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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of group I, claims 1-9 in the reply filed on 12 May 2026 is acknowledged.
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) 1-6, and 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kuntzelman (10,011,082).
In re claim 1, Kuntzelman discloses a tire repair system (10) for inflating or repairing a tire, the tire repair system comprising:
a housing (9);
a compressor (15) positioned in the housing and configured to provide compressed air;
an aerosol canister (11) positioned in the housing and configured to provide a tire sealant;
a hose (14) configured to engage the tire and to deliver the tire sealant, the compressed air, or a mixture of the tire sealant and the compressed air to the tire; and
a valve assembly (18, 12, 25) fluidically coupled to the compressor, the aerosol canister, and the hose,
wherein the valve assembly comprises an actuator (18) configured to rotate relative to the housing about a central axis (axis parallel to main axis of aerosol canister 11, fig.1) between a first position and a second position, and a depressor component (peak of component 51) configured to depress an aerosol valve (13) stem of the aerosol canister when the valve assembly is positioned in the second position (col.3 ln.8-31).
In re claim 2, Kuntzelman discloses tire repair system of claim 1, wherein the actuator comprises a lever (bar extending across the body of element 18 best shown in fig.2) configured to be manually engaged by a user to rotate the actuator about the central axis between the first position and the second position.
In re claim 3, Kuntzelman discloses the tire repair system of claim 1, wherein the first position and the second are positioned 45 to 90 degrees apart about the central axis (fig.5 shows depressor component 51 only extends for at most 90 degrees from start to finish, therefore the first and second position are also within 90 degrees apart).
In re claim 4, Kuntzelman discloses the tire repair system of claim 1, wherein the valve assembly comprises a ramp assembly (ramp component of 51 leading to depressor peak) configured to move the depressor component relative to the actuator when the actuator rotates about the central axis between the first position and the second position.
In re claim 5, Kuntzelman discloses the tire repair system of claim 4, wherein the ramp assembly includes a first ramp positioned on the actuator engages a second ramp positioned on the depressor component (figs.1-2 and 5).
In re claim 6, Kuntzelman discloses the tire repair system of claim 5, wherein the first ramp engages the second ramp to slide the depressor component toward the aerosol valve stem when the actuator is rotated into the second position (figs.1-2 and 5).
In re claim 9, Kuntzelman discloses the tire repair system of claim 1, wherein the depressor component comprises one or more retention features that engage one or more corresponding retention features in the housing that restricts the depressor component to a linear movement along the central axis (portions shown in fig.1 which are inherently present in order for element 12 to work. Element 12 must be restricted from rotational movement so the cams work together to convert the rotational motion of actuator into linear movement).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 7-8 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: none of the prior art of record, alone or in combination, discloses or fairly suggests the subject matter of claim 7 as claimed.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Hsiao (2021/0003223), Ohm (9,242,416), Scott (4,765,367) disclose various aerosol valve stem actuators.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Timothy P. Kelly whose telephone number is (571)270-7615. The examiner can normally be reached from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (ET) on Monday, Thursday, and Friday.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Craig M Schneider can be reached at (571) 272-3607. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Timothy P. Kelly/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3753
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