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 .
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, 3-5, 7-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Zerbarini (US 20170118912 A1).
Regarding Claim 1, Zerbarini discloses a cross-flow fan apparatus comprising:
a cross-flow blade assembly (rotary mower blade assembly 110) having:
a plurality of blades (blades 112), each of the plurality of blades comprising:
a cutting edge (paragraph 0045) disposed on a leading edge of the blades, the blade having a leading face and a trailing face, wherein, in a plane orthogonal to an axis of rotation of the cross-flow blade assembly and at a representative mid-radius of the blade, the leading face forms a front angle between 26 and 33 with a tangential direction of rotation and the trailing face forms a rear angle between 85 and 95 with the tangential direction of rotation (see fig. 16, paragraph 0064: Referring to FIG. 16, for optimal flow and efficiency conventional theory recommends that the blade angles range from β1=60 to 90 degrees with 90 degrees optimal and β2=20 to 40 degrees with 26 degrees optimal. Whereby the angle β2 is defined as the blade leading edge angle and the angle β1 is defined as the blade trailing edge angle as shown in the figure herein); and
an airfoil cross-section (paragraphs 0045, 48); and
at least two rotors (114) configured to maintain the plurality of blades (112) in a fixed position and orientation relative to each other (paragraph 0045); and
a housing (mower housing 200) defining a blade assembly chamber, the blade assembly chamber comprising a curved rear surface (216) disposed to reduce turbulence in an airflow (paragraph 0046), the curved rear surface defining an inlet portion (intake opening 402) disposed in a forward surface of the housing and an outlet portion (exhaust opening 404), wherein the blade assembly chamber is closed along a bottom surface proximal to a ground surface (see fig. 6-7, 216 closes 200 proximate the ground), and directs the airflow from the inlet portion (402) to the outlet portion (404),
wherein the blades (112) in the plurality of blades are spaced apart to allow material cut by the cutting edge to pass through via an airflow defined by the airfoil cross-section of the blades (paragraphs 0045, 48).
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Regarding Claim 3, Zerbarini discloses the cross-flow fan apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a chute disposed at the outlet portion (404) configured to direct the material cut by the cutting edge.
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Regarding Claim 4, Zerbarini discloses the cross-flow fan apparatus of Claim 3, further comprising a storage element (a bag, paragraph 0046) disposed at a terminus of the chute to receive the material cut by the cutting edge.
Regarding Claim 5, Zerbarini discloses a lawn debris clearing apparatus comprising:
a cross-flow blade assembly (rotary mower blade assembly 110) having:
a plurality of blades (112), each of the plurality of blades comprising:
a cutting edge (paragraph 0045) disposed on a leading edge of the blades, the blade having a leading face and a trailing face, wherein, in a plane orthogonal to an axis of rotation of the cross-flow blade assembly and at a representative mid-radius of the blade, the leading face forms a front angle between 26 and 33 with a tangential direction of rotation and the trailing face forms a rear angle between 85 and 95 with the tangential direction of rotation (see fig. 16, paragraph 0064: Referring to FIG. 16, for optimal flow and efficiency conventional theory recommends that the blade angles range from β1=60 to 90 degrees with 90 degrees optimal and β2=20 to 40 degrees with 26 degrees optimal. Whereby the angle β2 is defined as the blade leading edge angle and the angle β1 is defined as the blade trailing edge angle as shown in the figure herein); and
an airfoil cross-section (paragraphs 0045, 48); and
at least two rotors (114) configured to maintain the plurality of blades (112) in a fixed position and orientation relative to each other (paragraph 0045); and
a housing (200) defining a blade assembly chamber, the blade assembly chamber comprising a curved rear surface (216) disposed to reduce turbulence in an airflow, the curved rear surface defining an inlet portion (402) disposed in a forward surface of the housing and an outlet portion (404), wherein the blade assembly chamber is closed along a bottom surface proximal to a ground surface (see fig. 6-7, 216 closes 200 proximate the ground), and directs the airflow from the inlet portion (402) to the outlet portion (404),
wherein the blades (112) in the plurality of blades are spaced apart to allow yard waste cut by the cutting edge to pass through via an airflow defined by the airfoil cross-section of the blades (paragraphs 0045, 48).
Regarding Claim 7, Zerbarini discloses the lawn debris clearing apparatus of Claim 5, further comprising a chute (see fig. 7) disposed at the outlet portion (404) configured to direct the yard waste cut by the cutting edge.
Regarding Claim 8, Zerbarini discloses the lawn debris clearing apparatus of Claim 7, further comprising a yard waste bag support platform (not numbered, shown in fig. 8), wherein: the chute is disposed to direct the yard waste cut by the cutting edge into an opening of a yard waste bag on the yard waste bag platform; and the support platform is disposed and configured to retain the yard waste bag in a substantially upright orientation during normal usage (see fig. 8, mower 600 carries a bag that is held substantially upright behind an operator seat 108).
Regarding Claim 9, Zerbarini discloses the lawn debris clearing apparatus of Claim 7, wherein the chute comprises a substantially constant cross-section to retain an airflow rate of the airflow (see fig. 6-7).
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.
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zerbarini (US 20170118912 A1) in view of Langford (US 4969320 A).
Regarding Claim 10, Zerbarini discloses the lawn debris clearing apparatus of Claim 7.
Zerbarini does not disclose further a top assembly disposed on a terminus of the chute to further direct yard waste cut by the cutting edge into opening of a yard waste bag on the yard waste bag platform.
In the same field of endeavor, Langford discloses a lawn mower having a top assembly (hood 20) disposed between a chute (18) and a collection bag (44) so that grass is evenly distributed (col. 1 lines 27-29).
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide Zerbarini with a top assembly, as disclosed by Langford, so that grass is evenly distributed (col. 1 lines 27-29).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 8/19/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
The remarks argue that Zerbarini (US 20170118912 A1) does not disclose “a cross-flow fan apparatus configured for yard debris clearing with the blade angles specified.” Claims 1 and 5 require blade angles: a front angle between 26 degrees and 33 degrees, and a rear angle between 85 degrees and 95 degrees. Paragraph 0064 of Zerbarini states that the front angle is 20-40 degrees with 26 degrees being optimal, and the rear angle is 60-90 degrees with 90 degrees being optimal. Applicant has not explained how 26 degrees, the optimal angle of the front angle in the prior art, does not fall between 23-33 degrees as required by the claim, or how 90 degrees, the optimal angle of the rear angle of the prior art, does not fall between 85-95 degrees as required by the claim. The column and line numbers cited in the remarks do not appear to align with the prior art, which contains page and paragraph numbers, and does not provide column and line numbers.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MADELINE RUNCO whose telephone number is (469)295-9123. The examiner can normally be reached 8-4:30 M-F.
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/M.I.R./ Examiner, Art Unit 3671
/JOSEPH M ROCCA/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3671