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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s response filed on 21 October 2025 overcomes the previously raised 112 Rejections.
Applicant's arguments filed 21 October 2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive:
---The applicant argues that the 102 Rejection of at least independent claim 1 in view of Misumi JP-2013200076 is improper since Misumi fails to disclose all the limitations of the claimed invention, in particular, the limitation “an actuator connected to an end portion of the movable body and configured to drive the movable body” since the actuator (19 of Misumi) is disposed between the two diaphragms 17 and as such, the application is in condition for allowance (P8-9 of 10 of the remarks).
---The Office respectfully disagrees, while the Office acknowledges that there are clear differences between the disclosed invention and the prior art Misumi, the actual claimed invention does not include language that clearly differentiates from the prior art. While applicant’s assessment of the actuator (vibration generation means 19) of Misumi being disposed between the two diaphragms (movable body 17) is correct, it is also noted that the claim language only requires “an actuator connected to an end portion of the movable body and configured to drive the movable body” as shown in at least Fig. 6 of Misumi, the right-side movable body 17 is connected to the actuator 19 on the left-end of the right-side movable body 17 and the left-side movable body 17 is connected to the actuator 19 on the right-end of the left-side movable body 17 and the actuator 19 is configured to drive both the right-side and the left-side movable bodies 17, as such under the Broadest Reasonable Interpretation (BRI) of the claim language, the device of Misumi meets all the limitations of the claimed invention as it was mentioned in the previous Office Action and in the current Office Action.
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 1-3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Misumi JP-2013200076.
Regarding claims 1-3, Misumi JP-2013200076 teaches in Figs. 1-6 (see in particular Fig. 6) the limitation of:
---Claim 1. A vortex ring generation device (see at least Fig. 6) for releasing an airflow in a form of a vortex ring (26 and/or 30) from a release port (10 and/or 12), the vortex ring generation device comprising: a plurality of gas chamber units (see the left half and the right half of the device) , each of the plurality of gas chamber units having an air chamber (9 and/or 11) that communicates with the release port, and each of the plurality of gas chamber gas chamber units including a fixing member (see the portion of housing 1 that defines the respective air chamber 9 and/or 11) forming the air chamber, and a movable member (17) moving to push air out of the air chamber, the movable members of all of the gas chamber units being coupled together to form one movable body (diaphragm 17 are coupled to bobbin 22); an actuator (vibration generation means 19 comprising coil 21 which electromagnetically reciprocates bobbin 22 to cause the movement of the diaphragms 17) connected to an end portion of the movable body and configured to drive the movable body; and a communication path (see the fluid connection at 25) allowing the air chambers of the plurality of gas chamber units to communicate with each other.
---Claim 2. The vortex ring generation device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of gas chamber units are arranged along a line (along the horizontal axis, see at least Fig. 6).
---Claim 3. The vortex ring generation device of claim 1, wherein the actuator reciprocates the movable body, and the plurality of gas chamber units are arranged along a line along a direction of movement of the movable body (along the horizontal axis, see at least Fig. 6).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-23 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
At least claims 4 and 19 recite the following:
---Claim 4. The vortex ring generation device of claim 1, wherein the movable member and the fixing member form the air chamber, the plurality of gas chamber units include one or more first gas chamber units and one second gas chamber unit, the release port is formed in the fixing member of the second gas chamber unit, the movable body is formed by the movable members of all of the gas chamber units coupled together, and the communication path allows the air chamber of each of the one or more first gas chamber units to communicate with the air chamber of the second gas chamber unit.
---Claim 19. The vortex ring generation device of claim 1, wherein the movable member of each of the plurality of gas chamber unit includes a first flat portion facing the air chamber, the movable body includes the first flat portions of all of the gas chamber units, and a shaft portion, which is inserted through all of the first flat portions and to which all of the first flat portions are fixed, and the actuator is connected to an end portion of the shaft portion.
As it was mentioned in the previous Office Action, the closest/relevant prior art are as follows:
---References A (Relevant but not prior art): Uda US-12215877, Fujii US-11859646, Fujii US-11666928 and Imai US-11333178
---References B (Vortex Ring Generators): Fujiwara US-10060424, Akagi US-9702384, Brav US-9339772, David US-8607774, Ezaka US-8523642, Thomas US-7300040, Thomas US-6824125, Cooper US-5823434, Cooper US-5483953, Cooper US-5474059, Takahashi US-4534914, Faulkner US-20130214054, Matsuo US-20080264505, Inatomi JP-2017198433, Misumi JP-2013200076, Maeda JP-200818394 and Nishimura JP-2000121139.
References A teaches of various examples of vortex ring generators which are devices that allows air to be mixed with another gas/vapor and the mixture is is pushed out of the generator and dispensed in a toroidal vortex ring form similar to applicant’s general invention. Notice that all of these references are commonly own by Assignee Daikin Industries Ltd. And are all effectively filed within the grace period as such these references meet the 35 USC 102b1/2 exceptions and while they are relevant to the application’s disclosure, they are not deemed “prior art” and cannot be used for rejecting the claims. References B teaches of other examples of vortex ring generators wherein the devices are able to dispensing toroidal vortex rings similar to applicant’s general invention. These types of devices are often employed in a wide range of applications such as a means for delivering a mixed substance such as delivering an aerosol medication to a patient or delivering cooling/humidifying air to a user, as well as for aesthetic/entertainment purposes such as dispensing toroidal bubbles on a water pool or toy gun. Notice that many of these vortex ring generators utilizes at least some form of movable member, such as a diaphragm that is actuated by a linear actuator that vibrates the diaphragm pushing the fluid out in vortex ring form. Most notably see Misumi JP-2013200076 and the rejections above teaching of a similar vortex ring generator to applicant’s invention. However, notice that while having some similarities to the disclosed invention, the closest prior art fails to disclose or render obvious without impermissible hindsight the particular structure and function of the arrangement of the movable member (12 / 20 / 30), the first and second gas chamber units (A1 / A2), the actuator (13) and the communication path (C) in combination with all the limitations as claimed in claims 4-23 and as shown in at least Figs. 3-4 and 12 of the application.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 DAVID COLON-MORALES, whose telephone number 571-270-1741 and fax number is 571-270-2741. If the applicant has authorized internet communications via the filling of form PTO/SB/439, the examiner can be reached via email at david.colon-morales@uspto.gov , email communication is not permitted if the applicant has not filed an authorization for internet communication (see MPEP 502.03 for more details on internet communications). The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday (7:30AM-3:30PM EST).
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/DAVID COLON-MORALES/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3753