DETAILED ACTION
The present office action is in response to claims filed on 10/05/2023. Claims 1 – 15 are pending in the application.
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
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 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.
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 of this title, 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.
Claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 10, 12, 13, 14, and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Moon et al. (U.S. Pre-Grant Publication No. 2018/0313569) in view of Luo et al. (U.S. Patent No. 10,895,401).
Regarding Claim 1, Moon shows (Figures 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, and 10):
An air conditioner (1), comprising:
a main body (10, 100) including:
a first side (the left side, as illustrated in Figure 1),
a second side (the right side, as illustrated in Figure 1) opposite to the first side (the left side, as illustrated in Figure 1),
an outlet (13, 102) between the first side (the left side, as illustrated in Figure 1) and the second side (the right side, as illustrated in Figure 1), and
a guide protrusion (111) on (as illustrated in Figure 2) the outlet (13, 102); and
a blade (120) configured to open (as described in Paragraph 0061) and close (closed position illustrated in Figures 2 and 4) the outlet (13, 102), the blade including:
a blade body (the body of 120, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 3) extending from (as illustrated in Figure 1) the first side (the left side, as illustrated in Figure 1) to the second side (the right side, as illustrated in Figure 1) of the main body (10, 100) when the outlet (13, 102) is closed by (as illustrated in Figures 2 and 4) the blade (120), and
a guide rail (121) on a top surface (the surface facing the interior of 10, as illustrated in Figure 3) of the blade body (the body of 120, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 3) facing the outlet (13, 102), wherein the blade (120) is configured so that:
the blade (120) is rotatable (as described in Paragraph 0061) relative to the outlet (13, 102) to adjust a direction (“adjust a vertical direction of the discharged air”, Paragraph 0061) of flow of air (flow of discharged air) discharged from the outlet (13, 102), and
the guide rail (121) is supported by (as illustrated in Figures 4, 6, and 7) the guide protrusion (111) to guide at least one of a translational movement or a rotational movement (as described in Paragraph 0061 and illustrated in Figure 8) of the blade body (the body of 120, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 3) with respect to the main body (10, 100) during rotation of the blade body.
However, Moon lacks showing the guide rail is supported by the guide protrusion so as to be slidable.
In the same field of endeavor of air conditioners, Luo teaches (Figures 1, 2, and 14):
It is known in the air conditioner (10) art for a guide rail (11) is supported by (as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2) a guide protrusion (23) so as to be slidable (as illustrated in Figure, 231 slides within 11)to guide at least one of a translational movement (translational movement illustrated between Figures 1 and 2) or a rotational movement (rotational movement illustrated between Figures 1 and 2) of a blade body (the body of 10).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to modify the guide rail shown by Moon to include a slot, such that the guide rail is supported by the guide protrusion so as to be slidable, as taught by Luo, to increase controllability of the system by allowing a greater degree of control over the orientation of the blade body.
Regarding Claim 2, Moon shows (Figures 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, and 10):
A motor (140), and
a linkage device (126, 104, 112) configured to transmit a rotational force (as described in Paragraph 0089) generated by the motor (140) to the blade (120).
Regarding Claim 3, Moon shows (Figures 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, and 10):
The linkage device (126, 104, 112) includes:
a first link (126) connected to (as illustrated in Figure 6) the motor (140) so that the first link (126) is rotatable (as illustrated in Figure 6),
a second link (104) connecting (as illustrated in Figure 3) the first link (126) and the blade (120), and
a third link (112) connecting (via 104) the first link (126) and the blade (120) at a position closer to (as illustrated in Figure 3, 112 is closer to 140 than the distal end of 104) the motor (140) than the second link (112), the third link (112) having a length shorter than (as illustrated in Figure 3, the length of 112 is less than the length of 104) a length of the second link (104).
Regarding Claim 4, the combination of Moon (Figures 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, and 10) and Luo (Figures 1, 2, and 14) teaches:
The guide rail (Moon: 121, modified in view of Luo to include a slot) includes:
a first section (Moon: as modified to include the slot, the portion of 121 below the slot) inclining downwardly along (Moon: as illustrated in Figure 4, 121 slopes downward toward the left side of 121, which is toward the direction of airflow exiting 102) along the direction of flow of the air (Moon: the air flows toward the left side of 121) and having a straight shape (Moon: as illustrated in Figure 4), and
a second section (Moon: as modified to include the slot, the portion of 121 above the slot) extending from an upper portion of the first section (Moon: as modified to include the slot, the portion of 121 below the slot) and having a curved shape (Moon: as illustrated in Figure 4).
Regarding Claim 6, the combination of Moon (Figures 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, and 10) and Luo (Figures 1, 2, and 14) teaches:
The blade body (Moon: the body of 120, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 3) is configured to perform a rotational movement (Moon: as illustrated in Figure 6) with respect to the main body (Moon: 10, 100) in response to the guide rail (Moon: 121, modified in view of Luo to include a slot) sliding with the guide protrusion (Moon: 111) in the second section (Moon: as modified to include the slot, the portion of 121 above the slot).
Regarding Claim 10, the combination of Moon (Figures 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, and 10) and Luo (Figures 1, 2, and 14) teaches:
The second section (Moon: as modified to include the slot, the portion of 111 above the slot) has a predetermined radius of curvature (Moon: as illustrated in Figure 4, the top portion of 111 has a predetermined radius of curvature).
Regarding Claim 12, Moon shows (Figures 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, and 10):
The motor (140) includes a motor shaft (the portion of 140 inserted into 126a, as described in Paragraph 0089), and
the first link (126) includes:
a first end (126a) connected to (as described in Paragraph 0089) the motor shaft (the portion of 140 inserted into 126a, as described in Paragraph 0089), and
a second end (the distal end of 126 opposite 126a) configured to rotate about the first end (126a).
Regarding Claim 13, Moon shows (Figures 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, and 10):
The blade (120) includes:
a plurality of guide rails (as illustrated in Figure 3, there are a plurality of 111) arranged along a longitudinal direction (as illustrated in Figure 3) of the blade body (the body of 120, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 3).
Regarding Claim 14, Moon shows (Figures 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, and 10):
The guide rail (111) is disposed more inwardly along (as illustrated in Figure 3) the blade body (the body of 120, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 3) than the linkage device (126, 104, 112).
Regarding Claim 15, Moon shows (Figures 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, and 10):
The blade body (the body of 120, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 3) is configured to cover (as illustrated in Figure 1, the left side can be defined as the left third of 10/100 and the right side can be defined as the right third of 10/100; therefore, 120 covers a portion of the left and right side of 10/100) at least a portion of the first side (the left side, as illustrated in Figure 1) and least a portion of the second side (the right side, as illustrated in Figure 1) when the outlet (13, 102) is closed by the blade (120).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5, 7-9, and 11 are objected to as being dependent on 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.
Regarding Claim 5, the combination of Moon (Figures 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, and 10) and Luo (Figures 1, 2, and 14) teaches:
The blade body (Moon: the body of 120, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 3) is configured to perform a rotational movement (Moon: as illustrated in Figure 6) with respect to the main body (Moon: 10, 100) in response to the guide rail (Moon: 121, modified in view of Luo to include a slot) sliding with the guide protrusion (Moon: 111) in the second section (Moon: as modified to include the slot, the portion of 121 below the slot).
However, the combination lacks explicitly showing the blade body is configured to perform a translational movement in addition to a rotational movement when the guide rail slides with the guide protrusion in the first section.
Modifying Moon accordingly teaches away from the principle operation of Moon.
Regarding Claim 7, Moon shows (Figures 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, and 10):
The blade (120) is configured to be movable between:
a first position in which the outlet (13, 102) is closed (closed position illustrated in Figures 2 and 4) and
a second position in which the outlet (13, 102) is open (as described in Paragraph 0061).
However, Moon lacks showing in the first position, the guide protrusion is disposed at an end of the first second of the guide rail and in the second position, the guide protrusion is disposed at an end of the second section of the guide rail.
Modifying Moon accordingly teaches away from the principle operation of Moon.
Claims 8 and 9 depend from Claim 7.
Regarding Claim 11, Moon shows (Figures 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, and 10):
The second link (104) and the third link (112) are configured to rotate in the same direction to a rotation direction of the first link (126).
However, Moon lacks showing the second link and the third link are configured to rotate in opposite directions to a rotation direction of the first link.
Modifying Moon accordingly teaches away from the principle operation of Moon.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure and is provided in the Notice of References Cited.
The following prior art teaches related air conditioners:
Kim et al. (U.S. Pre-Grant Publication No. 2020/0263882): see Figure 2
Lee et al. (U.S. Pre-Grant Publication No. 2018/0313552): see Figures 1-4
Kim et al. (U.S. Pre-Grant Publication No. 2017/0067681): see Figures 1-3
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANA K TIGHE whose telephone number is (571)272-9476. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday - Friday 8:00 - 4:00.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Steve McAllister, can be reached on 571-272-6785. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/DANA K TIGHE/Examiner, Art Unit 3762
/AVINASH A SAVANI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3762