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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on June 24, 2026 has been entered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 1 – 5 and 7 – 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US Patent Application Publication No. 2020/0263641 to Blanks, I (hereinafter referred to as Blanks) in view of KR 10-2020-0121401 to Jung et al. (hereinafter referred to as Jung).
In regard to claims 1 and 5, as shown in figure 1, Blanks discloses an air filtration system for an internal combustion engine. The system includes a housing comprising an air filter box (12). As shown in figures 2, 12, and 13, the filter box has an interior configured to receive an air filter (20). A mount portion (38) is configured to support the air filter (20). As best shown in figures 2, 17, 26, and 27, a cover (28, 28h) encloses the interior. The cover can have a magnetic fastener (48, 80h), as discussed in paragraphs [0045] and [0053]. Therefore, the cover (28, 28h) can be considered a magnetic cover, as broadly recited in the claim. The filter box (12) inherently has an inlet to allow an airstream to enter the interior in order to allow air to flow through the filter (20) to the engine. As best shown in figures 2, 3, and 12 – 14 of Blanks, the walls and flange (not numbered) that make up the base structure (24) of the housing can be considered to form a plurality of structural supports comprising the housing. The magnetic cover in Blanks can be removed and replaced. Thus, the structural supports are considered to be capable of withstanding stresses arising when the magnetic cover is detached from the housing. As discussed in paragraph [0046], the protruding lip (52) can be considered to form a seal on the magnetic cover (28, 28h) that provides a seal between the magnetic cover and the housing. A seal is considered to be an airtight connection.
In the embodiment of figures 26 and 27, Blanks includes a single magnetic connection (78h, 80h) at one end of the cover (28h) and a tab (84h) and slot (74h) at the other end of the cover. Blanks does not disclose the edge portion having a first plurality of magnets configured to attach to a second plurality of magnets disposed along the edge portion of the cover. As shown in figure 1, Jung discloses an air purifier with a body (1) and a cover (2). The body and the cover each include a plurality of magnets (1a, 2a) so that the cover can be attached by magnetic force. Thus, it is known in the art to use only magnetic force to attach a cover. Predictably, at least one additional magnetic connection could replace the tab and slot connection in Blanks to allow the cover to be attached to the housing.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Blanks to include a first plurality of magnets along the edge portion of the housing and a second plurality of magnets on the cover in order to secure the cover only by magnetic force as suggested by Jung as this is an equivalently known means in the art for attaching a cover. In the combination of Blanks and Jung, the structural supports comprising the housing are considered to be capable of withstanding stresses arising when the magnetic cover is detached from the plurality of magnets.
In regard to claims 12 – 14, the combination of Blanks and Jung inherently discloses a method comprising: forming a housing comprising an air filter box having an interior configured to receive an air filter; configuring a mount portion to support the air filter; forming a magnetic cover to enclose the interior, wherein the magnetic cover comprises a magnetic material configured to attach to a first plurality of magnets comprising the housing; configuring a plurality of structural supports comprising the housing such that the housing can withstand stresses arising when the magnetic cover is detached from the first plurality of magnets; providing a seal form an airtight connection between the magnetic cover and the housing; and disposing an inlet to allow an airstream to enter the interior, wherein forming the housing includes configuring an opening to provide access to the air filter within the interior, and wherein configuring the opening includes configuring an edge portion surrounding the opening to form an airtight connection with an edge portion of the magnetic cover.
In regard to claim 2, as shown in figures 12, 17, and 26 of Blanks, the housing includes an opening (26, 26h) configured to provide access to the air filter (20) within the interior.
In regard to claim 3, as discussed in paragraph [0046] of Blanks, an edge portion surrounding the opening is configured to seal, or form an airtight connection, with an edge portion of the magnetic cover (28). Alternately, the recessed ledge (76h) in figure 26 forms an edge portion surrounding the opening (26h) configured to form an airtight connection with an edge portion of the magnetic cover (28h).
In regard to claim 4, as discussed above, the protruding lip (52) in Blanks can be considered to form a seal that is disposed between the edge portion and the edge portion of the magnetic cover.
In regard to claim 7, as shown in the embodiment of figures 26 and 27 of Blanks, at least one depression (86h) is configured to facilitate a practitioner using a hand to remove the magnetic cover form the housing.
In regard to claim 9, as discussed in paragraph [0041] of Blanks, the magnetic cover (28) can be formed from a rigid material that is sufficiently durable and temperature resistant to retain its configuration during installation and operation when coupled with the housing.
In regard to claims 8 and 17, Blanks includes a single depression (86h) to allow a user to release the magnetic fastener (80h). Predictably, if the cover includes an additional magnetic fastener on the opposite side of the cover, it would be beneficial to include an additional depression to assist in its release from the housing. Thus, it would further have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Blanks and Jung to include a second depression disposed near the opposite side of the cover in order to allow a user to grasp the cover near both magnetic fasteners for their release.
In regard to claims 10 and 19, Blanks is used as the primary reference and discloses a cover (10) that can be molded form ABS plastic, as discussed in paragraph [0045]. Blanks does not specifically disclose injection molding the cover. There is no evidence the type of molding is critical. Injection molding is a well-known molding process for forming plastic parts. One of ordinary skill in the art would reasonably expect that injection molding could be used to form the cover. Thus, it would further have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Blanks and Jung to form the cover using injection molding as this is a well-known molding technique. In the combination of Blanks and Jung, the cover includes a plurality of magnets disposed along an edge portion of the cover so as to attach to a plurality of magnets disposed along an edge portion surrounding an opening to the interior of the housing.
In regard to claims 11 and 20, both Blanks and Jung in include magnets on the cover to form a magnetic connection with magnets on the housing or body. Neither discloses forming the cover from a metallic material that is capable of magnetically attaching to a plurality of magnets. As discussed in paragraph [0045], Blanks allows for the cover to be an ABS plastic or any other suitable material. Further, as discussed in the abstract, the cover in Blanks allows for a user to have a desired decorative ornamentation. Some users prefer the look of steel or chrome plated steel for their engine parts. Predictably if the cover is formed from a metal with magnetic properties, additional magnets in the cover would not be required. Thus, it would further have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Blanks and Jung to form the cover using a metallic material with magnetic properties in order to give a user the option for the cover to have a metallic look and to eliminate the need for additional magnets in the cover.
In regard to claim 16, forming the housing in figures 26 and 27 of Blanks includes configuring at least one depression (86h) to facilitate a practitioner using a hand to remove the magnetic cover form the housing.
In regard to claim 18, as discussed above, forming the magnetic cover of Blanks comprises forming a rigid material that is sufficiently durable and temperature resistant to retain its configuration during installation and operation when coupled with the housing.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed June 2, 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
The examiner agrees that Blanks alone does not disclose all of the features in amended claims 1 and 12. The examiner, however, respectfully disagrees that these features are not taught or suggested in the combination of Blanks and Jung.
In addressing the combination (see pages 6 and 7 of the reply filed June 2, 2026), applicant argues that Blanks and Jung do not teach or suggest the limitation “a plurality of structural supports comprising the housing, wherein the structural supports are configured such that the housing can withstand stresses arising when the magnetic cover is detached from the first plurality of magnets”. Applicant does not provide any arguments directed to the combination of Jung with Blanks to suggest the magnetic cover having a magnetic material configured to attach to a plurality of magnets on the housing. The examiner notes that the claimed structural supports are not required to have any specific structure. The walls and flange (not numbered) that make up the base structure (24) of the housing in Banks, as best shown in figures 2, 3, and 12 – 14, can be considered to form a plurality of structural supports comprising the housing. The magnetic cover in Blanks can be removed and replaced. Thus, the structural supports are considered to be capable of withstanding stresses arising when the magnetic cover is detached from the housing.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
All of the newly cited prior art references disclose filter housings that include ribs to provide additional strength and rigidity to the housing. See paragraph [0084] of US 2005/0229561, paragraph [0118] of US 2017/0296949, paragraph [0036] of US 2022/0203282, paragraph [0088] of US 2017/0175194, paragraphs [0049] and [0051] of US 2018/0250617, paragraph [0267] of US 2020/0155988, paragraph [0150] of US 2019/0111374, and the ribs “16” in DE 102018208969. The examiner considers it to be known in the art to use ribs as structural supports to increase the strength and/or rigidity of a filter housing. If the structural supports were further required to be ribs on the housing, these references would likely suggest the use of additional ribs on the housing of Blanks for added strength/rigidity.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Robert Clemente whose telephone number is (571)272-1476. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-5.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Benjamin Lebron can be reached at 571-272-0475. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ROBERT CLEMENTE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1773
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