Appeal No. 2005-1175 Page 4
Application No. 09/727,465
(column 1, lines 35-38). The apparatus of Lewis includes a disposable delivery tube 14,
into which the material (chemical component(s)) is introduced, having an exit end 30
which passes through a spray assembly 16. An air line 17 provides air into the spray
assembly 16 via a tubular air manifold 18 to atomize the material to form a uniform
spray pattern 15. The delivery tube is threaded into the manifold 18 as follows:
A plurality of guide threads 51 are used to guide the delivery
tube 14 coaxially into position within the manifold 18. The
flats 52 of the threads 51 are formed to close tolerance to
hold the outer diameter of the delivery tube so that the tip 30
is precisely centered within the hole 45 in the air cap [26] as
shown in FIG. 3. The guide threads 51 guide the tube 14 as
it is inserted into the manifold 18 to center the tube properly.
A plurality of sharp threads 53, which are cutting threads, cut
into the tube to form close fitting relationship between the
manifold and the tube with the tip 30 being centered within
the opening 45 in the air cap 26. This unique arrangement
of threads in the manifold insures the precise positioning of
the exit end 30 of the delivery tube within the center of the
hole 45 in the air cap 26 [column 4, lines 40-54].
When the spray gun stops dispensing the mixed material, no material is left in
any of the passageways in the spray assembly 16, as the delivery tube 14 passes
through the spray assembly, with its exit end flush with the air cap 26 of the spray
assembly. The only material left is in the delivery tube 14, which is simply removed and
replaced, with no further cleaning of the spray assembly 16 being necessary.
As conceded by the examiner (answer, page 3), Lewis does not disclose the
flank angle, the thread diameter, thread height, root to crest clearance and flank
clearance ranges recited in claim 12. To make up for this deficiency, the examiner
takes the position that it would have been obvious to provide “the claimed ranges/values
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Last modified: November 3, 2007