DETAILED ACTION
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 07/27/2026 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(d):
(d) REFERENCE IN DEPENDENT FORMS.—Subject to subsection (e), a claim in dependent form shall contain a reference to a claim previously set forth and then specify a further limitation of the subject matter claimed. A claim in dependent form shall be construed to incorporate by reference all the limitations of the claim to which it refers.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, fourth paragraph:
Subject to the following paragraph [i.e., the fifth paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112], a claim in dependent form shall contain a reference to a claim previously set forth and then specify a further limitation of the subject matter claimed. A claim in dependent form shall be construed to incorporate by reference all the limitations of the claim to which it refers.
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(d) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, 4th paragraph, as being of improper dependent form for failing to further limit the subject matter of the claim upon which it depends, or for failing to include all the limitations of the claim upon which it depends. Claim 2 recites identical limitations to the limitations in claim 1. Applicant may cancel the claim(s), amend the claim(s) to place the claim(s) in proper dependent form, rewrite the claim(s) in independent form, or present a sufficient showing that the dependent claim(s) complies with the statutory requirements.
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.
Claim(s) 1-5, 7-11, 14, 17-18 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang (CN 203851002 U) in view of Warnaka (WO 9505542 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Yang teaches of:
An air duct structure applicable to an electric cabinet for guiding airflow to an air inlet side of a fan (Figs. 1-3, 1 is an air duct structure guiding air flowing into the electric cabinet denoted by arrows leading to the inlet side of the fan 3), comprising:
an air inlet port configured to introduce external airflow into the air duct structure (portion of 1 that accommodates 7 and 8);
a flow-guiding cavity provided between the air inlet port and the air inlet side of the fan to guide the airflow from the air inlet port to the fan (the area within 1 between the inlet of the fan 3 and the inlet port as described above is the flow-guiding cavity); and
an air distribution assembly arranged in the flow-guiding cavity (Fig. 2, 7+8+9)
wherein the air distribution assembly comprises an air distribution cover located at the air inlet side of the fan (9-2) and an air distribution plate located between the air inlet port and the air distribution cover along the airflow (Fig. 2, 8 form an air distribution plate that is received within the inlet port formed in 1 and therefore is positioned between the inlet port and 9-2);
wherein the air distribution plate is provided with a plurality of flow passages (8 is a wire mesh forming a plurality of flow passages);
wherein the airflow passes through the air distribution plate to the air distribution cover (see arrows denoting air flow, air passes through 8 to 9-2).
Yang fails to explicitly teach:
wherein the air distribution cover is provided with a plurality of flow-introducing passages configured to introduce the airflow in the flow-guiding cavity to the inlet side of the fan
Warnaka teaches of:
wherein the air distribution cover is provided with a plurality of flow-introducing passages (Fig. 7-8 show an air distribution cover with a plurality of flow-introducing passages 112-114 and 119-124 all form an air distribution cover) configured to introduce the airflow in the flow-guiding cavity to the inlet side of the fan (Fig. 4, the air distribution cover in Figs. 7-8 is utilized for an inlet of a fan)
The primary reference can be modified to meet this/these limitation(s) as follows:
Replace 9-2 with the apparatus of Figs. 7-8 of Warnaka so that 116 is attached to 9-1 and air flow from 8 through flow-introducing passages 112-114/119-124 and into the inlet of fan 3
A person of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to make the above modification(s) because:
It would decrease drag and improve efficiency of the fan (Warnaka, Pg. 9, lines 27-33, “In the depicted embodiments, the radial spokes 81 or the partitions 116 and 117 are configured so as to minimize drag on air flow through the duct. EXAMPLES The external duct system of the present invention was installed on a centrifugal fan having a capacity of 180,000 cubic feet of air per minute and a 60 inch diameter inlet. The external duct was located approximately two feet ahead of the rotor of the fan, and was divided into 6 internal compartments having a circular sector shape. Flow and power measurement were measured before and after the external duct of the present invention was installed. It was surprisingly discovered that there was a significant improvement in flow as measured by the pressure drop in front of the fan as per the following”)
Regarding claim 2, the combined teachings teach of the air duct structure according to claim 1, and the combined teachings further teach:
Wherein the air distribution cover is provided with a plurality of flow-introducing passages for introducing the airflow from the air distribution plate to the air inlet side of the fan (see rejection of claim 1 above as claim 2 recites identical limitations to what Warnaka is relied on teaching in claim 1)
Regarding claim 3, the combined teachings teach of the air duct structure according to claim 2, and the combined teachings further teach:
wherein the air distribution cover comprises a fixed portion (Warnaka Figs. 7-8, 116) and a plurality of air tubes which are spaced apart and provided on the fixed portion (112-114 and 119-124 are spaced and on 116), and wherein each of the plurality of air tubes is provided with a through cavity to constitute one of the plurality of flow-introducing passages (112-114 and 119-124 are hollow tubes with through cavities to constitute each of the flow-introducing passages)
Regarding claim 4, the combined teachings teach of the air duct structure according to claim 3, and the combined teachings further teach:
wherein the plurality of air tubes are uniformly arranged with one height starting from the fixed portion; or,
the plurality of air tubes are arranged in a manner that heights of the air tubes are staggered along a preset direction; or,
the plurality of air tubes are arranged with heights being decreased from a middle of the fixed portion towards two opposite sides thereof (Warnaka, Figs. 7-8, the tubes decrease from a central tube 113 towards the sides of the fixed portion 116)
Regarding claim 5, the combined teachings teach of the air duct structure according to claim 2, and the combined teachings further teach:
wherein the air distribution cover comprises a plurality of partition plates, the partition plates are arranged in a cross manner to define a plurality of partition passages, and the plurality of partition passages constitute the plurality of flow-introducing passages respectively (Warnaka, Figs. 7-8, the walls of 112-114 and 119-124 form partition plates arranged in a cross manner and are offset from one another to define the individual partition passages constituting the flow-introducing passages)
Regarding claim 7, the combined teachings teach of the air duct structure according to claim 1, and the combined teachings further teach:
wherein the flow guiding cavity comprises an air distribution cavity located between the air distribution cover and the air distribution plate along the airflow (In Yang as modified, Fig. 3, the space between 8 and 9-2 where the air distribution cover of Warnaka is placed in the combined teachings is the flow distribution cavity).
Regarding claim 8, the combined teachings teach of the air duct structure according to claim 7, and the combined teachings further teach:
wherein the flow-guiding cavity is provided with a first flow-guiding passage located at a position, adjacent to the air inlet port along the airflow for guiding the airflow from the air inlet port to an air inlet side of the air distribution plate (in Yang as modified, Fig. 3, the flow-guiding cavity which in claim 1 is defined as the entire space between the inlet of 1 and the inlet of the fan 3 has a flow-guiding passage between the inlet of 1 and 8 as 8 is downstream from the inlet of 1 and must have some sort of passage to guide air into it from the inlet).
Regarding claim 9, the combined teachings teach of the air duct structure according to claim 8, and the combined teachings further teach:
wherein the air distribution cover comprises a fixed portion (Yang as modified, Figs. 7-8, 116) and a plurality of air tubes which are spaced apart and provided on the fixed portion (112-114 and 119-124 are spaced and on 116), and the flow-guiding cavity is further provided with a second flow- guiding passage for guiding the airflow to gaps between the plurality of air tubes (the spaces between 112-114 and 119-124 form a second flow-guiding passage which guides air between the tubes 112-114 and 119-124).
Regarding claim 10, the combined teachings teach of the air duct structure according to claim 1, and the combined teachings further teach:
further comprising a splash-proof plate located at a position corresponding to the air inlet port, in the flow-guiding cavity (Yang as modified, Fig. 3, 9-3 is a splash proof plate at the inlet of 1).
Regarding claim 11, the combined teachings teach of the air duct structure according to claim 10, and the combined teachings further teach:
Further comprising a fan cover configured to introduce the airflow from the flow-guiding cavity into the fan and arranged at the air inlet side of the fan (Yang as modified, Figs. 1-3, the walls surround fan 3 that are downstream from 9 form the fan cover); and
wherein a flow-guiding passage is defined by the splash-proof plate and an outer wall of the fan cover (Yang as modified, Figs. 1-3, there is a flow-guiding cavity defined between 9-3 and the walls surrounding 3 where air flows from 9-3 to the inlet of the fan), and the flow-guiding passage is configured to guide the airflow from the position corresponding to the air inlet port, in the flow-guiding cavity to an air distribution cavity (the flow-guiding passage is defined by 9-3 and the walls surrounding fan 3, the flow guiding passage guides airflow from the inlet of 1 into the flow-guiding cavity and to an air distribution cavity between 9-3 and the location of 9-2 where the air distribution cover of Warnaka is positioned)
Regarding claim 14, the combined teachings teach of the air duct structure according to claim 1, and the combined teachings further teach:
Wherein the flow-guiding cavity comprises a high-speed airflow area and a low-speed airflow area (Yang as modified, Fig. 3, the high speed area is the space within 9 and the low speed area is the space on the downstream side of 9-2 leading to the inlet of the fan as the high speed area has a narrower cross-section which would result in higher air speeds at a constant air volume);
the flow- guiding cavity is provided with a flow-guiding plate which is arranged at a position- corresponding to the air inlet port configured to guide the airflow in the high-speed airflow area into the low-speed airflow area (Fig. 3, 9-3 is a flow guiding plate arranged at the inlet and guides airflow from the high speed area to the lower speed area)
Regarding claim 17, the combined teachings teach of the air duct structure according to claim 1, and the combined teachings further teach:
An electric cabinet, comprising a housing, and a fan and an air duct structure inside the housing, wherein the air duct structure is the air duct structure according to claim 1 (see rejection of claim 1, the system is an electric cabinet with a housing and a fan 3 and an air duct structure as mapped above)
Regarding claim 18, the combined teachings teach of the air duct structure according to claim 2, and the combined teachings further teach:
An electric cabinet, comprising a housing, and a fan and an air duct structure inside the housing, wherein the air duct structure is the air duct structure according to claim 2 (see rejection of claim 1, the system is an electric cabinet with a housing and a fan 3 and an air duct structure as mapped above)
Regarding claim 20, the combined teachings teach of the air duct structure according to claim 1, and the combined teachings further teach:
wherein the air distribution plate is a mesh structure (Yang, ¶ [0027], “a dustproof mesh component 8”)
Claim(s) 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang (CN 203851002 U) in view of Warnaka (WO 9505542 A1) and in further view of Li (US 20140069735 A1).
Regarding claim 12, the combined teachings teach of the air duct structure according to claim 11, however, the combined teachings fail to explicitly teach:
wherein a surface of the outer wall of the fan cover and/or a surface of the splash-proof plate for forming the flow-guiding passage is provided with an absorption structure for reducing a wind speed.
Li teaches of:
wherein a surface of the outer wall of the fan cover and/or a surface of the splash-proof plate for forming the flow-guiding passage is provided with an absorption structure for reducing a wind speed (see combination made below, Li teaches of lining the inner surface of a duct with absorption material; ¶ [0046], “the lining of acoustic material may also be a lining formed of a porous sound-absorbing material, including, for example, such foams as polyurethane foam and melamine foam, as well as such fibers as polyester fibers and centrifugal glass-wools”)
The combined teachings can be modified to meet this/these limitation(s) as follows:
line all the interior surfaces of Yang as modified with a soft acoustic material
A person of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to make the above modification(s) because:
it would reduce the noise produced within the system, improving user experience (Li, ¶ [0046], “In this embodiment, in order to enhance the noise-reducing capabilities of the ventilating module, it is also possible to provide a noise-reducing component in the air duct. For instance, it is possible to provide an active noise-reducing component in the air duct or provide a lining of acoustic material on the inner wall of the air duct, so as to absorb the noise coming into the air duct via the active noise-reducing component or the acoustic material”)
Claim(s) 13 and 21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang (CN 203851002 U) in view of Warnaka (WO 9505542 A1) and in further view of Lei (CN 111969460 A).
Regarding claim 13, the combined teachings teach of the air duct structure according to claim 1, however, the combined teachings fail to explicitly teach:
wherein the number of the air inlet port is four, and the four air inlet ports are arranged on four side surfaces of the electric cabinet, respectively.
Lei teaches of:
wherein the number of the air inlet port is four, and the four air inlet ports are arranged on four side surfaces of the electric cabinet, respectively (Figs. 1-2, 7 is an air distribution plate positioned in inlets for duct structure of the device 1 creating four inlets, one for each side of the device; Pg. 4, “the air inlet mechanism 3 comprises an air inlet shell 7; four sides of the air inlet shell 7 are provided with a group of air inlet holes 8”)
The combined teachings can be modified to meet this/these limitation(s) as follows:
modify Yang as modified so that there are two more inlets to the duct structure positioned on the front and rear of the cabinet not shown in the figures and further provide identical intake structure to both of the new inlets
A person of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to make the above modification(s) because:
it would allow for air to be drawn from all sides of the cabinet, increasing air flow and improving ventilation and cooling
Regarding claim 21, the combined teachings teach of the air duct structure of claim 1, however, the combined teachings fail to explicitly teach:
wherein the air distribution plate surrounds the distribution cover.
Lei teaches of:
wherein the air distribution plate surrounds the distribution cover (Figs. 1-2, 7 is an air distribution plate positioned in inlets for duct structure of the device 1 creating four inlets, one for each side of the device which surrounds the interior of the device; Pg. 4, “the air inlet mechanism 3 comprises an air inlet shell 7; four sides of the air inlet shell 7 are provided with a group of air inlet holes 8”)
The combined teachings can be modified to meet this/these limitation(s) as follows:
modify Yang as modified so that there are two more inlets to the duct structure positioned on the front and rear of the cabinet not shown in the figures so that the inlets extend around the entire perimeter of the air duct structure and further provide identical intake structure to both of the new inlets so that the air distribution plate 8 spans the entire perimeter of the air duct structure and therefore surround the air distribution cover
A person of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to make the above modification(s) because:
it would allow for air to be drawn from all sides of the cabinet, increasing air flow and improving ventilation and cooling
Claim(s) 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang (CN 203851002 U) in view of Warnaka (WO 9505542 A1) and in further view of Kawase (JP 2002225572 A).
Regarding claim 19, the combined teachings teach of the air duct structure of claim 1, however, the combined teachings fail to explicitly teach:
wherein the air distribution plate is a perforated plate structure.
Kawase teaches of:
wherein the air distribution plate is a perforated plate structure (Fig. 4, 47 is a dustproof perforated plate positioned at an air inlet; ¶ [0028], “whereas the dustproof net 27 of the side wall 20 is made of perforated metal that is bent into a corrugated shape with multiple ridges 47A and 47B arranged horizontally over the entire area of the intake port 25”)
The combined teachings can be modified to meet this/these limitation(s) as follows:
replace 8 with the perforated plate of Kawase
A person of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to make the above modification(s) because:
it would still block the ingress of dust into the cabinet and the corrugated nature of the perforated plate improves the plates strength
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL J GIORDANO whose telephone number is (571)272-8940. The examiner can normally be reached M-Fr 8 AM - 5 PM EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Helena Kosanovic can be reached at (571) 272-9059. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MICHAEL JAMES GIORDANO/Examiner, Art Unit 3762
/HELENA KOSANOVIC/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3762
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