DETAILED ACTION
The present office action is in response to the preliminary amendment filed on 02/16/2024. Claims 1 – 10 were cancelled. Claims 11 – 29 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 § 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 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 18, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, and 28 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over De Mendonca Maia et al. (European Patent Publication No. EP3812185A1, provided by and listed on Applicant’s IDS dated 02/16/2024) in view of Chiu (U.S. Pre-Grant Publication No. 2019/0241046, listed on Applicant’s IDS dated 02/16/2024).
Regarding Claim 11, De Mendonca Maia shows (Figures 1, 2, 3, and 6):
An air guide element (C) for a ventilation nozzle (L) in a motor vehicle (automobile vehicles, title), the air guide element (C) comprising:
a main body (M) at least partially enclosing (as illustrated in the figures) a cross-section (the circular cross-section of L) of the ventilation nozzle (L);
air guiding fins (To) arranged on (as illustrated in Figure 3) the main body (M); and
a lighting device (G), wherein
the main body (T) and the air guiding fins (To) are produced as a single piece (as illustrated in Figure 6), wherein
the main body (T) has a transparent core (Tp, as described in Paragraph 0040), wherein
parts of (as illustrated in Figures 3 and 6) a surface of the main body (T) and the air guiding fins (To) are printed onto the transparent core (Tp) at least partially from a semi-transparent material (the surface of Tp is made of a translucent material, as described in Paragraph 0040) and at least partially from an opaque material (S is made of an opaque material, as described in Paragraph 0050).
However, De Mendonca Maia does not show the main body and the air guiding fins are produced by multi-component 3D printing.
In the same field of endeavor of vehicle air guide elements, Chiu teaches (Figure 2):
It is known in the vehicle air guide element (23) art for the air guide element (23) to be manufactured by the “3D printing method to make the whole device at once without separate parts needing to be assembled together. This method is most useful for customers who want to change their car air outlet”, Paragraph 0132.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to modify the single piece of the main body and the air guiding fins shown by De Mendonca Maia to be manufactured by multi-component 3D printing, as taught by Chiu, which is a useful manufacturing method for customers who want to easier change their air guide elements.
Regarding Claim 12, De Mendonca Maia shows (Figures 1, 2, 3, and 6):
The opaque material (S is made of an opaque material, as described in Paragraph 0050) printed onto the transparent core (T) are colored (“guide support S is made of an opaque material, preferably white or another color”, Paragraph 0050).
Regarding Claim 14, De Mendonca Maia shows (Figures 1, 2, 3, and 6):
The air guiding fins (To) are printed from the opaque material (as illustrated in Figure 3, To and W are printed of the same material; W is a reflective surface and therefore opaque, as described in Paragraph 0042).
Regarding Claim 15, De Mendonca Maia shows (Figures 1, 2, 3, and 6):
Surfaces (Tp) of the main body (T) located between the air guiding fins (To) are printed from the semi-transparent material (the surface of Tp is made of a translucent material, as described in Paragraph 0040).
Regarding Claim 16, De Mendonca Maia shows (Figures 1, 2, 3, and 6):
All surfaces (the surfaces of To and W) that are not located between (the surface of To are not located between To) the air guiding fins (To) are printed with the opaque material (as illustrated in Figure 3, To and W are printed of the same material; W is a reflective surface and therefore opaque, as described in Paragraph 0042).
Regarding Claim 18, De Mendonca Maia shows (Figures 1, 2, 3, and 6):
The main body (T) is annular (as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2).
Regarding Claim 20, De Mendonca Maia shows (Figures 1, 2, 3, and 6):
A ventilation nozzle (L) for a motor vehicle (automobile vehicles, title), the ventilation nozzle (L) comprising:
an air guide element (C) formed as an air guide ring (as illustrated in Figure 1), wherein the air guide element (C) comprises:
a main body (M) at least partially enclosing (as illustrated in the figures) a cross-section (the circular cross-section of L) of the ventilation nozzle (L);
air guiding fins (To) arranged on (as illustrated in Figure 3) the main body (M); and
a lighting device (G), wherein
the main body (T) and the air guiding fins (To) are produced as a single piece (as illustrated in Figure 6), wherein
the main body (T) has a transparent core (Tp, as described in Paragraph 0040), wherein
parts of (as illustrated in Figures 3 and 6) a surface of the main body (T) and the air guiding fins (To) are printed onto the transparent core (Tp) at least partially from a semi-transparent material (the surface of Tp is made of a translucent material, as described in Paragraph 0040) and at least partially from an opaque material (S is made of an opaque material, as described in Paragraph 0050), and wherein
the air guide element (C) closes off (as illustrated in Figure 2) the ventilation nozzle (L) in a direction of a vehicle interior (in the closed position, air is prevented from entering the interior of the vehicle through L).
However, De Mendonca Maia does not show the main body and the air guiding fins are produced by multi-component 3D printing.
In the same field of endeavor of vehicle air guide elements, Chiu teaches (Figure 2):
It is known in the vehicle air guide element (23) art for the air guide element (23) to be manufactured by the “3D printing method to make the whole device at once without separate parts needing to be assembled together. This method is most useful for customers who want to change their car air outlet”, Paragraph 0132.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to modify the single piece of the main body and the air guiding fins shown by De Mendonca Maia to be manufactured by multi-component 3D printing, as taught by Chiu, which is a useful manufacturing method for customers who want to easier change their air guide elements.
Regarding Claim 21, De Mendonca Maia shows (Figures 1, 2, 3, and 6):
A method (method illustrated in Figure 1) for forming an air guide element (C) for a ventilation nozzle (L) in a motor vehicle (automobile vehicles, title), the method comprising:
producing a main body (M) and air guiding fins (To) as a single piece (as illustrated in Figure 6), wherein the main body (M) at least partially encloses (as illustrated in the figures) a cross-section (the circular cross-section of L) of the ventilation nozzle (L) and wherein the air guiding fins (To) arranged on (as illustrated in Figure 3) the main body (M); and
affixing (as illustrated in Figure 3, G is affixed) a lighting device (G) to the main body (M), wherein
the main body (T) has a transparent core (Tp, as described in Paragraph 0040), wherein
parts of (as illustrated in Figures 3 and 6) a surface of the main body (T) and the air guiding fins (To) are printed onto the transparent core (Tp) at least partially from a semi-transparent material (the surface of Tp is made of a translucent material, as described in Paragraph 0040) and at least partially from an opaque material (S is made of an opaque material, as described in Paragraph 0050).
However, De Mendonca Maia does not show the main body and the air guiding fins are produced by multi-component 3D printing.
In the same field of endeavor of vehicle air guide elements, Chiu teaches (Figure 2):
It is known in the vehicle air guide element (23) art for the air guide element (23) to be manufactured by the “3D printing method to make the whole device at once without separate parts needing to be assembled together. This method is most useful for customers who want to change their car air outlet”, Paragraph 0132.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to modify the single piece of the main body and the air guiding fins shown by De Mendonca Maia to be manufactured by multi-component 3D printing, as taught by Chiu, which is a useful manufacturing method for customers who want to easier change their air guide elements.
Regarding Claim 22, De Mendonca Maia shows (Figures 1, 2, 3, and 6):
The opaque material (S is made of an opaque material, as described in Paragraph 0050) printed onto the transparent core (T) are colored (“guide support S is made of an opaque material, preferably white or another color”, Paragraph 0050).
Regarding Claim 24, De Mendonca Maia shows (Figures 1, 2, 3, and 6):
The air guiding fins (To) are printed from the opaque material (as illustrated in Figure 3, To and W are printed of the same material; W is a reflective surface and therefore opaque, as described in Paragraph 0042).
Regarding Claim 25, De Mendonca Maia shows (Figures 1, 2, 3, and 6):
Surfaces (Tp) of the main body (T) located between the air guiding fins (To) are printed from the semi-transparent material (the surface of Tp is made of a translucent material, as described in Paragraph 0040).
Regarding Claim 26, De Mendonca Maia shows (Figures 1, 2, 3, and 6):
All surfaces (the surfaces of To and W) that are not located between (the surface of To are not located between To) the air guiding fins (To) are printed with the opaque material (as illustrated in Figure 3, To and W are printed of the same material; W is a reflective surface and therefore opaque, as described in Paragraph 0042).
Regarding Claim 28, De Mendonca Maia shows (Figures 1, 2, 3, and 6):
The main body (T) is annular (as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2).
Claims 19 and 29 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over De Mendonca Maia et al. (European Patent Publication No. EP3812185A1, provided by and listed on Applicant’s IDS dated 02/16/2024) and Chiu (U.S. Pre-Grant Publication No. 2019/0241046, listed on Applicant’s IDS dated 02/16/2024), as recited in Claims 11 and 21 above, further in view of Weber et al. (U.S. Patent No. 10,023,021).
Regarding Claims 19 and 29, De Mendonca Maia shows (Figures 1, 2, 3, and 6):
The lighting device (G) is a light emitter (as described in Paragraph 0049) and has a shape corresponding to (as illustrated in Figure 3, G is contained within T and therefore has a shape that corresponds to T) the main body (T).
However, De Mendonca Maia lacks showing the light emitter is an LED.
In the same field of endeavor of vehicle air guide elements, Weber teaches (Figure 4):
It is known in the vehicle air guide element (10) art for light to be produced using LED (as described in Col. 4, lines 55-58).
Further, “the use LED respectively light emitting diode may be a RGB color light emitting diode. This allows the driver to freely adjust or select the color of the illumination”, Col. 2, lines 11-14.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to modify the light emitter shown by De Mendonca Maia to be a RGB color light emitting diode, as taught by Weber, to allow the driver to freely adjust or select the color of illumination based on personal preference.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 13, 17, 23, and 27 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 Claims 13 and 23, the combination of De Mendonca Maia and Chiu teaches the claimed invention except the transparent core, as viewed in cross-section, is formed from two arms converging at an acute angle and between which a cavity is formed, wherein the lighting device injects light into the arms or the cavity from the side facing away from the acute angle.
Modifying De Mendonca Maia accordingly teaches away from the principle operation of De Mendonca Maia.
Regarding Claims 17 and 27, the combination of De Mendonca Maia and Chiu teaches the claimed invention except the main body with the air guiding fins is vapor-deposited with a translucent metal layer on at least a part of its surface.
Modifying the combination accordingly requires impermissible hindsight.
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 illuminated ventilation nozzles:
Kim (U.S. Patent No. 10,793,062): see Figures 1 and 2
Salter et al. (U.S. Patent No. 9,593,820): see Figure 2
Norbury, Jr. et al. (U.S. Pre-Grant Publication No. 2009/0298406): see Figure 2
The following prior art teaches 3D printed air vents:
Little (U.S. Pre-Grant Publication No. 2022/0357073): see Paragraph 0039-0040
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/DANA K TIGHE/Examiner, Art Unit 3762
/AVINASH A SAVANI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3762
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