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 § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claims 1-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention. Claims 1 and 11 call for the limitations of "an accommodation part provided inside the housing to receive the temperature sensor in a thermally insulated compartment isolated from the main air flow; and a communication groove configured to allow the accommodation part and the internal space of the housing to communicate with each other for controlled movement of a portion of the external air into the accommodation part." which is confusing as the drawing simply discloses an insulated housing for the sensor with an air intake opening and there appear to be no disclosure of a structure capable of achieving the function of "an accommodation part provided inside the housing to receive the temperature sensor in a thermally insulated compartment isolated from the main air flow; and a communication groove configured to allow the accommodation part and the internal space of the housing to communicate with each other for controlled movement of a portion of the external air into the accommodation part."
Claims 2-10 and 12-18 are dependent from independent claims 1 and 11, respectively, rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph above and therefore inherits the deficiencies of the parent claims 1 and 11.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
2. 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.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al (English Translated Korean Patent Publication No. 20150108724), hereinafter referred to as Kim et al ‘724, in view of Kohbodi (U.S. PG Pub No.: 20230139744 A1), hereinafter referred to as Kohbodi ‘744.
Regarding claim 1, KIM et al '724 disclose a portable air conditioner (1) comprising: ahousing (10) having an internal space (100) {see page 2 of 27: Description-of-Embodiments] aheat exchanger (50) provided in the internal space and heat-exchanged with external airintroduced from the outside {see Figs. 2(a-b): page 2 of 27: Description-of-Embodiments] ablower fan (122) configured to generate a negative pressure in the internal space so that theexternal air is introduced (102), the blower fan allowing the heat-exchanged external air to moveupward {see Figs. 2(a-b): page 2 of 27: Description-of-Embodiments} a discharge port (104)configured to guide the upwardly guided external air to the outside of the housing {see Figs. 2(a-b): page 2 of 27: Description-of-Embodiments }; a temperature sensor (2218) configured tomeasure a temperature of the external air {see Figs. 21: page 18 of 27: I 2; and page 19 of 27: I5}.
However, KIM et al '724 does not appear to disclose the limitation of a "an accommodation part provided inside the housing to receive the temperature sensor in a thermally insulated compartment isolated from the main airflow; and a communication groove configured to allow the accommodation part and the internal space of the housing to communicate with each other for controlled movement of a portion of So that the external air into moves into the internal space of the housing via the accommodation part."
The general concept of providing an insulated sensor housing with inlet groove to allow a portion of the air to be sensed by the sensor in the housing is well known in the art as illustrated by Kohbodi ‘744 which discloses a sensor (52) which is located in an insulated accommodated part of cover (53) and having an inlet groove (right side of 59) so as to allow control movement of a portion of external at the air into the accommodating part {as shown in Fig. 9: ¶ [0038-0039] and [0045]}.
Since all claimed elements were known in the art at the time of the invention, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to modify KIM et al '724 in view of Kohbodi ‘744 to include the use of an insulated sensor housing along with a groove opening to allow the accommodating part and the internal space to communicate with each other for control movement of a portion of the external air into the accommodating part, in order to protect the sensor while ensuring that accurate measurement of the air is achieved.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to modify the KIM et al '724 in view of Kohbodi ‘744 to obtain the invention as specified in claim 1.
Regarding claim 2, the combination of KIM et al ‘724 and Kohbodi ‘744 disclose and teach the portable air conditioner of claim 1, KIM et al ‘724 disclose further comprising an inner casing (120) provided inside the housing and connected to the blower fan, wherein the inner casing comprises: a front surface of which one side is recessed to define the accommodation part {as shown in Figs. 2(a-b): page 2 of 27: Description-of-Embodiments}; a rear surface angled at a predetermined angle with respect to the front surface and disposed to face the internal space of the housing; and a front discharge passage (104) adjacent to the accommodation part and configured to guide the external air introduced by the blower and to the outside of the front surface, wherein the communication groove passes through an inner surface of the accommodation part and the rear surface {as shown in Figs. 2(a-b): page 2 of 27: Description-of-Embodiments}.
Regarding claim 3, the combination of KIM et al ‘724 and Kohbodi ‘744 disclose and teach the portable air conditioner of claim 2, KIM et al ‘724 disclose wherein the inner casing further comprises a top surface capable of being configured to connect the front surface to the rear surface, and the communication groove is defined by recessing one side of the top surface downward {as shown in Figs. 2(a-b): page 2 of 27: Description-of-Embodiments}.
Response to Arguments
2. Applicant's arguments, see pages 10-13, filed 11/14/2025, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1-3 under 35 USC § 103(a) and claims 4-10 objection have been fully considered but are moot in view of the new ground(s) of rejection as detailed above.
Conclusion
4. Applicant's amendment and new claims necessitated the new grounds of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US-11859839-B2 to Chiu; Ming-Tsung.
US-20160047559-A1 to SWANSON; KURT M.
US-20230139744-A1 to Kohbodi.
CN-111279131-B to DE RONKI, GIUSEPPE.
KR-20150108724-A to KIM JUNG HO.
KR-200441282-Y1 to 박정우.
KR-100575779-B1 to CHOI WON HO.
ES-2221713-T3 to NAGANO MASATOSHI.
JP-3337052-B2 to SHIMOKUBO HIRONOBU.
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any extension fee pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to EMMANUEL E DUKE whose telephone number is (571)270-5290. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday thru Friday; 6:00 AM to 2:00 PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, FRANTZ JULES can be reached on (571)272-6681. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/EMMANUEL E DUKE/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3763
01/24/2026
/FRANTZ F JULES/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3763