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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group II comprising claims 8-14 in the reply filed on 7/20/26 is acknowledged.
Claims 1-7 and 15-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Group, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 7/20/26.
Drawing Objections
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the blower outlet bevel must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(4) because reference character “34” has been used to designate two different structures in Figure 2D of the Applicant’s as-filed disclosure.
Looking at Figures 1 and 4A of the Applicant’s as-filed disclosure, it is unclear how the duct connector comprises the outlet seat as recited in claim 10. To elaborate, the outlet seat 24 is located on the inside of fan housing 12 while the duct connector 26 is located on the outside of fan housing 12. Therefore, it is unclear how the duct connector 26 can comprise the outlet seat 24, given they must be separately installed to the fan housing 12.
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 Objections
Claims 12-13 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Regarding Claim 12, line 2, two instances of “the outlet seat aperture” should read “the
Regarding Claim 13, line 1, “fan of claim 12, the plate” should read “fan of claim 12, wherein the plate” (emphasis added).
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Claims 8-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as failing to set forth the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant regards as the invention.
Claim 8, lines 9-10 recite “the outlet seat defining an aperture complementing the shape of the blower outlet and defining an outlet seat bevel” which renders the claim indefinite. It is unclear whether the outlet seat or the aperture defines an outlet seat bevel. Looking at Figure 4A of the Applicant’s as-filed specification, it appears both interpretations are true. For the purposes of substantiative examination, Examiner interprets the claim as the aperture defines a outlet seat bevel.
Amendments to the claims are kindly requested for clarification.
Claims 7-14 are rejected by virtue of their dependency from base claim 8.
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.
Claims 8-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. (KR 20210130004 A, hereafter Kim) in view of Goerlich (DE 4229393 A1).
Reference is made to the attached Korean to English machine translation of Kim ‘004.
Reference is made to the attached German to English machine translation of Goerlich ‘393.
Regarding claim 8, Kim discloses a ventilation fan (Par. 0006, kitchen hood) configured to be positioned adjacent to a room of a building structure to ventilate the room (Par. 0006, “kitchen hood that can be installed between kitchen ventilation ducts inside the ceiling”), the ventilation fan comprising:
a fan housing comprising an external wall defining an internal region (Figs. 3-4, housing 110 comprises walls that define an internal region within the walls), a fan housing inlet to the internal region (annotated Fig. A, fan housing inlet) and a fan housing outlet from the internal region (annotated Fig. A, fan housing outlet);
a blower configured to be located in the internal region (Fig. 4, centrifugal fan 200), the blower comprising a scroll (Fig. 4, centrifugal fan 200 has a scroll) defining a blower inlet (Fig. 4, impeller 240 and Par. 0029, “air sucked from the impeller (240)”) through which the blower is configured to draw air and a blower outlet (Fig. 4, impeller discharge section 220) through which the blower is configured to expel air; and
an outlet seat (annotated Fig. B, outlet seat and Par. 0029, “At the end of the impeller discharge section (220), a flange (230) that can be inserted into the centrifugal fan coupling section (134)”. The structure identified in annotated Fig. B is a seat for the impeller discharge section 220, therefore it is an ‘outlet seat’) between the blower outlet and the fan housing outlet (Fig. 4 and annotated Fig. B), the outlet seat defining an aperture (Fig. 5, discharge port 133) complementing the shape of the blower outlet (Figs. 7-8, discharge port 133 complements the shape of impeller discharge section 220 because it is a mutually completing part that allows air to flow from the blower to outside the housing).
However, Kim does not disclose the blower outlet defining a blower outlet bevel; and
the outlet seat defining an outlet seat bevel;
wherein the blower outlet bevel is configured to engage the outlet seat bevel.
Goerlich discloses a solution for how to create a seal between a flange and a groove (Abstract), similar to the problem of how to create a seal between the blower and fan housing in the present invention. Goerlich further discloses it is known for a mating flange (Fig. 1, flange 8) and groove (Fig. 1, groove 6) to both have bevels (Pg. 1, 5th Par. from the bottom, “A bevel 21 on flange 8 and bevel 22 on groove 6 are used for easy assembly of the plug connection 3”).
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 blower outlet and the aperture of the outlet seat of Kim with the bevels as taught by Goerlich in order to have the blower outlet defining a blower outlet bevel; and the outlet seat defining an outlet seat bevel; wherein the blower outlet bevel is configured to engage the outlet seat bevel bevels and thereby make it easier to assemble the blower outlet and outlet seat (As suggested by Pg. 3, 5th Par. from the bottom of Goerlich, as quoted above).
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Fig. A: Annotated copy of Fig. 5 from Kim showing location of prior art elements labeled with applicant’s terminology.
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outlet)][AltContent: arrow]
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Fig. B: Annotated copy of Fig. 5 (left) and Fig. 4 (right) from Kim showing location of prior art elements labeled with applicant’s terminology.
Regarding claim 9, Kim, as modified above, discloses the ventilation fan of claim 8, wherein the outlet seat bevel complements the blower outlet bevel (Gim: annotated Fig. B and Fig. 4, impeller discharge section 220 in view of Goerlich: Fig. 1 and Pg. 3, 5th Par. from the bottom, “A bevel 21 on flange 8 and bevel 22 on groove 6 are used for easy assembly of the plug connection 3”. Bevel 21 complements bevel 22 because it is a mutually completing part that supports easy assembly).
Regarding claim 10, Kim discloses the ventilation fan of claim 8, further comprising a duct connector (Fig. 5, discharge part 130) that comprises the outlet seat (annotated Fig. B, outlet seat).
Claims 11-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. (KR 20210130004 A, hereafter Kim) in view of Goerlich (DE 4229393 A1) and further in view of Gim et al. (KR 102477151 B1, hereafter Gim).
Reference is made to the attached Korean to English machine translation of Gim ‘151.
Regarding claim 11, Kim, as modified above, discloses the ventilation fan of claim 8.
However, Kim, as modified above, does not disclose the outlet seat comprises a sleeve configured to extend into the fan housing outlet and the outlet seat bevel extends into the sleeve.
Gim discloses a ventilation fan (Abstract) similar to the present invention and Gim further discloses it is known for a seat (Fig. 8, connector 70, which is a seat for the suction duct, therefore connector 70 is a ‘seat’) to comprise a sleeve (Fig. 8, press-fit duct 73).
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 outlet seat and blower outlet of Kim, as modified above, with the sleeve and press-in groove 64 as taught by Gim in order to have the outlet seat comprise a sleeve and thereby stably and firmly connect the outlet seat to the blower outlet with minimal work (As suggested by Par. 0026 of Gim: “can be stably and firmly connected to the housing with minimal work by using a press-fit structure”).
Furthermore, it would have been an obvious matter of design choice to make the outlet seat separate from the duct connector since it has been held that making a claimed element removable was a matter of choice which a person of ordinary skill in the art would have found obvious absent persuasive evidence that the particular configuration of the claimed device was significant.
However, Kim, as modified above, does not disclose the outlet seat comprises a sleeve configured to extend into the fan housing outlet and the outlet seat bevel extends into the sleeve.
It would have been an obvious matter of design choice for the sleeve to extend into the fan housing outlet, since it has been held that the configuration of the claimed element was a matter of choice which a person of ordinary skill in the art would have found obvious absent persuasive evidence that the particular configuration of the claimed sleeve was significant. MPEP 2144.04 VI-C. Please note that in the instant application, the Applicant has not disclosed any criticality for the claimed limitation (i.e., configured to extend into the fan housing outlet, to the side of the fan housing outlet). One could have expected the sleeve to perform substantially equally well, whether at the side of the fan housing outlet or in its original position.
NOTE: The limitation “the outlet seat bevel extends into the sleeve” is necessarily met by modified Kim. To elaborate, Kim in view of Goerlich discloses an outlet seat bevel that extends internally (Goerlich: Fig. 1, bevel 22 extends internally) so adding the sleeve as taught by Gim necessarily means modified Kim discloses the outlet seat bevel extends into the sleeve.
Furthermore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify the outlet seat bevel so it extends into the sleeve, recognizing that the above modification would better guide the blower outlet into the sleeve and thereby increase the ease of assembly, which is a desirable characteristic, since it is the examiner’s position that a person of ordinary skill in the art would have found this to be an intuitive shape/orientation to pursue. See MPEP 2144.04 IV A.
Regarding claim 12, Kim, as modified above, discloses the ventilation fan of claim 8, wherein the outlet seat (annotated Fig. B, outlet seat) comprises a plate (annotated Fig. B, plate) defining the outlet seat aperture (Kim: Fig. 5, discharge port 133) and the outlet seat bevel complements the blower outlet bevel (Gim: annotated Fig. B and Fig. 4, impeller discharge section 220 in view of Goerlich: Fig. 1 and Pg. 3, 5th Par. from the bottom, “A bevel 21 on flange 8 and bevel 22 on groove 6 are used for easy assembly of the plug connection 3”. Bevel 21 complements bevel 22 because it is a mutually completing part that supports easy assembly).
However, Kim, as modified above, does not disclose a sleeve extending from the plate at the outlet seat aperture, wherein the sleeve comprises at least part of the outlet seat bevel.
Gim discloses a ventilation fan (Abstract) similar to the present invention and Gim further discloses it is known for a sleeve (Figs. 7-8, press-fit duct 73) to extend from a plate (Figs. 7-8, connecting panel 71) at a seat aperture (Fig. 7, aperture in connecting plate 71, which is part of connector 70. Connector 70 is a seat for the suction duct and has an aperture, therefore the aperture in connector 70 is a ‘seat aperture’),
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 outlet seat and blower outlet of Kim, as modified above, with the sleeve and press-in groove 64 as taught by Gim in order to have the outlet seat comprise a sleeve and thereby stably and firmly connect the outlet seat to the blower outlet with minimal work (As suggested by Par. 0026 of Gim: “can be stably and firmly connected to the housing with minimal work by using a press-fit structure”).
Furthermore, it would have been an obvious matter of design choice to make the outlet seat separate from the duct connector since it has been held that making a claimed element removable was a matter of choice which a person of ordinary skill in the art would have found obvious absent persuasive evidence that the particular configuration of the claimed device was significant.
NOTE: The limitation “the sleeve comprises at least part of the outlet seat bevel” is necessarily met by modified Kim. To elaborate, Kim in view of Goerlich discloses an outlet seat bevel that extends internally (Goerlich: Fig. 1, bevel 22 extends internally) so adding the sleeve as taught by Gim necessarily means modified Kim discloses the sleeve comprises at least part of the outlet seat bevel.
Regarding claim 13, Kim, as modified above, discloses the ventilation fan of claim 12, the plate (annotated Fig. B, plate) of the outlet seat (annotated Fig. B, outlet seat) is secured to the fan housing (Kim: Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 14, Kim, as modified above, discloses the ventilation fan of claim 8, further comprising a duct connector (Fig. 5, discharge part 130) configured to be secured to the exterior of the fan housing (Fig. 4).
However, Kim, as modified above, does not disclose the outlet seat comprises a sleeve configured to extend into the fan housing outlet and contact the duct connector outside of the fan housing.
Gim discloses a ventilation fan (Abstract) similar to the present invention and Gim further discloses it is known for a seat (Fig. 8, connector 70, which is a seat for the suction duct, therefore connector 70 is a ‘seat’) to comprise a sleeve (Fig. 8, press-fit duct 73) and contact a duct connector (Fig. 8, suction duct) outside of a fan housing (Fig. 8, housing 10, which houses an fan/impeller 53 and is therefore a ‘fan housing’).
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 outlet seat and blower outlet of Kim, as modified above, with the sleeve and press-in groove 64 as taught by Gim in order to have the outlet seat comprise a sleeve and thereby stably and firmly connect the outlet seat to the duct connector with minimal work (As suggested by Par. 0026 of Gim: “can be stably and firmly connected to the housing with minimal work by using a press-fit structure”).
Furthermore, it would have been an obvious matter of design choice to make the outlet seat separate from the duct connector since it has been held that making a claimed element removable was a matter of choice which a person of ordinary skill in the art would have found obvious absent persuasive evidence that the particular configuration of the claimed device was significant.
However, Kim, as modified above, does not disclose the outlet seat comprises a sleeve configured to extend into the fan housing outlet.
It would have been an obvious matter of design choice for the sleeve to extend into the fan housing outlet, since it has been held that the configuration of the claimed element was a matter of choice which a person of ordinary skill in the art would have found obvious absent persuasive evidence that the particular configuration of the claimed sleeve was significant. MPEP 2144.04 VI-C. Please note that in the instant application, the Applicant has not disclosed any criticality for the claimed limitation (i.e., configured to extend into the fan housing outlet, to the side of the fan housing outlet). One could have expected the sleeve to perform substantially equally well, whether at the side of the fan housing outlet or in its original position.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Chen et al. (CN108413464A) discloses a fan housing comprising an external wall defining an internal region, a fan housing inlet to the internal region and a fan housing outlet from the internal region; a blower configured to be located in the internal region, the blower comprising a scroll defining a blower inlet through which the blower is configured to draw air and a blower outlet through which the blower is configured to expel air, the blower outlet defining a blower outlet bevel.
Lin et al. (US 20190376522 A1) discloses a fan housing comprising an external wall defining an internal region, a fan housing inlet to the internal region and a fan housing outlet from the internal region; a blower configured to be located in the internal region, the blower comprising a scroll defining a blower inlet through which the blower is configured to draw air and a blower outlet through which the blower is configured to expel air, the blower outlet defining a blower outlet bevel.
Hutson (US 20160222979 A1) discloses a fan housing comprising an external wall defining an internal region, a fan housing inlet to the internal region and a fan housing outlet from the internal region; a blower configured to be located in the internal region, the blower comprising a scroll defining a blower inlet through which the blower is configured to draw air and a blower outlet through which the blower is configured to expel air, the blower outlet defining a blower outlet bevel.
Yamaguchi et al. (JP 2017044132 A) discloses a fan housing comprising an external wall defining an internal region, a fan housing inlet to the internal region and a fan housing outlet from the internal region; a blower configured to be located in the internal region, the blower comprising a scroll defining a blower inlet through which the blower is configured to draw air and a blower outlet through which the blower is configured to expel air, the blower outlet defining a blower outlet bevel.
Wolff (WO 2004015317 A2) discloses bevels on mating parts.
Blum (US 20170268210 A1) discloses bevels on mating parts.
Zheng et al. (WO 2024260279 A1) discloses a bevel is known for aiding easier assembly, improving installation efficiency, avoids damage to corners, and facilitates demolding during the manufacturing process.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Elizabeth A Laughlin whose telephone number is (703)756-5924. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Friday 9:30am to 5:30pm ET.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Michael Hoang can be reached on (571) 272-6460. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/E.A.L./Examiner, Art Unit 3762
/MICHAEL G HOANG/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3762
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