DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claims 1-20 are pending.
Priority
Applicant’s claim for the benefit of provisional application 62/459,458 submitted on 02/15/2017 is acknowledged.
This application is a CON of 15/897,890 filed on 02/15/2018, now Patent No. 10,845,064, and 16/953,122 filed on 11/19/2020, now Patent No. 11,906,192.
Information Disclosure Statement
The references cited in the information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 02/19/2024 have been considered by the examiner.
The references cited in the Third-Party Submission Under 37 CFR 1.290 submitted on 06/13/2025 have been considered by the examiner.
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.
Claims 1-7, 9-11, 13-14 and 17-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Goel et al. (US 2013/0213068 A1) (“Goel”), in view of IWANAGA et al. (JP 2511880 B2) (“Iwanaga”). Goel is a reference cited in the Third-Party Submission Under 37 CFR 1.290 submitted on 06/13/2025.
Regarding independent claim 1, Goel teaches:
A heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising: (Goel: Abstract “A space conditioning system for conditioning air within an enclosed space. The system comprises a refrigeration subsystem configured to circulate a flammable refrigerant there-through. The refrigeration subsystem also comprises a safety module configured to include either: a leak-detector subunit, or, a start-up subunit. The leak-detector subunit is configured to monitor for a leak of the flammable refrigerant from the refrigeration subsystem, and, to generate an alarm signal if the leak is detected. The start-up subunit is configured to turn on one or more airflow devices configured to vent or mix a leaked flammable refrigerant.”)
a heating component configured to heat an airflow directed through the HVAC system; (Goel: [0002] “… Space conditioning systems with furnace heating can generate surface temperatures that are high enough to ignite leaked flammable refrigerants within the furnace or nearby. …:”) (Goel: [0027] “In some embodiments, the response signal 162 can be configured to cause one or more devices of the space conditioning system 100 cause an airflow device 119 (e.g., a furnace blower or other air flow device) of the space conditioning system 100 to circulate air prior to firing a furnace 175 of the space conditioning system 100. For instance, in some cases leaked flammable refrigerants 120 that are heavier than air may settle into a location (e.g., the duct work of a furnace or air handler) that is remote from the leak detector 115. In such cases it is desirable to mix or vent these refrigerants from their settled locations so as to facilitate their detection. For instance by turning on indoor blower 119 of the furnace 175 air can be sufficiently disturbed to cause the flammable refrigerants 120 to reach the leak detector 115. Turning on a furnace air blower before firing the furnace is counter-intuitive because typically the opposite sequence of operations is performed: the furnace burner is turned on before the blower 119 is turned on.”) [The furnace reads on “a heating component”, and the airflow caused by the furnace blower to blow the heated air via the vent reads on “… an airflow directed through …”.]
one or more sensors configured to detect a presence of a refrigerant of the HVAC system and to generate a signal indicative of the presence of the refrigerant; (Goel: [0013] “The refrigeration subsystem 110 is configured to circulate a flammable refrigerant 120 there-through. The leak-detector subunit 115 is configured to monitor for a leak of the flammable refrigerant 120 from the refrigeration subsystem 110, and, to generate an alarm signal 125 if the leak is detected. The start-up subunit 117 is configured to turn on one or more air mover devices 119 that, in turn, are configured to vent or mix a leaked flammable refrigerant.”) (Goel: [0015] “… The leak-detector subunit 115 or its component sensors 150, 151 could be located in the vicinity (e.g., adjacent to or in some cases inside) of any or all of these subunits devices of the subsystem 110.”) [The leak-detector reads on “one or more sensors”, and the leak-detector generating the alarm signal reads on “to generate a signal …”.]
a controller configured to: receive the signal indicative of the presence of the refrigerant; and (Goel: [0021] “For instance, in some embodiments, the system 100 further includes a control subunit 160 configured to receive the alarm signal 125, and, to generate a response signal 162 after receiving the alarm signal 125. In some embodiments, the control subunit 160 can be or include one or more electrical circuits configured to receive the alarm signal 125 (e.g., sent as an electrical signal) via a receiver circuit that is wired, or wirelessly, connected to the leak-detector subunit, and a transmitter circuit that is configured to send the response signal 162 to other components of the system 100.”) [The control subunit reads on “a controller”, and the control subunit receiving the alarm signal from the leak-detector reads on “receive the signal …”.]
in response to the signal, … block the flow of the electricity or fuel to the heating component. (Goel: [0026] “In some embodiments, the response signal 162 can be configured to cause one or more devices of the space conditioning system 100 to cease operating. For instance, consider the case where the refrigeration subsystem 110 is an air-conditioning subsystem for a HVAC space conditioning system 100. During some periods of the year (e.g., winter) the refrigeration subsystem 110 is not on, and the space conditioning system 100 is in heating mode. A flammable refrigerant 120 leak may still occur during such periods, and if a leak occurs during such periods, it is still desirable to stop operating or not further turn on other devices of the space conditioning system 100, such as a furnace 175, that could cause the leaking refrigerant to ignite. For instance, the response signal 162 can cause a stoppage of electrical power or fuel (e.g., natural gas or propane) to the furnace 175, or other devices of the system 100.”) (Goel: [0034] “In some embodiments the leak-detector subunit 115 is configured to continuously detect for the leakage of the flammable refrigerant 120. For instance, in some cases the leak-detector subunit 115 has sensors 150, 151 that continuously measure for a concentration of gaseous flammable refrigerant 120 or measure the flow rate of flammable refrigerant 120 through a flow line 130, and, the leak-detector subunit 115 sends a continuous signal to the control subunit. A change in the continuous signal (e.g., signifying an increase in gaseous concentration or decrease in flow rate of flammable refrigerant), beyond a predefined threshold, corresponds to the alarm signal 125. In other cases, the alarm signal 125 is a discrete signal generated only when an increased concentration of gaseous, or decreased flow rate, of flammable refrigerant 120 is detected beyond the predefined threshold.”) [The response signal causing the stoppage of electrical power or fuel to the furnace reads on “in response to the signal, … block the flow of the electricity or fuel to …”.]
Goel does not expressly teach: a switch or valve configured to regulate a flow of electricity or fuel to the heating component; and in response to the signal, actuate the switch or valve to block the flow of the electricity or fuel to the heating component.
Iwanaga teaches:
a switch or valve configured to regulate a flow of electricity or fuel to the heating component; and in response to the signal, actuate the switch or valve to block the flow of the electricity or fuel to the heating component. (Iwanaga: Page 2, sixth full paragraph “… Even if the amount of leaked refrigerant is very small, if the leaked refrigerant is thermally decomposed in the refrigerant heater and even a very small amount of toxic gas is generated, the second leak detector detects the leak of the refrigerant and the burner Stop burning. In this way, toxic gas is prevented and abnormal heating of the refrigerant heater is prevented.”) (Iwanaga: Page 3, first full paragraph “In the above configuration, if a large amount of refrigerant leaks out of the refrigerant flow path, the burner section 11 burns to heat the heat exchanger section 19 into an idle state and overheat, and the first detector 23 provided on the wall surface has a wall temperature. When the rise is sensed, the refrigerant leakage detection unit 24 detects it and closes the fuel opening / closing valve 13 to stop the combustion of the burner unit 11.”) [The fuel valve that opens or closes reads on “a switch or valve configured to regulate a flow of electricity or fuel …”.]
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, having the teachings of Goel and Iwanaga before them, to modify the stopping of fuel to the furnace upon significant increase in detected gaseous concentration of refrigerant, to incorporate using the fuel valve that opens or closes fuel line to the furnace.
One of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to do this modification because it would allow for using furnace fuel valve to stop the fuel supply to the burner upon a significant refrigerant leak. (Iwanaga: Page 2, sixth full paragraph)
Regarding claim 2, Goel and Iwanaga teach all the claimed features of claim 1. Goel further teaches:
wherein the one or more sensors comprise an electrochemical sensor, a catalytic bead sensor, a photoionization sensor, a semiconductor sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, or a holographic sensor, or any combination thereof. (Goel: [0032] In some embodiments, the leak-detector subunit 115 includes a gas sensor 150 located within the refrigeration subsystem 110, the gas sensor configured to detect a gaseous state of the flammable refrigerant 120. For instance, if the flammable refrigerant 120 is or includes propane, then leak-detector subunit 115 can include a propane gas sensor 150 such as the SAFE-T-ALERT.TM. Propane and Methane detector (MODEL 40-441A MODEL 40-442A USER'S MANUAL, MTI Industries, Inc, Volo, Ill., incorporator herein in its entirety), or, a hydrocarbon detector, volatile organic compound detector or other, combustible gas detectors such manufactured by Murco Gas Detection (Dublin Ireland).”)
Regarding claim 3, Goel and Iwanaga teach all the claimed features of claim 1. Goel further teaches:
wherein the signal is a first signal. (Goel: [0013] as discussed in claim 1) [The leak-detector generated the alarm signal reads on “a first signal”.]
Goel does not expressly teach: wherein the HVAC system comprises a temperature sensor communicatively coupled to the controller and configured to measure a temperature of the heating component and communicate a second signal indicative of the temperature to the controller.
Iwanaga further teaches:
wherein the HVAC system comprises a temperature sensor communicatively coupled to the controller and configured to measure a temperature of the heating component and communicate a second signal indicative of the temperature to the controller. (Iwanaga: Page 2, fifth full paragraph “Means for Solving Problems The refrigerant heater of the present invention in order to solve the above problems, Detects the temperature provided on the burner section, the combustion section and the combustion tube serving as the combustion gas passage, the heat exchanger section thermally connecting the combustion tube and the refrigerant flow path, the exhaust section, and the wall surface of the heat exchanger section. It is configured to have a refrigerant leakage detection unit including a first detector and a second detector provided in the exhaust unit for detecting the refrigerant decomposition gas.”) (Iwanaga: Page 2 sixth full paragraph “Effect of the Invention With the above-described structure, the present invention detects the temperature rise of the first detector provided on the wall surface of the heat exchanger section when the refrigerant leaks to the outside of the refrigerant flow path, if the leakage amount is large, the refrigerant leak detection is performed. Section detects and stops combustion in the burner section. …”) [The refrigerant leakage detection unit reads on “the controller”. The detecting of the temperature provided on the burner section reads on “a temperature sensor … to measure a temperature of the heating component”. The temperature reading by refrigerant leakage detection unit from the first detector reads on “a second signal”.]
The motivation to combine Goel and Iwanaga as described in claim 1 is incorporated herein,
Regarding claim 4, Goel and Iwanaga teach all the claimed features of claims 1 and 3. Iwanaga further teaches:
wherein the controller is configured to: perform a comparison of the temperature and a threshold temperature; and actuate the switch or valve to block the flow of the electricity or fuel to the heating component in response to the comparison. (Iwanaga: Page 2, third full paragraph “Problems to be Solved by the Invention When a refrigerant heating operation is performed with a high-temperature combustion gas using a refrigerant as a heat medium, it is important to prevent thermal decomposition of the refrigerant. If the refrigerant decomposes due to abnormal overheating in the closed circuit of the refrigerant, the life of the system is greatly reduced by the generation of acid, and if the refrigerant leaking from the closed circuit is exposed to combustion flames and thermally decomposed. There is a problem that harmful gas is generated. In the conventional example shown in FIG. 2, the abnormal temperature is detected by the wall temperature detector 8 provided with the outer wall portion of the combustion cylinder 2, and the combustion is stopped. However, when a very small amount of refrigerant leaks, such as a slow leak, the refrigerant leaks to a certain degree and then abnormal overheating occurs, which can be detected as an anomaly.”) (Iwanaga: Page 3, first full paragraph “In the above configuration, if a large amount of refrigerant leaks out of the refrigerant flow path, the burner section 11 burns to heat the heat exchanger section 19 into an idle state and overheat, and the first detector 23 provided on the wall surface has a wall temperature. When the rise is sensed, the refrigerant leakage detection unit 24 detects it and closes the fuel opening / closing valve 13 to stop the combustion of the burner unit 11.”) [Detecting the rise of the temperature to the abnormal temperature that causes thermal decomposition of the refrigerant reads on “a comparison of the temperature and a threshold temperature”. Closing the fuel valve reads on “actuate the switch or valve to block the flow …”.]
The motivation to combine Goel and Iwanaga as described in claim 1 is incorporated herein,
Regarding claim 5, Goel and Iwanaga teach all the claimed features of claims 1 and 3-4. Iwanaga further teaches:
wherein the threshold temperature is based on a reaction temperature of the refrigerant. (Iwanaga: Page 2, third full paragraph “Problems to be Solved by the Invention When a refrigerant heating operation is performed with a high-temperature combustion gas using a refrigerant as a heat medium, it is important to prevent thermal decomposition of the refrigerant. If the refrigerant decomposes due to abnormal overheating in the closed circuit of the refrigerant, the life of the system is greatly reduced by the generation of acid, and if the refrigerant leaking from the closed circuit is exposed to combustion flames and thermally decomposed. There is a problem that harmful gas is generated. In the conventional example shown in FIG. 2, the abnormal temperature is detected by the wall temperature detector 8 provided with the outer wall portion of the combustion cylinder 2, and the combustion is stopped. However, when a very small amount of refrigerant leaks, such as a slow leak, the refrigerant leaks to a certain degree and then abnormal overheating occurs, which can be detected as an anomaly.”) [The abnormal temperature that causes thermal decomposition of the refrigerant reads on “a reaction temperature of the refrigerant”.]
The motivation to combine Goel and Iwanaga as described in claim 1 is incorporated herein,
Regarding claim 6, Goel and Iwanaga teach all the claimed features of claims 1 and 3-4. Iwanaga further teaches:
wherein the controller is configured to actuate the switch or valve to block the flow of the electricity or fuel in response to receiving the first signal and determining that the temperature meets or exceeds the threshold temperature. (Iwanaga: Page 2 sixth full paragraph “Effect of the Invention With the above-described structure, the present invention detects the temperature rise of the first detector provided on the wall surface of the heat exchanger section when the refrigerant leaks to the outside of the refrigerant flow path, if the leakage amount is large, the refrigerant leak detection is performed. Section detects and stops combustion in the burner section. Also, Even if the amount of leaked refrigerant is very small, if the leaked refrigerant is thermally decomposed in the refrigerant heater and even a very small amount of toxic gas is generated, the second leak detector detects the leak of the refrigerant and the burner Stop burning. In this way, toxic gas is prevented and abnormal heating of the refrigerant heater is prevented. The leaked refrigerant itself which has not been thermally decomposed is safe and harmless.”) [The detecting of the leaked refrigerant reads on “the first signal”.]
The motivation to combine Goel and Iwanaga as described in claim 1 is incorporated herein,
Regarding claim 7, Goel and Iwanaga teach all the claimed features of claim 1. Goel further teaches:
wherein the refrigerant comprises an A2L refrigerant. (Goel: [0016] “The term, flammable refrigerant, as used herein, is defined as refrigerants in class 2, 3, or subclasses thereof, as defined "Designation and Safety Classification of Refrigerants," published by the American Society of Heating Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Inc. Standard 34-2007, in Section 6.1.3 and other section referenced therein, 2010, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.”) [The subclasses of class 2 refrigerants read on “an A2L refrigerant”.]
Regarding claim 9, Goel and Iwanaga teach all the claimed features of claim 1. Goel further teaches:
wherein a sensor of the one or more sensors is disposed downstream of the heating component relative to a flow direction of the airflow through the HVAC system. (Goel: [0029] “In some cases, the leak-detector subunit 115 or one or more of its sensors 150 can be inside of the enclosed space 105, or, outside of the enclosed space 105, or both inside and outside of the enclosed space 105. …”) [The enclosed space where the airflow is directed to heat or cool reads on “downstream of the heating component relative to a flow direction …”.]
Regarding claim 10, Goel and Iwanaga teach all the claimed features of claim 1. Goel further teaches:
(Goel: [0044] “In some embodiments, the step 310 of monitoring for a leakage can further include a step 322 of monitoring for a gaseous phase of the flammable refrigerant 120, e.g., via the appropriate sensor 150 position to measure leaks from components of the refrigeration subsystem 110, or, leakage into a space 105 cooled by the refrigeration subsystem 110.”) (Goel: [0045] “In some embodiments, the step 310 of monitoring for a leakage can further include a step 325 of includes monitoring for a change in the flow rate of the flammable refrigerant 120 circulating through the refrigeration subsystem 110 (e.g., a decrease in flow rate through flow lines 130 or other components of the subsystem 110).”)
Regarding independent claim 11:
The claim recites similar limitations as corresponding claim 1 and is rejected using the same teachings and rationale.
Regarding claim 13, Goel and Iwanaga teach all the claimed features of claim 11. Goel further teaches:
wherein the signal is indicative of a concentration of the refrigerant, and wherein the operations comprise operating the flow management device to block the flow of electricity or fuel to the heating component in response to the concentration meeting or exceeding a threshold concentration. (Goel: [0026] “In some embodiments, the response signal 162 can be configured to cause one or more devices of the space conditioning system 100 to cease operating. For instance, consider the case where the refrigeration subsystem 110 is an air-conditioning subsystem for a HVAC space conditioning system 100. During some periods of the year (e.g., winter) the refrigeration subsystem 110 is not on, and the space conditioning system 100 is in heating mode. A flammable refrigerant 120 leak may still occur during such periods, and if a leak occurs during such periods, it is still desirable to stop operating or not further turn on other devices of the space conditioning system 100, such as a furnace 175, that could cause the leaking refrigerant to ignite. For instance, the response signal 162 can cause a stoppage of electrical power or fuel (e.g., natural gas or propane) to the furnace 175, or other devices of the system 100.”) (Goel: [0034] “In some embodiments the leak-detector subunit 115 is configured to continuously detect for the leakage of the flammable refrigerant 120. For instance, in some cases the leak-detector subunit 115 has sensors 150, 151 that continuously measure for a concentration of gaseous flammable refrigerant 120 or measure the flow rate of flammable refrigerant 120 through a flow line 130, and, the leak-detector subunit 115 sends a continuous signal to the control subunit. A change in the continuous signal (e.g., signifying an increase in gaseous concentration or decrease in flow rate of flammable refrigerant), beyond a predefined threshold, corresponds to the alarm signal 125. In other cases, the alarm signal 125 is a discrete signal generated only when an increased concentration of gaseous, or decreased flow rate, of flammable refrigerant 120 is detected beyond the predefined threshold.”) [The predefined threshold of the gaseous concentration reads on “a threshold concentration”.] [The response signal causing the stoppage of electrical power or fuel to the furnace reads on “in response to the signal, actuate the switch or valve to block the flow of …”.]
Regarding claim 14, Goel and Iwanaga teach all the claimed features of claims 11 and 13. Goel further teaches:
wherein the signal is a first signal. (Goel: [0013] as discussed in claim 1) [The leak-detector generated the alarm signal reads on “a first signal”.]
Goel does not expressly teach: wherein the operations comprise: receiving a second signal indicative of a temperature of the HVAC system from a temperature sensor of the HVAC system; and operating the flow management device to block the flow of electricity or fuel to the heating component in response to determining that the temperature is greater than or equal to a temperature threshold and the concentration is greater than or equal to the threshold concentration.
Iwanaga further teaches:
wherein the operations comprise: receiving a second signal indicative of a temperature of the HVAC system from a temperature sensor of the HVAC system; and (Iwanaga: Page 2, fifth full paragraph “Means for Solving Problems The refrigerant heater of the present invention in order to solve the above problems, Detects the temperature provided on the burner section, the combustion section and the combustion tube serving as the combustion gas passage, the heat exchanger section thermally connecting the combustion tube and the refrigerant flow path, the exhaust section, and the wall surface of the heat exchanger section. It is configured to have a refrigerant leakage detection unit including a first detector and a second detector provided in the exhaust unit for detecting the refrigerant decomposition gas.”) (Iwanaga: Page 2 sixth full paragraph “Effect of the Invention With the above-described structure, the present invention detects the temperature rise of the first detector provided on the wall surface of the heat exchanger section when the refrigerant leaks to the outside of the refrigerant flow path, if the leakage amount is large, the refrigerant leak detection is performed. Section detects and stops combustion in the burner section. …”) [The detecting of the temperature provided on the burner section reads on “indicative of a temperature of the HVAC system from a temperature sensor …”. The temperature reading by refrigerant leakage detection unit from the first detector reads on “a second signal”.]
operating the flow management device to block the flow of electricity or fuel to the heating component in response to determining that the temperature is greater than or equal to a temperature threshold and the concentration is greater than or equal to the threshold concentration. (Iwanaga: Page 2 sixth full paragraph, as discussed above) (Iwanaga: Page 2, third full paragraph “Problems to be Solved by the Invention When a refrigerant heating operation is performed with a high-temperature combustion gas using a refrigerant as a heat medium, it is important to prevent thermal decomposition of the refrigerant. If the refrigerant decomposes due to abnormal overheating in the closed circuit of the refrigerant, the life of the system is greatly reduced by the generation of acid, and if the refrigerant leaking from the closed circuit is exposed to combustion flames and thermally decomposed. There is a problem that harmful gas is generated. In the conventional example shown in FIG. 2, the abnormal temperature is detected by the wall temperature detector 8 provided with the outer wall portion of the combustion cylinder 2, and the combustion is stopped. However, when a very small amount of refrigerant leaks, such as a slow leak, the refrigerant leaks to a certain degree and then abnormal overheating occurs, which can be detected as an anomaly.”) (Iwanaga: Page 3, first full paragraph “In the above configuration, if a large amount of refrigerant leaks out of the refrigerant flow path, the burner section 11 burns to heat the heat exchanger section 19 into an idle state and overheat, and the first detector 23 provided on the wall surface has a wall temperature. When the rise is sensed, the refrigerant leakage detection unit 24 detects it and closes the fuel opening / closing valve 13 to stop the combustion of the burner unit 11.”) [Closing the fuel valve reads on “operating the flow management device to block the flow …”. Detecting the rise of the temperature to the abnormal temperature that causes thermal decomposition of the refrigerant implicitly teaches “is greater than or equal to a temperature threshold”. The refrigerant leakage amount being determined large reads on “the concentration is greater than or equal to the threshold concentration”.]
The motivation to combine Goel and Iwanaga as described in claim 1 is incorporated herein,
Regarding independent claim 17:
The claim recites similar limitations as corresponding claim 1 and is rejected using the same teachings and rationale.
Regarding claim 18, Goel and Iwanaga teach all the claimed features of claim 17. Goel further teaches:
wherein the signal is indicative of a concentration of the refrigerant, and the method comprises operating the flow management device to block the flow of electricity or fuel to the heating component in response to the concentration meeting or exceeding a threshold concentration. (Goel: [0026] “In some embodiments, the response signal 162 can be configured to cause one or more devices of the space conditioning system 100 to cease operating. For instance, consider the case where the refrigeration subsystem 110 is an air-conditioning subsystem for a HVAC space conditioning system 100. During some periods of the year (e.g., winter) the refrigeration subsystem 110 is not on, and the space conditioning system 100 is in heating mode. A flammable refrigerant 120 leak may still occur during such periods, and if a leak occurs during such periods, it is still desirable to stop operating or not further turn on other devices of the space conditioning system 100, such as a furnace 175, that could cause the leaking refrigerant to ignite. For instance, the response signal 162 can cause a stoppage of electrical power or fuel (e.g., natural gas or propane) to the furnace 175, or other devices of the system 100.”) (Goel: [0034] “In some embodiments the leak-detector subunit 115 is configured to continuously detect for the leakage of the flammable refrigerant 120. For instance, in some cases the leak-detector subunit 115 has sensors 150, 151 that continuously measure for a concentration of gaseous flammable refrigerant 120 or measure the flow rate of flammable refrigerant 120 through a flow line 130, and, the leak-detector subunit 115 sends a continuous signal to the control subunit. A change in the continuous signal (e.g., signifying an increase in gaseous concentration or decrease in flow rate of flammable refrigerant), beyond a predefined threshold, corresponds to the alarm signal 125. In other cases, the alarm signal 125 is a discrete signal generated only when an increased concentration of gaseous, or decreased flow rate, of flammable refrigerant 120 is detected beyond the predefined threshold.”) [The predefined threshold of the gaseous concentration reads on “a threshold concentration”.] [The response signal causing the stoppage of electrical power or fuel to the furnace reads on “in response to the signal, actuate the switch or valve to block the flow of …”.]
Regarding claim 19, Goel and Iwanaga teach all the claimed features of claims 17-18. Goel further teaches:
wherein the threshold concentration corresponds to a likelihood of combustion of the refrigerant. (Goel: [0017] “In some embodiments, the safety module 112 includes both the leak-detector subunit 115 and the start-up subunit 117. For example, some such embodiments advantageously provide a second measure to mitigate against the combustion of leaked flammable refrigerant 120, if the start-up subunit 117, or the airflow device 119, malfunctions or is unable to reduce the gaseous concentration of flammable refrigerant 120 below a flammability limit, e.g., because of a large leakage of the flammable refrigerant 120.”)
Regarding claim 20, Goel and Iwanaga teach all the claimed features of claims 17-18. Goel further teaches:
comprising operating the flow management device to enable the flow of electricity or fuel in response to the concentration being less than the threshold concentration. (Goel: [0026] and [0034] as discussed in claim 18) [The alarm signal being a discrete signal generated only when an increased concentration of flammable refrigerant is detected beyond the predefined threshold. Otherwise the alarm signal is not generated or not causing the stoppage, that reads on “enable the flow of electricity or fuel …”.]
Claims 8, 12 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Goel, in view of Iwanaga, further in view of Scaringe et al. (US 8,418,530 B1) (“Scaringe”).
Regarding claim 8, Goel and Iwanaga teach all the claimed features of claim 1. Goel and Iwanaga do not expressly teach the recitations of claim 8.
Scaringe teaches:
wherein a sensor of the one or more sensors is disposed in a furnace compartment of the HVAC system. (Scaringe: Column 7, lines 34-39 “One object of certain embodiments of the present invention is to provide a method of using any leak detection fluid in combination with standard halogen refrigerant leak detectors in gas-fired hot air furnaces to detect leaks or other improper pathways between the combustion air and the (heated) conditioned air introduced into the building.”) (Scaringe: Column 17 line 62 to Column 18 line 8 “For the High Efficiency Condensing Hot Air Furnace, access to the condensed water drain line is obtained by removing a condensate drain line 8 from the combustion blower 3, or the condensate drain line 18 from the condensate trap 4. Alternatively of course a hole in the exhaust line 9 from the combustion blower or in the exhaust line 17 after the water trap can be made and later sealed. An ordinary halogen refrigerant leak detector probe is placed in this combustion air exhaust stream. 2) The probe of a standard halogen leak detectors, also known in the industry as a refrigerant leak detector, is introduced into this exhaust stream, either via the condensate drain line opening 8 or 18 or through the hole made in the exhaust line at 9 or 17.”) [As illustrated in FIG. 1, the refrigerant leak detector is disposed in the furnace enclosure 1.]
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, having the teachings of Goel, Iwanaga and Scaringe before them, to modify the locations of the refrigerant leak detecting sensors, to incorporate having a leak detection in the enclosure of the furnace.
One of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to do this modification because it would allow for detecting refrigerant leak in the gas-fired hot air furnace. (Scaringe: Column 7, lines 34-39)
Regarding claim 12, Goel and Iwanaga teach all the claimed features of claim 11. Goel and Iwanaga do not expressly teach the recitations of claim 12.
Scaringe teaches:
wherein the signal is indicative of the presence of leaked refrigerant in a heat exchanger compartment of the HVAC system. (Scaringe: Column 7, line 46-52 “Yet another object of certain embodiments of the present invention is to provide a method of using this leak detection fluid in combination with heat exchangers of any type to detect leaks or other improper pathways between any of the fluid pathways that are to be thermally connected but mechanically isolated to keep the fluids from contacting or mixing in any way.”) (Scaringe: Column 18 line 51 to Column 19 line 2 “Other means to introduce the leak detection fluid include painting or otherwise coating the surface of the heat exchanger where a leak may be suspected. 6) If there is a leak or other improper pathway between the combustion air and the conditioned air then the halogen leak detector (refrigerant detector) will indicate the presence of the leak indicating fluid in the combustion air stream 22, even though it was introduced into the into the conditioned air side at location 13. The leak indicating fluid being drawn though the leak or improper pathway by the action of the combustion blower 3, and its presence being detected by the halogen leak detector which is located in the combustion exhaust stream 22, that is in the combustion blower exhaust stream 22. For natural draft and other heat exchangers that need to be checked for leaks, the procedure depends somewhat on the hardware configuration, however the basic concept is to introduce the indicator fluid on one side of the heat exchanger and use the halogen leak detector to sniff for the presence of the indicator gas on the other side of the heat exchanger.”)
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, having the teachings of Goel, Iwanaga and Scaringe before them, to modify the locations of the refrigerant leak detecting sensors, to incorporate having a leak detection throughout the furnace, including the heat exchangers.
One of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to do this modification because it would allow for detecting refrigerant leak in all parts of the furnace that may get introduced into the improper pathway. (Scaringe: Column 7, line 46-52)
Regarding claim 15, Goel and Iwanaga teach all the claimed features of claim 11. Goel and Iwanaga do not expressly teach the recitations of claim 15.
Scaringe teaches:
wherein the sensor is disposed at an inlet or an outlet of a furnace of the HVAC system, and wherein the furnace comprises the heating component. (Scaringe: Column 17 line 62 to Column 18 line 8 “For the High Efficiency Condensing Hot Air Furnace, access to the condensed water drain line is obtained by removing a condensate drain line 8 from the combustion blower 3, or the condensate drain line 18 from the condensate trap 4. Alternatively of course a hole in the exhaust line 9 from the combustion blower or in the exhaust line 17 after the water trap can be made and later sealed. An ordinary halogen refrigerant leak detector probe is placed in this combustion air exhaust stream. 2) The probe of a standard halogen leak detectors, also known in the industry as a refrigerant leak detector, is introduced into this exhaust stream, either via the condensate drain line opening 8 or 18 or through the hole made in the exhaust line at 9 or 17.”) (Scaringe: Column 16 lines 25-30 “This air enters the furnace at 12 and is plumbed in some fashion (not shown in FIG. 1) to the combustion air intake at 15. The combustion fuel enters through gas nozzle jet 16 and is ignited so that combustion of the fuel and air occurs at some point within the entrance region of heat exchanger 10.”)
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, having the teachings of Goel, Iwanaga and Scaringe before them, to modify the locations of the refrigerant leak detecting sensors, to incorporate having a leak detecting sensor in the outlet of the furnace.
One of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to do this modification because it would allow for detecting refrigerant leak in the combustion air stream that may get introduced into the conditioned air. (Scaringe: Column 18, lines 54-63)
Claim 16 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Goel, in view of Iwanaga, further in view of ARENSMEIER et al. (US 2014/0262134 A1) (“Arensmeier”). Arensmeier is a reference cited in the information disclosure statement submitted on 02/19/2024.
Regarding claim 16, Goel and Iwanaga teach all the claimed features of claim 1. Goel and Iwanaga do not expressly teach the recitations of claim 16.
Arensmeier teaches:
wherein the controller is configured to execute processor executable instructions to perform the operations. (Arensmeier: [0220] “When a call for heat is made, the furnace will progress through a sequence of states. For example only, the sequence may begin with activating the inducer blower, opening the gas valve, igniting the gas, and turning on the circulator blower. Each of these states may be detectable in current data, although frequency-domain as well as time-domain data may be necessary to reliably determine certain states. When this sequence of states appears to indicate that the furnace is restarting, a fault may be declared. A furnace restart may be detected when the measured current matches a baseline current profile for a certain number of states and then diverges from the baseline current profile for the next state or states.”; [0264] “The apparatuses and methods described in this application may be partially or fully implemented by one or more computer programs executed by one or more processors. The computer programs include processor-executable instructions that are stored on at least one non-transitory tangible computer readable medium. The computer programs may also include and/or rely on stored data.”)
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, having the teachings of Goel, Iwanaga and Arensmeier before them, to modify the control subunit, to incorporate implementing by computer programs executed by a processor.
One of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to do this modification because it would allow for suitably executing the functions of the control subunit in continuously receiving and analyzing data related to monitoring and diagnosing an HVAC system.
It is noted that any citations to specific, pages, columns, lines, or figures in the prior art references and any interpretation of the reference should not be considered to be limiting in any way. A reference is relevant for all it contains and may be relied upon for all that it would have reasonably suggested to one having ordinary skill in the art. See MPEP 2123.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Kaiser (US 2017/0138612 A1), a reference cited in the information disclosure statement submitted on 02/19/2024, teaches closing a furnace fuel valve and shutting off the burners when a temperature of hot air produced by the furnace reaches a predetermined high temperature threshold, as described in at least Paragraph [0058] (“As described above, a temperature sensor TS is mounted on or within the furnace supply plenum or duct 1301 of the furnace 2000. When the furnace 2000 is burning gas (e.g. is turned on the heat recovery assembly 100 is extracting heat from the furnace exhaust gas and preheating the air in the return plenum 1300 so that hot air is produced at elevated temperatures compared to the furnace 2000 running by itself. The sensor TS is monitored by the controller 1311 (FIG. 18C, Block 9038) and is set to trigger or otherwise send a signal to the controller at any suitable predetermined high temperature threshold or set point, such as about 130° F. (in other aspects the high temperature threshold is more or less than 130° F.) When the controller 1311 receives a signal from the temperature sensor TS that the high temperature threshold is reached the controller interrupts the thermostat TSH heat call which closes the furnace fuel valve FV and shuts off the burners FBRN (e.g. turns the furnace off however, the blower FIB remains running for a predetermined period of time per furnace programming as described herein) and turns the stage 2 compressor 150A off (FIG. 18C, Block 9039). …”)
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/MICHAEL W CHOI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2116