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.
Claim 1-4 is 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, it is unclear what is meant by the term “a shape along a movement path: of claim 1. This term is not specifically defined by the specification and it is unclear as to what it exactly means. The term is far broader than what is shown in the figures. Is the shape of the charging section the same shape as a movement path, is the shape of the charging section the same shape and in the same location as a movement path, is the shape of the charging section just overlapping the movement path at some point?
Additionally, it is unclear if the movement path of line 5 has to be the same movement path as defined by the movement in line 4 of claim 1, or if it can be any movement path of the nozzle. If so, does the “a movement path” have to be the movement path of just the distal end relative to the base end, or can it be a movement path of the entire nozzle that includes the distal end?
Claim 2 recites the limitation "the two charging sections" in line 4. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
It is unclear if the two charging sections include the charging section of line 3, or if they are additional charging sections.
Regarding claim 4, it is unclear what is mean by “a spray area from the spray nozzle.” Is the spray area an area of the nozzle, or is it the area of the spray from the nozzle? Or does the spray area refer to the area to be sprayed?
The remainder of the claims are rejected due to dependency.
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 is/are rejected, as best as understood, under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Cooper (2006/0124780).
Regarding claim 1, Cooper shows an electrostatic spraying device (fig 1) comprising: a spray nozzle (10) which sprays a liquid; and a charging section (90) which charges the liquid sprayed from the spray nozzle, wherein the spray nozzle is provided with a distal end (10) movable around a base end (50), and wherein the charging section has a shape along a movement path of the distal end (10 rotates and moves longitudinal and electrode 90 is cylindrical with a circular element and length, which is shaped along a movement path of 10).
Claim(s) 1-3 is/are rejected, as best as understood, under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Heldt (6,708,908).
Regarding claim 1, Heldt shows an electrostatic spraying device (fig 2) comprising: a spray nozzle (14) which sprays a liquid; and a charging section (32) which charges the liquid sprayed from the spray nozzle, wherein the spray nozzle is provided with a distal end (30) movable around a base end (16), and wherein the charging section has a shape along a movement path of the distal end (30 rotates about the central axis of the nozzle, charging section is ring shaped which is a shape that is along a movement path of 30).
Regarding claim 2, wherein the spray nozzle is provided with the distal end swingable around the base end (30 is capable of swinging around the central axis of 16), wherein the charging section is a strip plate (48 or 34, 48 is more plate like) extending in an arc shape, wherein the two charging sections (two of the elements 40 can be the two charging sections, or one half of 34 and the other half of 34) are arranged to face each other with an appropriate separation distance in a thickness direction (fig 2), and wherein a spray area (element 30 has the spray area) from the spray nozzle is disposed between the two charging sections (fig 2).
Regarding claim 3, further comprising: a rod (12); a first support member (22) that is attached to the rod and supports a power supply line supplying power to the charging section (fig 2); and a second support member (18) that is attached to the first support member and supports the charging section, wherein the second support member constitutes a part of a power supply path from the power supply line to the charging section (fig 2).
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) 4 is/are rejected, as best as understood, under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cooper (2006/0124780) in view of Nishimura (2014/0339343)
Regarding claim 4, Cooper shows all aspects of the applicant’s invention as in claim 1, including that electrode 90 is made from a conductive material [0026],
but fails to disclose that the charging section is made of conductive resin.
Nishimura teaches an electrode made form conductive resin [0037]
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the application was effectively field to make the electrode out of a conductive resin in rode to make it lighter.
Claim(s) 4 is/are rejected, as best as understood, under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Heldt (6,708,908) in view of Nishimura (2014/0339343)
Regarding claim 4, Heldt shows all aspects of the applicant’s invention as in claim 1, but fails to disclose that the charging section is made of conductive resin.
Nishimura teaches an electrode made form conductive resin [0037]
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the application was effectively field to make the electrode out of a conductive resin in rode to make it lighter.
Conclusion
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/JASON J BOECKMANN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3752 1/28/2026