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 .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed in parent Application No. 18/006266, filed on January 20, 2023
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) dated January 20, 2023 have been received and considered.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they do not include the following reference sign mentioned in the description: face covering 220. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Objections
Claims 11-12 and 19-20 are objected to because of the following informalities:
“vibrations from the air supply” should read “vibrations from the air supply unit”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Interpretation
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(f):
(f) Element in Claim for a Combination. – An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
This application includes one or more claim limitations that do not use the word “means,” but are nonetheless being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, because the claim limitations use a generic placeholder that is coupled with functional language without reciting sufficient structure to perform the recited function and the generic placeholder is not preceded by a structural modifier. Such claim limitation is “an air supply unit arranged to deliver air” in Claim 1.
Because these claim limitations are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, they are being interpreted to cover the corresponding structure described in the specification as performing the claimed function, and equivalents thereof.
If applicant does not intend to have these limitations interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, applicant may: (1) amend the claim limitations to avoid them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph (e.g., by reciting sufficient structure to perform the claimed function); or (2) present a sufficient showing that the claim limitations recites sufficient structure to perform the claimed function so as to avoid them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101
35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
Section 33(a) of the America Invents Act reads as follows:
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no patent may issue on a claim directed to or encompassing a human organism.
Claims 1, 4, 6-7, and 16-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 and section 33(a) of the America Invents Act as being directed to or encompassing a human organism. See also Animals - Patentability, 1077 Off. Gaz. Pat. Office 24 (April 21, 1987) (indicating that human organisms are excluded from the scope of patentable subject matter under 35 U.S.C. 101).
Claim 1 recites “a face covering from within which the user breathes”
Claim 4 recites “passing over the user’s head in headgear”
Claims 6 and 16 recite “from the rear of the user’s head toward the front of the user’s head”
Claims 7 and 17 recite “angled towards the user’s head”
In all of the above listed instances, the user and/or the user’s head appears to be claimed as a part of the limitations of the overall claims. Any remaining claims are rejected as being dependent on a rejected base claim.
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.
Claims 1-9 and 13-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Walker et al. (WO 2008118770 A1, hereinafter “Walker”), in view of Park (US 20070125237 A1).
Regarding Claim 1, Walker discloses: A respirator (Paragraph 0052, A respirator assembly 10 is illustrated in FIG. 1) comprising:
an air supply unit (Annotated Figure 1, air supply 42) arranged to deliver air at its output (Paragraph 0055, The air flows from the supply 42 through hose 40 and into the air inlet conduit 26 of the manifold 20. The air then flows through the air distribution chamber 30 of the air delivery conduit 27 and into each of the air delivery conduits 28);
headgear comprising a cradle for interfacing with a user's head (Paragraph 0052, The respirator assembly 10 further includes a head harness 14 that is adjustable in one or more dimensions so that it may be sized to conform to a head 16 of a user 18),
and a face covering from within which the user breathes (Paragraph 0055, The hood 12 includes a visor 36 disposed on a front side thereof through which a user 18 can see);
a tube (Annotated Figure 1, air hose 40) to receive air from the air supply unit (Paragraph 0055, The air inlet conduit 26 of the manifold 20 extends through the air inlet opening 38 and is in fluid communication with a supply of breathable air via an air hose 40 attached to the air inlet conduit 26);
and an interface component (Annotated Figure 1, manifold 20), (Paragraph 0051, Manifold means an air flow plenum having an air inlet and having one or discrete air conduits in communication with the air inlet, with each air conduit having at least one air outlet) to receive air from the tube and to deliver said air within the face covering (Paragraph 0055, The air flows from the supply 42 through hose 40 and into the air inlet conduit 26 of the manifold 20. The air then flows through the air distribution chamber 30 of the air delivery conduit 27 and into each of the air delivery conduits 28. Air flows out of each conduit 28 from its air outlet 32 and into a breathable air zone 44 defined by the hood 12 about the head 16 of the user 18), (Paragraph 0055, the air inlet conduit 26 of the manifold 20 extends through the air inlet opening 38 and is in fluid communication with a supply of breathable air via an air hose 40 attached to the air inlet conduit 26 (that attachment being, as shown in the embodiment of FIG. 1, outside of the hood 12)),
wherein the interface component provides a frame for supporting the face covering (Paragraph 0053, The respirator assembly 10 further comprises a shape stable air manifold 20. The manifold 20 is removably supported by the harness 14 at a plurality of points such as attachment points 22 and 24 in FIG. 1), ,
and comprises an overhead branch (Annotated Figure 1, air delivery conduit 28) and a forehead branch (Annotated Figure 1), (Paragraph 0054, The air delivery conduit 27 and its air distribution chamber 30 are also disposed adjacent the back of the user's head 16, and as the air delivery conduits 28 extend forwardly therefrom, they curve and split to provide separate conduits for the flow of air therethrough. Each air delivery conduit 28 has an air outlet 32 (e.g., air outlet 32a of air delivery conduit 28a and air outlet 32b of air delivery conduit 28b). In one embodiment, each air outlet is adjacent a facial area 34 of the head 16 of the user 18), (Paragraph 55, an interior portion of the visor 36 (or an interior portion of the hood) is releasably affixed to a tab portion 37 of the harness 14, on each side of the user's facial area 34),
wherein the overhead branch comprises one or more bleed holes (Figure 17, Paragraph 0092, In one exemplary arrangement, as illustrated, the openings 354 may be disposed in a grill format, although the openings may be of any size and number and configuration),
wherein the one or more bleed holes are angled through the overhead branch so that the airflow therethrough makes an acute angle to the direction of airflow in the overhead branch (Paragraph 0092, as shown in FIG. 17, one or more openings 354 may be provided on a lower portion of the manifold, facing a user's head […] The openings 354 are aligned so that as air is allowed to flow out of the air distribution chamber 330 through the openings 354, the air flows toward the head of the user and within the shell defined by the hood)
PNG
media_image1.png
669
730
media_image1.png
Greyscale
[Walter, Annotated Figure 1]
Walter does not explicitly disclose circular bleed holes, however, Walter does teach that the openings 354 may be of any size or configuration. It would be an obvious modification to adjust the shape of the bleed holes, as it is a common feature that is known in the art of gas helmets and hoods. Likewise, Walter teaches the bleed holes angled through the overhead branch so airflow therethrough makes an acute angle, but does not explicitly disclose that vibrations from the air supply and tube are reduced. However, the positioning of the bleed holes and the overall structure disclosed by Walter is structurally similar to the Drawings of the present disclosure, and thus would be capable of achieving a similar functionality of reducing vibration in the apparatus.
If the Applicant is not convinced, Park also discloses: wherein the one or more circular bleed holes are angled through the overhead branch so that the airflow therethrough makes an acute angle to the direction of airflow in the overhead branch (Paragraph 0043, the air outlet holes 121 are formed along the circumference of the lower unit 120 at regular intervals. Preferably, the air outlet holes 121 are formed on the outer circumference of the lower unit 120 at angular intervals from 30 degrees to 45 degrees) such that in use vibrations from the air supply and tube are reduced (Paragraph 0044, Due to such an arrangement, air fed into the space 130 collides with inner walls of the upper and lower units 110 and 120, so that the flow rate is reduced, and thereby the air is evenly discharged through the air outlet holes 121 arranged along the curved surface of the upper unit 110. Thus, a worker can smoothly respire fresh air with little noise),
Park also discloses the benefits of incorporating vibration reducing elements into the overall system (Paragraph 0006, However, the protective hood is configured to be sealed, so that loud noise may be generated in the protective hood due to pressure of air fed into the protective hood. Thereby, a worker has a difficulty in working, and in addition, work efficiency is reduced)
Thus, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date to incorporate the noise reducing teachings of Park’s protective hood with the powered respiratory apparatus taught by Walter, so as to limit any distracting, loud vibrations travelling through the air delivery conduits.
Regarding Claim 2, Walker in view of Park discloses all of the limitations of Claim 1. Walker further discloses: wherein the interface component is releasably mounted to one, two or three of:
the cradle (Paragraph 0053, The manifold 20 is removably supported by the harness 14 at a plurality of points such as attachment points 22 and 24 in FIG. 1. The harness 14 and manifold 20 are secured together by suitable mechanical fasteners, such as detents, clips, snaps, or two part mechanical fasteners (e.g., hook and loop fasteners). In one embodiment, the harness 14 and manifold 20 are separable via such fasteners);
the tube (Paragraph 0055, The air inlet conduit 26 of the manifold 20 extends through the air inlet opening 38 and is in fluid communication with a supply of breathable air via an air hose 40 attached to the air inlet conduit 26 (that attachment being, as shown in the embodiment of FIG. 1, outside of the hood 12));
and the face covering (Paragraph 0058, . In each instance, the lock ring 46 is removable, thereby allowing the hood 12 to be removable with respect to the manifold 20 (and harness 14 attached thereto). Thus, the hood 12 may be considered a disposable portion of the respirator assembly 10).
Regarding Claim 3, Walker in view of Park discloses all of the limitations of Claim 1. Walker further discloses: wherein the cradle comprises an adjuster that cooperates with a cradle-engaging fastening of the interface component to mount the interface component to the cradle (Paragraph 0053, The manifold 20 is removably supported by the harness 14 at a plurality of points such as attachment points 22 and 24 in FIG. 1. The harness 14 and manifold 20 are secured together by suitable mechanical fasteners, such as detents, clips, snaps, or two part mechanical fasteners (e.g., hook and loop fasteners). In one embodiment, the harness 14 and manifold 20 are separable via such fasteners).
Regarding Claim 4, Walker in view of Park discloses all of the limitations of Claim 1. Walker further discloses: wherein the overhead branch comprises an internal conduit (Paragraph 0051, Manifold means an air flow plenum having an air inlet and having one or discrete air conduits in communication with the air inlet, with each air conduit having at least one air outlet), to receive air from the tube at the rear the user's head and to deliver said air to the front of the user's head, passing over the user's head in the headgear (Paragraph 0055, The air flows from the supply 42 through hose 40 and into the air inlet conduit 26 of the manifold 20. The air then flows through the air distribution chamber 30 of the air delivery conduit 27 and into each of the air delivery conduits 28. Air flows out of each conduit 28 from its air outlet 32 and into a breathable air zone 44 defined by the hood 12 about the head 16 of the user 18. Breathable air is thus delivered by the manifold 20 to the user's facial area 34 for inhalation purposes).
Regarding Claim 5, Walker in view of Park discloses all of the limitations of Claim 4. Walker further discloses: wherein said one or more circular bleed holes are located towards the rear thereof or centre thereof (Paragraph 0092, air outlets for the air may be provided at other locations along the manifold 320. For instance, as shown in FIG. 17, one or more openings 354 may be provided on a lower portion of the manifold, facing a user's head. FIG. 17 illustrates a first set of a plurality of openings 354 through a wall of the manifold in the intermediate air delivery conduit 329 that defines the air distribution chamber 330. In one exemplary arrangement, as illustrated, the openings 354 may be disposed in a grill format, although the openings may be of any size and number and configuration. The openings 354 are aligned so that as air is allowed to flow out of the air distribution chamber 330 through the openings 354, the air flows toward the head of the user and within the shell defined by the hood).
Regarding Claim 6, Walker in view of Park discloses all of the limitations of Claim 4. Walker further discloses: wherein the one or more circular bleed holes are provided on a portion of the overhead branch (Paragraph 0092, For instance, as shown in FIG. 17, one or more openings 354 may be provided on a lower portion of the manifold, facing a user's head. FIG. 17 illustrates a first set of a plurality of openings 354 through a wall of the manifold in the intermediate air delivery conduit 329 that defines the air distribution chamber 330) with internal cross-section that narrows from the rear of the user's head toward the front of the user's head (Figures 18-19)
Regarding Claim 7, Walker in view of Park discloses all of the limitations of Claim 1. Walker further discloses: wherein the one or more circular bleed holes are angled towards the user's head (Paragraph 0092, The openings 354 are aligned so that as air is allowed to flow out of the air distribution chamber 330 through the openings 354, the air flows toward the head of the user and within the shell defined by the hood).
Regarding Claim 8, Walker in view of Park discloses all of the limitations of Claim 1. Park further discloses: wherein the acute angle is in the range of from 40 to 80 degrees (Paragraph 0043, the air outlet holes 121 are formed along the circumference of the lower unit 120 at regular intervals. Preferably, the air outlet holes 121 are formed on the outer circumference of the lower unit 120 at angular intervals from 30 degrees to 45 degrees).
Regarding Claim 9, Walker in view of Park discloses all of the limitations of Claim 1. Walker further discloses: wherein the forehead branch comprises a vent arranged to deliver airflow over the face of the user in a generally downward direction (Paragraph 0054, Each air delivery conduit 28 has an air outlet 32 (e.g., air outlet 32a of air delivery conduit 28a and air outlet 32b of air delivery conduit 28b). In one embodiment, each air outlet is adjacent a facial area 34 of the head 16 of the user 18. While only two air delivery conduits 28 are illustrated on the manifold 20 in FIGS. 1 and 2, it is understood that any number (e.g., one, two, three, etc.) of such conduits may be provided. Further, in some embodiments, a manifold may have one or more outlets of respective air delivery conduits adjacent a user's forehead and one or more outlets of respective air delivery conduits adjacent a user's nose and mouth), from in front and above the face of the user, (Figure 26, Paragraph 0104, In this instance, the air delivery conduit 427 extends forwardly over a central portion of the user's head and has an air outlet 429 above the user's facial area)
Regarding Claim 13, Walker in view of Park discloses all of the limitations of Claim 1. Walker further discloses: wherein the interface component is releasably mounted to the cradle (Paragraph 0053, The manifold 20 is removably supported by the harness 14 at a plurality of points such as attachment points 22 and 24 in FIG. 1. The harness 14 and manifold 20 are secured together by suitable mechanical fasteners, such as detents, clips, snaps, or two part mechanical fasteners (e.g., hook and loop fasteners). In one embodiment, the harness 14 and manifold 20 are separable via such fasteners).
Regarding Claim 14, Walker in view of Park discloses all of the limitations of Claim 1. Walker further discloses: wherein the interface component is releasably mounted to the tube (Paragraph 0055, The air inlet conduit 26 of the manifold 20 extends through the air inlet opening 38 and is in fluid communication with a supply of breathable air via an air hose 40 attached to the air inlet conduit 26 (that attachment being, as shown in the embodiment of FIG. 1, outside of the hood 12));
Regarding Claim 15, Walker in view of Park discloses all of the limitations of Claim 1. Walker further discloses: the interface component is releasably mounted to the face covering (Paragraph 0058, . In each instance, the lock ring 46 is removable, thereby allowing the hood 12 to be removable with respect to the manifold 20 (and harness 14 attached thereto). Thus, the hood 12 may be considered a disposable portion of the respirator assembly 10). .
Regarding Claim 16, Walker in view of Park discloses all of the limitations of Claim 1. Walker further discloses: wherein the one or more circular bleed holes are provided on a portion of the overhead branch (Paragraph 0092, For instance, as shown in FIG. 17, one or more openings 354 may be provided on a lower portion of the manifold, facing a user's head. FIG. 17 illustrates a first set of a plurality of openings 354 through a wall of the manifold in the intermediate air delivery conduit 329 that defines the air distribution chamber 330) with internal cross-section that narrows from the rear of the user's head toward the front of the user's head (Figures 18-19)
Regarding Claim 17, Walker in view of Park discloses all of the limitations of Claim 1. Park further discloses: wherein the one or more circular bleed holes are angled towards the user's head, and the acute angle is in the range of from 40 to 80 degrees (Paragraph 0043, the air outlet holes 121 are formed along the circumference of the lower unit 120 at regular intervals. Preferably, the air outlet holes 121 are formed on the outer circumference of the lower unit 120 at angular intervals from 30 degrees to 45 degrees)
Regarding Claim 18, Walker in view of Park discloses all of the limitations of Claim 1. Walker further discloses: wherein the forehead branch comprises a vent arranged to deliver airflow (Paragraph 0054, Each air delivery conduit 28 has an air outlet 32 (e.g., air outlet 32a of air delivery conduit 28a and air outlet 32b of air delivery conduit 28b). In one embodiment, each air outlet is adjacent a facial area 34 of the head 16 of the user 18. While only two air delivery conduits 28 are illustrated on the manifold 20 in FIGS. 1 and 2, it is understood that any number (e.g., one, two, three, etc.) of such conduits may be provided. Further, in some embodiments, a manifold may have one or more outlets of respective air delivery conduits adjacent a user's forehead and one or more outlets of respective air delivery conduits adjacent a user's nose and mouth), from in front and above the face of the user (Figure 26, Paragraph 0104, In this instance, the air delivery conduit 427 extends forwardly over a central portion of the user's head and has an air outlet 429 above the user's facial area)
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Walker et al. (WO 2008118770 A1, hereinafter “Walker”), in view of Park (US 20070125237 A1), further in view of Wood (US 3724172 A).
Regarding Claim 10, Walker in view of Park discloses all of the limitations of Claim 1. Walker further discloses the bleed holes being of variable sizes (Paragraph 0092, In one exemplary arrangement, as illustrated, the openings 354 may be disposed in a grill format, although the openings may be of any size and number and configuration). However, Walker does not provide a specific range of values regarding the dimensions of the bleed holes
Wood does disclose wherein the one or more circular bleed holes have an effective cross-sectional dimension of 1mm to 10mm (Column 4, lines 56-64, Good results have been obtained by utilizing ¼ inch diameter jet openings 18 spaced 1 inch on center in side port 17 with the top 25 percent of the holes blocked off. Further, the jet openings 19, supplying horizontal slot 15 are one-fourth inch in diameter located one-half on centers with every third opening closed)
Both Walker and Wood disclose devices within the art of air purification and filtration. It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date to incorporate the specific dimensions of the openings taught by Wood with the broadly described openings taught by Walker. Furthermore, it would have been obvious to test and incorporate different ranges of cross-sectional values through routine experimentation.
Claims 11 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Walker et al. (WO 2008118770 A1, hereinafter “Walker”), in view of Park (US 20070125237 A1), further in view of Barlow et al. (US 9132252 B2, hereinafter “Barlow”).
Regarding Claim 11 and 19, Walker in view of Park discloses all of the limitations of Claims 1 and 18, respectively.
Park further discloses a silencer to reduce vibrations and noise (Figure 6, Paragraph 0024, a silencer for an airline hood is installed in a protective hood, so that air fed into the protective hood collides with an inner wall of the space and thereby is reduced in its speed, prior to discharging the air through the air outlet holes to the outside of the space, thus minimizing noise due to the air, therefore allowing a worker to efficiently work while the worker having the protective hood on), (Paragraph 0038, When air is fed from the airline 20 through the air inlet port 111 into the upper unit 110, the air collides with the curved upper unit 110, thus allowing the air to smoothly flow, and minimizing noise due to friction between the air and the upper unit), but does not explicitly teach a vibration decoupler, provided between the air supply unit and the head gear
Barlow does disclose: comprising a vibration decoupler, provided between the air supply unit and the head gear (Column 29, lines 24-30, In certain embodiments, the blower and the motor are decoupled, or substantially decoupled, from the headgear and patient's head. The better the decoupling, the better the reduction of transmitted vibrational noise carried by the patient's skull or the headgear. Various forms of suspending the blower or the motor may be effective in achieving at least a portion of decoupling), such that in use vibrations from the air supply and tube are reduced (Column 20, lines 51-65, ) FIGS. 78-80 illustrate alternative examples of a blower including a dampening structure (e.g., constructed of a vibration dampening material such as silicone, gel, TPE, rubber, etc.) adapted to dampen vibration transmission from the motor to the outer casing or housing. The support structure within the blower may also include combinations of vibration damping materials. As illustrated, each blower 50 includes an outer casing or housing 155, a stator component 156 positioned within and supported by the outer casing, and a motor 157 positioned within the stator component and adapted to drive an impeller 158. The stator component 156 includes first and second parts 156(1), 156(2) coupled to one another by an O-ring 156(3), which decouples the first and second parts to dampen vibrations from the first part to the second part)
Park disclosed similar advantages of noise reduction in the apparatus for increasing worker efficiency (Paragraph 0024, a silencer for an airline hood […] minimizing noise due to the air, therefore allowing a worker to efficiently work while the worker having the protective hood on).
Both Barlow and Walker in view of Park disclose powered respirators that supply breathable gas to a patient through a wearable interface. It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date to incorporate the teachings of Barlow’s vibration and noise reducing elements (Column 1, lines 46-50, Certain embodiments relate to CPAP systems, methods of use and devices structured to at least reduce size and bulk, reduce vibrations, reduce generated noise or combinations thereof) with respiratory interface taught by Walker and Park to provide a more comfortable user experience.
Claims 12 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Walker et al. (WO 2008118770 A1, hereinafter “Walker”), in view of Park (US 20070125237 A1), further in view of Martinson et al. (WO 2016196462 A1, hereinafter “Martinson”)
Regarding Claim 12 and Claim 20, Walker in view of Park discloses all of the limitations of Claims 1 and 18, respectively.
Park further discloses a silencer to reduce vibrations and noise (Figure 6, Paragraph 0024, a silencer for an airline hood is installed in a protective hood, so that air fed into the protective hood collides with an inner wall of the space and thereby is reduced in its speed, prior to discharging the air through the air outlet holes to the outside of the space, thus minimizing noise due to the air, therefore allowing a worker to efficiently work while the worker having the protective hood on), (Paragraph 0038, When air is fed from the airline 20 through the air inlet port 111 into the upper unit 110, the air collides with the curved upper unit 110, thus allowing the air to smoothly flow, and minimizing noise due to friction between the air and the upper unit), but does not explicitly teach a vibration decoupler, provided between the air supply unit and the interface component
Martinson does disclose comprising a vibration decoupler (Paragraph 0018, The present description provides an air delivery plenum of a respiratory protection device that reduces noise transmitted to the mask and/or headtop worn by a user. The plenum includes one or more subsections providing one or more noise reducing chambers, such as an expansion chamber or resonance chamber, and results in less noise perceived by a user. A plenum as described herein may provide an improved user experience by reducing perception of noise and/or minimizing noise associated fatigue), provided between the air supply unit and the interface component, such that in use vibrations from the air supply and tube are reduced, (Paragraph 0048, A respiratory protection device including an air delivery plenum as described herein provides several unique features and advantages. Such air delivery plenums provide a reduction in noise that may be generated by a blower or other system component and/or otherwise perceived by a user. Desirable noise reduction may be attained with minimal pressure drop caused by the plenum. In this way, sound attenuation may be achieved without any substantial increase in power consumption or effect on airflow performance), (Paragraph 0044, Air delivery plenum 151 may be lined with or include additional sound attenuating materials. In an exemplary embodiment, second plenum subsection includes a sound attenuating material that dampens sound waves and/or controls flow of air through air delivery plenum 151)
Park disclosed similar advantages of noise reduction in the apparatus for increasing worker efficiency (Paragraph 0024, a silencer for an airline hood […] minimizing noise due to the air, therefore allowing a worker to efficiently work while the worker having the protective hood on).
Both Martinson and Walker in view of Park disclose powered respirators that supply breathable gas to a patient through a wearable interface. It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date to incorporate the teachings of Martinson’s noise reducing plenum structure with respiratory interface taught by Walker and Park to provide a more comfortable user experience.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Haaf (DE 102017129469 A1) discloses a portable air purifier with vibration decoupling elements
EMB Papst (DE 202019101502 U1) discloses an adaptable air purification device with vibration decoupling elements
Becker et al. (US 9038199 B2) discloses a welding helmet adapted to include a positive air pressure system for ventilation
Hamada (WO 2014031671 A1) discloses a respirator assembly with head supports and mandibular passage components
Zamuruyev (US 20210378323 A1) discloses a personal protective respiratory apparatus
Lee et al. (US 20040216736 A1) discloses a respirator hood with air ducts and chambers
Pavalarajan et al. (US 20180084848 A1) discloses a surgical helmet assembly with ventilation channels
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MISHAL ZAHRA HUSSAIN whose telephone number is (703)756-1206. The examiner can normally be reached M-F, 8:30am - 5:00pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Brandy S. Lee can be reached at (571) 270-7410. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/MISHAL ZAHRA HUSSAIN/
Examiner
Art Unit 3785
/BRANDY S LEE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3785