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
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
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) 1-2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by MacDonald US 20080156004.
Regarding claim 1, MacDonald US 20080156004 discloses (in Fig. 5) an electronic device comprising:
a chassis (enclosure of Fig. 5) including a first cover (top cover of enclosure of Fig. 5) and a second cover (bottom cover of enclosure of Fig. 5),
the first cover (top cover of enclosure of Fig. 5) including an upper surface (enclosure top surface) and a plurality of side walls (enclosure side walls) and
the second cover (bottom cover of enclosure of Fig. 5) including a lower surface (enclosure bottom surface) of the chassis (enclosure of Fig. 5),
the first cover (top cover of enclosure of Fig. 5) and the second cover (bottom cover of enclosure of Fig. 5) defining an internal cavity (as depicted in Fig. 5) of the chassis (enclosure of Fig. 5),
the first cover (top cover of enclosure of Fig. 5) including a first device inlet (510) formed in a first side wall (sidewall of Fig. 5) of the plurality of side walls (enclosure side walls) of the first cover (top cover of enclosure of Fig. 5);
a fan (535) positioned in the internal cavity (as depicted in Fig. 5),
the fan (535) including a first fan inlet (top inlet of 535) and a second fan inlet (bottom inlet of 535) opposite the first fan inlet (top inlet); and
a side channel (515) positioned between the first device inlet (510) and the first fan inlet (top inlet of 535) to direct fluid flow between the first device inlet (510) and the first fan inlet (top inlet of 535).
Regarding claim 2, MacDonald discloses the electronic device of claim 1, wherein the side channel (515) is defined by a side duct (duct of 515) fluidly coupled to the first device inlet (510) and to the first fan inlet (to inlet as depicted in Fig. 5).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-11 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, the prior art of record, taken alone or in combination, fails to teach or fairly suggest, in combining with other limitations recited in claims 1-2, a combination of limitations that “wherein the side duct is coupled to a keyboard support bracket, the keyboard support bracket structured to secure the fan”.
None of the reference art of record discloses or renders obvious such a combination.
Claims 4-11 depending from claim 3 would therefore also be allowable.
Claims 12-20 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 12, the prior art of record, taken alone or in combination, fails to teach or fairly suggest, in combining with other limitations recited in the claim, a combination of limitations that “the fan including a first fan inlet and a second fan inlet opposite the first fan inlet;
a first fluid passageway provided in the chassis,
the first fluid passageway to enable fluid flow between a first device inlet and the first fan inlet,
the first device inlet formed in a bottom surface of the chassis;
a second fluid passageway provided in the chassis,
the second fluid passageway to enable fluid flow between a second device inlet and the second fan inlet,
the second device inlet formed in the bottom surface of the chassis and spaced from the first device inlet; and
a third fluid passageway provided in the chassis,
the third fluid passageway to enable fluid flow between a third device inlet and the second fan inlet,
the third device inlet formed in a side wall of the chassis,
the side wall positioned between an upper surface of the chassis and the bottom surface of the chassis”.
None of the reference art of record discloses or renders obvious such a combination.
Claims 13-18 depending from claim 12 are therefore allowable.
Regarding claim 19, the prior art of record, taken alone or in combination, fails to teach or fairly suggest, in combining with other limitations recited in the claim, a combination of limitations that “a fan having a first fan inlet and a second fan inlet opposite the first fan inlet,
the first fan inlet to be in fluid communication with the third device inlet,
the second fan inlet to be in fluid communication with the first device inlet and the second device inlet;
a first fluid passageway defined by the second cover to fluidly couple the first fan inlet and the third device inlet;
a first duct to fluidly couple the first device inlet and the second fan inlet; and
a second duct coupled to the fan,
the second duct to fluidly couple the second device inlet and the second fan inlet”.
None of the reference art of record discloses or renders obvious such a combination.
Claim 20 depending from claim 19 is therefore allowable.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Oogami US 20020036888 Fig. 2-4 discloses an electronic device with keyboard support bracket and a fan.
Tomioka US 20020186532 Fig. 11-15; Lai US 20040105233 Fig. 1-2; Zheng US 20060078428 Fig. 6b; Lev US 20080174957 Fig. 1-4; Senoh US 20110211312 Fig. 7; Tanaka US 20110279977 Fig. 12-13; Wu US 20130250515 Fig. 5 disclose an electronic device with a keyboard a fan and a cover with a first device inlet formed in a first side wall of the cover.
Noble US 6064571 Fig. 2 discloses an electronic device with a fan a duct and a first device inlet formed in a first side wall of a cover.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRISTOPHER L AUGUSTIN whose telephone number is (571)270-7659. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8 am - 3 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Allen L Parker can be reached at 303-297-4722. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CHRISTOPHER L AUGUSTIN/Examiner, Art Unit 2841
/JAMES WU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2841