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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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) 1-2 and 4-5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. PGPUB 20150087217 to Switzer et al. (Switzer).
Regarding claim 1, Switzer teaches a one-piece frame (20, Figures 1-3) comprising a substantially planar face plate (30 and 38, Figures 1-2) which defines a longitudinally elongate vent opening (shown in Figures 1-3); and a series of fixed-position curvilinear vanes unitarily joined to the planar face plate which extend latitudinally across the vent opening (60, Figures 1-3).
Regarding claim 2, Switzer teaches wherein each of the vanes has a convex curvilinear cross-sectional geometry (shown in Figures 1-3).
Regarding claim 4, Switzer teaches wherein each of the vanes is non-uniformly curvilinear (shown in Figures 1-3, each vane has a different radius at different points).
Regarding claim 5, Switzer teaches wherein the frame includes a mounting flange bounding the vent opening and unitarily joined to and extending from a rear surface of the face plate (52 and/or 50, Figure 2).
Claim(s) 13-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.D. Patent 6227962to Orendorff (Orendorff).
Regarding claim 13, Orendorff teaches a one-piece frame (12, Figure 1) comprising a substantially planar face plate (shown around the sides of 12, Figure 1) which defines a longitudinally elongate vent opening (shown in Figure 1); and a series of fixed-position angularly oriented planar vanes unitarily joined to the planar face plate which extend latitudinally across the vent opening (20, Figures 1 and 5), wherein each of the vanes has a widthwise dimension between leading and trailing edges thereof such that the trailing edges of each vane extends at least to a latitudinal plane defined by a leading edge of an immediately adjacent one of the vanes (shown in Figures 5a-5c).
Regarding claim 14, Orendorff teaches wherein the widthwise dimension of each of the vanes is such that the trailing edges of each vane extends beyond the latitudinal plane defined by the leading edge of an immediately adjacent one of the vanes (shown in Figures 5a-5c).
Regarding claim 15, Orendorff teaches wherein each of the vanes extends latitudinally across the vent opening and are unitarily joined to opposed side supports of the frame (shown in Figures 1 and 5 with vertical side supports shown in 2, 3, and 5).
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 6-9 and 11-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Switzer in view of U.S. PGPUB 20080119127 to Stewart (Stewart).
Regarding claim 6, Switzer teaches curvilinear vanes (shown in Figures 1-3).
Switzer is silent on wherein the frame includes a longitudinally extending central rib, and wherein the vanes include vane pairs that unitarily extend between the central rib and an adjacent portion of the frame.
Stewart teaches wherein the frame includes a longitudinally extending central rib (seen in the center of 100 in Figure 1), and wherein the vanes include vane pairs that unitarily extend between the central rib and an adjacent portion of the frame (vane pairs seen in Figure 1). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the teachings of Switzer with the teachings of Stewart to provide wherein the frame includes a longitudinally extending central rib, and wherein the vanes include vane pairs that unitarily extend between the central rib and an adjacent portion of the frame. Doing so would increase the strength of the vanes allowing them to be shorter.
Regarding claims 7 and 8, the modified device of Switzer wherein the vane pairs form a V-shaped series of curvilinear vanes which allow multidirectional venting of air (Figure 1 of Stewart shows the v shape).
Regarding claim 9, Switzer teaches wherein each of the vanes has a convex curvilinear cross-sectional geometry (shown in Figures 1-3).
Regarding claim 11, Switzer teaches wherein each of the vanes is non-uniformly curvilinear (shown in Figures 1-3, each vane has a different radius at different points).
Regarding claim 12, Switzer teaches wherein the frame includes a mounting flange bounding the vent opening and unitarily joined to and extending from a rear surface of the face plate (52 and/or 50, Figure 2).
Claim(s) 3 and 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Switzer in view of Stewart and U.S. Patent 1462343 to Jenkins (Jenkins).
Regarding claims 3 and 10, Switzer is silent on wherein each of the vanes is uniformly curvilinear.
Jenkins teaches wherein each of the vanes is uniformly curvilinear (Figures 5-7 show this shape). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the teachings of Switzer with the teachings of Jenkins to provide wherein each of the vanes is uniformly curvilinear. Doing so would be a simple change in shape.
Claim(s) 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Orendorff in view of DE202019100467 (467).
Regarding claim 16, Orendorff is silent on wherein the side supports are generally triangular.
467 teaches wherein the side supports are generally triangular (Figures 1, 2b, and 3-4 show triangular end supports). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the teachings of Orendorff with the teachings of 467 to provide wherein the side supports are generally triangular. Doing so would be a simple change in shape.
Conclusion
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/STEVEN S ANDERSON II/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3762