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 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 text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
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.
1. Claims 1 and 2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Applicant’s Admitted Prior Art (AAPA, US202501484668, [0003]) in view of Ma et al. (US20170134862), hereinafter “Ma”.
As to Claim 1, AAPA on [0003] teaches a speaker ([0003]), comprising: a frame, a vibration system and a magnetic circuit system fixed with the frame, wherein the magnetic circuit system comprises a lower clamping plate, a main magnet fixed with an upper surface of the lower clamping plate, an annular secondary magnet surrounding the main magnet for forming a magnetic gap, ( the speaker includes a vibration system and a magnetic circuit system, the vibration system includes a voice coil, and the magnetic circuit system includes a lower clamping plate, a main magnet fixed to the lower clamping plate, and a ring-shaped sub-magnet is provided around the main magnet to form a magnetic gap). AAPA does not explicitly teach a frame, the vibration system and a magnetic circuit system fixed with the frame and the lower clamping plate comprises a lower surface opposite to the upper surface and a leakage channel recessed from the upper surface to the lower surface but not penetrating the lower surface, the leakage channel connects to the magnetic gap and an outside of the annular secondary magnet. However, Ma in related field (speaker) teaches a basket 120 for retaining vibration system 11 and magnetic circuit system 10, [0013], Figure 1. Further, regarding the lower clamping plate comprises a lower surface opposite to the upper surface and a leakage channel recessed from the upper surface to the lower surface but not penetrating the lower surface, the leakage channel connects to the magnetic gap and an outside of the annular secondary magnet, Ma teaches on Figures 1-3, [0016] the magnetic circuit system 10 comprises a yoke 100, permanent magnets 101 assembled on the yoke 100, a magnetic gap 102 near the permanent magnets 101, and pole plates 103 attached on the surface of the permanent magnets 101. The yoke 100 comprises an upper surface 1000 for assembling the permanent magnets 101, a lower surface 1001 opposite to the upper surface 1000, side surfaces 1002 connecting the upper surface 1000 and the lower surface 1001, and communication conduits 1003 extending through the upper surface 1000 and the lower surface 1001, and communicating the magnetic gap 102 and the space outside the speaker. The communication conduits 1003 not only can be used to leak air in order to balance the sound pressure inside the speaker 1, but also can dissipate the heat generated by the voice coil 111 when vibrating. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention to modify AAPA such that the lower clamping plate or yoke is further provided with a leakage channel 1003 recessed from the upper surface to the lower surface of the yoke as taught by Ma, Figure 2 to communicate the magnetic gap 102 and the space outside the speaker such that communication conduits 1003 not only can be used to leak air in order to balance the sound pressure inside the speaker 1, but also can dissipate the heat generated by the voice coil 111 when vibrating. See at least Ma on [0016].
As to Claim 2, AAPA in view of Ma teaches the limitations of Claim 1, and Ma further teaches wherein the lower clamping plate( yoke 100, Figures 3, 4) comprises two first long sides opposite to each other,( long axis edge portions 1006, [0018]) two-second-long sides ( two short axis edge portions 1007, Figure 4) perpendicular to the two first long sides ( 1006), and two curved corner portions( side surfaces 1002, [0018], Figure 4) connecting each of the two first long sides( 1006) to each of the second long sides(1007), the leakage channel ( cut out grooves 1004) is located in at least one of the two curved corner portions ( 1002), the two first long sides (1006), the two-second-long sides( 1007]). See at least Ma on [0018], Figures 3, 4)
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-7 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.
Conclusion
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/SUNITA JOSHI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2691