DETAILED ACTION
This is a non-final rejection in response to amendments filed 3/30/26. Claims 1-2, 4-5, and 8-20 are currently pending.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, filed 3/30/26, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1-2, 4-5, and 8-20 under 35 U.S.C. 102 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 Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn.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 Lauter in view of Geberth (US 4626004).
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 1-2, 4-5, and 8-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lauter et al. (US 5056719) in view of Gebert h (US 4626004).
Regarding independent claim 1, 19-20, Lauter teaches a connector unit for a spray gun 1 for spraying a flowable material using compressed air, the connector unit 16 comprising a first connector 31 for the connection of an air line and a second connector 32 for the connection of a material line (col. 7, ll. 59-65), the connector unit being configured as a swivel joint in such a manner that the first connector and the second connector are rotatable around a shared rotation axis relative to the spray gun (col. 6, ll. 10-33);
wherein the connector unit 16 comprises a fixed part 337 fixed relative to the spray gun 10 and a swivel part 337 rotatably connected to the fixed part, the swivel part having the first connector 31 and the second connector 32.
Lauter is silent to wherein the fixed part comprises a socket element rigidly connectable to the spray gun and an axis element rigidly connected to the socket element, the swivel part being rotatably mounted on said axis element and wherein the axis element has a material channel.
Geberth teaches wherein the fixed part comprises a socket element 44 rigidly connectable to the spray gun and an axis element 52 rigidly connected to the socket element, the swivel part 22 being rotatably mounted on said axis element and wherein the axis element has a material channel 78,80.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at to provide the fixed and rotating parts of Geberth to the spray gun of Lauter. It is noted that the use of a known prior art structure (in this case the use of dual fluid swivel connector taught by Geberth), to obtain predictable results (in this case to allowing for swiveling, which results in less entanglement of conduit and also reduces fatigue) was an obvious extension of prior art teachings, KSR; MPEP 2141 III A.
Regarding dependent claim 2, Lauter in view of Geberth teaches the invention as claimed and discussed above. Lauter further teaches wherein the connector unit 16 is configured for being arranged on a handle 2 of the spray gun (10).
Regarding dependent claim 4, Lauter in view of Geberth teaches the invention as claimed and discussed above. Lauter further teaches wherein the compressed air and the material are separately guidable from the swivel part (27) to the spray gun (10) via the fixed part (col. 7, ll. 59- col. 8, ll. 6),
Regarding dependent claim 5, Lauter in view of Geberth teaches the invention as claimed and discussed above. Lauter further teaches wherein the swivel part (27) comprises a first connector element 28, which comprises the first connector 31, and a second connector element 29, which comprises the second connector 32, said second connector element being rigidly connected to the first connector element.
Regarding dependent claim 8, Lauter in view of Geberth teaches the invention as claimed and discussed above. Lauter further teaches wherein the connector unit comprises a bearing arrangement 344 having at least one bearing via which the swivel part 316 is rotatably connected to the fixed part 348.
Regarding dependent claim 9, Lauter in view of Geberth teaches the invention as claimed and discussed above. Lauter further teaches wherein the bearing arrangement 344 comprises at least one axial bearing (thrust bearing is a type of axial bearing).
Regarding dependent claim 10, Lauter in view of Geberth teaches the invention as claimed and discussed above. Lauter further teaches wherein the at least one axial bearing comprises an axial rolling bearing (thrust bearing is a type of axial rolling bearing).
Regarding dependent claim 11, Lauter in view of Geberth teaches the invention as claimed and discussed above. Lauter further teaches wherein the fixed part has an air channel 11 the swivel part having a ring channel 20 for the compressed air, said ring channel opening into the air channel in such a manner that the compressed air is guidable from the ring channel to the air channel irrespective of a rotation angle formed between the fixed part and the swivel part.
Regarding dependent claim 12, Lauter in view of Geberth teaches the invention as claimed and discussed above. Lauter further teaches wherein the connector unit is disposed such on the spray gun that the air channel 311 of the fixed part opens into an air channel of a handle of the spray gun.
Regarding dependent claim 13, Lauter in view of Geberth teaches the invention as claimed and discussed above. Lauter further teaches wherein the swivel part has an air channel 318 running from the first connector 331 to the ring channel 322.
Regarding dependent claim 14, Lauter in view of Geberth teaches the invention as claimed and discussed above. Lauter further teaches wherein the air channel 318 extends at an angle relative to the rotation axis (see fig. 7).
Regarding dependent claim 15, Lauter in view of Geberth teaches the invention as claimed and discussed above. Lauter further teaches wherein the fixed part comprises a material outlet which is connectable to a material inlet of the spray gun via a material line 10, said material inlet being disposed on a shaft of the spray gun (implicit but not shown).
Regarding dependent claim 16, Lauter in view of Geberth teaches the invention as claimed and discussed above. Lauter further teaches, wherein the material is guidable parallel to the rotation axis from the swivel part into the fixed part by means of the connector unit (fig. 1 shows the connector unit has connation at 31 which is not concentric but is offset and parallel to the rotation axis).
Regarding dependent claim 17, Lauter in view of Geberth teaches the invention as claimed and discussed above. Lauter further teaches wherein the connector unit comprises a fastening element 27 for fastening the connector unit to the spray gun.
Regarding dependent claim 18, Lauter in view of Geberth teaches the invention as claimed and discussed above. Lauter further teaches spray gun for spraying a material using compressed air, said spray gun comprising a connector unit according to claim 1 (col. 5, ll. 28-51).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CRAIG SANG KIM whose telephone number is (571)270-1418. The examiner can normally be reached 7:00 AM - 3:00 PM.
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/CRAIG KIM/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3741
Prosecution Insights