CTNF 18/633,101 CTNF 90602 DETAILED ACTION The present office action is in response to claims filed on 04/11/2024. Claims 1 – 17 are pending in the application. 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA. 07-06 AIA 15-10-15 In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status. Claim Objections 07-29-01 AIA Claim s 12, 13, and 16 is objected to because of the following informalities: Claim 12 recites “air” in line 4, which should recite “ the air” for proper antecedent basis. Claim 13 recites “air” in line 2, which should recite “ the air” for proper antecedent basis. Claim 16 recites “air” in lines 7, 12, 15, which should recite “ the air” for proper antecedent basis . Appropriate correction is required. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102 07-07-aia AIA 07-07 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 – 07-08-aia AIA (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. 07-12-aia AIA (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. 07-15 AIA Claim s 1, 2, 12, 13, 15, 16, and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102( a)(1 ) as being anticipated by Son et al. (U.S. Patent No. 10,302,326) . Regarding Claim 1, Son shows (Figures 1, 4, 5, and 6): An indoor unit (10) of an air conditioner, the indoor unit (10) comprising: a housing (10) comprising an inlet (12), a first outlet (portion of 14 covered by 50), and a second outlet (portion of 14 covered by 20); a panel (76, in which 77 is located) arranged inside (as illustrated n Figure 4) the housing (10) and having a guide hole (77) configured to guide air (air from 75a), which is directed to (as illustrated by the air flow arrows in Figure 4) to the first outlet (portion of 14 covered by 50), to the second outlet (portion of 14 covered by 20); a blade (53) configured to move (via 59) between a first position (position of 53 illustrated in Figure 4) in which the blade (53) covers (as illustrated in Figure 4) the first outlet (portion of 14 covered by 50) and a second position (position of 53 illustrated in Figure 6) in which the blade (53) exposes (as illustrated in Figure 6) the first outlet (portion of 14 covered by 50); and a door (54) connected to (as illustrated in Figure 5, 53 and 54 are connected to form 52) the blade (53) and configured to move between a third position (position of 54 illustrated in Figure 4) in which the door (54) exposes (as illustrated in Figure 4) the guide hole (77) of the panel (76, in which 77 is located) and a fourth position (position of 54 in Figure 6) in which the door (54) covers (as illustrated in Figure 6) the guide hole (77) of the panel (76, in which 77 is located). Regarding Claim 2, Son shows (Figures 1, 4, 5, and 6): The door (54) is further configured to: move (as illustrated in Figure 4) to the third position (position of 54 illustrated in Figure 4), based on the blade (53) being in the first position (position of 53 illustrated in Figure 4); and move (as illustrated in Figure 6) to the fourth position (position of 54 in Figure 6) covering the guide hole (77), based on the blade (53) being in the second position (position of 53 illustrated in Figure 6). Regarding Claim 12, Son shows (Figures 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6): The blade (53) has a plurality of first discharge holes (as illustrated in Figure 4, 50 has a plurality of first discharge holes 56 through which the air in the closed position of 50 dissipates through), and wherein the housing (20, which as illustrated in Figure 3 is a part of 10) has a plurality of second discharge holes (as illustrated in Figure 4, 20 has a plurality of second discharge holes 22 through which the air in the closed position of 50 dissipates through), and wherein based on the blade (53) being in the first position (position of 53 illustrated in Figure 4), the air (air from 75a) inside the housing (10) is configured to flow through (as illustrated by the air flow arrows in Figure 4) the plurality of first discharge holes (as illustrated in Figure 4, 50 has a plurality of first discharge holes 56 through which the air in the closed position of 50 dissipates through) and the plurality of second discharge holes (as illustrated in Figure 4, 20 has a plurality of second discharge holes 22 through which the air in the closed position of 50 dissipates through). Regarding Claim 13, Son shows (Figures 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6): Based on a cooling operation (first cooling operation, as described in Col. 12, line 65 – Col. 13, line 9) ending (“the controller may send out a control signal to convert the operation of the air conditioner 1 into the second cooling operation”, Col. 13, lines 7-9; accordingly, the first cooling operation ended), the blade (53) is in (as described in Col. 12, line 65 – Col. 13, line 9, in the first cooling operation, the air is discharged as illustrated in Figure 4; in the second cooling operation, the air is discharged through 14) the first position (position of 53 illustrated in Figure 4) and the air (air from 75a) inside the housing (10) is discharged through (as illustrated by the air flow arrows in Figure 4) the second outlet (portion of 14 covered by 20). Regarding Claim 15, Son shows (Figures 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6): An intake panel (13) provided to form (as illustrated in Figure 3) the inlet (12); and a cover panel (20) provided to form (as illustrated in Figures 3 and 4) the first outlet (portion of 14 covered by 50) and the second outlet (portion of 14 covered by 20). Regarding Claim 16, Son shows (Figures 1, 4, 5, and 6): An indoor unit (10) of an air conditioner, the indoor unit (10) comprising: a housing (10) comprising an inlet (12), a first outlet (portion of 14 covered by 50), and a second outlet (portion of 14 covered by 20) separate from (via 15 and 76) the first outlet (portion of 14 covered by 50); a blade (53) having a plurality of discharge holes (56) and configured to move (via 59) between a first position (position of 53 illustrated in Figure 4) in which the blade (53) covers (as illustrated in Figure 4) the first outlet (portion of 14 covered by 50) to guide air (air illustrated by air flow arrows in Figures 4 and 6) discharged through the first outlet (portion of 14 covered by 50), and a second position (position of 53 illustrated in Figure 6) in which the blade (53) exposes (as illustrated in Figure 6) the first outlet (portion of 14 covered by 50); a panel (76, in which 77 is located) having a guide hole (77) configured to guide air (air illustrated by air flow arrows in Figures 4 and 6), which is directed to (as illustrated by the air flow arrows in Figure 4) to the first outlet (portion of 14 covered by 50), to the second outlet (portion of 14 covered by 20); and a door (54) configured to move between a third position (position of 54 illustrated in Figure 4) in which the door (54) exposes (as illustrated in Figure 4) the guide hole (77) and a fourth position (position of 54 in Figure 6) in which the door (54) covers (as illustrated in Figure 6) the guide hole (77); wherein based upon the blade (53) being in the second position (position of 53 illustrated in Figure 6), the door (54) is in the fourth position (position of 54 in Figure 6) covering the guide hole (77), so that the air (air illustrated by air flow arrows in Figures 4 and 6), which is directed to the first outlet (portion of 14 covered by 50), is prevented (as illustrated in Figure 6) from being discharged through the second outlet (portion of 14 covered by 20) by passing through the guide hole (77), and wherein based upon the blade (53) being in the first position (position of 53 illustrated in Figure 4), the door (54) is in the third position (position of 54 illustrated in Figure 4) exposing the guide hole (77) so that the air (air illustrated by air flow arrows in Figures 4 and 6), which is directed to the first outlet (portion of 14 covered by 50), is discharged through (as illustrated in Figure 4) the plurality of discharge holes (56) and the second outlet (portion of 14 covered by 20). Regarding Claim 17, Son shows (Figures 1, 4, 5, and 6): An indoor unit (10) of an air conditioner, the indoor unit (10) comprising: a housing (10) comprising an inlet (12), a first outlet (portion of 14 covered by 50), and a second outlet (portion of 14 covered by 20); a panel (76, in which 77 is located) inside (as illustrated n Figure 4) the housing (10) and having a guide hole (77) configured to allow the first outlet (portion of 14 covered by 50) and the second outlet (portion of 14 covered by 20) to communicated with each other (as described in Col. 4, lines 2-4); a blade (53) configured to expose (as illustrated in Figure 6) or cover (as illustrated in Figure 4) the first outlet (portion of 14 covered by 50); and a door (54) connected to (as illustrated in Figure 5, 53 and 54 are connected to form 52) the blade (53) and configured to, based on the first outlet (portion of 14 covered by 50) being covered (as illustrated in Figure 4) the blade (53), expose (as illustrated in Figure 4) the guide hole (77) so that air (air illustrated by air flow arrows in Figure 4) inside the housing (10) passes through the guide hole (77) and is discharged through (as illustrated by air flow arrows in Figure 4) the second outlet (portion of 14 covered by 20) . Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 07-20-aia AIA 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 of this title, 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. 07-21-aia AIA Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Son et al. (U.S. Patent No. 10,302,326), as recited in Claim 1 above, in view of Kim et al. (U.S. Patent No. 11,002,451) . Regarding Claim 11, Son shows (Figures 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6): The blade (53) is supplied a rotational force (“discharge blade 50 may be rotated about a blade shaft 59”, Col. 6, lines 50-55) controlled by (as described in Col. 10, lines 21-22) a controller (100). However, Son lacks explicitly reciting the rotational force is supplied via a motor. In the same field of endeavor of air conditioners, Kim teaches (Figure 2). It is known in the indoor unit (1) art for a blade drive motor (9) to deliver the driving force to the pivot shaft portion (77), as described in Col. 8, lines 13-15. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to modify the indoor unit shown by Son such that the rotational force of the blade shaft is supplied by a motor, as taught by Kim, to turn the control signal from the controller into a force in order to rotate the blade into its desired position . Allowable Subject Matter 07-43 Claims 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 14 are objected to as being dependent on 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. Regarding Claim 3, Son shows (Figures 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6): The door (54) comprises: a first guide (the top guide attached between 50 and 59, as illustrated in Figure 4) rotatably coupled to the blade (53) and configured to rotate about a first rotation axis (59), and a second guide (the bottom guide attached between 50 and 59, as illustrated in Figure 4) configured to rotate about the first rotation axis (59). However, Son lacks showing the second guide is configured to rotate about a second rotation axis that is spaced apart from the first rotation axis. Modifying Son accordingly teaches away from the principle operation of Son. Claims 4 – 8 depend from Claim 3. Regarding Claim 9, Son teaches the claimed invention except a gear assembly configured to transmit power from the blade to the door, wherein the gear assembly comprises a first gear formed on the blade and a second gear formed on the door and engaged with the first gear. It is noted Son teaches (as illustrated in Figure 4), the door (54) and the blade (53) are attached to each other. Accordingly, adding a gear assembly configured to transmit power from the blade to the door teaches away from the principle operation of Son. Claim 10 depends from Claim 9. Regarding Claim 14, Son shows (Figures 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6): The door (54) comprises: a door body (the body of 54) configured to move between a position exposing (as illustrated in Figure 4) the guide hole (77) and a position covering (as illustrated in Figure 6) the guide hole (77). However, Son lacks showing a plurality of bridges connecting the door body to the blade. It is noted Son teaches (as illustrated in Figure 4), the door body (the body of 54) and the blade (53) are attached to each other. Accordingly, adding a plurality of bridges connecting the door body and the blade teaches away from the principle operation of Son. Conclusion 07-96 AIA The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure and is provided in the Notice of References Cited . The following prior art teaches related indoor air conditioners: Peng (U.S. Patent No. 11,692,733): see Figures 1-6, wherein the guide hole is interpreted as the opening into 102 covered by 122 in Figure 1 Cho et al. (U.S. Patent No. 10,458,673): see Figures 4-6 Cho et al. (U.S. Pre-Grant Publication No. 2019/0056120): see Figures 5-8 Tsuji et al. (U.S. Patent No. 8,230,693): see Figure 4 Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANA K TIGHE whose telephone number is (571)272-9476. 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If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /DANA K TIGHE/Examiner, Art Unit 3762 /AVINASH A SAVANI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3762 Application/Control Number: 18/633,101 Page 2 Art Unit: 3762 Application/Control Number: 18/633,101 Page 3 Art Unit: 3762 Application/Control Number: 18/633,101 Page 4 Art Unit: 3762 Application/Control Number: 18/633,101 Page 5 Art Unit: 3762 Application/Control Number: 18/633,101 Page 6 Art Unit: 3762 Application/Control Number: 18/633,101 Page 7 Art Unit: 3762 Application/Control Number: 18/633,101 Page 8 Art Unit: 3762 Application/Control Number: 18/633,101 Page 9 Art Unit: 3762 Application/Control Number: 18/633,101 Page 10 Art Unit: 3762 Application/Control Number: 18/633,101 Page 11 Art Unit: 3762
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