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
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of claims 1-16 in the reply filed on 4/20/26 is acknowledged.
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) 1-5 and 13-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. PGPUB 20210131697 to Kim et al. (Kim).
Regarding claim 1, Kim teaches an air guide configured to protrude toward a passage through which air flows (140, Figures 1-8 or 140’, Figures 9-11), wherein a length of the air guide protruding into the passage is adjustable by rotation with respect to the passage (shown in Figures 6 and 9-11).
Regarding claim 2, Kim teaches wherein the air guide is configured to be rotatable between a first position, a second position, and a third position (Figures 6 and 11a-11c show 3 positions).
Regarding claim 3, Kim teaches wherein: when the air guide is in the first position, the air flowing through the passage is discharged along the passage in a first direction; when the air guide is in the second position, the air flowing through the passage is discharged in a second direction, which is a horizontal direction (this is dependent on the positioning of the device and is considered intended use); and when the air guide is in the third position, the air flowing through the passage is discharged in a third direction, wherein each of the first direction and the third direction forms a different angle with respect to the second direction (Figures 6A-6C show three different directions).
Regarding claim 4, Kim teaches wherein the air guide, in the first position, does not protrude into the passage (Figure 6B).
Regarding claim 5, Kim teaches wherein the air guide, in the second position, partially protrudes into the passage (Figures 6A or 6C).
Regarding claim 13, Kim teaches wherein: the passage is defined by a housing; and the air guide is rotatable about a pivot axis arranged at the housing (pivot axis shown in Figures 6 and 9-11).
Regarding claim 14, Kim teaches wherein the air guide is provided adjacent to a discharge port through which the air is discharged from the passage (shown in Figures 6 and 9-11).
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 and 15-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim in view of U.S. PGPUB 20140308888 to Yasutomi et al. (Yasutomi).
Regarding claim 6, Kim is silent on wherein the air guide, in the third position, fully protrudes into the passage.
Yasutomi teaches wherein the air guide, in the third position, fully protrudes into the passage (Figure1). 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 Kim with the teachings of Yasutomi to provide wherein the air guide, in the third position, fully protrudes into the passage. Doing so would allow the air passage to be closed.
Regarding claim 15, Kim teaches an air guide configured to rotate to protrude toward a passage through which air flows (140 or 140’, Figures 6 and 9-11); the air guide is rotatable about a pivot axis (pivot axis shown in Figures 6 and 9-11).
Kim is silent on a driving portion and a controller configured to control an operation of the driving portion to adjust a rotation angle of the air guide.
Yasutomi teaches a driving portion and a controller configured to control an operation of the driving portion to adjust a rotation angle of the air guide (controller disclosed throughout and the abstract and Paragraph 0088 additionally Paragraphs 0078-0079 discloses a motor with a plurality of different modes and air guide positions input by a user). 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 Kim with the teachings of Yasutomi to provide a driving portion and a controller configured to control an operation of the driving portion to adjust a rotation angle of the air guide. Doing so would allow the device to be automatically controlled and/or present structure already likely present in Kim but not explicitly cited.
Regarding claim 16 the modified device of Kim teaches an input portion configured to input a position demand for the air guide and to communicate with the controller, wherein the controller operates the driving portion based on the position demand input by the input portion (Yasutomi discloses a plurality of input modes per Paragraphs 0087-0149 and Figures 1-8).
Claim(s) 7-10 and 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim in view of DE102013106557 to Meserle (Meserle).
Regarding claim 7, Kim is silent on wherein the air guide comprises a light- emitting region configured to emit light.
Meserle teaches a light emitting air guide (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 Kim with the teachings of Meserle to provide wherein the air guide comprises a light- emitting region configured to emit light. Doing so would allow light to be provided as desired and/or provide an aesthetic design pleasing to a user.
Regarding claim 8, the modified device of Kim teaches wherein an area of the light-emitting region exposed to the passage increases in size as the air guide protrudes into the passage (when modifying the air guide of Kim with the light provided by Meserle this would be provided as the air guide of Kim extends into the passage).
Regarding claim 9, the modified device of Kim teaches wherein the air guide comprises a light source configured to supply light to the light-emitting region (Meserle teaches emitting light which emits light from a light emitting region, additionally 6 is taught as a device that transmits light to another region, Page 5 Paragraph 1 of Meserle, additionally transparent devices to transmit light to another location are disclosed in claim 1, Page 3 Paragraph 1 and the Abstract).
Regarding claim 10, the modified device of Kim teaches a light string mounted in the air guide and formed of an optical fiber; and an LED module connected to the light string and configured to supply light to the light string (Page 5 Paragraph 1 of Meserle discloses an led strip and a light guide in the form of a plastic rod. Transparent devices to transmit light to another location are disclosed in claim 1, Page 3 Paragraph 1 and the Abstract which are believed to read on the optical fiber with a LED connected to the fiber to supply light to the fiber).
Regarding claim 12, the modified device of Kim teaches wherein the light-emitting region is provided on the air guide and faces a discharge port through which the air is discharged from the passage (when modifying the air guide of Kim with the light provided by Meserle this would be provided as the air guide of Kim extends into the passage).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 11 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. The prior art does not provide a reasonable combination to teach “wherein: the air guide is made of a transparent material; the light-emitting region is coated with light-transmissive paint; and a non-light-emitting region, which is a region on the air guide excluding the light- emitting region, is shield coated” in combination with the rest of the intervening claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to STEVEN S ANDERSON II whose telephone number is (571)272-2055. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8-5.
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/STEVEN S ANDERSON II/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3762
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