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 .
Claim Objections
Claim 19 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 19 recites the limitation “a though opening” in line 2 which should be recited to “a through opening”.
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.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 1-11 and 22-26 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim 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 1 recites the limitation "the window assembly" in line 5. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. For examination purposes, the limitation has been interpreted as “a window assembly”.
Claim 22 recites the limitation "a window air conditioner" in line 3. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. For examination purposes, the limitation has been interpreted as “the window air conditioner”.
Claims 2-11 and 23-26 are rejected by the virtue dependencies of claims 1 and 22.
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, 3, 9-12 and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wheeler et al. (2023/0296266).
Regarding claim 1, Wheeler discloses a window air conditioner comprising:
an indoor portion (102);
an outdoor portion (104);
a bridge (106) connecting the indoor portion (102) and the outdoor portion (104; see figure 1A);
a collar (the closeout panels 510) configured to seal between the bridge (106) and the window assembly (paragraph [0059]; see figure 5A), wherein the collar (510) includes one or more members (512, 514 and 515) surrounding the bridge (106) having an inner periphery adjacent the bridge (106) and an outer periphery (the outer surface of the closeout panels 510; see figures 5A-5E); and
wherein at least one of the inner periphery and/or the outer periphery (the outer surface of the closeout panels 510) of the one or more members (512, 514 and 515) include one or more ribs (515) projecting therefrom (see figures5A-5E).
Regarding claim 3, Wheeler discloses the one or more ribs (515) project from the one or more members (512 and 514) in one or more planes perpendicular to a direction from the indoor portion (102) to the outdoor portion (104; see figures 1A and 5A-5E).
Regarding claim 9, Wheeler discloses the inner periphery (the inner periphery of the members 512 and 514) and the outer periphery (the outer periphery of the members 512 and 514) includes the one or more ribs (515; see figures 5A-5E).
Regarding claim 10, Wheeler discloses the collar (the closeout panels 510) defines a through opening (the opening which the bridge 106 passing therethrough) receiving the bridge (106; see figure 5A).
Regarding claim 11, Wheeler discloses the window air conditioner of claim 1 is a saddle-type window air conditioner (paragraph [0002]; see figure 1A).
Regarding claim 12, Wheeler discloses a collar (the closeout panels 510) for sealing a window air conditioner (100) comprising:
a first member (512) having an outer periphery and an opposing inner periphery between an indoor side (102) and an outdoor side (104; see figures 5A-5E); and
one or more ribs (515) projecting outwardly away from at least one of the outer periphery (the outer surface of the panels 510) and/or the opposing inner periphery, wherein the one or more ribs (515) are positioned in one or more planes substantially perpendicular to a direction from the indoor side (102) to the outdoor side (104; see figures 5A-5E).
Regarding claim 19, Wheeler discloses the collar (510) further comprising a second member (514), wherein the first member (512) and the second member (514) define a though opening (the opening which the bridge 106 passing therethrough) configured to seal a window air conditioner (100) with a window assembly (the window) defining a window opening (the opening which between the air conditioner and the window; see figures 1 and 5A-5E).
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1, 3 and 9-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Kim et al. (2024/0263808).
Regarding claim 1, Kim discloses a window air conditioner comprising:
an indoor portion (30);
an outdoor portion (20);
a bridge (60) connecting the indoor portion (30) and the outdoor portion (20; see figures 1-4);
a collar (70) configured to seal between the bridge (60) and the window assembly (paragraphs [0196]-[0199]; see figures 1-4 and 13), wherein the collar (70) includes one or more members (700) surrounding the bridge (60) having an inner periphery adjacent the bridge (60) and an outer periphery (710; see figure 13); and
wherein at least one of the inner periphery and/or the outer periphery (710) of the one or more members (700) include one or more ribs (the corrugations) projecting therefrom (see figure 13).
Regarding claim 3, Kim discloses the one or more ribs (710) project from the one or more members (700) in one or more planes perpendicular to a direction from the indoor portion (30) to the outdoor portion (20; see figures 13-14).
Regarding claim 9, Kim discloses the inner periphery (the inner periphery of the member 700) and the outer periphery (the outer periphery of the member 700) includes the one or more ribs (the corrugation corresponding to the inner and outer periphery of the member 700; see figures 13-14).
Regarding claim 10, Kim discloses the collar (70) defines a through opening (the opening which the bridge 60 passing therethrough) receiving the bridge (60; see figures 1-4 and 13-14).
Regarding claim 11, Kim discloses the window air conditioner of claim 1 is a saddle-type window air conditioner (see figure 14).
Regarding claim 12, Kim discloses a collar (70) for sealing a window air conditioner (10) comprising:
a first member (700) having an outer periphery and an opposing inner periphery between an indoor side (30) and an outdoor side (20; see figures 1-4 and 13-14); and
one or more ribs (the corrugations corresponding to the inner and outer periphery of the member 700) projecting outwardly away from at least one of the outer periphery (710) and/or the opposing inner periphery, wherein the one or more ribs (the corrugations) are positioned in one or more planes substantially perpendicular to a direction from the indoor side (30) to the outdoor side (20; see figures 1-4 and 13-14).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2, 4-8, 13-18 and 20-21 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Claims 22-26 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 22, Wheeler discloses a method of reducing fluid from transferring through a window opening into an inside of a room relative to a window air conditioner (100) positioned therein comprising:
providing a window air conditioner (100) having a bridge (106) connecting an indoor portion (102) and an outdoor portion (104; see figure 1A);
providing a collar (the closeout panels 510) having one or more members (512 and 514; see figures 5A-5E);
positioning the one or more members (512 and 514) about the bridge (106), wherein the one or more members (512 and 514) include an outer periphery (the outer surface of the first and second portions 512 and 514) and an inner periphery (the inner surface of the first and second portions 512 and 514), and wherein at least a portion of the outer periphery (the outer surface of the first and second portions 512 and 514) and/or the inner periphery includes a plurality of ribs (515) projecting away from the outer periphery (the outer surface of the first and second portions) and/or the inner periphery (see figures 5A-5E);
and engaging the plurality of ribs (515) to the one or more sealing members (512 and 514; see figures 5A-5E).
However, Wheeler fails to disclose positioning one or more sealing members adjacent the outer periphery and adjacent the inner periphery.
The primary reference Wheeler taken alone or in combination fails to disclose the claimed structure detail of the collar as required in claims 2, 4-8, 13-18 and 20-26. Also, the prior art of record fails to provide further teachings or motivations to modify the collar of Wheeler in order to arrive the claim invention. Therefore, claim 2, 4-8, 13-18 and 20-26 are allowable.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KUN KAI MA whose telephone number is (571)-270-3530. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 9am-6pm.
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/KUN KAI MA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3763
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