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 .
Election/Restrictions
In the response dated 1/2/2026, applicant has elected Group I, claims 1-9, without traverse. The restriction is hereby made FINAL.
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, 6, 7, 8, 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Takano (US 20210041350).
Regarding claim 1, A smoke detector with an anti-insect function comprising: a substrate, having a ring shape region surrounding a central detection region, and a first block structure of the central detection region being protruded from the substrate and higher than an upper surface of the ring shape region; a top cover having a lateral wall; a base disposed on the substrate and connected with the top cover and adapted to cover the optical detection module, the base having a second block structure partly overlapped with the lateral wall to form a guiding channel; (“The fire detection apparatus 1A is installed on an installation surface 2A on a lower surface of a ceiling portion of a building in an interior of the building, and includes an attachment base 10A, an outer cover 20A, an inner cover 30A, an inflow space 40A, an insect screen 50A, a detection space 60A, a detector cover 70A, a detector body 80A, a terminal board 90A, and a substrate 100A as illustrated in FIG. 1 to FIG. 3.” Takano: paragraph 79 & Figures 1-4)
an optical detection module disposed inside the central detection region; (“In Embodiment 1, installation is performed to be able to avoid direct reception of the first detection light or the second detection light irradiated from the first light emitting unit or the second light emitting unit through various optical path holes of the detector body 80A. For example, the first light emitting unit and the light receiving unit are installed at positions at which an angle between an optical axis of the first light emitting unit (hereinafter referred to as a “first light emitting-side optical axis”) and an optical axis of the light receiving unit (hereinafter referred to as a “light receiving-side optical axis”) is about 135°.” Takano: paragraph 106)
and a perforated plate disposed between the lateral wall and the second block structure and adapted to prevent an insect from moving into the top cover through the guiding channel. (“The insect screen 50A is a net for preventing insects present outside the fire detection apparatus 1A from intruding into the detection space 60A. The insect screen 50A is configured using a flat plate-shaped net (for example, a circular net), and is attached to the detector cover 70A as illustrated in FIG. 3.” Takano: paragraph 97 & Figure 3)
Regarding claim 6, The smoke detector of claim 1, wherein the top cover further comprises a cover body connected to the lateral wall, the lateral wall and the cover body both have an airtight feature, and the perforated plate is attached to a side of the lateral wall opposite to the cover body. (Takano: figure 1)
Regarding claim 7, The smoke detector of claim 1, wherein the smoke detector further comprises a plurality of connection ribs, two opposite ends of each of the plurality of connection ribs are connected to an inner surface of the base and an outer surface of the top cover respectively, and the perforated plate is attached to the plurality of connection ribs. (Takano: figure 1)
Regarding claim 8, The smoke detector of claim 1, wherein the perforated plate is connected to the top cover and the base in a monolithically integrated manner. (Takano: figures 3 & 4)
Regarding claim 9, The smoke detector of claim 1, wherein the perforated plate is disposed between the top cover and the base in a detachable manner. (“Next, with regard to a second feature of the attachment structure, the insect screen 50A, the first opening 30aA, and the detector cover 70A are configured such that the insect screen 50A can be detachably attached to the detector cover 70A through the first opening 30aA” Takano: paragraph 119)
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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) 2, 3, 4, 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takano in view of Sakurai (US 6195014).
Regarding claim 2, The smoke detector of claim 1, wherein the perforated plate is a ring-typed structure, an inner edge of the ring-typed structure corresponds to the lateral wall, an outer edge of the ring-typed structure corresponds to the second block structure, (“The insect screen 50A is a net for preventing insects present outside the fire detection apparatus 1A from intruding into the detection space 60A. The insect screen 50A is configured using a flat plate-shaped net (for example, a circular net), and is attached to the detector cover 70A as illustrated in FIG. 3.” Takano: paragraph 97 & Figure 3)
The claimed a plurality of holes is formed on a plate body of the ring-typed structure set between the inner edge and the outer edge is not specifically disclosed by Takano. Sakurai discloses a smoke detector that teaches using fine holes in an insect screen (“The insect screen 12 comprises a number of fine holes as a net of meshes” Sakurai: column 7, lines 55-56). Modifying Takano to use fine holes in the insect screen would increase the capabilities of the system by providing means for smoke to be able to enter the detection chamber but still prevent insects from interfering. Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify Takano according to Sakurai.
Regarding claim 3, The smoke detector of claim 2, wherein the central detection region comprises a sunken structure, the optical detection module is disposed inside the sunken structure, and a hollow area formed by the inner edge of the ring-typed structure corresponds to the optical detection module. (Takano: figure 3)
Regarding claim 4, The smoke detector of claim 2, wherein the inner edge and the outer edge of the ring-typed structure respectively abuts against the lateral wall and the second block structure. (Takano: figure 3)
Regarding claim 5, The smoke detector of claim 2, wherein a thickness of the plate body is greater than or equal to an aperture of each of the plurality of hole. (“The insect screen 12 comprises a number of fine holes as a net of meshes” Sakurai: column 7, lines 55-56)
Conclusion
Related Art:
US 20060007010 A1 – smoke detector with interior structure
US 20050134468 A1 – smoke detector with interior structure
US 6522254 B1 – smoke detector with insect screening
US 20020154018 A1 – smoke detector with interior structure
US 20020084907 A1 – smoke detector with interior structure
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TRAVIS R HUNNINGS whose telephone number is (571)272-3118. The examiner can normally be reached M: 6-7:30a, 9:30a-4:45p, 8:30-10p; T: 6-7:30a, 12-4p, 7:30p-12a; W: 6-7:30a, 9:30a-4:45p; H: 6-7:30a, 8:15a-4:45p; F: 12:00-4:45p.
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/TRAVIS R HUNNINGS/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2689