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 .
Examiner’s Comments
This office action is in response to the amendment filed on 10/14/2025.
Claims 5-6 have been canceled by applicant.
Claims 1-4 and 7-22 are pending.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 10/30/2025 is in
compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to
AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
(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) 19-20 and 22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2)(a)(2) as
being anticipated by Kobori et al. (US20180290279) hereinafter (Kobori).
With regard to claim 19, Kobori discloses a nail gun comprising: a striking mechanism (13,15) for striking nails ([0001]) out of the nail gun along a striking direction for nailing, wherein the striking mechanism (13,15) comprises a plurality of tooth (31a) grooves; an energy storage mechanism (11, 12) configured to provide energy to drive the striking mechanism to move in the striking direction, and store energy when the striking mechanism (13,15) is driven to move in an opposite direction to the striking direction; and a transmission mechanism (26) coupled with the energy storage mechanism (11,12) and the striking mechanism (13,15) for driving the striking mechanism to move in the opposite direction to the striking direction for storing energy, wherein the transmission mechanism (26) comprises: a rotating member (26) configured to be driven by a driving motor (33) to rotate, wherein the rotating member (26) has a plurality of pin mounting holes (pins 32 have holes support), wherein the plurality of pin mounting holes comprises at least one movable pin mounting hole (see fig.3); and an engaging part (as seen in fig.3) arranged on the rotating member (26), wherein the engaging part comprises a plurality of engaging pins (32) installed in the plurality of pin mounting holes, wherein the plurality of engaging pins comprises at least one movable engaging pin moveably installed in at least one movable pin mounting hole, and wherein two adjacent engaging pins define a gap (see fig. 3) therebetween, wherein during the rotation of the rotating member, the plurality of engaging pins is sequentially meshed with the plurality of tooth grooves (as seen in figs.3 &4) of the striking mechanism (13,15) to achieve an engagement between the transmission member (26) and the striking mechanism (13,15).
With regard to claim 20, Kobori discloses a nail gun, wherein the energy storage mechanism( 11,12) comprises: an energy storage member (12) comprising an air chamber (45) for containing air; an inner cylinder body (12) for installing the striking mechanism (13,15) therein; and an outer cylinder (11) arranged outside the inner cylinder (12), such that the air chamber is formed between the outer cylinder (11) and the inner cylinder (12 see fig.1); an inflatable member (71) disposed on the energy storage member (12) and configured to inflate the air chamber; and a pressure relief member (81) disposed on the energy storage member(12) and configured to release the pressure in the air chamber.
With regard to claim 22, Kobori discloses a nail gun, wherein the first engaging pin (32) is the movable (move with the rotary disk) (32) engaging pin.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 1-4 and 7-18 are allowed over the prior art of record.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
With respect to claim 1, Kobori discloses an energy storage mechanism used for a nail gun, but does not disclose or teach in combination, an energy storage mechanism used for a nail and a pressure relief valve configured to be automatically opened to release the pressure in the air chamber when the pressure in the air chamber reaches a preset threshold value, and manually opened to discharge the air inside the air chamber before disassembly when the outer cylinder body needs to be maintained.
Claim 21 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but
would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
With regard to claim 21, Kobori discloses a nail gun, but does not disclose or teach, wherein the transmission mechanism further comprises an elastic assembly placed between the movable engaging pin and the rotating member, wherein the elastic assembly comprises a spring received in the at least one movable pin mounting hole with one end abutting against the movable engaging pin, and the other end abutting against the rotating member.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-4 and 7-22 have been
considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
Refer to attachment for notice of references cited and recommended for
consideration based on their disclosure of limitations of the claimed invention.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NATHANIEL C. CHUKWURAH whose telephone number is (571)272-4457. The examiner can normally be reached M-F & T-F 7-4:30 IFP.
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, Anna Kinsaul can be reached at 571-260-1926. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/NATHANIEL C CHUKWURAH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3731 5/19/2026
Prosecution Insights