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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they do not include the following reference sign(s) mentioned in the description: 34a and 34b in paragraphs [33]-[34]. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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) 1-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Salazar (US 20190389273 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Salazar teaches of:
A housing for an HVAC unit (Fig. 10), comprising:
a first housing part with a first fixation component (Fig. 5, 14 has 102),
a second housing part with a second fixation component (Fig. 5, 16 has 130),
a divider wall arranged between the first housing part and the second housing part (Fig. 5, 18 is arranged between 14 and 16), configured to at least partly divide the housing into a first side and a second side (¶ [0020], The divider 18 is disposed between the lower shell 14 and the upper shell 16 and is configured to divide the housing assembly 12 into more than one zone), so that the first housing part, the divider wall and the second housing part are stacked in a stacking direction (Fig. 5, 14, 16 and 18 are stacked direction 138),
wherein the first housing part is fixed directly to the second housing part (Fig. 8, see 130 fixed directly to 102),
wherein the divider wall includes an aligning component configured to align the first fixation component so that the first housing part is aligned with the divider wall before the first fixation component is connected with the second fixation component (Fig. 5, 114 aligns 102 and 130 as they are moved to connect).
Regarding claim 2, Salazar teaches of the housing according to claim 1, and Salazar further teaches of:
wherein the first fixation component, the aligning element and the second fixation component are arranged to cooperate along a fixation axis extending parallel to the stacking direction (Fig. 5, the fixation axis is the same as 138)
Regarding claim 4, Salazar teaches of the housing according to claim 2, and Salazar further teaches of:
wherein the aligning element is arranged closer to the first housing portion than to the second housing portion in the stacking direction (Fig. 8, 114 extends beyond the lower portion 58 of the divider wall 18 and is therefore closer to 14 than 16)
Regarding claim 3, Salazar teaches of the housing according to claim 1, and Salazar further teaches of:
wherein the first fixation component includes a locator pin (Fig. 5, 108), while the second fixation component includes a collar configured to accept the locator pin (Figs. 5 and 8, 136 accepts 108).
Regarding claim 5, Salazar teaches of the housing according to claim 3, and Salazar further teaches of:
wherein the collar extends towards the first housing part over at least a portion of the divider wall in the stacking direction (Fig. 8, 136 extends towards 14 over 18)
Regarding claim 6, Salazar teaches of the housing according to claim 3, and Salazar further teaches of:
wherein the collar extends towards the first housing part over at least majority of the divider wall in the stacking direction (Fig. 8, 136 extends over more than half of the divider wall 18 as 136 extends beyond 64 and past the central portion of 18 into the lower portion of 18, 58)
Regarding claim 7, Salazar teaches of the housing according to claim 3, and Salazar further teaches of:
wherein the locator pin and the collar are configured to be connected by a screw (Fig. 8, 156 connects 136 and 108)
Regarding claim 8, Salazar teaches of the housing according to claim 3, and Salazar further teaches of:
wherein the locator pin and the collar are configured to be connected by a screw so that the screw extends along a fixation axis extending parallel to the stacking direction (Fig. 8, 156 connects 136 and 108 in a direction parallel to the fixation axis and stacking direction 138)
Regarding claim 9, Salazar teaches of the housing according to claim 3, and Salazar further teaches of:
wherein the aligning component includes a locator hole configured to accept the locator pin so that the locator pin is guided to the collar through the locator hole (Fig. 6, 114 has 124 to receive 108)
Regarding claim 10, Salazar teaches of the housing according to claim 3, and Salazar further teaches of:
wherein the second fixation component includes gussets supporting the collar (Fig. 5, 130 is connected to 132 via gussets)
Regarding claim 11, Salazar teaches of the housing according to 8, and Salazar further teaches of:
wherein the second fixation component includes gussets supporting the collar, wherein the fixation axis, defines a central axis of the collar (Fig. 5, 130 is connected to 132 via gussets and 138 goes through the central axis of the collar), the collar including a collar bottom with a second opening configured to accept the screw, with the collar bottom including a supported portion supported by the gussets and a cleared portion unsupported by the gussets (see annotated version of Fig. 5 below, the collar bottom has a second opening to receive the screw and the gussets support second opening, the portions between the gussets are the cleared unsupported portion)
Regarding claim 12, Salazar teaches of the housing according to claim 11, and Salazar further teaches of:
wherein the gussets include side gusset arms and a middle gusset arm arranged between the side gussets arms so that the side gusset arms and the middle gusset arm terminate at a circumference of the collar bottom while leaving it accessible when viewed along the fixation axis (see annotated version of Fig. 5 below, the gussets terminate at the circumference of the collar bottom and leave it open for the screw)
Annotated Figures
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Annotated Fig. 5 of Salazar
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL J GIORDANO whose telephone number is (571)272-8940. The examiner can normally be reached M-Fr 8 AM - 5 PM EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Steve McAllister can be reached at (571) 272-6785. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MICHAEL JAMES GIORDANO/Examiner, Art Unit 3762
/STEVEN B MCALLISTER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3762