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 information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 06/26/2026. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner, except were struck through. Foreign reference RU 2677815 may or may not be considered by the examiner in prosecution as no English translation was provided.
Claim Objections
Applicant is advised that should claim 2 be found allowable, claim 7 will be objected to under 37 CFR 1.75 as being a substantial duplicate thereof. When two claims in an application are duplicates or else are so close in content that they both cover the same thing, despite a slight difference in wording, it is proper after allowing one claim to object to the other as being a substantial duplicate of the allowed claim. See MPEP § 608.01(m).
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 1-20 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.
Claims 1,12 recites the limitation "switch plenum" in line 13 and lines 18-19 respectively. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Claims 2-11,13-20 are dependent on claim 1,12 respectively and are therefore summarily rejected.
Claim 1,12 recites the limitation "control port" in line 12 and line. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 4 recites the limitation "quick exhaust valve" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
The limitations that have insufficient antecedent basis are being examined as can best be seen by the examiner from the specification and drawings.
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) 1,5-6,10,12,15-16,19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Harvey (US 20180142984).
Regarding claim 1, Harvey teaches an actuation assembly (Fig. 16, 100) configured to actuate a main valve assembly (Fig. 5A, 30) configured to selectively release compressed gas from a shot plenum (68) of the main valve assembly through an outlet of the main valve assembly (60/70; Paragraph 49), said actuation assembly comprising: a trigger configured to receive input from a user to selectively activate the actuation assembly (Fig. 1, 20); a body (Fig. 16, 104) configured to connect to the main valve assembly (Fig. 5A, 30), receive compressed gas from a bulk compressed gas supply (Fig. 1, 14; Paragraph. 45), and provide the received compressed gas to an inlet of a shot plenum (Fig. 5A, 68) of the main valve assembly; and an actuation valve (Fig. 16, 108) supported by the body (104) when the actuation assembly is assembled, wherein: the actuation valve (Fig. 16, 108) is configured to block the flow of bulk compressed gas from the bulk compressed gas supply (Fig. 1, 14) to the control port (Fig. 5B, 67) of the switch plenum (72) when the trigger (Fig. 1, 20) is activating the actuation assembly (Fig. 16, 100; Paragraphs 51,64); and the actuation valve (Fig. 16, 108) is configured to vent the control port (Fig. 5B, 67) of the switch plenum (72) of the main valve assembly to atmosphere when the trigger is activating the actuation assembly (Fig. 16, 100; Paragraphs 51,65). Regarding claims 2 and 7, Harvey teaches an actuation assembly (Fig. 16, 100) further comprises a quick exhaust valve (Fig. 6A, 46) configured to vent the switch plenum (Fig. 5A, 72) of the main valve assembly to atmosphere in response to the actuation valve venting the switch plenum of the main valve assembly to atmosphere (Paragraph 51).
Regarding claim 3, Harvey teaches the quick exhaust valve as previously shown and teaches the valve is supported by the body (104) when assembled (Fig. 16).
Regarding claim 5, Harvey teaches an actuation assembly further comprises an actuation rod (Fig. 15, 46), said actuation rod extending rearward from the trigger (20) to the actuation valve (Fig. 16, 108) and configured to move the actuation valve from a first position (Fig. 16) to a second position (Fig. 18) when the trigger is receiving input from the user to activate the actuation assembly (Paragraphs 51,60), wherein: in the first position (Fig. 16), the actuation valve (108) allows flow of compressed gas from the bulk compressed gas supply (Fig. 1, 14) to the control port (Fig. 5B, 67) of the switch plenum (Fig. 5A, 72) and to an inlet of the shot plenum (Fig. 5B, 68) of the main valve assembly (Paragraphs 45,50,61,62,66); and in the second position (Fig. 18), the actuation valve (108) blocks flow of compressed gas from the bulk compressed gas supply (Fig. 1, 14) to the control port (Fig. 5B, 67) of the switch plenum (Fig. 5A, 72) and vents control port of the switch plenum to atmosphere (Paragraphs 45,50,51,61,62,65,66).
Regarding claim 6, Harvey teaches an actuation valve (Fig. 16, 108) comprises a poppet valve configured to vent the control port (Fig. 5B, 67) to atmosphere when the trigger is receiving input from the user to activate the actuation assembly (Paragraphs 51,65,72).
Regarding claim 8, Harvey teaches the structure of the assembly (see rejection from claims 2 and 6). Harvey also teaches the quick exhaust valve and poppet valve are connected together inside the body (Fig. 16). The control port must be first vented so that the switch plenum can be vented (Paragraph 51).
Regarding claim 9, Harvey teaches the structure of the assembly (see rejections from claims 5,6 and 8). Harvey also teaches the actuation rod (Fig. 15, 46) moves the poppet valve (Fig. 5B, 67) when the trigger is moved from the first position (Fig. 16) to the second position (Fig. 18).
Regarding claim 10, Harvey teaches the actuation assembly as previously shown and shows an actuation valve (Fig. 16, 108) that is integral with the actuation rod (Fig. 15, 46) and the actuation valve is formed by a plurality of seals (Fig. 16, 124 and 126; Paragraphs 63,64) between the actuation rod and the body, a supply passage (Fig. 17, 130) in the body from the bulk compressed gas supply (Fig. 1, 14) to the actuation rod (Fig. 15, 46), a control port passage through the body from the actuation rod to the control port (Fig. 16, 48 and 116; Paragraph 61), and a vent passage from the actuation rod to atmosphere outside the body (Fig. 18, 129) such that in the first position of the actuation rod, the control port passage (Fig. 16, 48 and 116; Paragraph 61) is fluidly connected to the supply passage and the vent passage (Fig. 18, 129) is fluidly disconnected from the control port passage (Figs. 16 and 17, Paragraph 63), and in the second position of the actuation rod, the supply passage is blocked off and the control port passage is fluidly connected to the vent passage (Fig. 18; Paragraphs 64,65).
Regarding claim 11, Harvey teaches the structure of each individual part of the assembly (see rejection for claim 10). Harvey also teaches a quick exhaust valve (Fig. 6A, 46) is connected to the control port passage (Fig. 16, 48 and 116) and designed to vent the switch plenum (Paragraph 51,61).
Regarding claim 12, Harvey teaches an air gun (Fig. 1, 10) comprising: a barrel (12); a main valve assembly (Fig. 5A, 30) configured to selectively release compressed gas from a shot plenum (68) of the main valve assembly through an outlet of the main valve assembly (60/70; Paragraph 49); an actuation assembly (Fig. 16, 100; Paragraphs 51,64) configured to provide compressed gas from a compressed gas supply to the shot plenum (Fig. 5A, 68) of the main valve assembly (30) and selectively supply compressed gas from the bulk compressed gas supply (Fig. 1, 14) to a control port (Fig. 5B, 67) of the main valve assembly. The actuation assembly is the same as that of claim 1. The same rejection applies for this claim as previously shown for claim 1.
Regarding claims 13-20, Harvey teaches the action assembly as previously shown, as such the same rejections apply here.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Hague (US 8671928), Junkin (US 2634717), Wu (US 11187489), Lamboy (US 11519683).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LOGAN W CAUDLE whose telephone number is (571)270-0481. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. ET. Friday 8 a.m. - 12 p.m.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Troy Chambers can be reached at (571)-272-6874. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/L.W.C./Examiner, Art Unit 3641
/Troy Chambers/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3641
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