting axially out of the gun bore such that a fluid inlet (at 60) of the valve cartridge is disposed outside of the gun body and spaced axially (from the horizontal bore axis) from the gun bore with the valve cartridge mounted to the gun body, the fluid inlet defining a fluid passage (Fig. 1) for a spray fluid to enter into the valve cartridge;
wherein the valve cartridge is mountable to the gun body in multiple relative positions, the multiple relative positions including a first position in which the fluid inlet is oriented vertically relative to the gun body and a second position in which the fluid inlet is oriented laterally relative to the gun body (Fig. 7).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 96 is allowed.
Claims 1, 4, 5, 7, 10, 11 and 14-21 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
Response to Arguments
The Applicant argues that Addison fails to disclose the amended limitations in claim 23. The Examiner respectfully disagrees. The gun bore extending along a bore axis is the horizontal bore that mostly occupies by valve rod 16 and at least the left end of 14, container mount 60 and the male thread connecting 50 are projecting axially out of the gun bore. See Fig. 2 of Addison. The fluid inlet (at 60) of the valve cartridge is disposed outside of the gun body and spaced axially (from the horizontal bore axis) from the gun bore.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHEE-CHONG LEE whose telephone number is (571)270-1916. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8am -5pm.
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/CHEE-CHONG LEE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3752 July 18, 2026
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