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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The IDSes filed 11/01/24, 02/12/25, 6/25/25, 12/15/25, 3/11/26 and the third-party submission filed 7/28/25 have all been considered and placed of record. The initial copies are attached herewith.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
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.
Claims 12-14 and 16-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Namiki (US 2017/0331302).
Re claim 12, the reference discloses a battery charger 1 having, inter alia, a housing 3 including a connection interface (109,3a,7) to slidably receive a rechargeable battery 2 (para 35: “specifically, the battery pack 2 is mounted on the charging device 1 by sliding the battery pack 2 over the top surface of housing 3;” fig 2A); electronic components 5 disposed in the housing 3; and a fan 6 disposed in the housing between the connection interface (109,3a,7) and the electronic components 5, the fan including a centrifugal blower having an axis of rotation that extends through the connection interface and the electronic components (para 56: “a different type of fan, such as a sirocco fan (centrifugal fan);” fig 5).
Re claim 13, the reference further discloses the electronic components include a circuit board 5A and at least one other electric component (8,11) disposed on the circuit board (para 43; fig 5).
Re claim 14, the reference further discloses the axis of rotation of the centrifugal blower is transverse to the circuit board (figs 2A and 2B shows fan 6 blows air across the board 5).
Re claim 16, the reference further discloses the housing 3 further includes a side wall having a vent (3b,3c) defined therein, and air flows into the housing in a direction toward the electronic components and exits the housing through the vent in a direction away from the axis of rotation (para 36; fig 6A and 6B).
Re claim 17, the reference discloses a battery charger 1 having, inter alia, a housing 3 including a connection interface (109,3a,7) to slidably receive a rechargeable battery (para 35: “specifically, the battery pack 2 is mounted on the charging device 1 by sliding the battery pack 2 over the top surface of housing 3;” fig 2A);, the connection interface extending along a longitudinal plane, and a side wall (wall by 3c or 3b; fig 5); electronic components 5 disposed in the housing 3; and a fan 6 disposed in the housing 3 adjacent the side wall 3c, the fan including a centrifugal blower having an axis of rotation that extends transverse to the longitudinal plane (para 56: “a different type of fan, such as a sirocco fan (centrifugal fan);” fig 5), the axis of rotation extending between the connection interface and the electronic components (figs 2A and 2B).
Re claim 18, the reference further discloses a projection of a perimeter of the fan intersects the connection interface and the electronic components, the projection extending parallel to the axis of rotation (fig 2B shows arrow (i.e. claimed projection) intersecting the connection via two wires (unnumbered) between the connection interface (9,3a,7) and the electronic components 5).
Re claim 19, the reference further discloses the side wall 3c includes a vent 3c defined therein, and air flows into the housing 3 past the connection interface (3a,9,7) in a direction toward the axis of rotation (by fan 6) and exits the housing through the vent 3c in a direction along the axis of rotation (fig 2B shows arrow).
Re claim 20, the reference further discloses the side wall 3b includes a vent 3b defined therein, and air flows into the housing 3 through the vent 3b in a direction along the axis of rotation and exits the housing past the connection interface in a direction away from the axis of rotation (fig 2B shows airflows away from vent 3b).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
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 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Namiki (US 2017/033132).
The reference does not explicitly disclose a duct to direct air pass the connection interface toward the fan. Official notice is taken of the fact that having a duct would allow for direct application of airflow to a target. It would have been well within the skill of one versed in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have provided a duct to direct air to components needing to cool.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-11 are allowed. The art made of record fails to disclose a second fan positioned in the claimed positional manner.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication should be directed to the Examiner at the below-listed number. The Examiner can normally be reached on Mon-Thu from 7:00am-5:00pm.
The Examiner’s SPE is Drew Dunn and he can be reached at 571.272.2312. The fax number for the organization where this application is assigned is 571.273.8300.
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/EDWARD TSO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2859 571.272.2087
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