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 § 103
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 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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 1-4, and 7-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sykula et al. (US 2020/0398795), in view of Dubey et al. (US 2020/0094783), and further in view of Rachow et al. (WO 2022/219590).
Regarding claim 1, discloses a sensor assembly, comprising: a housing defining a chamber (30, 48); a blower disposed in the chamber and the blower being positioned to direct air in a flow direction (80; paragraphs 22, 40); a sensor disposed in the chamber and having a lens, the sensor being spaced from the blower (34, 40, 42; paragraphs 39, 42; Figure 4: 84); an air nozzle aimed to direct air across the lens (36); and a duct disposed in the chamber and being coupled to the blower and the air nozzle (84; paragraphs 39, 42).
Sykula does not expressly disclose the housing defining an air inlet, the blower in fluid communication with the air inlet.
Dubey discloses an imaging system (12) for a vehicle (10) having a housing (18) with at least one inlet (30) in fluid communication with a blower (48) for moving air toward outlet (50) onto covers of the sensors (paragraph 43).
Because it is known in the art to have an inlet and blower as claimed, and the results of the modification would be predictable, namely, providing a source of air for the blower, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the housing defining an air inlet, the blower in fluid communication with the air inlet.
Sykula does not expressly disclose the duct extending from the blower in a departure direction oblique to the flow direction. Rather, Sykula discloses air supply lines (84) are provided between the air source/blower (80) and first/second nozzles (36/38).
Rachow discloses a camera nozzle assembly for cleaning a camera lens, including an embodiment (Figure 9) wherein a blower (unlabeled) and blower bracket mount (970) are attached to air conduit(s) (980; paragraph 32). The figure shows embodiments with plural air conduits (980) connected to the blower bracket mount (970) and extended from oblique surfaces of the mount at oblique angles to provide air to plural camera nozzle assemblies (paragraph 32).
Because it is known in the art to have the claimed duct arrangement, and the results of the modification would be predictable, namely, effectively providing air to plural sensors, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to have the duct extending from the blower in a departure direction oblique to the flow direction.
Claims 2-4, and 7-20 are considered to be met by the combination of Sykula, in view of Dubey, and further in view of Rachow, as applied above, and which results in: further comprising a fluid nozzle aimed to direct fluid across the lens (Sykula: Figure 3: 76; paragraph 38); wherein the fluid nozzle is circumferentially spaced from the air nozzle about the lens (Sykula: Figure 3: 36, 76); wherein the fluid nozzle is oblique to the air nozzle (Sykula: Figures 2, 3, 5: 36, 76; paragraph 38); wherein the air nozzle is shaped to discharge air in a flat-fan pattern (Sykula: paragraph 44); wherein the duct extends transverse to the flow direction at the nozzle (Sykula: Figures 3, 5: see duct and direction of flow at 36; Rachow: see outlet of blower to 970 and direction of outlets of conduits 980); a second sensor disposed in the chamber and having a second lens, the second sensor being spaced from the sensor and the blower (Sykula: paragraphs 26-30; Figures 1, 2, 5: 34, 40); a second air nozzle aimed to direct air across the second lens (Sykula: 36); and a second duct disposed in the chamber and extending from the blower to the second air nozzle, the second duct being coupled to the blower and the second air nozzle (Sykula: 84; Rachow: 980); wherein the second duct extends from the blower in a second departure direction oblique to the flow direction and transverse to the departure direction (Rachow: see outlet of blower to 970, direction of 980, and direction of outlets of conduits 980); a vehicle (Sykula: 32), comprising: a roof (Sykula: 46); a housing supported by the roof (Sykula: 48); wherein the fluid nozzle is aimed to direct fluid generally parallel to ambient airflow during forward motion of the vehicle (Sykula: Figures 1-3: 76; paragraph 38); wherein the air nozzle is aimed to direct air generally parallel to ambient airflow during forward motion of the vehicle (Sykula: Figures 1-3: 36).
Claim(s) 5-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sykula et al. (US 2020/0398795), in view of Dubey et al. (US 2020/0094783), in view of Rachow et al. (WO 2022/219590), and further in view of Zhao et al. (US 2019/0202411).
Regarding claims 5-6, Sykula, in view of Dubey, and further in view of Rachow, is relied upon as above, but does not expressly disclose wherein the fluid nozzle is shaped to spray fluid in a flat-fan pattern.
Zhao discloses an automotive image sensor surface washing and drying system including a sensor surface (530) and a washer fluid nozzle (514) and an air dry nozzle (512), each having a fan shape output (paragraphs 40, 48).
Because it is known in the art to have a fan shaped fluid nozzle, and the results of the modification would be predictable, namely, use of a known nozzle for a known purpose, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to have wherein the fluid nozzle is shaped to spray fluid in a flat-fan pattern.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAVID G CORMIER whose telephone number is (571)270-7386. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 9:30 - 6:00.
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DAVID G. CORMIER
Examiner
Art Unit 1711
/DAVID G CORMIER/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1711
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