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 .
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 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 § 102
1. 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 1-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Quesada (U.S. PG Pub No.: 2010/0058791 A1), hereinafter referred to as Quesada ‘791.
Regarding claim 1, Quesada ‘791 discloses a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system comprising: single unit (700) for operation with a vehicle having a wall (702), the HVAC system comprising: a frame having a front portion (703) and a rear portion (701) {see Figs: 54-55, 61-63: Abstract: ¶¶ [0003], [0023], [0232], [0240-0241] and [0246-0249]}; one or more manually releasable clamps (741) configured to releasably couple the frame to the wall of the vehicle {see Figs. 61-63: ¶¶ [0246-0248]}; and system components secured to the frame, the system components comprising: an evaporator (705) and a blower (733) secured to the rear portion of the frame {as shown in Fig. 60: ¶ [0245]}; a condenser (709), a compressor (721), and a receiver drier are secured to the front portion of the frame as shown in Figs. 29 and 60: ¶¶ [0181] and [0245]}, wherein the condenser, the compressor, and the evaporator are operatively coupled together in fluid communication (711){see Figs. 55-56, and 59-60: ¶¶ [0241-0242], [0244-0245]}; and one or more condenser fans (729) secured to the front portion of the frame in operational engagement with the condenser {as shown in Figs. 60 and 61, ¶¶ [0245-0246]} wherein, in use, at least the evaporator is disposed inside the vehicle on one side of the wall and at least the condenser is disposed outside the vehicle on the other side of the wall {as shown in Fig. 63}.
Claims 2-13 are dependent from claim 1 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) above and therefore inherit the deficiencies of the parent claim 1.
Regarding claim 14, Quesada ‘791 discloses a method of installing a single-unit heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system (700) to a vehicle having a wall (702), the method-comprising: inserting a rear portion (701) of the single-unit HVAC system through an opening (17) of the wall {see Figs: 54-55, 61-63: Abstract: ¶¶ [0003], [0023], [0232], [0240-0241] and [0246-0249]}; and releasably coupling (741) the single-unit HVAC system to the wall of the vehicle wherein the HVAC system has an evaporator (705) and a condenser (709) and, in use, the evaporator is disposed inside the vehicle on one side of the wall and the condenser is disposed outside the vehicle on the other side of the wall {as shown in Figs. 60-63: ¶¶ [0245-0248}.
Claims 15-19 are dependent from claim 14 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) above and therefore inherit the deficiencies of the parent claim 14.
Claim 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Quesada ‘791, in view of OMORICK et al (English Translated Japanese Publication No.: 2019008339 A), hereinafter referred to as OMORICK et al ‘339.
Regarding claim 20, Quesada ‘791 a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system comprising: a single unit (700) for operation with an electric vehicle having a wall (702}; a frame having a front portion (703) and a rear portion (701), where the front portion is wider than the rear portion {see Figs: 54-55, 61-63: Abstract: ¶¶ [0003], [0023], [0232], [0240-0241] and [0246-0249], wherein, other vehicles constitutes electric vehicle}; a chassis module secured to the frame, the chassis module adapted to be secured to the wall of the electric vehicle {see ¶ [0230]}; one or more manually releasable clamps (741) configured to releasably secure the chassis module to the wall of the electric vehicle {see Figs. 61-63: ¶¶ [0246-0248]}; and system components secured to the frame, the system components comprising: an evaporator (705), a blower (733), and a heater secured (607) to the rear portion of the frame {as shown in Figs. 50 and 60: ¶¶ [0236] and [0245]}; a condenser (709), a compressor (721), and a receiver drier are secured to the front portion of the frame {shown in Figs. 29 and 60: ¶¶ [0181] and [0245]}, wherein the condenser, the compressor, and the evaporator are operatively coupled together in fluid communication (711){see Figs. 55-56, and 59-60: ¶¶ [0241-0242], [0244-0245]}; and one or more condenser fans (729) secured to the front portion of the frame in operational engagement with the condenser{as shown in Figs. 60 and 61, ¶¶ [0245-0246]}; wherein, in use, at least the evaporator is disposed inside the vehicle on one side of the wall and at least the condenser is disposed outside the vehicle on the other side of the wall {as shown in Fig. 63}.
However, Quesada ‘791 fails to disclose the limitation of wherein the electric vehicle is an ambulance.
OMORICK et al ‘339 teach: the concept of wherein the vehicle is an ambulance {see Page 1, Description}.
Since all claimed elements were known in the art at the time of the invention, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to modify Quesada ‘791 in view of OMORICK et al ‘339 to include the use of an ambulance, in order to facilitate electric power feeding vehicle {OMORICK et al ‘339 – Page 1, Description}.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to modify the Quesada ‘791 in view of OMORICK et al ‘339 to obtain the invention as specified in claim 20.
Response to Arguments
2. Applicant's arguments, see pages 6-10, filed 08/06/2025, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1-4, 11, 12, and 14-18 under 35 USC § 102(b) and claim(s) 5-10, 13 and 19-20 under 35 USC § 103(a) have been fully considered but are moot in view of the new ground(s) of rejection as detailed above.
Conclusion
3. Applicant's amendment necessitated the new grounds 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 extension fee 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 date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to EMMANUEL E DUKE whose telephone number is (571)270-5290. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday thru Friday; 6:00 AM to 2:00 PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, FRANTZ JULES can be reached on (571)272-6681. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/EMMANUEL E DUKE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3763 01/26/2026
/FRANTZ F JULES/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3763
Prosecution Insights