DETAILED ACTION
The present office action is in response to claims filed on 04/18/2024. Claims 1 – 12 are pending in the application.
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
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 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.
(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.
Claims 1 and 2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Tang (U.S. Pre-Grant Publication No. 2022/0097489).
Regarding Claim 1, Tang shows (Figures 1C, 3, 4A, 4B, 5A, 5B, and 6):
An air-conditioning register (AV), comprising:
a retainer (1) that forms a vent passage (passage through 1, as illustrated in Figure 6) for air-conditioning air (air discharged into the vehicle interior through 1);
multiple movable members (44, 54) that are attached to the retainer (1) and movable in different directions (as illustrated in Figures 4A, 4B, 5A, 5B, 44 moves in vertical directions and 54 moves in horizontal directions);
an actuator (M) that rotates to actuate (“motor M configured to operate drive mechanism DM, operation of drive mechanism DM in the first direction may comprise rotation of the shaft in the first direction to actuate inner airflow guide mechanism VM/VB, and operation of the drive mechanism DM in the second direction may comprise rotation of the shaft in the second direction to actuate outer airflow guide mechanism HM/MB, Paragraph 0058) the movable members (44, 54); and
multiple conversion mechanisms (as illustrated in Figure 6, 325, 324, 322, 312, 311, 313, 42, 43, 51, 52, 53) that convert rotation (M rotates 22, which is attached to the mechanisms, as illustrated in Figure 6) of the actuator (M) into motion (as illustrated in Figures 4A, 4B, 5A, and 5B) in the directions (as illustrated in Figures 4A, 4B, 5A, 5B, 44 moves in vertical directions and 54 moves in horizontal directions) in which the movable members (44, 54) move, thereby actuating the movable members (44, 54).
Regarding Claim 2, Tang shows (Figures 1C, 3, 4A, 4B, 5A, 5B, and 6):
The conversion mechanisms (as illustrated in Figure 6, 325, 324, 322, 312, 311, 313, 42, 43, 51, 52, 53) include an intermittent actuation mechanism (311, 313, 322, 52, 53), and the intermittent actuation mechanism (311, 313, 322, 52, 53) includes:
a drive source gear (322) that rotates continuously (either clockwise or counterclockwise, as described in Paragraph 0068) in conjunction with the rotation of the actuator (M), and
a driven gear (311) is actuated intermittently (when M rotates in the counterclockwise, as described in Paragraph 0068).
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 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.
Claims 3 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tang (U.S. Pre-Grant Publication No. 2022/0097489) in view of Belzons (U.S. Pre-Grant Publication No. 2019/0375266).
Regarding Claim 3, Tang shows (Figures 1C, 3, 4A, 4B, 5A, 5B, and 6):
The moveable members (44, 54) include multiple fins (multiple 54) that a rotatable in a first direction (54 are vertical fins that rotate about a vertical axis to adjust the horizontal direction of the airflow) in a first direction (the direction 54 rotate) about multiple fin pivots (as illustrated in Figure 6, there are fin pivots along the bottom of each 54 that are used to connect the fins to the retainer), the fin pivots (as illustrated in Figure 6, there are fin pivots along the bottom of each 54 that are used to connect the fins to the retainer) being located in (as illustrated in Figure 6) the vent passage (passage through 1, as illustrated in Figure 6) of the retainer (1) and extending parallel to each other (as illustrated in Figure 6),
the conversion mechanisms (as illustrated in Figure 6, 325, 324, 322, 312, 311, 313, 42, 43, 51, 52, 53) include a first conversion mechanism (311, 313, 322, 52, 53) that converts rotation (via 311 and 51) of the actuator (M) into rotation in the first direction (the direction 54 rotate), thereby actuating (via 52, 53) the fins (54),
the first conversion mechanism (311, 313, 322, 52, 53) includes:
a rack (53) that extends in (as illustrated in Figure 6) an arrangement direction (54 are arranged along the horizontal direction), and
multiple pinions (as illustrated in Figure 6, there are fin pinions along the top of each 54 that are used to connect the fins to the retainer) that are respectively provided in the fins (54) and mesh with (as illustrated in Figure 4B) the rack (53), and
the first conversion mechanism (311, 313, 322, 52, 53) is configured to convert the rotation (via 311 and 51) of the actuator (M) into rotation (via 53) of the pinions (as illustrated in Figure 6, there are fin pinions along the top of each 54 that are used to connect the fins to the retainer) via a linear motion (the linear motion of 53) of the rack (53), thereby rotating (as illustrated in Figures 4A and 4B) the fins (54) in the first direction (the direction 54 rotate) about the fin pivots (as illustrated in Figure 6, there are fin pivots along the bottom of each 54 that are used to connect the fins to the retainer).
However, Tang lacks showing the rack includes teeth arranged next to one another in the arrangement direction.
In the same field of endeavor of vehicle air vents, Belzons teaches (Figures 1A and 1B):
It is known in the air vent (1) art for the rack (9) to have a plurality of teeth (14) arranged next to one another (as illustrated in Figure 1B) in the arrangement direction (the arrangement direction of 10), wherein the pinions (10) have corresponding teeth (10).
Further, “by its very nature, swirling air, like a whirlwind, tends to maintain its integrity and to resist disruption by outside forces. Side-by-side oppositely rotating swirls tend to reinforce each other, further to maintain their integrity and resist disruption. The present invention employs these phenomena to great advantage in providing a much improved and more efficient barrier of the air curtain type”, Col. 1, lines 24-31.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to substitute the rack and pinions taught by Belzons for the rack and pinions shown by Tang because it does no more than yield the predictable results of controlling the horizontal direction of the airflow, since it has been held that the simple substitution of one known element for another is likely to be obvious when it does no more than yield predictable results.
Regarding Claim 8, Tang shows (Figures 1C, 3, 4A, 4B, 5A, 5B, and 6):
The fins (54) are upstream fins (as illustrated in Figure 6, 54 is upstream from 44),
the fin pivots (as illustrated in Figure 6, there are fin pivots along the bottom of each 54 that are used to connect the fins to the retainer) are first fin pivots,
the moveable members (44, 54) include multiple downstream fins (44),
the downstream fins (44) are disposed in (as illustrated in Figure 6) the vent passage (passage through 1, as illustrated in Figure 6) of the retainer (1) on a downstream side (as illustrated in Figure 6, 44 are downstream of 54 in the direction of airflow through 1) of the upstream fins (54) in a flow direction (direction from AV toward HB, as illustrated in Figure 1) of the air-conditioning air (air discharged into the vehicle interior through 1), the downstream fins (44) being rotatable in a second direction (the direction 44 rotate) about second fin pivots (as illustrated in Figure 6, there are fin pivots along the right of each 44 that are used to connect the fins to the retainer) extending in the arrangement direction (44 are arranged vertically) of the upstream fins (44), and
the conversion mechanisms (as illustrated in Figure 6, 325, 324, 322, 312, 311, 313, 42, 43, 51, 52, 53) include a second conversation mechanism (42, 43) that converts (as illustrated in Figures 5A and 5B) the rotation of the actuator (M) into rotation in the second direction (the direction 44 rotate), thereby actuating the downstream fins (44).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, and 12 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 4, Tang shows (Figures 1C, 3, 4A, 4B, 5A, 5B, and 6):
The retainer (1) includes a through-hole (the opening through the middle of 1 in the direction of airflow) extending from an outer surface (the cover of 1 at the outlet, as illustrated in Figure 6) to the vent passage (passage through 1, as illustrated in Figure 6).
However, Tang lacks showing the moveable members include a slide cover, the slide cover being supported to be slidable relative to the retainer in a second direction that differs from the first direction, wherein the slide cover opens and closes the through-hole, the conversion mechanisms include a second conversion mechanism that converts the rotation of the actuator into a liner motion in the second direction, thereby sliding the slide cover form a closed position, at which the through-hole is closed, to an open position, at which the through-hole is opened, and the slide cover includes an accommodating portion that accommodates a chemical agent and is continuous with the vent passage through the through-hole when the slide cover is at the open position.
There is no teaching or motivation in the prior art to modify Tang accordingly.
Claims 5 – 7 depend from Claim 4.
Regarding Claim 9, Tang teaches the claimed invention except the second conversion mechanism includes an intermittent actuation mechanism, the intermittent actuation mechanism includes a drive source gear that rotates continuously in conjunction with the rotation of the actuator, an intermediate gear meshed with the drive source gear, and a driven gear that meshes with the intermediate gear and is actuated intermittently by the drive source gear via the intermediate gear, and the second conversion mechanism is configured to actuate, each time the intermediate gear is rotated by a prescribed angle, the driven gear intermittently to rotate the downstream fins in the second direction.
As recited in Claim 2 above, Tang teaches the intermittent actuation mechanism controls the upstream fins, not the downstream fins.
Modifying Tang accordingly teaches away from the principle operation of Tang.
Claim 10 depends from Claim 9.
Regarding Claim 11, Tang shows (Figures 1C, 3, 4A, 4B, 5A, 5B, and 6):
The actuator (M) is configured to rotate (about a vertical axis, as illustrated in Figure 6) in the first direction (vertical direction) about an axis (22) parallel to (as illustrated in Figure 2, 22 is a vertical axis, which is parallel to the vertical fin pivots of 54) the first fin pivots as illustrated in Figure 6, there are fin pivots along the bottom of each 54 that are used to connect the fins to the retainer).
However, Tang lacks showing the second conversion mechanism includes a downstream fin actuation mechanism and a rotation plane conversion mechanism, the downstream fin actuation mechanism includes: an arm portion supported by the retainer to be rotatable in the second direction; drive gears that are respectively coupled to ends of the second fin pivots to rotate the downstream fins in the second direction; and a coupling portion that is provided at a first end in an extending direction of the arm portion and couples the arm portion to the drive gears, the rotation plane conversion mechanism includes: a first gear that rotates in the first direction in conjunction with the rotation of the actuator; and a plate portion that is rotatable in the first direction integrally with the first gear about a rotation axis of the first gear, an engagement projection is provided at a second end in the extending direction of the arm portion, the engagement projection extending parallel to the second fin pivots, and the plate portion includes an elongated hole that accommodates the engagement projection and is configured such that, when the plate portion rotates in the first direction in conjunction with rotation of the first gear, the engagement projection slides in the elongated hole, so that the downstream fin actuation mechanism rotates in the second direction.
Modifying Tang accordingly teaches away from the principle operation of Tang.
Regarding Claim 12, Tang shows (Figures 1C, 3, 4A, 4B, 5A, 5B, and 6):
The retainer (1) includes a through-hole (the opening through the middle of 1 in the direction of airflow) extending from an outer surface (the cover of 1 at the outlet, as illustrated in Figure 6) to the vent passage (passage through 1, as illustrated in Figure 6).
However, Tang lacks showing the moveable members include a slide cover, the slide cover being supported to be slidable relative to the retainer in a first direction, wherein the slide cover opens and closes the through-hole, the conversion mechanisms include a first conversion mechanism that converts the rotation of the actuator into a liner motion in the first direction, thereby sliding the slide cover form a closed position, at which the through-hole is closed, to an open position, at which the through-hole is opened, and the slide cover includes an accommodating portion that accommodates a chemical agent and is continuous with the vent passage through the through-hole when the slide cover is at the open position.
There is no teaching or motivation in the prior art to modify Tang accordingly.
Conclusion
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 air vents:
Kulicki (U.S. Patent No. 11,325,447): see Figure 3
Uchiyama (U.S. Pre-Grant Publication No. 2016/0200177): 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. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday - Friday 8:00 - 4:00.
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/DANA K TIGHE/Examiner, Art Unit 3762
/AVINASH A SAVANI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3762
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