3DETAILED 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 Objections
The following claims are objected to because of the following informalities:
A double inclusion limitation appears for the following term that has been cited previously: In claim 1, line 12, for "detected temperature".
In claim 9, the term “their” may not properly refer to the intended limitation.
Appropriate corrections are required.
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.
Claims 1-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Nakanishi (WO 2011058842 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Nakanishi discloses an apparatus for applying a liquid material to a plurality of parts (fig.1-11), said apparatus comprising: at least a first gun (80) through which the material can be applied to the parts (see fig.4); a reservoir (111) for holding the material, the reservoir being fluidically connected to the first gun (via 112); a pressure system (120) for providing a gas pressure acting on the material located in the reservoir (via 123), the pressure system comprising a pressure regulator by means of which the gas pressure acting on the material can be adjusted (via 124 and 128), and a pressure sensor (129) for detecting the gas pressure acting on the material; a temperature sensor (113) for detecting temperature of the material; a control unit (130) in which a material-specific function is stored which specifies a setpoint value for the gas pressure which depends on detected temperature of the material (see attached translation, page 9, ll.8-10; and page 8, ll.11-13).
Regarding claim 2, Nakanishi discloses the material-specific function outputs setpoint values which become smaller as the detected temperature of the material increases (see fig.7).
Regarding claim 3, Nakanishi discloses the function is a straight line (see fig.7).
Regarding claim 4, Nakanishi discloses the temperature sensor is arranged in the reservoir and detects the temperature of the material located in the reservoir (via 113, see fig.4).
Regarding claim 5, Nakanishi discloses the control unit determines a signal from a difference between the setpoint value and the detected gas pressure, and with the signal the pressure regulator can be actuated (page 12, ll.3-5).
Regarding claim 6, Nakanishi discloses at least one second gun (second gun 80, fig.4), wherein the reservoir for holding the material is fluidically connected to the second gun (see fig.4).
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.
Claims 7-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nakanishi (WO 2011058842 A1) in view of Ross (US 6,730,168).
Nakanishi is silent in disclosing the first gun and the second gun are connected to a gun carrier which is rotatably mounted about a main axis of rotation; the reservoir or at least a part of the reservoir is fixed and rotatably connected to the gun carrier; and the gun carrier is connected in a rotationally fixed manner to a rotary plate which comprises a first part carrier and a second part carrier, the first part carrier being assigned to the first gun and the second part carrier being assigned to the second gun, the first part carrier and the second part carrier each mounted rotatably about their own axis of rotation. However, Ross teaches the commonality of an apparatus for applying a liquid material that includes the first gun (34) and the second gun (the second one of 34) are connected to a gun carrier (28) which is rotatably mounted about a main axis of rotation (along 22); the reservoir (43) or at least a part of the reservoir is fixed and rotatably connected to the gun carrier (see arrow 43 in fig.3); and the gun carrier is connected in a rotationally fixed manner to a rotary plate (46) which comprises a first part carrier and a second part carrier (48), the first part carrier being assigned to the first gun and the second part carrier being assigned to the second gun (see first and second 34 in see fig.2), the first part carrier and the second part carrier each mounted rotatably about their own axis of rotation (see fig.2). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the application to add a gun carrier as taught by Ross to the plurality of the nozzles of Nakanishi, in order to provide a highly reliable sealant applicator (see Ross, col 1, ll.44-47).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 10-12 are 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.
State of the Prior Arts
Regarding claim 1, the prior arts to Nakanishi (WO 2011058842 A1), Ross (US 6,730,168), Gagliano (US 2008/0141702), Hirota (US 9,616,446), Doelman (WO 2008005564), Abelius (DE 102013112686 A1), Bacco (EP 2684615 A1), Courtney (EP 947900 A2), Ross (US 10,076,828), Giles (US 2012/0168532) and Cline (US 5,992,686) as cited in PTO-892, either individually or in combination are disclosing/teaching significant pertinent structures or features to the applicant’s claimed invention with regard to an apparatus for applying a liquid material to a plurality of parts having at least a first and second guns through which the material can be applied to the parts; a reservoir for holding the material, the reservoir being fluidically connected to the first gun; a pressure system for providing a gas pressure acting on the material located in the reservoir, the pressure system comprising a pressure regulator by means of which the gas pressure acting on the material can be adjusted, and a pressure sensor for detecting the gas pressure acting on the material; a temperature sensor for detecting temperature of the material; a control unit in which a material-specific function is stored which specifies a setpoint value for the gas pressure which depends on detected temperature of the material. It appears that claim 1 does not provide any inventive concept over the cited prior arts.
Conclusion
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/BOB ZADEH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3754
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