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 § 102
1. In the event that 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.
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) 1-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hirata US2008/0019827.
Per claim 1 Hirata teaches a fan assembly (1, see fig.1), comprising: a casing (2, see fig.1-2; [0047]), having an inner surface (8, see fig.2), an inlet (3a or 3b; [0053]) and at least two outlets (5, see fig.2 & 3A), wherein the inner surface is connected to the at least two outlets (see fig.2-3A), and the inlet is in fluid communication with the at least two outlets (see fig.1; [0055]-[0056]); an impeller (4, see fig.2), rotatably disposed on the casing ([0056]), wherein the inner surface faces the impeller (see fig.2-3A); and an air collecting component (10), disposed in one of the at least two outlets (see fig.2-3A) and having an air collecting surface, wherein the air collecting surface faces the impeller (see fig.2-3A), the air collecting surface is connected to the inner surface ([0057]-[0058]), the air collecting surface and the inner surface form a gap together with the impeller (see fig.2-3A), the gap is widened along a rotating direction of the impeller (see fig.3A), and the air collecting component is configured to guide an airflow blown by the impeller to another one of the at least two outlets via the gap (see fig.3A & 5A).
Per claim 2 Hirata teaches the fan assembly according to claim 1, wherein the at least two outlets comprise a main outlet and a secondary outlet (see fig.2-3A), the main outlet and the secondary outlet are located on two different sides of the casing, respectively (see fig.2-3A), and the air collecting component is disposed in the secondary outlet (see fig.2-3A, “portion with 10 is the secondary outlet”).
Per claim 3 Hirata teaches the fan assembly according to claim 1, wherein the at least two outlets comprise a main outlet and a secondary outlet (see fig.2-3A), the main outlet and the secondary outlet are located on two different sides of the casing, respectively (see fig.2-3A), and the air collecting component is disposed in the main outlet (see fig.2-3A, “portion with 10 is the main outlet”).
Per claim 4 Hirata teaches the fan assembly according to claim 1, wherein a side of the air collecting surface located away from the outlet where the air collecting component is disposed is located between two connecting lines between a rotation center of the impeller and adjacent edges of the at least two outlets (see fig.2-3A).
Per claim 5 Hirata teaches the fan assembly according to claim 1, wherein the casing comprises a mounting plate (2b), a side plate (8) and a cover plate (2a, see fig.1-2), the side plate stands on an edge of the mounting plate, the cover plate is disposed on a side of the side plate located away from the mounting plate (see fig.1-2), the inlet is located on the cover plate, the mounting plate, the side plate and the cover plate together form the at least two outlets, and the inner surface is located on the side plate (see fig.1-3A).
Per claim 6 Hirata teaches the fan assembly according to claim 5, wherein the air collecting component (10) and at least one of the cover plate, the mounting plate (2b) and the side plate are integrally formed as a single piece (see fig.2-3A; [0050] & [0057]).
Per claim 7 Hirata teaches the fan assembly according to claim 5, wherein the air collecting component (10) is adhered to the cover plate or the mounting plate (2b; [0057]).
Per claim 8 Hirata teaches a heat dissipation assembly (see fig.7), comprising: a fan assembly (21, see fig.6A-8A), comprising: a casing (22, see fig.6A-6B; [0091]), having an inner surface (31, see fig.7; [0103]), an inlet (29b, see fig.7; [0098]) and at least two outlets (32, see fig.6A-8A), wherein the inner surface is connected to the at least two outlets (see fig.6A-8A), and the inlet is in fluid communication with the at least two outlets (see fig.6A-8A; [0100]-[0101]); an impeller (23, see fig.6A-8A), rotatably disposed on the casing ([0100]), wherein the inner surface faces the impeller (see fig.7-8A); and an air collecting component (28), disposed in one of the at least two outlets (see fig.7) and having an air collecting surface ([0102]-[0105]), wherein the air collecting surface faces the impeller (see fig.7-8A), the air collecting surface is connected to the inner surface (see fig.7-8A), the air collecting surface and the inner surface form a gap together with the impeller (see fig.7), the gap is widened along a rotating direction of the impeller (see fig.7-8A), and the air collecting component is configured to guide an airflow blown by the impeller to another one of the at least two outlets via the gap (see fig.7-8A); at least one heat sink (24 or 25, see fig.6A-6B), disposed adjacent to one of the at least two outlets (see fig.6A-6B); and a disturbing component (27), covering at least a part of the outlet where the air collecting component is disposed (see fig.6A-6B).
Per claim 9 Hirata teaches the heat dissipation assembly according to claim 8, wherein the disturbing component is a heat pipe assembly (27, see fig.6A-6B; [0091]) and thermally coupled to the at least one heat sink ([0091]), and the air collecting component is thermally coupled to the disturbing component ([0092]-[0093], [0095], [0101], [0103], “Examiner asserts from the above paragraphs that the fan cover 22a is a metallic material… the fan frame 22b, a bottom and sidewall are formed integrally by means of die-cast molding of an aluminum… heat from heating electronic components received by the heat-receiving section 26 is thermally transmitted to the radiator fins 24 and 25 by way of the heat pipe …the diverting member 28 is formed integrally on an interior surface of the bottom of the fan frame… Examiner concludes that the air collecting component is thermally coupled to the disturbing component per the above explanation”).
Per claim 10 Hirata teaches an electronic device (50, see fig.9A), comprising: a housing (52; [0122]-[0123]); a motherboard assembly (54, see fig.9A), comprising a motherboard (see fig.9A) and at least one heat source ([0123], “not shown”), wherein the motherboard is disposed in the housing (see fig.9A), and the heat source is disposed on the motherboard ([0123]); a fan assembly, disposed in the housing (see fig.9A) and comprising: a casing (22, see fig.6A-6B; [0091]), having an inner surface (31, see fig.7; [0103]), an inlet (29b, see fig.7; [0098]) and at least two outlets (32, see fig.6A-8A), wherein the inner surface is connected to the at least two outlets (see fig.6A-8A), and the inlet is in fluid communication with the at least two outlets (see fig.6A-8A; [0100]-[0101]); an impeller (23, see fig.6A-8A), rotatably disposed on the casing ([0100]), wherein the inner surface faces the impeller (see fig.7-8A); and an air collecting component (28), disposed in one of the at least two outlets (see fig.7) and having an air collecting surface ([0102]-[0105]), wherein the air collecting surface faces the impeller (see fig.7-8A), the air collecting surface is connected to the inner surface (see fig.7-8A), the air collecting surface and the inner surface form a gap together with the impeller (see fig.7), the gap is widened along a rotating direction of the impeller (see fig.7-8A), and the air collecting component is configured to guide an airflow blown by the impeller to another one of the at least two outlets via the gap (see fig.7-8A); at least one heat sink (24 or 25, see fig.6A-6B), disposed in the housing and disposed adjacent to one of the at least two outlets (see fig.6A-8A); and a disturbing component (27), disposed in the housing and covering at least a part of the outlet where the air collecting component is disposed (see fig.6A-8A).
Email Communication
2. Applicant is encouraged to authorize the Examiner to communicate via email by filing form PTO/SB/439 either via USPS, Central Fax, or EFS-Web. See MPEP 502.01, 502, 502.05.
Conclusion
3. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Hwang et al. US2010/0071875 discloses a centrifugal fan comprising: a plurality of blades; a housing for receiving the blades therein, the housing comprising a base wall and a sidewall surrounding the base wall, the sidewall defining a first air outlet and a second air outlet adjacent to the first air outlet; and an elongated air guiding plate being located between the first air outlet and the second air outlet.
Senatori US2012/0111544 discloses an apparatus for venting air from a computing device, the apparatus comprising: a fan to circulate air inside the computing device; a first exhaust port to vent the circulated air out of the computing device; a second exhaust port to vent the circulated air out of the computing device.
Applicants are directed to consider additional pertinent prior are included on the Notice of References Cited (PTOL 892) attached herewith. The Examiner has pointed out particular references contained in the prior art of record within the body of this action for the convenience of the Applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings in the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply. Applicant, in preparing the response, should consider fully the entire reference as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the Examiner.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL A MATEY whose telephone number is (571)270-5648. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8-5 EST.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, JAYPRAKASH GANDHI can be reached at 5712723740. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MICHAEL A MATEY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2835