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 .
Claims 1-2, 4-6, and 9-20 are pending. Applicant’s arguments, see Remarks, filed 6 July 2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1, 15, and 19 under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kamiyama (US 9,694,626 B2) in view of Park (KR 102273933 B1) have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Park (KR 102273933 B1) in view of Ikeda et al. (JP 2012/062701 A).
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) 1-2, 4-6, and 9-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Park (KR 102273933 B1) in view of Ikeda et al. (JP 2012/062701 A).
Regarding Claim 1, Park (KR 102273933 B1) discloses an acoustic structure (See Examiner Annotated Park Fig. 4-5 for all) comprising:
at least one coupled pair of oblong Helmholtz resonators comprising (Coupled chamber 121 left and right of W with width 110mm and thickness 120mm; Para. 0051):
an inner wall, elongated in a length direction with a first end and a second end oppositely disposed from the first end, the first end and the second end being spaced apart from each other in a direction transverse to the length direction (Inner wall W elongated in length direction L with first end A and second end B oppositely disposed in a direction T transverse to length direction L);
a first oblong rectangular shaped Helmholtz resonator comprising (Coupled chamber 121 left of W);
a first inner volume on one side of and partially defined by the inner wall (121 left of inner wall W);
a first side wall spaced apart from and extending generally parallel to the inner wall (First side wall C parallel to inner wall W),
a first neck wall extending perpendicular from the second end of the inner wall (First neck wall D perpendicular from second end B of inner wall W), and
a first neck opening, proximal the second end, between the first neck wall and the first side wall, (First neck opening N, proximal second end B, between first neck wall D and first side wall C); and
a second oblong shaped Helmholtz resonator comprising a second inner volume on another side of and partially defined by the inner wall, a second side wall, a second neck wall, and a second neck opening, such that the at least one coupled pair of Helmholtz resonators has two-fold rotational symmetry about the length direction of the inner wall (See same features A-E and N second resonator 121 right of W with two fold symmetry (rotated 180 degrees) about length direction L of inner wall W).
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Examiner Annotated Park Fig. 4-5
Park fails to explicitly disclose a first neck opening, proximal the second end and distal the first end of the inner wall, between the first neck wall and the first side wall (First neck opening N, proximal second end B and not explicitly distal first end A of inner wall W, between first neck wall D and first side wall C). However, Ikeda et al. (JP 2012/062701 A) teaches wherein a first neck opening, proximal the second end and distal the first end of the inner wall, between the first neck wall and the first side wall (In structure of Examiner Annotated Ikeda Fig. 15b: with neck opening S1 proximal second end B and distal first end A of inner wall 37; Para. 0075-0076. Similar features present for second resonator right of wall 37, with second neck opening S3). Ikeda et al. and Park are in similar fields comprising resonators. Modifying Park with teachings of Ikeda et al. would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention wherein a first neck opening, proximal the second end and distal the first end of the inner wall, between the first neck wall and the first side wall for the purpose of being “obvious to try" – choosing from a finite number of identified, predictable solutions, with a reasonable expectation of success.
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Examiner annotated Ikeda Fig. 15
Regarding Claim 2, Park as modified by Ikeda et al. disclose the acoustic structure according to claim 1, wherein the first oblong rectangular shaped Helmholtz resonator comprises a first flange, proximal to the second end of the inner wall and extending from the first side wall towards the inner wall and between the first neck opening and the first neck wall, and the second oblong rectangular shaped Helmholtz resonator comprises a second flange neck proximal to the first end of the inner wall and extending from the second side wall and between the second neck opening and the second neck wall (In Examiner Annotated Park Fig. 4-5: First flange E proximal to second end B of inner wall W (modified by Examiner Annotated Ikeda Fig. 15) and extending from first side wall C towards inner wall W and between first neck opening N and first neck wall D. See same features A-E and N second resonator 121 right of W).
Regarding Claim 4, Park as modified by Ikeda et al. disclose the acoustic structure according to claim 1, wherein the first oblong rectangular shaped Helmholtz resonator and the second oblong rectangular shaped Helmholtz resonator each have a width dimension that is greater than a thickness dimension (Examiner Annotated Park Fig. 5: Coupled chamber 121 left and right of inner wall W with D having width 110mm and W having thickness 120mm; Para. 0051).
Regarding Claim 5, Park as modified by Ikeda et al. disclose the acoustic structure according to claim 1, wherein:
the first oblong rectangular shaped Helmholtz resonator comprises a first end wall extending from and in direct contact with the first end of the inner wall and the first side wall spaced apart from the inner wall (In Examiner Annotated Park Fig. 4-5 Left of W: Resonator 121 with first end wall F extending from first end A of inner wall W and spaced from inner wall W); and
the second oblong rectangular shaped Helmholtz resonator comprises a second end wall extending from and in direct contact with the second end of the inner wall and the second side wall spaced apart from the inner wall (See same features A-E and N second resonator 121 right of W).
Regarding Claim 6, please note the rejection as set forth above with respect to claim 2. Claim 6 is rejected for similar reasons as claim 2.
Regarding Claim 9, Park as modified by Ikeda et al. disclose the acoustic structure according to claim 1, wherein the at least one coupled pair of oblong Helmholtz resonators comprises a plurality of coupled pairs of oblong Helmholtz resonators spaced apart from and aligned parallel with each other (In Park Fig. 10: Six central pairs of 100 spaced apart and parallel within a single row. In Park Fig. 11,13: Column 170 with 3 coupled pairs of resonators 100 parallel/vertically spaced apart by layers 162a-d; Para. 0083).
Regarding Claim 10, Park as modified by Ikeda et al. disclose the acoustic structure according to claim 9, wherein the plurality of coupled pairs of oblong Helmholtz resonators define a column of coupled pairs of oblong Helmholtz resonators (In Park Fig. 9-13: Column 170 with 3 coupled pairs of resonators 100 parallel/vertically spaced apart by layers 162a-d).
Regarding Claim 11, Park as modified by Ikeda et al. disclose the acoustic structure according to claim 10, wherein the column of coupled pairs of oblong Helmholtz resonators is a plurality of two-pack coupled pairs of oblong Helmholtz resonators (In Park Fig. 9-13: Follows when two columns of 170 are considered as one column, each row is a two-pack coupled pair ).
Regarding Claim 12, Park as modified by Ikeda et al. disclose the acoustic structure according to claim 11. Park as modified by Ikeda et al. fails to explicitly disclose wherein individual two-pack coupled pair of oblong Helmholtz resonators (In Park Fig. 10: Six central pairs of 100 spaced apart and parallel within a single row. In Park Fig. 11,13: Column 170 with 3 coupled pairs of resonators 100 parallel/vertically spaced apart by layers 162a-d; Para. 0083) are directly attached to each other. However, Ikeda et al. further teaches wherein individual two-pack coupled pair of oblong Helmholtz resonators are directly attached to each other (Ikeda: Coupled pair 30D and 30H directly attached to 30C and 30G in Fig. 19; Para. 0085). Modifying Park as modified by Ikeda et al. with additional teachings of Ikeda et al. would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention wherein individual two-pack coupled pair of oblong Helmholtz resonators are directly attached to each other for the purpose of conserving space.
Regarding Claim 13, Park as modified by Ikeda et al. disclose the acoustic structure according to claim 10, wherein the column of coupled pair of oblong Helmholtz resonators is a plurality of three-pack coupled pair of oblong Helmholtz resonators (In Park Fig. 9-13: Column 170 with 3 coupled pairs of resonators 100 parallel/vertically spaced apart by layers 162a-d). ).
Regarding Claim 14, Park as modified by Ikeda et al. disclose the acoustic structure according to claim 13. Park as modified by Ikeda et al. fails to explicitly disclose wherein individual three-pack coupled pair of oblong Helmholtz resonators are directly attached to each other. However, Ikeda et al. additionally teaches wherein individual three-pack coupled pair of oblong Helmholtz resonators are directly attached to each other (Ikeda: See Coupled pair 30D and 30H; 30C and 30G; and 30B and 30F in Fig. 19; Para. 0085). Modifying Park as modified by Ikeda et al. with additional teachings of Ikeda et al. would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention wherein individual two-pack coupled pair of oblong Helmholtz resonators are directly attached to each other for the purpose of conserving space.
Regarding Claim 15, please note the rejection as set forth above with respect to claim 1. Claim 15 is rejected for similar reasons as claim 1, with Park additionally disclosing at least one column of spaced apart coupled pair of oblong Helmholtz resonators (In Park Fig. 9-13: Column 170 with 3 coupled pairs of resonators 100 parallel/vertically spaced apart by layers 162a-d), each of the coupled pair of oblong Helmholtz resonators (rejected similarly as claim 1).
Regarding Claim 16, please note the rejection as set forth above with respect to claim 4. Claim 16 is rejected for similar reasons as claim 4.
Regarding Claim 17, please note the rejection as set forth above with respect to claim 11. Claim 17 is rejected for similar reasons as claim 11.
Regarding Claim 18, please note the rejection as set forth above with respect to claim 13. Claim 18 is rejected for similar reasons as claim 13.
Regarding Claim 19, please note the rejection as set forth above with respect to claim 1. Claim 19 is rejected for similar reasons as claim 1, with Park additionally disclosing a plurality, the following in bold: a column of spaced apart coupled pair of oblong Helmholtz resonators (In Park Fig. 11,13: Column 170 with 3 coupled pairs of resonators 100 parallel/vertically spaced apart by layers 162a-d; Para. 0083) comprising: a plurality of spaced apart inner walls; a plurality of first oblong rectangular shaped Helmholtz resonators having a plurality of respective first inner volumes on one side of and partially defined by a respective inner wall; and a plurality of second oblong rectangular shaped Helmholtz resonators having a plurality of respective second inner volumes on another side of and partially defined by the respective inner wall (In Examiner Annotated Park Fig. 4-5: Each pair of resonators 100 with inner wall W, first resonator left of W, second resonator right of W; Para. 0051. Each inner wall W vertically spaced apart by 162a-d).
Regarding Claim 20, please note the rejection as set forth above with respect to claim 4. Claim 20 is rejected for similar reasons as claim 4.
Conclusion
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/JENNIFER B OLSON/Examiner, Art Unit 2837
/DEDEI K HAMMOND/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2837
