DETAILED ACTION
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 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, 2 and 5-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ochiai (US 2017/0268811 A1) and in view of Yamashita (US 2013/0152613 A1).
In regards to claim 1, Ochiai teaches an air-conditioning apparatus (air conditioning apparatus 101, fig. 1) including a refrigerant circuit (compressor 1, pipes 27, 28 of the refrigeration cycle, see fig. 1 and paragraphs 20-21) in which a compressor (1), a heat source side heat exchanger (heat exchanger HX 3), an expansion valve (1expansion valves 14), and a load side heat exchanger (heat exchangers HX 15) are connected sequentially by a pipe (by pipes 27, 28, fig. 1), the refrigerant circuit being filled with a refrigerant (refrigerant, see paragraphs 28, 30), the air-conditioning apparatus comprising: a first pressure detection sensor (pressure sensor 201, 211) configured to detect a pressure of refrigerant on a discharge side of the compressor or detect a pressure of refrigerant on a suction side of the compressor (pressure sensors 201, 211 to detect pressure of refrigerant on discharge and suction side of the compressor respectively, see paragraph 33 and fig. 1); an outdoor-air temperature detection sensor (temperature sensor 204) configured to detect an outdoor-air temperature (temperature sensor 204 detecting atmospheric temperature, see paragraph 35); and a controller (controllers 102, 107, see paragraph 37) configured to execute a refrigerant leakage detection function of determining whether there is refrigerant leakage based on a pressure detected by the first pressure detection sensor and an outdoor-air temperature detected by the outdoor-air temperature detection sensor, when the air-conditioning apparatus is deactivated (abnormality of the refrigeration cycle detected based on pressure temperature of the refrigeration cycle during the off time of the refrigeration cycle, see paragraph 55, wherein abnormality of the refrigerant includes leakage of the refrigerant form the refrigeration cycle, see paragraphs 55, 62), wherein the controller is configured to, in execution of the refrigerant leakage detection function, after a lapse of a first time set in advance from when the air-conditioning apparatus is deactivated (abnormality detected during the off time of the refrigeration cycle, see paragraph 55), determine that the outdoor-air temperature detected by the outdoor-air temperature detection sensor is stable after a lapse of a first time set in advance (determine that ambient temperature stabilizes at certain temperature after a lapse of a time period since sunrise, see paragraphs 56, 55, 13-19 and figs. 5-11, wherein the refrigeration cycle is in the off state, see paragraph 57) from when the air-conditioning apparatus is deactivated (abnormality detected during the off time of the refrigeration cycle, see paragraph 55) and determine whether there is refrigerant leakage (abnormality of the refrigeration cycle detected based on pressure temperature of the refrigeration cycle during the off time of the refrigeration cycle, see paragraph 55, wherein abnormality of the refrigerant includes leakage of the refrigerant form the refrigeration cycle, see paragraphs 55, 62).
However, Ochiai is silent about the refrigerant mixture being non-azeotropic refrigerant and the temperature sensor is a thermistor.
Yamashita discloses an air conditioning apparatus with a zeotropic refrigerant mixture (see paragraph 65) and the temperature sensor are thermistor (see paragraph 43).
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the refrigerant circuit of the air conditioning apparatus of Ochiai by providing a non-azeotropic refrigerant mixture and thermistor temperature sensor as taught by Yamashit for the advantage of increasing the coefficient of performance (COP) of the refrigeration cycle by using zeotropic refrigerant mixture and accurately measuring temperature deviation.
In regards to claim 2, Ochiai as modified teaches the limitations of claim 1 and further discloses that the controller (controllers 102, 107, see paragraph 37) is configured to, in execution of the refrigerant leakage detection function, determine whether there is refrigerant leakage (abnormality of the refrigeration cycle detected based on pressure temperature of the refrigeration cycle during the off time of the refrigeration cycle, see paragraph 55, wherein abnormality of the refrigerant includes leakage of the refrigerant form the refrigeration cycle, see paragraphs 55, 62) by comparing a saturation temperature of refrigerant obtained from a pressure detected by the first pressure detection sensor (saturation temperature obtained from sensed pressure values, see paragraphs 46 and 62) with an outdoor-air temperature detected by the outdoor-air temperature detection sensor (refrigerant leak detection by comparing curve B and curve C, see figs. 5-11 and paragraphs 62-64, where curve B represents saturation temperature of refrigerant and curve C represent ambient temperature around the outdoor unit).
In regards to claim 5, Ochiai as modified teaches the limitations of claim 1 and further discloses an accumulator (accumulator 19, see paragraph 30) located on the suction side of the compressor (accumulator 19 on the suction side of compressor 1, see fig. 1).
In regards to claim 6, Ochiai as modified teaches the limitations of claim 1 and further discloses a temperature detection sensor (temperature sensors 203, 212, 213, see fig. 1 and paragraph 34) in addition to the outdoor-air temperature detection sensor (temperature sensors 203, 212, 213 and outdoor temperature sensor 204, fig. 1), wherein the outdoor-air temperature detection sensor has higher detection accuracy than the temperature detection sensor (outdoor temperature detects refrigerant leak more accurately, see paragraph 85). In addition, Yamashita discloses that the temperature sensors are thermistor (see paragraph 43).
In regards to claim 7, Ochiai as modified teaches the limitations of claim 1 and further discloses a pressure detection device (pressure sensor 211, see fig. 1) in addition to the first pressure detection sensor (pressure sensor 211 and discharge pressure sensor 201, fig. 1), wherein the first pressure detection sensor has higher detection accuracy than the pressure detection sensor (discharge pressure detects refrigerant leak more accurately, see paragraph 85 and figs. 5-11).
In regards to claim 8, Ochiai as modified teaches the limitations of claim 1 and further discloses that the controller is configured to execute a regular inspection function of executing the refrigerant leakage detection function every second time set in advance (refrigerant leak detection by performing abnormality detection at predetermined time intervals, see paragraphs 83-85 and 48-49).
In regards to claim 9, Ochiai as modified teaches the limitations of claim 1 and further discloses that the controller is configured to execute the refrigerant leakage detection function and announce an occurrence of refrigerant leakage when determining that there is refrigerant leakage (refrigerant leak determination result displayed on a display unit 123, see paragraph 50 and fig. 3).
In regards to claim 10, Ochiai as modified teaches the limitations of claim 1 and further discloses that outdoor-air temperature detected by the outdoor-air temperature detection device is stable after a lapse of a first time set in advance (abnormality detection when ambient temperature stabilizes at certain temperature after a lapse of a time period since sunrise, see paragraphs 56, 55, 13-19 and figs. 5-11) from when the air-conditioning apparatus is deactivated (abnormality detected during the off time of the refrigeration cycle, see paragraph 55). In addition, determining that outdoor-air temperature is stable includes determining whether the outdoor-air temperature detected by the outdoor-air thermistor falls within a predetermined range for a predetermined period of time (see below annotated figs. 5-7, where the outdoor-air temperature stabilizes between two temperature values over a fixed period of time, while the air-conditioning apparatus is deactivated/off, see paragraph 63).
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Claim(s) 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ochiai in view of Yamashita as applied to claim 2 above and further in view of Yamaguchi (US 2011/0088414 A1).
In regards to claim 11, Ochiai as modified teaches the limitations of claim 2 and further discloses that the controller (controllers 102, 107, see paragraph 37) is configured to determine that there is refrigerant leakage (see paragraphs 61-62) by comparing a saturation temperature with outdoor-air temperature (refrigerant leak detection by comparing curve B and curve C, see figs. 5-11 and paragraphs 62-64, 55, where curve B represents saturation temperature of refrigerant and curve C represent ambient temperature around the outdoor unit).
However, Ochiai does not explicitly teach establishing refrigerant leakage when difference between saturation temperature and outdoor temperature is equal to or larger than a value.
Yamaguchi teaches an air-conditioning apparatus (air conditioning apparatus 1, fig. 1) including a refrigerant circuit (compressor 21 and refrigerant circuit 10, see fig. 1 and paragraphs 27-28) and a controller (34, 44) configured to determine that the refrigerant leakage has occurred (refrigerant leak detected at steps S16-S17, see fig. 5, and paragraph 77) when a difference between the saturation temperature of the refrigerant and the outdoor-air temperature is equal to or larger than a predetermined value (when relative degree of supercooling difference is equal to or greater than the second predetermined value, see paragraph 76, wherein relative degree of supercooling difference is a difference between saturation temperature of the refrigerant and the outdoor temperature, see paragraph 64 and step S4, fig. 3).
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have reprogrammed the controller of the air conditioning apparatus of Ochiai to determine that the refrigerant leakage has occurred when a difference between the saturation temperature of the refrigerant and the outdoor-air temperature is equal to or larger than a predetermined value based on the teachings of Yamaguchi for the advantage of accurately determining the quantity of refrigerant, where adequacy of the quantity of refrigerant can be determined without being affected by disturbances and detection errors can be suppressed (see paragraph 81, Yamaguchi).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 11/14/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. In response to applicant's argument, "Ochiai does not describe determining whether the ambient temperature is stable prior to determining whether there is a refrigerant leak," examiner maintains the rejection of claim 1 and points out that none of the claims require the refrigerant leak determination to follow or depend upon the outdoor air temperature stability.
In response to applicant's argument, "Ochiai does not teach determining that outdoor temperature is stable," examiner maintains the rejection of claim 1 and points out that applicant admitted that Ochiai discloses that ambient temperature stabilizes at a certain temperature (see paragraph 56, Ochiai and last paragraph, page 3, applicant’s arguments).
In response to applicant's argument, "Ochiai does not teach waiting for a predetermined time from when the refrigeration cycle is deactivated to determine refrigerant leak," examiner maintains the rejection of claim 1 and points out that none of the claims require a predetermined waiting period of time before determining refrigerant leak. Claim 1 states that “after a lapse of time,” determine outdoor temperature is stable. In response to applicant's arguments against the references individually, one cannot show nonobviousness by attacking references individually where the rejections are based on combinations of references. See In re Keller, 642 F.2d 413, 208 USPQ 871 (CCPA 1981); In re Merck & Co., 800 F.2d 1091, 231 USPQ 375 (Fed. Cir. 1986).
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 11 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MERAJ A SHAIKH whose telephone number is (571)272-3027. The examiner can normally be reached on M-R 9:00-1:00 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jianying Atkisson can be reached on 571-270-7740. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MERAJ A SHAIKH/Examiner, Art Unit 3763
/JIANYING C ATKISSON/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3763