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 .
Status of Claims
Currently claims 1-6, 8-13, 16-21, and 23-24 are pending, claims 7, 14-15, 22, and 25 are cancelled, and claims 3-4, 6, 8-11, 13, 21, and 23 are amended.
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.
Claim(s) 1-3 and 8-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Burmester (U.S. 2009/0258138).
With respect to claim 1, Burmester discloses a nozzle for dispensing a pattern of liquid adhesive filaments (abstract), comprising:
a first air shim plate (50) that has one or more air slots (figure 3, #100) that are configured to receive and direct pressurized air (paragraph 0010); and
an adhesive shim plate (54) that has at least two liquid slots (slots 136) configured to receive pressurized liquid adhesive and discharge liquid adhesive filaments (paragraph 0010 and abstract), the pressurized air directed by the one or more air slots guides the filaments (being the effect of the air on the filaments, paragraph 0007), of the pressurized liquid adhesive discharging from the at least two liquid slots, in a pattern (abstract, paragraphs 0001 and 0066),
wherein the one or more air slots of the first air shim plate are configured to direct the pressurized air along a first angle (abstract) relative to the adhesive shim plate (abstract), such that when the at least two liquid slots discharge the liquid adhesive filaments (abstract and paragraph 0010), one of the one or more air slots is configured to direct the pressurized air to the liquid adhesive filaments discharged by the at least two liquid slots (paragraphs 0010-0011).
With respect to claim 2, Burmester discloses the one or more air slots of the first air shim plate are configured to direct the pressurized air to guide the filaments of the pressurized liquid adhesive discharging from the liquid slots in the pattern (paragraphs 0010-0011 and 0016).
With respect to claim 3, Burmester discloses the pattern is predetermined (the pattern being predetermined to be random and predetermined to have well-defined cut-off and cut-on edges, paragraph 0066, whereby choosing the pattern to be a random pattern is in itself a predetermination of what the pattern will be by having defined edges).
With respect to claim 8, Burmester discloses a separating shim plate (52) positioned between the first air shim plate and the adhesive shim plate (See figure 2).
With respect to claim 9, Burmester discloses the at least two liquid slots are configured to discharge the liquid adhesive filaments parallel to one another (paragraphs 0003 and 0014).
With respect to claim 10, Burmester discloses the at least two liquid slots are at least five liquid slots (see figure 3) that are configured to receive the pressurized liquid adhesive and discharge the liquid adhesive filaments (paragraphs 0010-0011), and wherein the one of the one or more air slots is configured to direct the pressurized air to the liquid adhesive filaments that are discharged by the at least five liquid slots (see figure 5).
With respect to claim 11, Burmester discloses a second air shim plate (80), wherein the second air shim plate has one or more air slots that are configured to receive and direct pressurized air (figure 2), paragraph , wherein the one or more air slots of the second air shim plate are configured to direct the pressurized air along a second angle relative to the adhesive shim plate (as shown in figures 7 and 8), the first angle being different than the second angle so that the first and second air shim plates direct the pressurized air asymmetrically toward the adhesive filaments (as shown in figures 7 and 8), and wherein the adhesive shim plate is positioned between the first and second air shim plates (as shown in figure 2).
With respect to claim 12, Burmester discloses the first angle is 0° and the second angle is anywhere from 40° to 90° (see figure 8a, where there is no angle between 50 and 54, and 80 is shown between 40 and 90 degrees, paragraphs 0059).
With respect to claim 13, Burmester discloses a nozzle body (12), the first and second air shim plates and the adhesive shim plate being coupled to the nozzle body (see figures 1 and 2); a first end plate secured to the first surface of the nozzle body (14), the first air shim plate and the adhesive shim plate being positioned between the first end plate and the nozzle body (as shown in figure 2); and a second end plate secured to the second surface of the nozzle body (end plate 16), the second air shim plate being positioned between the second end plate and the nozzle body (see figure 2), wherein the at least two liquid slots are at least five liquid slots that are configured to receive the pressurized liquid adhesive and discharge the liquid adhesive filaments (see figure 5), wherein the one of the one or more air slots of each of the first air shim plate and the second air shim plate are configured to direct the pressurized air to the liquid adhesive filaments that are discharged by the at least five liquid slots (paragraphs 0010-0011), and wherein each of the liquid slots is arranged between the one of the one or more air slots of each of the first air shim plate and the second air shim plate (see figures 2-8).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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) 4-6, 16-21, and 23-24 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Burmester in view of Vinnay (U.S. 2010/0224665).
With respect to claims 4-5 and 16-18 Burmester discloses each of the one or more air slots of the first air shim plate have a respective air outlet that defines a width, but fails to disclose that the width is anywhere from greater than 1mm, 1 mm to 10 mm, or 1 to 2.5mm, .
Vinny, paragraph 0090, discloses changing size (width) the pneumatic (air) orifice to vary the desired liquid spray configuration.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to utilize the air outlet to be greater than 1mm, 1-10mm, or 1-2.5mm in Burmester since doing so would have a desired spray configured of the filament, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed I the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. MPEP 2144.05(II-A). Changing the width to a desired width (such as 1mm) would result in a desired liquid spray configuration.
With respect to cla5. (Original) The nozzle of claim 4, wherein each width of the respective air outlet is anywhere from 1 mm to 2.5 mm.
With respect to claim 6 and 19-20, Burmester discloses each one of the at least two liquid slots has a respective liquid outlet that defines a width, but fails to disclose that the width is anywhere from .1 mm to 2mm or .1-1mm.
Vinny, paragraph 0090, discloses changing size (width) the liquid orifice to vary the desired liquid spray configuration, to increase the spray size the width can be increased.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to utilize the desired width of the liquid outlet between .1mm and .2mm or .1-1mm in Burmester since doing so would have a desired spray configured of the filament, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed I the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. MPEP 2144.05(II-A). Changing the width to a desired width (such as .1mm-.2mm or .1-1mm) would result in a desired liquid spray configuration.
With respect to claim 21, Burmester discloses the at least one liquid slot is a single liquid slot (see figure 2, taking only one slot) and the at least one liquid adhesive filament is a single adhesive filament, or wherein the one or more air slots are three or more air slots (see figures 2-3).
With respect to claim 123, Burmester discloses a second air shim plate (80), wherein the second air shim plate has one or more air slots that are configured to receive and direct pressurized air (figure 2), paragraph , wherein the one or more air slots of the second air shim plate are configured to direct the pressurized air along a second angle relative to the adhesive shim plate (as shown in figures 7 and 8), the first angle being different than the second angle so that the first and second air shim plates direct the pressurized air asymmetrically toward the adhesive filaments (as shown in figures 7 and 8), and wherein the adhesive shim plate is positioned between the first and second air shim plates (as shown in figure 2).
With respect to claim 24, Burmester discloses the first angle is 0° and the second angle is anywhere from 40° to 90° (see figure 8a, where there is no angle between 50 and 54, and 80 is shown between 40 and 90 degrees, paragraphs 0059).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOSEPH A GREENLUND whose telephone number is (571)272-0397. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am-5pm EST.
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/JOSEPH A GREENLUND/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3752
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