DETAILED ACTION
For this Office action, Claims 1-16 are pending.
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
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
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.
Claims 1-4 and 11-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kubokawa et al. (herein referred to as “Kubokawa”, US Pat Pub. 2003/0230063) in view of Sandberg (US Pat Pub. 2008/0115475).
Regarding instant Claim 1, Kubokawa discloses a filtering device comprising a main body part and a filter element assembly (Abstract; Figure 1; Paragraph [0028]; filter frame 2 and filter element 8), wherein the main body part has a mounting cavity for accommodating the filter assembly (Figure 1; Paragraph [0028]; see cavity for insert of filter element 8 in frame 2), the main body part comprises a base and a screen cover arranged as a cover of the base (Figure 1; Paragraph [0028]; base 4 and cover 6), and at least one rack for fixing the filter element assembly is disposed on an inner wall of the base (Figure 1; Paragraphs [0028]-[0031]; see ribs 32, row of ribs can be considered a rack); and
the filter element comprises a folded filter element arranged in a folded shape (Figure 1; Paragraph [0011]; pleated filter element).
However, the reference is silent on a rubber strip arranged on the folded filter element.
Sandberg discloses an equipment air filter assembly in the same field of endeavor as the instant application, as it solves the mutual problem of providing a filter assembly (Abstract). Sandberg further disclose a rubber/elastic strip arranged on a filter element for maintain the shape of the filter element by keeping said filter element under tension to keep it in place (Sandberg, Abstract).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the folded filter element of Kubokawa by further including a rubber strip arranged on the filter element to maintain the shape of said filter element as taught by Sandberg because Sandberg discloses such a rubber strip will provide tension to the filter element to keep it in place (Sandberg, Abstract).
Regarding instant Claim 2, Claim 1, upon which Claim 2 is dependent, has been rejected above. Kubokawa further disclose wherein the screen cover and the base are connected in at least a rotational matter (Figure 1; Paragraph [0012]; Paragraph [0033]; pivot connection); and
the screen cover comprises a first filter member and a first outer frame disposed at the outer periphery of the first filter member (Figure 1; Paragraph [0030]; Paragraph [0035]; outer frame composed of ends/sides 18, 22 and 26; perimeter structures 4a/6a engage with filter and are filter members, along with transverse and/or longitudinal support bars on cover 6), and the base comprises a bottom plate, a second outer frame disposed at the outer periphery of the bottom plate, and a square groove enclosed by the bottom plate and the second outer frame (Figure 1; Paragraph [0030]; Paragraph [0031]; second outer frame composed of ends/sides 16, 20 and 24; bottom plate is base 4 holding ribs 32 that encloses groove formed by ribs 4 for insertion of filter media 8 as seen in Figure 1).
Regarding instant Claim 3, Claim 2, upon which Claim 3 is dependent, has been rejected above. Kubokawa further discloses wherein the folded filter element comprises a plurality of V-shaped portions connected in sequence (Figure 1; Figure 5; Paragraph [0001]; Paragraph [0028]; see pleats of filet element 8), snap-in teeth are arranged at one side of the rack close to the folded filter element, and toothed grooves for accommodating the V-shaped portion are formed between two snap-in teeth (Figure 5; Paragraph [0028]; Paragraph [0032]; see configuration of rails, including portions 34a that follow contour of filter pleats).
Regarding instant Claim 4, Claim 3, upon which Claim 4 is dependent, has been rejected above. Kubokawa further discloses wherein at least one first long rack is disposed on an inner wall of the screen cover (Figure 1; Paragraph [0035]; transverse/longitudinal support bars), the shape of the base is adapted to the shape of the screen cover (Figure 1; Paragraph [0028]; see cover 6 and base 4), and at least one second long rack corresponding to the position of the first long rack is disposed on an inner wall of the base (Figure 1; Paragraph [0032]; rails 34/32 of base may line up with those of cover 6); and
each first long rack has a plurality of first snap-in teeth, each second long rack has a plurality of second snap-in teeth, second toothed grooves for accommodating the first snap-in teeth are formed between the two adjacent second snap-in teeth, and shapes of the second toothed grooves and the first snap-in teeth are the same (Figure 1; Figure 5; Paragraphs [0032]-[0035]; see snap fits used for connection).
Regarding instant Claim 11, Claim 3, upon which Claim 4 is dependent, has been rejected above. Kubokawa further discloses wherein a plurality of sliding grooves are symmetrically arranged on the left and right ends of inner peripheral walls of the base, a plurality of racks are arranged in parallel in two groups in a length direction of the base and formed as fourth long racks, two sliding grooves symmetrically arranged on the left and right ends respectively correspond to accommodate the left and right ends of the fourth long racks, and the fourth long racks and the sliding grooves are connected in a sliding manner (Paragraph [0032]; ribs 32 and rails 34 may be formed as separate members within the assembly).
Regarding instant Claim 12, Claim 2, upon which Claim 12 is dependent, has been rejected above. Kubokawa further discloses wherein the screen cover and the base are connected in a detachable manner through a snap-fit assembly; the snap-fit assembly comprises a plurality of snap-in protrusions formed on inner peripheral walls of the screen cover, a plurality of snap-in grooves formed on the inner peripheral walls of the base, and snap fasteners are capable of being detachable connections corresponding to the plurality of snap-in grooves, respectively, and the plurality of snap-in protrusions are correspondingly snapped into the plurality of snap-in grooves (Figure 1; Figure 4; Paragraphs [0033]-[0034]; Paragraph [0039]; see snap fits of members 44/ lathes 42 and aligned protrusions 46).
Regarding instant Claim 13, Claim 12, upon which Claim 13 is dependent, has been rejected above. Kubokawa further discloses wherein shapes of the snap-in grooves are adapted to the shape of the snap-in protrusions, and a snap-in column is arranged in each snap-in groove in its length direction (Figure 1; Figure 4; Paragraph [0034]; see latches 42, wherein cantilevered bar member is column groove that aligns with protrusion 46); and
a column groove for accommodating the snap-in column is formed on the bottom end of each snap fastener, a snap-fitting portion is formed on the snap fastener, and the snap-fit portion is connected to a snap fastener groove on the top of the screen cover (Figure 1; Figure 4; Paragraph [0034]; see aligned protrusion 46 for latch 42/bar 44).
Regarding instant Claim 14, Claim 2, upon which Claim 14 is dependent, has been rejected above. Kubokawa further discloses wherein the screen cover and the base are connected in a detachable manner through a snap-fit assembly (Figure 1; Figure 4; Paragraph [0033]; cover is detachable via snap-fit with base); the snap-fit assembly comprises a snap-in hook arranged at the bottom end of the screen cover, snap-fit portions arranged on the inner peripheral walls of the base, and a switch board in sliding connection with the snap-fit portions (Figure 1; Figure 4; Paragraph [0033]; Paragraph [0034]; protrusions 46 are snap-in hook, snap-fit portion at latch 42 with switch board in cantilever 44; see also hook and loop fasteners and locks); and
the switch board has an open state and a closed state, the snap-in hook is disposed in an L-shaped structure, and the bottom end of the snap-in hook is connected with the switch board in the closed state (Figure 1; Figure 4; Paragraph [0033]; Paragraph [0034]; see hook and loop fasteners, also latch 44 engages with protrusion 46 in L shape as seen in Figure 1 at 46).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-10, 15 and 16 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. Claim 5, upon which Claims 6-10 are dependent, is considered allowable at this time; however, Claim 5 is dependent on Claim 1, which is rejected above. The limitations of Claim 5, when combined with those of Claims 1-4, are not found in the prior art. Likewise, the limitations of Claims 15 and 16 are not found in the prior art, in particular with consideration of the limitations of the claims upon which Claims 15 and 16 are dependent. A more detailed reasons for allowance will be provided upon allowance of the entire claim set.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Duvall et al. (US Pat Pub. 2020/0398202) discloses a cover assembly with a filter member, similar to that recited in Claim 2 (Paragraph [0033]).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RICHARD C GURTOWSKI whose telephone number is (571)272-3189. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00 am-5:30pm MT.
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/RICHARD C GURTOWSKI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1773 02/01/2026