DETAILED ACTION
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Sahm Philippe (FR 3041548 A1) herein referred to as Philippe.
Claim 1, Philippe discloses a head base piece (20) having a dispensing opening (26);
a liner (22) arranged inside of the head base piece;
a liner channel (34) which is arranged between the head base piece and the liner; and
a valve element (30) that is movably arranged, at least in regions, inside of the liner and interacts with the dispensing opening, wherein the valve element is movable from a first position (FIG 4) into a second position (FIG 5) via a stroke relative to the liner, such that, in the second position, a fluid path is formed between the liner channel and the dispensing opening, and in the first position, the liner channel is sealed against the dispensing opening by the liner.
Claim 2, Philippe discloses wherein the liner comprises at least one of a second sealing lip or a sealing surface that bears against the valve element in the first position (FIG 8-11).
Claim 3, Philippe discloses wherein the liner comprises a breach (48) which forms a portion of the fluid path.
Claim 4, Philippe discloses wherein the valve element comprises a first sealing lip (47) that bears against the liner in the first position and in the second position.
Claim 5, Philippe discloses wherein the liner (22) comprises a shoulder in a region of the valve element (FIG 4-6).
Claim 6, Philippe discloses at least one of a chamber arrangement (46) or a nozzle chamber (38), wherein the at least one of the chamber arrangement or the nozzle chamber forms a portion of the fluid path (FIG 4-6).
Claim 7, Philippe discloses wherein, in the first position, the liner channel (34) and the chamber arrangement (46) are in fluid connection (FIG 4-6).
Claim 8, Philippe discloses wherein, in the first position, the liner channel (22) and the nozzle chamber (38) are not in fluid connection in the first position (FIG 4-6).
Claim 9, Philippe discloses wherein at least one of: the dispensing opening (26) and the nozzle chamber (38); or the chamber arrangement (46) and the liner channel (22) is in fluid connection in the second position of the valve element (FIG 4-6).
Claim 10, Philippe discloses wherein the liner (22) protrudes, at least in regions, into the nozzle chamber (38; FIG 4-6).
Claim 11, Philippe discloses wherein the liner (22) is immovably arranged relative to the head base piece (20; FIG 4-6).
Claim 12, Philippe discloses wherein the valve element (30) seals the dispensing opening with a force fit (FIG 4-6).
Claim 13, Philippe discloses a plug (22) that is arranged on an end side of the liner opposite from the valve element and that, at least in regions, is inside of the liner (FIG 2).
Claim 14, Philippe discloses a head spring (32) arranged in a spring space inside of the liner, wherein the head spring presses the valve element in a direction of the dispensing opening.
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) 15-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Philippe as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Vanblaere et al. (US 8328120 B2).
Claim 15, Philippe substantially discloses the apparatus as claimed above but is silent on a snap-on element, the head base piece being arranged on the snap-on element.
Vanblaere teaches a snap-on element (4), the head base piece being arranged on the snap-on element.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Philippe with snap on as taught by VanBlaere in order to provide a means for easy attachment to a receptacle.
Claim 16, Philippe substantially discloses the apparatus as claimed above but is silent on an intermediate spring arranged between the snap-on element and the head base piece.
VanBlaere teaches an intermediate spring (50) arranged between the snap-on element (4) and the head base piece (10).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Philippe with spring as taught by VanBlaere in order to provide a resilient biasing means for the head piece.
Claim 17, Philippe substantially discloses the apparatus as claimed above but is silent on an enclosure spring.
Vanblaere teaches an enclosure spring (50).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Philippe with spring as taught by VanBlaere in order to provide a resilient biasing means for the head piece.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JEREMY W CARROLL whose telephone number is (571)272-4988. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8 AM - 5 PM.
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JEREMY W. CARROLL
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3754
/Jeremy Carroll/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3754