DETAILED ACTION
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.
Claim(s) 1, 6, 9 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Unosawa (EP2492018) in view of Weil (DE 2720458).
Regarding claim 1, Unosawa discloses a spray device that atomizes and applies coating material to a coating target object, the spray device comprising:
a tip portion (17,10, 6) (The figure 10 embodiment is disclosed as an embodiment of Figure 1; Figure 1 will be relied on for elements outside of the portion shown in figure 10) provided with a coating material supply port (22) to supply coating material (Paragraph 27), an atomizing air supply port (57) to supply air designed to atomize the supplied coating material (Paragraph 44), a plurality of pattern air supply ports (exit of 65) to supply pattern air designed to adjust a spray width of the supplied coating material onto the coating target object (the position of the air provides for adjustment of the spray width), and first twisted supply paths (65) to each of the pattern air supply ports (Figure 1; the paths are angled to provide a twisted flow); and
a shielding plate (10) that is provided adjacent to outside of the pattern air supply ports (Figure 1) and protrudes from a lower surface of the tip portion toward the coating target object (Figure), the shielding plate being configured to prevent inflow of air outside an outer wall of the spray device (The limitation is interpreted as a recitation of intended use, and therefore afforded limited patentable weight; The plate is capable of allowing outside air from entering the device), wherein:
the atomizing air supply port is provided adjacent to the coating material supply port (20) (Figure 10);
the pattern air supply ports (exit of 65) are provided to surround the coating material supply port and the atomizing air supply port (Figures 1 and 10);
the first twisted supply paths are configured to supply the pattern air obliquely and spirally with respect to a supply direction of the coating material (Figure 1, the orientation of the paths provide for the claimed function);
and the shielding plate has a circular ring shape (Figure 1), but fails to disclose shielding plate protruding past the pattern air supply ports or the shielding plate surrounds the coating material supply port.
Weil discloses a spray device that includes a shielding plate (1) that protrudes past pattern air supply air ports (13, 14) and the shielding plate surrounding a coating material supply port (6) (Figure 1).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Unosawa with the disclosures of Weil, providing the shielding plate to protrude past the pattern air supply air ports (exits of 65) (Weil, Figure 1) and the shielding plate surrounding the coating material supply port (22) (Weil, Figure 1), as the configurations were known alternatives to mounting the spray tip before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, and the modification would have yielded predictable results, including mounting of the spray tip with no change in the function of the constituent parts.
Regarding claim 6, Unosawa in view of Weil discloses the spray device according to claim 1 wherein the atomizing air supply port (57) is provided to surround the coating material supply port (22) and has a circular ring shape (Figure 1).
Regarding claim 9, Unosawa in view of Weil discloses the spray device according to claim 1 wherein the first twisted supply path is spirally formed towards a central axis of the tip portion (Figure 1).
Regarding claim 11, Unosawa in view of Weil discloses a coating method using the spray device according to claim 1 (The disclosure is dedicated to use of the spray device of claim 1 in a coating method).
Claim(s) 2-5 and 7-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Unosawa in view of Weil and Vanzetto (US2016/0199869).
Regarding claim 2, Unosawa discloses the spray device according to claim 1, wherein a second twisted supply path (83) is provided inside the spray device, but fails to discloses a plurality of the twisted supply path.
Vanzetto discloses a device that includes a plurality of twisted supply paths (14), leading from a atomizing air supply port (V16) provided inside of a spray device (Figure 17).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Unosawa with the disclosures of Vanzetto, providing a plurality of twisted supply paths (83) provided inside the spray device (Figure 1), as the configurations were known in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, and the modification would have yielded predictable results, including provision of structure for supply of atomizing air, in a system where the channel supply structure is not a critical element.
Unosawa in view of Weil and Vanzetto further discloses wherein the plurality of second twisted supply paths (Unosawa, 83, as modified) are spaced apart from each other (Vanzetto, suggested by Figure 17) and configured to spirally supply atomizing air from the atomizing air supply port in the supply direction of the coating material (The angular orientation of the paths provides for the claimed function).
Regarding claim 3, Unosawa in view of Weil and Vanzetto discloses the spray device according to claim 2, wherein the second twisted supply paths have a shape twisted obliquely inward from an upper portion of the tip portion (Vanzetto, Figure 17 and Unosawa Figure 10, the paths extend from an upper portion, in a downstream inward direction).
Regarding claim 4, Unosawa in view of Weil and Vanzetto discloses the spray device according to claim 2 wherein a first twist direction of the first twisted supply paths to the pattern air supply ports and a second twist direction of the second twisted supply paths to the atomizing air supply port are directed to the same direction (Both of the directions are directed downstream and inward).
Regarding claim 5, Unosawa in view of Weil and Vanzetto discloses the spray device according to claim 2, wherein the tip portion includes a wide path which is connected to the second twisted supply paths and is wider than the second twisted supply path (Examiner’s Annotated Figure 1).
PNG
media_image1.png
476
670
media_image1.png
Greyscale
Examiner’s Annotated Figure 1
Regarding claim 7, Unosawa in view of Weil and Vanzetto discloses the spray device according to claim 2 wherein the tip portion includes:
a wide path which is connected to the second twisted supply paths and is wider than the second twisted supply path (Examiner’s Annotated Figure 1); a coating material supply path (15) to supply the coating material (the path supplied to the path hole), the coating material supply path being connected to the coating material supply port (Figure 1); and
a straight path (56) that is connected to the wide path (Figure 1), extends in an axial direction of the coating material supply path (Figure 1), and has an annular cylindrical shape (Figure 1).
Regarding claim 8, Unosawa in view of Weil and Vanzetto discloses the spray device according to claim 1 wherein the tip portion includes a wide path that is wider than the first twisted supply path (Examiner’s Annotated Figure 1), extends from an upper portion of the tip portion in an axial direction of a coating material supply path (15) to supply the coating material (The wide path extends in a downstream direction, like the coating material supply path), and is connected to the first twisted supply path (Examiner’s Annotated Figure 1), the coating material supply path being connected to the coating material supply port (Figure1).
Claim(s) 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Unosawa in Weil and view of Medina (US 2021/0387213).
Regarding claim 10, Unosawa discloses the spray device according to claim 1, but fails to disclose wherein the pattern air supply port (exit of 65) has an elliptical shape
Medina discloses a device wherein air supply ports have an elliptical (oval) shape (Paragraph 47).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Unosawa with the disclosures of Medina, providing the supply ports to be of an elliptical shape, since it has been held that shape is a matter of choice which one of ordinary skill in the art would have found absent persuasive evidence that the shape is significant. In re Dailey, 357 F.2d 669, 149 USPQ 47 (CCPA 1966).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 2/13/2026 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any interpretation of the reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 CHRISTOPHER R. DANDRIDGE whose telephone number is (571)270-1505. The examiner can normally be reached M-T 9am-7pm.
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, Arthur O. Hall can be reached at (571)270-1814. 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.
CHRISTOPHER R. DANDRIDGE
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3752
/CHRISTOPHER R DANDRIDGE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3752