Detailed Action
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . See 35 U.S.C. § 100 (note).
Art Rejections
Anticipation
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), (2) as being anticipated by US Patent Application Publication 2014/0334656 (published 13 November 2014) (“Lu”).
Claim 1 is drawn to “a loudspeaker.” The following table illustrates the correspondence between the claimed loudspeaker and the Lu reference.
Claim 1
The Lu reference
“1. A loudspeaker, comprising
The Lu reference describes a headphone with an acoustic generator 10 and diaphragm assembly 20 that together correspond to the claimed loudspeaker. Lu at ¶ 18, FIG.1.
“a support…
Lu’s acoustic generator 10 includes a support formed by sidewalls of sound generator 10 and sidewalls 21 of diaphragm assembly 20. Lu at FIG.1.
“…a vibration system…
“the vibration system comprising a diaphragm…
“a periphery of the diaphragm being fixed at a top of the support, and
Lu’s headphone includes a vibration system formed by the diaphragm and voice coil of sound generator 10 and passive diaphragm 22. Id.
“a magnetic circuit assembly…
“the magnetic circuit assembly comprising an inner magnetic ring and an outer magnetic ring,
Lu’s sound generator 10 includes a magnetic circuit with an inner ring (i.e., formed by an inner ring magnet) and outer rings (i.e., formed by yoke sidewalls). See Figure 1, below.
“…a voice coil,
“the voice coil being suspended below the diaphragm and located in a magnetic gap between the inner magnetic ring and the outer magnetic ring;
Lu’s sound generator 10 is depicted with a voice coil suspended in a gap between the rings. See Figure 1, below.
“a space between the diaphragm and the magnetic circuit assembly forming a vibration cavity;
Lu’s sound generator 10 is depicted with a diaphragm sealed over a top of the sidewalls of sound generator 10, this divides the system into a front chamber 30 and a rear chamber 40. See Figure 1, below. The portion of rear chamber 40 between the sound generator’s diaphragm and magnetic circuit correspond to the claimed vibration cavity. See Figure 1, below.
“wherein the vibration system comprises a passive diaphragm, and
Lu’s passive diaphragm 22 corresponds to the claimed passive diaphragm.
“the support has an annular structure;
Lu describes sidewalls 21 as being annular. Id. at ¶ 20, FIG.2.
“a periphery of the passive diaphragm is fixed at a bottom of the support, and
Passive diaphragm 22 is fixed to the bottom of sidewalls 21. Id. at FIG.1.
“a space between the passive diaphragm and the magnetic circuit assembly forms a resonance cavity;
Passive diaphragm 22 seals the space between diaphragm 22 and the bottom of Lu’s magnetic circuit, create a second portion of rear chamber 40 that produces resonance. Id. at ¶ 24.
“the magnetic circuit assembly comprises a via hole, and the resonance cavity is connected with the vibration cavity through the via hole.”
Lu describes connecting the two portions of the rear chamber 40 through openings in the magnetic yoke. Id. at FIG.3 (depicting a central opening and several circumferential openings).
Table 1
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324
470
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Figure 1: Marked-up copy of Lu’s FIG.1: labeling added to highlight core components of Lu’s magnetic circuit.
For the foregoing reasons, the Lu reference anticipates all limitations of the claim.
Claim 2 depends on claim 1, and further requires the following:
“wherein the via hole is located at a center of the inner magnetic ring.”
Lu includes a via hole in the center of the magnetic circuit. Lu at FIG.3 (depicting a central opening and several circumferential openings). For the foregoing reasons, the Lu reference anticipates all limitations of the claim.
Obviousness
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.
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over the combination of Lu and US Patent Application Publication 2010/0014703 (published 21 January 2010) (“Wang”).
Claim 9 depends on claim 1, and further requires the following:
“comprising a breathable protective cover installed above the diaphragm,
“wherein a periphery of the protective cover is fixed at the top of the annular support;
“a bottom surface of the periphery of the protective cover is pressed against an edge of the diaphragm.”
Lu does not describe a shield for its loudspeaker. The Wang reference teaches and suggests adding a shield 9 with openings 91 (i.e., breathable openings) over a speaker diaphragm 8 located at the top 6 of frame body 2. Wang at ¶¶ 19, 20, FIGs.3, 5, 6. Wang teaches gluing a bottom surface of a periphery of shield 9 to an exterior rim 81 of diaphragm 8. One of ordinary skill would have reasonably recognized that Wang’s shield would protect, or shield, the speaker’s diaphragm from damage due to accidental touching. This would have reasonably suggested adding a similar shield to Lu’s speaker. For the foregoing reasons, the combination of the Wang and the Lu references makes obvious all limitations of the claim.
Summary
Claims 1, 2 and 9 are rejected under at least one of 35 U.S.C. §§ 102 and 103 as being unpatentable over the cited prior art. 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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
Allowable Subject matter
Claims 3–8 are objected to for reciting allowable subject matter while depending on a rejected base claim. The claims would be allowable if rewritten in independent form, incorporating all limitations of their base claims and any and all intervening claims.
Claim 3 depends on claim 1, and further requires the following:
“comprising a damping screen,
“an annular rear adjustment plate and an annular PCB,
“wherein the periphery of the passive diaphragm is fixed on a top surface of the rear adjustment plate, and
“the PCB is fixed on a bottom surface of the rear adjustment plate;
“a periphery of the rear adjustment plate is fixed at the bottom of the support;
“a through hole is formed in a middle of the passive diaphragm, and
“the damping screen is installed on the through hole of the passive diaphragm.”
The Lu reference includes annular member 21 corresponding to the claimed annular rear adjustment plate and fixed at the bottom of support 10. Lu at FIG.1. Annular member 21 is fixed on the bottom of the support portion of acoustic generator 10. See id. at FIG.1. Diaphragm 22 is fixed to a fixing portion 212 that includes a fixing surface 2121, or edge, of an inner hole of member 21. Id. The Lu reference does not include a through hole in the middle of passive diaphragm 22 and does not include a damping screen that covers a through hole in passive diaphragm 22.
Claim 4 depends on claim 1, and further requires the following:
“comprising a damping screen,
“an annular rear adjustment plate and an annular PCB,
“wherein the periphery of the passive diaphragm is fixed on an edge of an inner hole of the rear adjustment plate, and
“the PCB is fixed on a bottom surface of the rear adjustment plate;
“a periphery of the rear adjustment plate is fixed at the bottom of the support;
“a through hole is formed in a middle of the passive diaphragm, and
“the damping screen is installed on the through hole of the passive diaphragm.”
The Lu reference includes annular member 21 corresponding to the claimed annular rear adjustment plate and fixed at the bottom of support 10. Lu at FIG.1. Annular member 21 is fixed on the bottom of the support portion of acoustic generator 10. See id. at FIG.1. Diaphragm 22 is fixed to a fixing portion 212 that includes a fixing surface 2121, or edge, of an inner hole of member 21. Id. The Lu reference does not include a through hole in the middle of passive diaphragm 22 and does not include a damping screen that covers a through hole in passive diaphragm 22.
Claim 5 depends on claim 1, and further requires the following:
“comprising a damping screen,
“an annular rear adjustment plate and
“an annular PCB,
“wherein the periphery of the passive diaphragm is fixed on an edge of an inner hole of the rear adjustment plate, and
“the PCB is fixed on a bottom surface of the rear adjustment plate;
“periphery of the rear adjustment plate is fixed at the bottom of the support;
“the rear adjustment plate and the PCB include interconnected through holes, and
“the damping screen is installed on the through holes of the rear adjustment plate and the PCB.”
The Lu reference includes annular member 21 corresponding to the claimed annular rear adjustment plate. Lu at FIG.1. Annular member 21 is fixed on the bottom of the support portion of acoustic generator 10. See id. at FIG.1. Diaphragm 221 is fixed to a fixing portion 212 that includes a fixing surface 2121, or edge, of an inner hole of member 21. Id. The Lu reference does not include a damping screen that covers interconnected through holes of a rear adjustment plate and an annular PCB.
Claim 8 depends on claim 1, and further requires the following:
“comprising a damping screen and
“a C-shaped PCB,
“wherein an inner hole of the support is a stepped hole with a large top and a small bottom,
“a large hole of the stepped hole comprises an annular bottom plate,
“the C-shaped PCB is fixed on a bottom surface of the annular bottom plate of the support;
“the annular bottom plate comprises a through hole that connects the vibration cavity with the outside,
“the through hole is arranged at an opening of the C-shaped PCB, and
“the damping screen is installed on the through hole of the annular base plate.”
The Lu reference includes a support (i.e., sidewall of sound generator 10). Lu at FIG.1. The Lu reference does not include a damping screen that covers a through hole in an annular bottom plate, with the through hole being arranged at an opening of a C-shaped PCB.
Claims 6 and 7 depend on claim 3, and are allowable for the same reasons. For the foregoing reasons, claims 3–8 recite allowable subject matter.
Additional Citations
The following table lists additional references. The references are not relied on in this Office action, but are relevant to the subject matter claimed and described in this Application.
Citation
Relevance
US 2024/0022850
Annular PCB on rear of frame. Curved PCB. Extra vent on basket covered by mesh. Suggests through-hole in PCB.
US 2016/0182992
PCB with openings.
US 2015/0304760
Speaker with passive diaphragm and auxiliary vents.
US 2010/0080400
Discussing pros and cons of open-back and closed-back headphones.
US 2008/0311966
Additional discussion on pros and cons of open-back and closed-back headphones.
US 6,460,651
Rear adjustment plate for a passive diaphragm.
Table 2
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WALTER F BRINEY III whose telephone number is (571)272-7513. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8 am-4:30 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Carolyn Edwards can be reached at 571-270-7136. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Walter F Briney III/
/CAROLYN R EDWARDS/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2692
Walter F Briney IIIPrimary ExaminerArt Unit 2692
12/1/2025