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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see page 2, filed 06/23/2026, with respect to claim 11 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The rejection of claim 11 on 03/23/2025 has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of a new interpretation of Pu.
Applicant's arguments filed 06/23/2026 with respect to claim 19 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive for the following reasons:
In response to Applicant’s arguments regarding claim 19, particularly regarding the face plate, the Examiner disagrees. The amendments to claim 19 recite that the face plate only partially obscures both the jets from a front perspective. This is achieved by the face plate of Pu. Looking at the face plate of Pu from a front perspective with a line of sight along a horizontal plane would at least partially obscure the inlet ends of both the control jet and the main jet.
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, 4 and 6-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Pu (CN 110126589 A).
Regarding claim 1, Pu teaches of:
An air register assembly for a vehicle (See annotated version of Fig. 1 below), the air register assembly comprising:
an a control jet (10) extending between a rear periphery of the air register assembly (11) and a rim of the air register assembly (12) and defining a first passage (13) and a first chamber (14);
a valve (15) coupled with the control jet within the first chamber (15 is coupled to 10 within 14);
a main jet (16) spaced from the control jet (16 is spaced from 10), the main jet defining a second passage (17) and second chamber (18), wherein the first passage 13, the second passage 17, and the valve direct air on a first plane (13, 14 and 17 direct air on a first plane parallel to the page);
and a plurality of vanes (19; ¶ [0042], “the control blade includes two Y-direction control blades 32, which are disposed at the upper and lower ends of the inner housing 2.”) pivotably coupled with the main jet 16 within the second chamber 18 (the plurality of blades at 19 pivot about an axis in the Y-direction),
wherein the plurality of vanes 19 direct the air on a second plane different from the first plane (the plurality of blades at 19 direct air a second plane perpendicular to the first plane), and wherein the control jet 10 is convex toward the main jet 16 at the first chamber (14a) and curved concavely toward the main jet proximal to the rear periphery of the air register assembly (14b).
Regarding claim 2, Pu teaches of the air register assembly of claim 1, and Pu further teaches of:
wherein the control jet has a first internal cross-sectional area that is larger at the first chamber 14 than the first passage (Annotated Fig. 1, at 14a the first chamber has a larger cross-sectional area than at 13), and wherein the main jet has a second internal cross-sectional area that is larger at the second chamber than at the second passage (at 18a the second chamber has a larger cross-sectional area than at 17).
Regarding claim 4, Pu teaches of the air register assembly of claim 1, and Pu further teaches of:
wherein the valve vertically lowers the air directed along the first plane, such that when the valve is open the air is directed lower than when the valve is closed (Figs. 1-2, see airflows A+B=C, therefore increasing or decreasing the amount of airflow B which is controlled by 31 would raise and lower the air directed in the first plane)
Regarding claim 6, Pu teaches of the air register assembly of claim 4, and Pu further teaches of:
wherein the control jet directs the air downward (Figs. 1-2, the upper flow path which contains the control jet B is directed down)
and wherein the main jet directs the air upward (Figs. 1-2, the lower flow path which contain the main jet A is directed upward)
Regarding claim 7, Pu teaches of the air register assembly of claim 1, and Pu further teaches of:
further including:
a face plate (Annotated Fig. 1, 20) coupled with the control jet and the main jet and extending therebetween and wherein the rim flares outwardly from the face plate (see annotated version of Fig. 1 of Pu below, the face plate is coupled to both jets as all components are coupled to one another and is positioned between the two jets and further the rim as mapped flares away from the face plate)
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) 3, 5, 11-14 and 18-21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Pu (CN 110126589 A).
Regarding claim 3, Pu teaches of the air register assembly of claim 2, however, Pu fails to explicitly teach:
wherein the second internal cross-sectional area is larger than the first internal cross-sectional area
However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have modified Pu as modified so that the second internal cross-sectional area is larger than the first internal cross-sectional area based on the following rationale:
At the time the invention was it would have been an obvious matter of design choice to a person of ordinary skill in the art to have the second internal-cross sectional area larger than the first internal cross-sectional area instead of equal internal cross-sectional areas because applicant has not disclosed that the larger second chamber provides an advantage, is used for a particular purpose or solves a stated problem. One of ordinary skill in the art would have expected the Applicant’s invention to perform equally well with both sizes because both perform the function of housing the valve and guide vanes and conveying air equally well (MPEP 2144.04 IV A)
Regarding claim 5, Pu teaches of the air register assembly of claim 4, and Pu further teaches of:
wherein the plurality of vanes horizontally shift the air along the second plane (Figs. 1-2, 32 of the main jet horizontally shift the air along the second plane)
Pu fails to explicitly teach:
such that the plurality of vanes pivot direct the air toward one of a first lateral side of the interior cabin and a second lateral side of the interior cabin.
However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify Pu so that the vent is positioned on the dashboard of a vehicle so that the plurality of vanes direct air toward a first and second lateral side of an interior cabin based on the following rationale:
when the only difference between the claims and the prior art is the position of a claimed element, and rearrangement of the element would not modify the operation of the claimed device, then the claimed device is not patentably distinct from the prior art device (see MPEP 2144.04.VI.C). In the instant case, Pu is silent as to the particular location of the vent within the cabin, but modifying Pu so that it is positioned on the dashboard and oriented so that the horizontal vanes direct air to a first and second lateral sides of the interior of the cabin would not modify the operation of the vent of Pu and further Applicant has placed no criticality on the relative location of the vent within the cabin.
Regarding claim 11, Pu teaches of:
An air register assembly comprising:
a vent (Figs. 1-2 and Annotated Fig. 1) coupled with a ventilation, and air conditioning unit (Pg. 1, “An air conditioning vent structure and a motor vehicle”);
a control jet (Annotated Fig. 1, 10) coupled with the vent, the control jet defining a first passage (13) and a first chamber (14), wherein air exiting the control jet selectively flows vertically down (Fig. 1, air flow B flows out of the control jet is vertically down);
a valve (15) coupled with the control jet, the valve positioned within the first chamber (15 is in 14);
a main jet (16) coupled with the vent, the main jet defining a second passage (17) and a second chamber (18), the main jet spaced from the control jet (16 is spaced from 10);
wherein the air exiting the main jet flows vertically up, and wherein the air exiting the control jet intersects the air exiting the main jet (Figs. 1-2, the air A flows vertically upward and intersects with air B and creates combined air C); and
a series of vanes (19; ¶ [0042], “the control blade includes two Y-direction control blades 32, which are disposed at the upper and lower ends of the inner housing 2.”) pivotably coupled with the main jet, the series of vanes positioned within the second chamber (the plurality of blades at 19 pivot about an axis in the Y-direction), wherein the air passing between the series of vanes flows toward one of a first lateral direction and a second lateral direction (¶ [0042], “In one embodiment of the present invention, the control blade includes two Y-direction control blades 32, which are disposed at the upper and lower ends of the inner housing 2”)
and wherein the main jet is concave toward the control jet between the second chamber and a rim of the air register assembly (16 is concave toward 10 at 18b between 18 and 12), and wherein the main jet is convex toward the control jet at the second chamber (16 is convex towards 10 at 18a).
Pu fails to explicitly teach:
a vent coupled to a heating unit
wherein the first and second chambers are bulbous
Regarding the heating unit, such a configuration is well known within the art and the use of a HVAC system fluidly coupled to a vent within a vehicle is common knowledge (MPEP 2144.03).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have modified Pu so that the shape of the first and second chambers to be bulbous, more specifically that so that 14a and 18a are rounded in a convexly towards one another, forming a bulbous chamber, based on the following rationale:
At the time the invention was it would have been an obvious matter of design choice to a person of ordinary skill in the art to have rounded the chambers be bulbous because applicant has not disclosed that the shapes of the chambers provide an advantage, is used for a particular purpose or solves a stated problem. One of ordinary skill in the art would have expected the Applicant’s invention to perform equally well with both shapes because both perform the function of housing the valve and guide vanes and conveying air equally well (MPEP 2144.04 IV B)
Regarding claim 12, Pu as modified teaches of the air register assembly of claim 11, and Pu further teaches of:
wherein the valve selectively limits the air flowing through the control jet, such that the air exiting the main jet is uninterrupted when the valve is closed (15 can close and stop airflow through 10 while still allowing air through 16)
Regarding claim 13, Pu as modified teaches of the air register assembly of claim 11, and Pu as modified further teaches of:
wherein the first bulbous chamber is shaped to permit movement of the valve (14 permits movement of 15)
Regarding claim 14, Pu as modified teaches of the air register assembly of claim 12, and Pu as modified further teaches of:
wherein the second bulbous chamber is shaped to permit pivotal motion of the series of vanes (18 permits the movement of 19)
Regarding claim 18, Pu as modified teaches of the air register assembly of claim 11, however, Pu as modified fails to explicitly teach:
wherein the control jet has a first internal cross-sectional area, and wherein the main jet has a second internal cross-sectional area that is larger than the first internal cross-sectional area.
However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have modified Pu as modified so that the second internal cross-sectional area is larger than the first internal cross-sectional area based on the following rationale:
At the time the invention was it would have been an obvious matter of design choice to a person of ordinary skill in the art to have the second internal-cross sectional area larger than the first internal cross-sectional area instead of equal internal cross-sectional areas because applicant has not disclosed that the bulbous second chamber provides an advantage, is used for a particular purpose or solves a stated problem. One of ordinary skill in the art would have expected the Applicant’s invention to perform equally well with both sizes because both perform the function of housing the valve and guide vanes and conveying air equally well (MPEP 2144.04 IV A)
Regarding claim 19, Pu teaches of:
A vehicle defining an interior cabin, the vehicle comprising:
a ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) unit (Pg. 1, “An air conditioning vent structure and a motor vehicle”);
a vent fluidly coupled with the HVAC unit (Figs. 1-2, the vent is fluidly coupled to the air conditioning unit);
an air register assembly fluidly coupled with the vent (Figs. 1-2 show an air register that must be coupled to the vent to connect to the air conditioning unit), the air register assembly including:
a control jet (annotated Fig. 1, 10) extending between the vent and the interior cabin, the control jet defining:
a first passage (13); and
a first chamber (14), wherein air selectively flows through the first passage and the first chamber downwardly and outwardly toward the interior cabin (air flow B flows out of the control jet is vertically down selectively due to 15);
a valve coupled with the control jet (15), the valve positioned within the first chamber (15 is in 14), the valve selectively limiting the air flowing through the first passage and the first chamber (15 selectively limits the air flowing through 10);
a main jet (16) spaced from the control jet (16 is spaced from 10), the main jet extending between the vent and the interior cabin, the main jet defining:
a second passage (17); and
a second chamber (18), wherein the air flows through the second passage and the second chamber upwardly and outwardly toward the interior cabin (the air A flows vertically upward and outwardly); and
at least one vane pivotably coupled with the main jet, the at least one vane positioned within the second chamber (19 is in 18, ¶ [0042], “In one embodiment of the present invention, the control blade includes two Y-direction control blades 32, which are disposed at the upper and lower ends of the inner housing 2”)
a face plate (20) coupled with the control jet and the main jet that spaces the control jet from the main jet proximal to a rim of the air register assembly and through which the air flows (20 is positioned between the main and control jet and is proximal to a rim which air flows through), and wherein the control jet curves above the rim and the main jet curves below the rim (both 10 and 16 curve above and below 12) such that both the control jet and the main jet are both simultaneously, at least partially, obscured from a front perspective view of the air register assembly by the face plate (the face plate is angled upward, looking directly at the face plate from a front view parallel to a horizontal plane would at least partially obscure portions of both of the jets).
Pu fails to explicitly teach:
a heating unit
wherein the first and second chambers are bulbous
wherein the at least one vane directs the air toward one of a first lateral side and a second lateral side of the interior cabin
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have modified Pu so that the shape of the first and second chambers to be bulbous, more specifically that so that 14a and 18a are rounded in a convexly towards one another, forming a bulbous chamber, based on the following rationale:
At the time the invention was it would have been an obvious matter of design choice to a person of ordinary skill in the art to have rounded the chambers be bulbous because applicant has not disclosed that the shapes of the chambers provide an advantage, is used for a particular purpose or solves a stated problem. One of ordinary skill in the art would have expected the Applicant’s invention to perform equally well with both shapes because both perform the function of housing the valve and guide vanes and conveying air equally well (MPEP 2144.04 IV B)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify Pu so that the vent is positioned on the dashboard of a vehicle so that the plurality of vanes direct air toward a first and second lateral side of an interior cabin based on the following rationale:
when the only difference between the claims and the prior art is the position of a claimed element, and rearrangement of the element would not modify the operation of the claimed device, then the claimed device is not patentably distinct from the prior art device (see MPEP 2144.04.VI.C). In the instant case, Pu is silent as to the particular location of the vent within the cabin, but modifying Pu so that it is positioned on the dashboard and oriented so that the horizontal vanes direct air to a first and second lateral sides of the interior of the cabin would not modify the operation of the vent of Pu and further Applicant has placed no criticality on the relative location of the vent within the cabin.
Regarding claim 20, Pu as modified teaches of the vehicle of claim 19, and Pu as modified further teaches of:
wherein the air selectively flowing from the control jet intersects the air flowing from the main jet to redirect the air flowing from the main jet (see air from the control jet A and air from the main jet B intersecting and creating air C)
Regarding claim 21, Pu as modified teaches of the vehicle of claim 19, and Pu as modified further teaches of:
wherein the face plate defines a planar surface that vertically extends from the control jet to the main jet (see annotated Fig. 1 of Pu below, the face plate has two planar surfaces that extend vertically up and down to converge at a point where the control jet and main jet intersect, therefore the upper planar surface extends vertically downward from the control jet to the main jet)
Claim(s) 8-10 and 15-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Pu (CN 110126589 A) in view of Gong (CN 212796467 U) and Thompson (US 3279883 A).
Regarding claim 8, Pu as modified teaches of the air register assembly of claim 7, however, Pu as modified fails to explicitly teach:
further including:
a slat coupled with the main jet, wherein the slat divides the main jet.
Gong teaches of:
further including:
a slat coupled with the main jet, wherein the slat divides the main jet (see annotated version of Fig. 2 of Gong below)
The primary reference can be modified to meet this/these limitation(s) as follows:
add a slat to the main jet of Pu so that it is positioned downstream from the plurality of vanes
A person of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to make the above modification(s) because:
adding a slat through a curved portion of a flow path reduces turbulence and more evenly distributes the air over the outlet (Thompson, Col. 2, lines 4-9, “Disposed within connection 15 are a plurality of curved turning vanes 16 which serve to minimize turbulence arising from change in the direction of flow of the air stream and to more evenly distribute air flow throughout plenum chamber 14.”)
Regarding claim 9, the combined teachings teach of the air register assembly of claim 8, and the combined teachings further teach:
wherein the slat is between the plurality of vanes and the rim (See modification made in the rejection of claim 7 above, the slat is positioned between the vanes 32 and the rim of Pu)
Regarding claim 10, the combined teachings teach of the air register assembly of claim 8, and the combined teachings further teach:
wherein the slat reinforces where the main jet directs the air (see combination and rationale in the rejection of claim 7 above, the slat is positioned to guide the air through the curved section of the main jet and reduces turbulence and therefore would reinforce where the main jet direct the air)
Regarding claim 15, Pu as modified teaches of the air register assembly of claim 11, and Pu further teaches of:
further including:
a face plate extending between the control jet and the main jet where the air exits the control jet and the main jet (see annotated version of Fig. 1 below), wherein a size of the face plate partially determines an angle of intersection between the air exiting the control jet and the air exiting the main jet, and wherein a shape of the face plate partially determines the angle of intersection between the air exiting the control jet and the air exiting the main jet (Figs. 1-2, 22 is a positioned between the control and main jet and the size and shape of 22 partially determine the angle of intersection between airflows A and B);
and wherein the rim is coupled with the control jet and the main jet where the air exits the control jet and the main jet (see annotated version of Fig. 1 of Pu below).
Pu as modified fails to explicitly teach:
a slat coupled with the main jet, the slat in front of the series of vanes
Gong teaches of:
a slat coupled with the main jet, the slat in front of the series of vanes (see annotated version of Fig. 2 of Gong below)
The primary reference can be modified to meet this/these limitation(s) as follows:
add a slat to the main jet of Pu so that it is positioned downstream from the plurality of vanes
A person of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to make the above modification(s) because:
adding a slat through a curved portion of a flow path reduces turbulence and more evenly distributes the air over the outlet (Thompson, Col. 2, lines 4-9, “Disposed within connection 15 are a plurality of curved turning vanes 16 which serve to minimize turbulence arising from change in the direction of flow of the air stream and to more evenly distribute air flow throughout plenum chamber 14.”)
Regarding claim 16, the combined teachings teach of the air register assembly of claim 15, and the combined teachings further teach of:
wherein the control jet is concave toward the main jet between the first bulbous chamber and the rim, and wherein the control jet is convex toward the main jet at the first bulbous chamber (see annotated version of Fig. 1 of Pu below, Pu as modified has a bulbous first chamber in the control jet that would be convex to towards the main jet, and the control jet of Pu already angles downward and creates a concave shape towards the main jet)
Annotated Figures
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882
971
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Annotated Fig. 1 of Pu
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358
660
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Annotated Fig. 2 of Gong
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, Helena Kosanovic can be reached at (571) 272-9059. 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
/HELENA KOSANOVIC/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3762
