Examiner notes that the prior Office Action dated 05/12/25is hereby vacated/withdrawn. A new Office Action is issued as follows:
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 .
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.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 1-13 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Parker (US 4692311) in view of CN 207715209 (hereinafter CN ‘209).
As regarding claim 1, Parker discloses the claimed invention for an oil separator, comprising: a tank (17) having a lower end, wherein the lower end is provided with an oil outlet (23) undetactably couple to the tank; an inlet pipe (31) coupled to the tank, wherein the inlet pipe has a centerline parallel to a horizontal direction; a gas outlet pipe (20) coupled to an upper end (90) of the tank, and at least a part of the gas outlet pipe extending into the tank (fig. 2).
Parker does not disclose a separation member arranged in the tank, wherein a gap is defined between the separation member and the tank, the separation member being provided with a plurality of separation holes at intervals.
CN ‘209 teaches a separation member (6) arranged in the tank, wherein a gap (61) is defined between the separation member and the tank, the separation member being provided with a plurality of separation holes (62) at intervals.
Both Parker and CN ‘209 are directed to cyclonic separator. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention was made to provide a separation member arranged in the tank, wherein a gap is defined between the separation member and the tank, the separation member being provided with a plurality of separation holes at intervals as taught by CN ‘209 in order to enhance oil separator performance.
Parker as modified discloses wherein the tank has an axial plane, wherein the axial plane is a plane passing through a central axis of the tank, the centerline of the inlet pipe is eccentrically arranged relative to the axial plane, and the inlet pipe is entirely located at a side of the axial plane (fig. 2), and wherein an inner wall of the tank (17) and an outer wall of the gas outlet pipe (20) define a cyclone separation channel, wherein the outer wall of the gas outlet pipe has an equal radius, the inner wall of the tank has an equal radius, and the oil outlet, the gas outlet pipe and the tank are arranged concentrically (fig. 2).
As regarding claim 2, Parker as modified discloses all of limitations as set forth above. Parker as modified discloses the claimed invention for wherein the separation member is arranged between the inlet pipe and a lower end of the gas outlet pipe along an axial direction of the tank (CN ‘209 - fig. 1).
As regarding claim 5, Parker as modified discloses all of limitations as set forth above. Parker as modified discloses the claimed invention for wherein an outer wall of the separation member is partially coupled to an inner wall of the tank; and along the axial direction of the tank, the lower end of the gas outlet pipe is higher than the inlet pipe (CN ‘209 - fig. 1).
As regarding claim 7, Parker as modified discloses all of limitations as set forth above. Parker as modified discloses the claimed invention for wherein the plurality of separation holes (CN ‘209 - 62) is defined in the separation member at a uniform interval (CN ‘209 - fig. 2).
As regarding claim 8, Parker as modified discloses all of limitations as set forth above. Parker as modified discloses the claimed invention for wherein an end of the inlet pipe coupled to the tank is located on an inner wall of the tank or located at an outer side of the inner wall of the tank, when viewed along an axial projection of the tank (fig. 2; CN ‘209 - fig. 1).
As regarding claim 9, Parker as modified discloses all of limitations as set forth above. Parker as modified discloses the claimed invention for wherein an inner wall of the inlet pipe is tangential (claim 10; CN ‘209 - abstract) to an inner wall of the tank.
As regarding claim 3, Parker as modified discloses all of limitations as set forth above. Parker as modified discloses the claimed invention except for wherein the separation member is sleeved over the gas outlet pipe; and along the axial direction of the tank, the lower end of the gas outlet pipe is lower than the inlet pipe, a separation channel is defined between the part of the gas outlet pipe extending into the tank and the tank, and the inlet pipe is in communication with the separation channel. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention was made to provide wherein the separation member is sleeved over the gas outlet pipe; and along the axial direction of the tank, the lower end of the gas outlet pipe is lower than the inlet pipe, a separation channel is defined between the part of the gas outlet pipe extending into the tank and the tank, and the inlet pipe is in communication with the separation channel in order to enhance oil separator performance, since it was known in the art as shown in CN 201748726 (hereinafter CN ‘726; fig. 2).
As regarding claim 4, Parker as modified discloses all of limitations as set forth above. Parker as modified discloses the claimed invention except for wherein a ratio of an axial distance between the inlet pipe and the gas outlet pipe to a radial size of the tank is greater than or equal to 0.5. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention was made to provide wherein a ratio of an axial distance between the inlet pipe and the gas outlet pipe to a radial size of the tank is greater than or equal to 0.5 in order to enhance oil separator performance, since it has been held that discovering an optimum value of a result effective variable involves only routine skill in the art. In re Boesch, 617 F.2d 272, 205 USPQ 215 (CCPA 1980).
As regarding claim 6, Parker as modified discloses all of limitations as set forth above. Parker as modified discloses the claimed invention except for wherein a ratio of an axial distance between the inlet pipe and the oil outlet to a radial size of the tank is greater than or equal to 0.2, and a ratio of an axial distance between the gas outlet pipe and the inlet pipe to the radial size of the tank is greater than or equal to 0.5. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention was made to provide wherein a ratio of an axial distance between the inlet pipe and the oil outlet to a radial size of the tank is greater than or equal to 0.2, and a ratio of an axial distance between the gas outlet pipe and the inlet pipe to the radial size of the tank is greater than or equal to 0.5 in order to enhance oil separator performance, since it has been held that discovering an optimum value of a result effective variable involves only routine skill in the art. In re Boesch, 617 F.2d 272, 205 USPQ 215 (CCPA 1980).
Claim 10 is likewise rejected for reasons analogous to those set forth for claim 1 above.
However, Parker as modified does not disclose an outdoor unit for an air conditioner, comprising: a compressor; and an oil separator, the oil separator being coupled downstream of the compressor. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention was made to provide an outdoor unit for an air conditioner, comprising: a compressor; and an oil separator, the oil separator being coupled downstream of the compressor in order to enhance oil separator performance, since it was known in the art as shown in CN 201748726 (hereinafter CN ‘726; abstract).
As regarding claim 11, Parker as modified discloses all of limitations as set forth above. Parker as modified discloses the claimed invention for wherein the oil separator does not comprise a filter screen (fig. 2).
As regarding claim 12, Parker as modified discloses all of limitations as set forth above. Parker as modified discloses the claimed invention for wherein the inner wall of the tank and the outer wall of the gas outlet pipe (84) restrict a flow direction of a mixture that is introduced into the oil separator to maintain a tangential velocity of the mixture within the tank (fig. 2; CN ‘209 - [0027]-[0028] and [0030]-[0031]).
As regarding claim 13, Parker as modified discloses all of limitations as set forth above. Parker as modified discloses the claimed invention for wherein the outer wall of the gas outlet pipe is configured as an arc-shaped face, and the inner wall of the tank is configured as an arc-shaped face (fig. 2; CN ‘209 - figs. 1-2).
As regarding claim 15, Parker as modified discloses all of limitations as set forth above. Parker as modified discloses the claimed invention for wherein the cyclone separation channel formed by the gas outlet pipe and the tank has a shape of an annular channel (fig. 2).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 10/27/25 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant’s remark argues that Parker and CN ‘209 (alone or in combination) fails to disclose or teach or suggest the oil outlet.
Examiner respectfully disagrees.
The limitations of “oil”, which pertains to the manner in which a material or article is worked upon. However, it is well established that neither the mode of operating a disclosed device nor the material or article being processed imposes further limit an apparatus claim.
In addition, fig. 2 of Parker clearly teaches that the oil outlet, gas outlet pipe, and tank are arranged concentrically, all sharing a common rotational axis.
Conclusion
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/DUNG H BUI/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1773