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 listing of references in the specification is not a proper information disclosure statement. 37 CFR 1.98(b) requires a list of all patents, publications, or other information submitted for consideration by the Office, and MPEP § 609.04(a) states, "the list may not be incorporated into the specification but must be submitted in a separate paper." Therefore, unless the references have been cited by the examiner on form PTO-892, they have not been considered. Page 1 Paragraph 0002 through Page 4 Paragraph 0013 of the specification of the present application as originally filed cites several Foreign Prior Art Patent documents which have not been submitted to the Office and therefore have not been considered.
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 1, 2, 4-10 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.
The term “high-frequency oscillation” in claim 1 is a relative term which renders the claim indefinite. The term “high-frequency oscillation” is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention. Claim 1 is indefinite because it is not clear what frequency the ultrasonic generator has to operate at in order to provide “high-frequency” oscillation.
The term “high-frequency oscillation” in claim 2 is a relative term which renders the claim indefinite. The term “high-frequency oscillation” is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention. Claim 2 is indefinite because it is not clear what frequency the ultrasonic generator has to operate at in order to provide “high-frequency” oscillation.
The term “high-frequency oscillation” in claim 4 is a relative term which renders the claim indefinite. The term “high-frequency oscillation” is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention. Claim 4 is indefinite because it is not clear what frequency the ultrasonic generator has to operate at in order to provide “high-frequency” oscillation.
Claim 10 is indefinite because it is not clear if the “a water bath in the moist air generating device” is the same as or different from the “an open water bath” in the moisture generating device as disclosed in parent claim 1. For the purposes they will be considered the same.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1, 2 and 4-10 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Kronseder (U.S. Patent Publication No. 2018/0186494) teaches a method for operating a cold glue applicator in the form of a glue printer to apply cold glue onto a target material/glue application surface (Abstract and Page 1 Paragraph 008). However, Kronseder does not fairly teach or suggest having feed moist air generated from an ultrasonic evaporator having an open water bath onto the application means of the cold glue applicator.
Heide (U.S. Patent Publication No. 2003/0127530) teaches a method for cleaning a glue application/application means in the form of a glue-application nozzle wherein a water jet was feed onto the application nozzle (Abstract, Pages 2-3 Paragraphs 0036-0037 and Figure 1). However, Heide does not fairly teach or suggest having feed moist air generated from an ultrasonic evaporator having an open water bath onto the application means of the cold glue applicator
Duss (U.S. Patent # 10,183,307) teaches a method for operating a cold glue applicator comprising an application means in the form of a nozzle valve (Abstract and Column 2 Line 63 through Column 3 Line 4). Duss teaches having generated moist air in a moist generating device in the form of a moist-air generator and then feeding the generated moist air internally into a distributor plate of the application means/nozzle valve (Column 7 Line 35 through Column 8 Line 3). However, Duss does not fairly teach or suggest that the moist air was generated using an ultrasonic evaporation having an open water bath operated with an ultrasonic generator and that the moist air was feed externally against the application means.
Conclusion
Claims 1, 2 and 4 through 10 have been rejected. No claims were allowed.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL P WIECZOREK whose telephone number is (571)270-5341. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 6:00 AM - 3:30 PM.
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/MICHAEL P WIECZOREK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1712