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 .
DETAILED ACTION
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 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.
Claim(s) 1-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CN117029283 to Peng et al. (Peng) in view of CN117029274 to Deng et al. (Deng).
Regarding claim 1, Peng teaches a heating system that is attached to a base panel (heat exchanger disclosed interior to the unit in Figure 1); a plurality of wall panels including a front wall panel (130, Figure 1) and a rear wall panel (120, Figure 1) that cooperate to selectively define a perimeter wall that extends around at least a portion of the heating system and the base panel in a surrounding position (shown in Figures 1-3 and 9); an electrical system in communication with the heating system (control box, 310, Figure 2), wherein the electrical system includes a junction box that is externally visible with the plurality of wall panels in the surrounding position (shown in Figures 1-2 with junction box visible from the exterior); and an attachment interface of the plurality of wall panels, wherein the attachment interface includes a sliding retainer of the front wall panel and a sliding receiver of the rear wall panel that define an interlocking attachment in the surrounding position (610 and 620, Figure 7-8), wherein the surrounding position is characterized by the rear wall panel being attached to the base panel and the front wall panel being attached to the base panel and the rear wall panel (attachment shown of all three shown in Figure 9); selective vertical motion of the front wall panel separates the sliding receiver from the sliding retainer to remove the front wall panel from the rear wall panel (shown in Figures 7-8)
Peng is silent on the front wall panel includes a junction box slot that extends around the junction box in the surrounding position; selective vertical motion of the front wall panel separates the junction box slot from the junction box; and removal of the front wall panel from the rear wall panel and the junction box defines an open area for accessing at least the heating system.
Deng teaches a panel includes a junction box slot that extends around the junction box in the surrounding position (600, Figure 1); selective vertical motion of the front wall panel separates the junction box slot from the junction box (this can be achieved when unscrewed); and removal of the front wall panel from the rear wall panel and the junction box defines an open area for accessing at least the heating system (combination of the teachings provide this as seen in Peng). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the teachings of Peng with the teachings of Deng to provide a panel includes a junction box slot that extends around the junction box in the surrounding position; selective vertical motion of the front wall panel separates the junction box slot from the junction box. Doing so would allow maintenance to be performed on the unit with more ease.
With regard to the limitation that the junction box is located on the front panel there are two options to provide the junction box of Deng on the device of Peng, on the first panel or on the second panel. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to provide the junction box on the first panel, since it has been held that mere relocation of an element would not have modified the operation of the device. (In re Japikse, 181 F.2d 1019, 86 USPQ 70 (CCPA 1950)).
Regarding claim 2, Peng teaches wherein the sliding retainer of the front wall panel includes a pair of opposing flanges that are defined within the front wall panel (flanges can be seen extending in and from 620 in Figure 7).
Regarding claim 3, Peng teaches wherein the pair of opposing flanges are stamped within the front wall panel (this is a product by process and the product is already taught in claim 2 and the product is capable of being made via stamping).
Regarding claim 4, Peng teaches wherein the front wall panel and the rear wall panel define a cylindrical configuration of the perimeter wall (Figure 1).
Regarding claim 5, the modified device of Peng teaches a control panel that is in communication with the junction box and the heating system, wherein the control panel is disposed within a control receptacle defined within the front wall panel (Peng teaches a control box which can be considered a junction box or a control panel at 310 which communicates with the heating system. Deng teaches a display module, 500, connected to a control module, 200, which controls the device and is within a receptacle, per Figures 1-3, which are both connected to a junction box believed to be 600 which are all connected). With regard to the limitation that the junction box and control panel is located on the front panel there are two options to provide the junction box of Deng on the device of Peng, on the first panel or on the second panel. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to provide the junction box and control panel on the first panel, since it has been held that mere relocation of an element would not have modified the operation of the device. (In re Japikse, 181 F.2d 1019, 86 USPQ 70 (CCPA 1950)).
Regarding claim 6, Peng teaches wherein the sliding receiver includes a top opening (any opening of 610 that fits the flange of 620 is considered a top opening, Figure 8) and a lower guide portion that guides the sliding retainer into the surrounding position (lower opening of 610, Figure 8).
Regarding claim 7, Peng teaches a top panel that engages the perimeter wall to define an enclosed position, wherein the front wall panel is selectively separable from the rear wall panel after at least a portion of the top panel is removed from the perimeter wall (110, Figure 1).
Claim(s) 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Peng in view of Deng and CN116989479 to Peng (Peng479).
Regarding claim 8, Peng is silent on wherein the base panel includes a plurality of tabs that receive slots of the front wall panel and the rear wall panel.
Peng479 teaches wherein the base panel includes a plurality of tabs that receive slots of the front wall panel and the rear wall panel (shown in Figures 1-2 where 500 mates with the bottom panel). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the teachings of Peng with the teachings of Peng479 to provide wherein the base panel includes a plurality of tabs that receive slots of the front wall panel and the rear wall panel. Doing so would provide an easy method to assemble the device.
Claim(s) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Peng in view of Deng and CN218033735 to Du et al. (Du).
Regarding claim 10, Peng is silent on wherein the control panel is attached to the electrical system via a wire harness that is received by an electrical receptacle of the control panel.
Du teaches wherein the control panel is attached to the electrical system via a wire harness that is received by an electrical receptacle of the control panel (430, Figures 10-11). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the teachings of Peng with the teachings of Du to provide wherein the control panel is attached to the electrical system via a wire harness that is received by an electrical receptacle of the control panel. Doing so would ensure connection of the wires and prevent the system from being damaged.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9 is 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.
The prior art does not provide a reasonable combination to teach “wherein the junction box is attached to the base panel, and wherein the junction box slot is defined within a bottom edge of the front wall panel”. This provides a benefit of allowing the front panel to be removed from the junction box and the back panel in one step which is not found in the prior art.
Claims 11-20 are allowed. The reasons for allowance of claim 9 is the same as these claims particularly claims 11 and 17.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure and shows the general state of the art.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to STEVEN S ANDERSON II whose telephone number is (571)272-2055. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8-5.
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/STEVEN S ANDERSON II/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3762
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