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 § 102
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.
Claim(s) 1 and 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Bae CN-102147141-A (hereinafter “Bae”).
Regarding claim 1, Bae discloses a method for utilizing a dew-prevention system, the method comprising preventing or reducing dew condensation on a liquid line positioned between an indoor heat exchanger and an outdoor heat exchanger of a heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system by: increasing a level of a liquid refrigerant (via flowing refrigerant to compressor) in the liquid line (e.g. ¶64); and increasing a temperature of the liquid refrigerant (i.e. temperature of the refrigerant rises) in the liquid line (e.g. ¶64), wherein increasing the level and the temperature of the liquid refrigerant in the liquid line are achieved by decreasing a flow rate of the liquid refrigerant into the outdoor heat exchanger (i.e. reduced flow to outdoor heat exchanger) of the HVAC system operating as an evaporator in a heating mode (e.g. ¶64).
Regarding claim 2, Bae discloses the method of claim 1, wherein preventing or reducing dew condensation on the liquid line further comprises operating at least one controller to control the temperature of the liquid refrigerant in the liquid line based at least in part on data received from at least one sensor of the HVAC system.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9-15 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: Regarding claim 9, Bae does not disclose a HVAC system wherein more refrigerant in circulation and restricting the flow of the liquid refrigerant into the outdoor heat exchanger causes an increased level of the liquid refrigerant in the liquid line, and wherein the increased level of the liquid refrigerant in the liquid line and the inability of the increased level of the liquid refrigerant in the liquid line to be compressed causes an increased temperature of the liquid refrigerant in the liquid line than if the expansion valve were less restricted, thereby preventing or reducing dew condensation on the liquid line. The allowability, at least in part, resides in these facts.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Claims 3-8 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: Regarding claim 3, Bae does not disclose determining a risk for dew condensation, wherein the risk is determined by the formula: Risk for dew condensation = ((Determined Dew Point Temperature ("DDPT")) - (Refrigerant Temperature ("RT")))*(Length of Time that RT < DDPT).
Regarding claim 7, Bae does not disclose a method, wherein preventing or reducing dew condensation on a liquid line further comprises: concurrently reducing a speed of a fan blowing air over the indoor heat exchanger such that an increased amount of heat remains in the heat-absorbed refrigerant compared to not opening the expansion valve and not reducing the speed of the fan.
Regarding claim 8, Bae disclose a method further comprising opening an expansion valve further to allow more refrigerant to flow through the indoor heat exchanger when a gas furnace is operating such that at least some heat from the gas furnace is transferred to the indoor heat exchanger and thus to the refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger, thus increasing the temperature of the liquid refrigerant in the liquid line.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHARLES R KASENGE whose telephone number is (571)272-3743. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 7:30am to 4pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Kenneth Lo can be reached at (571) 272-9774. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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CK
June 13, 2026
/CHARLES R KASENGE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2116
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