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 § 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) 1-7 and 9-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Grontved et al. US 2015/0014351.
Grontved discloses a caulking machine comprising:
(Re claim 1) “a main body having a body part and a gripping part, a front end of the body part being provided with a track” (1, 5, 15 figure 1,2). “a feeding unit provided in the body part and having a power source and a push rod” (17, 25, 11 figure 1,2). “power source being capable of driving the push rod to reciprocate” (13 figure 1,2). “a front end of the push rod being located in the track” (19, 15 figure 1,2). “when the power source driving the push rod, the front end of the push rod being capable of displacing linearly in the track” (abstract). “an operating member, the operating member being electrically connected to the power source and being operated to cause the power source to be driven, so that the power source driving the push rod to feed” (7 figure 1,2). “a processing unit electrically connected to the operating member and the power source, capable of sensing a feeding distance of the push rod and storing the feeding distance” (‘measurement of the movement of the rack’ para 0042). “and capable of driving the push rod to feed to the feeding distance” (‘equals, the stored … last dispensing event’ para 0036). “a mode switching member electrically connected to the processing unit, the mode switching member being switched to cause the processing unit to switch to different modes” (‘mode switch 10’ para 0035). “at least one normal mode; and a reproduction mode, when the caulking machine switching from the normal mode to the reproduction mode, the processing unit overwriting a reproduction feeding distance of the push rod in the reproduction mode, in subsequent operations in the reproduction mode, the processing unit driving the push rod to reproduce the reproduction feeding
distance” (para 0034-0036). The previously stored value is rewritten with the new stored value upon mode switching.
(Re claim 2) “the processing unit is electrically connected to a signal sensor, the signal sensor is capable of sensing a signal of a feeding distance of the push rod, and a storage unit capable of storing the signal sensed by the signal sensor and forming the reproduction feeding distance, and the processing unit is also capable of reading the reproduction feeding distance from the storage unit, and then driving the power source to drive the push rod to reproduce the reproduction feeding distance” (‘pulse generator’ para 0033-0036).
(Re claim 3) “a signal sensed by the signal sensor is a rotation angle of the power source” (‘a pulse per a revolution’ para 0033).
(Re claim 4) “a signal sensed by the signal sensor is a moving distance of the push rod” (‘attach pulse generator to the rack’ para 0042).
(Re claim 5) “an accumulation operation, when the storage unit having the reproduction feeding distance, and the operating member being operated to cause the push rod to feed an accumulated
distance, the signal sensor sensing the accumulated distance; then the accumulation operation being performed, so that the accumulated distance being combined with the reproduction feeding distance to form a new reproduction feeding distance to be stored in the storage unit” (‘recording’ para 0013).
(Re claim 6) “the accumulation operation can be formed by triggering the operating member at least twice continuously” (‘pull the trigger’ para 0033-0034, 0048).
(Re claim 7) “a button, triggering the button being capable of forming the accumulation operation” (57,59,61, 77,77a,77b figure 5,6 para 0043-0048).
(Re claim 9) “comprising a confirmation signal, only after receiving the confirmation signal, the processing unit storing the reproduction feeding distance” (57,59,61, 77,77a,77b figure 5,6 para 0043-0048).
(Re claim 10) “wherein triggering the operating member at least twice continuously is capable of forming a confirmation operation” (57,59,61, 77,77a,77b figure 5,6 para 0043-0048).
(Re claim 11) “comprising a button, triggering the button being capable of forming the confirmation operation” (57,59,61, 77,77a,77b figure 5,6 para 0043-0048; ‘mode switch 10’ para 0024).
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) 8, 13 and 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Grontved in view of Buckley et al. US 2016/0038816.
Grontved discloses the system as rejected above and a continuous mode (‘first dispensing mode’ para 0033).
Grontved does not disclose that the normal mode comprises at least one quantitative mode; in the continuous mode, in the quantitative mode, when the operating member is triggered, the processing unit is capable of driving the power source to operate to reach a fixed position, so that the push rod is capable of actuating a fixed distance; when the normal mode has the quantitative modes, the different quantitative modes have different fixed distances.
Buckley teaches that the normal mode comprises at least one quantitative mode; in the continuous mode, in the quantitative mode, when the operating member is triggered, the processing unit is capable of driving the power source to operate to reach a fixed position, so that the push rod is capable of actuating a fixed distance; when the normal mode has the quantitative modes, the different quantitative modes have different fixed distances (‘amount to be dosed … pre-set’ abstract)
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to modify the system of Grontved to include that the normal mode comprises at least one quantitative mode; in the continuous mode, in the quantitative mode, when the operating member is triggered, the processing unit is capable of driving the power source to operate to reach a fixed position, so that the push rod is capable of actuating a fixed distance; when the normal mode has the quantitative modes, the different quantitative modes have different fixed distances because it allows the operator to perform the same task repeatedly with a known dispensed quantity.
(Re claim 13) Grontved does not disclose that the mode switching member comprises a turntable, changes in a rotation position of the turntable are capable of controlling the processing unit to switch to different modes.
Grontved does disclose a speed control dial 9. A dial is equivalent to a turntable.
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to modify the system of Grontved to use a turntable for the mode selection switching member because turntables and dials are well known in the art for allowing a used to cycle through various settings quickly and easily.
(Re claim 14) Grontved does not disclose that the mode switching member comprises a human-machine interface, the human-machine interface has at least one operation button and a display screen, the operation button is capable of controlling the processing unit to switch to different modes.
Buckley teaches that the mode switching member comprises a human-machine interface, the human-machine interface has at least one operation button and a display screen, the operation button is capable of controlling the processing unit to switch to different modes (para 0029).
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to modify the system of Grontved to include that the mode switching member comprises a human-machine interface, the human-machine interface has at least one operation button and a display screen, the operation button is capable of controlling the processing unit to switch to different modes because it allows the user to quickly and easily select their settings and visually confirm them all in one interface.
Claim(s) 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Grontved in view of Stolt et al. US 2024/0017287.
Grontved discloses the system as rejected above.
Grontved does not disclose that the processing unit is further electrically connected to a warning device, when a feeding distance of the push rod of the feeding unit does not reach the reproduction feeding distance, the processing unit generates a warning signal to the warning device.
Stolt discloses that the processing unit is further electrically connected to a warning device, when a feeding distance of the push rod of the feeding unit does not reach the reproduction feeding distance, the processing unit generates a warning signal to the warning device (‘indicator … application run was interrupted’ para 0031-0032).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 2013/0043281 is applicants previous caulk gun. US 2011/0151042 and US 2023/0364637 disclose electronic caulking guns with means to determine incomplete dispensing cycles. US 2015/0266050 is another dispensing gun which tracks the distance of the dispensing mechanism.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TIMOTHY R WAGGONER whose telephone number is (571)272-8204. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Thurs 5am-330pm.
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TIMOTHY R. WAGGONER
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3655 B
/TIMOTHY R WAGGONER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3655
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