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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The IDS filed on April 1, 2024 is hereby acknowledged and has been placed of record. Please find attached a signed copy of the IDS.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(4) because reference character “23” has been used to designate both a “shaping air jet” in Figs. 5 and 9 (consistent with the specification) and an outer portion of the bell cup (2) in Fig. 5 (not consistent with the specification).
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
On line 2 of paragraph [0061], reference number “12” should be changed to --11-- (Note, the use of reference number “11” in paragraphs [0059] and [0060]).
On line 4 of paragraph [0071], reference number “15” should be changed to --14-- (Note, the use of reference number “14” in paragraphs [0070] and [0073]).
Appropriate correction is required.
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 27-29 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.
Regarding claim 27, on line 3, the recitation, “wherein the hub section preferably” is an incomplete statement, and thus metes and bounds cannot be determined. It should be noted that the use of “preferably” in a claim is also generally considered indefinite, particularly when it is followed by a narrowing limitation, because there would be a question or doubt as to whether or not the limitation introduced after “preferably” is a required feature of the claim (See MPEP § 2173.05(c)).
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.
Claims 25-34 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Van Der Steur, USPN 6,341,734.
As to claim 25, Van Der Steur (see Figs. 1-4) shows a bell cup (10) for a rotary atomizer for painting components, having:
a) a mounting interface (40/H) adapted for mounting the bell cup on the rotary atomizer,
b) an annular spraying edge (E) encircling an axis of rotation (R) for spraying off the paint in the form of a spray jet, and
c) a circumferential outer lateral surface (inclusive of 16) which widens along the axis of rotation in the distal direction towards the spraying edge, wherein:
d) the lateral surface of the bell cup has a middle lateral surface section (M; see annotated Fig. 1, below) and a distal lateral surface section (D; see annotated Fig. 1, below) along the axis of rotation,
e) the middle lateral surface section is conical,
f) the conical middle lateral surface section is angled at a first angle of inclination relative to the axis of rotation of the bell cup,
g) the distal lateral surface section is conical or cylindrical,
h) the distal lateral surface section is angled at a second angle of inclination to the axis of rotation of the bell cup, and
i) the first angle of inclination is greater than the second angle of inclination.
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As to claim 26, Van Der Steur shows the bell cup according to claim 25, wherein the lateral surface of the bell cup additionally has a proximal lateral surface section (P; see annotated Fig. 1, above) which is angled differently from the axis of rotation of the bell cup than the middle lateral surface section.
As to claim 27, Van Der Steur shows the bell cup according to claim 26, wherein the lateral surface of the bell cup additionally has a hub section (HT) which is proximally adjacent to the proximal lateral surface section.
As to claim 28, Van Der Steur shows the bell cup according to claim 27, wherein the hub section is angled differently relative to the axis of rotation of the bell cup than the proximal lateral surface section and the distal lateral surface section.
As to claim 29, Van Der Steur shows the bell cup according to claim 28, wherein the hub section:
a) merges with a kink (surface direction transition proximate the location where “P” is shown in Fig. 4) into the proximal lateral surface section, and
b) has a greater axial length along the axis of rotation than the distal lateral surface section, and
c) is conically shaped with a uniform cone angle, and
d) is directly adjacent to an external rinsing chamber (94) at the rear side of the bell cup.
As to claim 30, Van Der Steur shows the bell cup according to claim 26, wherein:
a) the distal lateral surface section directly adjoins the spraying edge, and
b) the middle lateral surface section directly adjoins the distal lateral surface section with a kink (surface direction transition between M and D; see annotated Fig. 1, above) between the distal lateral surface section and the middle lateral surface section, and
c) the proximal lateral surface section directly adjoins the middle lateral surface section with a kink (surface direction transition between P and M; see annotated Fig. 1, above) between the proximal lateral surface section and the middle lateral surface section.
As to claim 31, Van Der Steur shows the bell cup according to claim 25, wherein:
a) the first angle of inclination of the middle lateral surface section is in the range of 25o-45o (as shown, the angle of inclination falls within the recited range) and
b) the second angle of inclination of the distal lateral surface section is in the range of 0o-10o (as shown, the angle of inclination falls within the recited range).
As to claim 32, Van Der Steur shows the bell cup according to claim 25, wherein:
a) the middle lateral surface section has a length in axial direction along the axis of rotation which is in the range of 0.5mm-10mm (a “length” of section “M” in the annotated Fig. 1 shown above can be arbitrarily chosen to meet the broadly-recited length range), and
b) the distal lateral surface section has a length in the axial direction along the axis of rotation which is in the range of 0-2mm (a “length” of section “D” in the annotated Fig. 1 shown above can be arbitrarily chosen to meet the broadly-recited length range; and note that the range is inclusive of “0mm”, which only requires a surface defined by an arbitrarily-selected point).
As to claim 33, Van Der Steur shows the bell cup according to claim 25, further comprising:
a) a centrally arranged paint feed (90) for feeding the paint to be applied, and
b) a frontal overflow surface (14) leading to the spraying edge, so that in operation the paint to be applied flows out of the paint feed via the overflow surface outwards to the spraying edge.
As to claim 34, Van Der Steur shows the bell cup according to claim 33, wherein:
a) the overflow surface widens conically along the axis of rotation in the spraying direction, and
b) the overflow surface is angled at a substantially constant angle of inclination to the axis of rotation of the bell cup, and
c) the angle of inclination of the overflow surface is in the range of 50o-87o (as shown, the angle of inclination falls within the recited range), and
d) the overflow surface encloses with the middle lateral surface section and/or with the distal lateral surface section of the outer lateral surface of the bell cup an angle which lies in the range of 10°-50° (as shown, and with both recited options, the angle(s) fall(s) within the recited range).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DARREN W GORMAN whose telephone number is (571)272-4901. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 6:30-4:30.
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 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.
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/DARREN W GORMAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3752