CTNF 18/706,130 CTNF 90606 Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia 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 § 112 07-30-02 AIA The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b): (b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention. The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA), second paragraph: The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention. 07-34-01 Claims 1 and 8-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention. Claim 1 recites “a surface that faces the first side out of the plate surface of the air guide plate is located on the first side more than a center of the electric components box in the axial direction”. It is unclear what “the first side out of the plate surface of the air guide plate” comprises. It is also unclear what “more than a center” comprises. For examination purposes Examiner will consider this to be a surface connected to the box. Claim 1 recites “a surface that faces the first side out of the plate surface of the air guide plate is disposed on the same location as a surface of the first side of the electric components box in the axial direction”. It is unclear what “the first side out of the plate surface of the air guide plate” comprises. It is also unclear what “plate is disposed on the same location” comprises. For examination purposes Examiner will consider this to be a surface connected to the box. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102 07-07-aia AIA 07-07 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 – 07-08-aia AIA (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. 07-15-aia AIA Claim(s) 1, 3-5, 8-9, and 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by EP3006839 to Nakamoto (Nakamoto) . Regarding claim 1, Nakamoto teaches a blower that has an impeller that is rotatable around a rotation axis (5, Figure 3); a bell-mouth (7, Figures 2 and 4) having an inflow port that opens to a first side in an axial direction of the rotation axis, and that is located on the first side of the blower (31, Figure 3); an electric components box that is located on the first side of the bell-mouth (91, Figures 2-6), and that has at least a portion thereof disposed so as to face the inflow port in the axial direction shown in Figures 2-4), and an air guide plate that is disposed so as to face the inflow port in the axial direction (flanges with holes in Figure 5 and/or 93), and is disposed so as to face an inside of the electric components box in a radial direction with the direction of rotation being a center thereof (shown in Figures 4-5), wherein a plate surface of the air guide plate faces the axial direction (all have a face that faces the axial direction as they all have sides facing the axis and perpendicular to the axis), a surface that faces the first side out of the plate surface of the air guide plate is located on the first side more than a center of the electric components box in the axial direction (there are a number of surface connected to the box), and a surface that faces the first side out of the plate surface of the air guide plate is disposed on the same location as a surface of the first side of the electric components box in the axial direction (flanges with holes in Figure 5 and/or 93 have a surface connected to the box). Regarding claim 3, Nakamoto teaches a blower that has an impeller that is rotatable around a rotation axis (5, Figure 3); a bell-mouth (7, Figures 2 and 4) having an inflow port that opens to a first side in an axial direction of the rotation axis, and that is located on the first side of the blower (31, Figure 3); an electric components box that is located on the first side of the bell-mouth (91, Figures 2-6), and that has at least a portion thereof disposed so as to face the inflow port in the axial direction (shown in Figures 2-6), and an air guide plate that is disposed so as to face the inflow port in the axial direction (flanges with holes in Figure 5 and/or 93), and face an inside of the electric components box in a radial direction with the direction of rotation being a center thereof, wherein a plate surface of the air guide plate faces an intersecting direction that is orthogonal to both the axial direction and the radial direction, and a plurality of air guide plates that include the air guide plate are disposed with intervals therebetween in the intersecting direction (flanges with holes in Figure 5 and/or 93 have surfaces that face six different directions of which multiple meet this requirement). Regarding claim 4, Nakamoto teaches wherein: the plurality of air guide plates are separately disposed in the intersecting direction from both ends of the intersecting direction in a portion out of the electric components box that overlaps with the inflow port as seen from the axial direction (shown in Figures 4-5). Regarding claim 5, Nakamoto teaches wherein: intervals between the adjacent air guide plates are the same over an entirety of the axial direction (when only two of the previously identified air guide plates are selected as air guide plates the interval limitation is met). Regarding claim 8, Nakamoto teaches wherein: the air guide plate is attached to the electric components box (shown in Figures 2-6). Regarding claim 9, Nakamoto teaches wherein: the air guide plate is attached to the bell-mouth (the box is attached to the bell mouth and the air guide plate is attached to the box). Regarding claim 11, Nakamoto teaches wherein: the bell-mouth has an outflow port that opens to a second side that is opposite to the first side in the axial direction, an inner edge of the outflow port is located on an inside in the radial direction more than an inner edge of the inflow port (interior of 53 is an outflow port, Figure 3), and at least a portion of the electric components box and the air guide plate overlap with the outflow port as seen from the axial direction (shown in Figure 3) . Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 07-20-aia AIA 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. 07-23-aia AIA 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. 07-21-aia AIA Claim (s) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nakamoto in view of WO2019193755 to Kurihara et al. (Kurihara) . Regarding claim 10, Nakamoto teaches claim 1. Nakamoto is silent on an outdoor unit. Kurihara teaches an outdoor unit (Page 3 paragraph 1 of translation). 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 Nakamoto with the teachings of Kurihara to provide an outdoor unit. Doing so would provide structure already likely present in Nakamoto and/or would allow heat to be expelled to the exterior of the conditioned environment. Conclusion 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. 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, Michael Hoang can be reached at 574-272-6460. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /STEVEN S ANDERSON II/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3762 Application/Control Number: 18/706,130 Page 2 Art Unit: 3762 Application/Control Number: 18/706,130 Page 3 Art Unit: 3762 Application/Control Number: 18/706,130 Page 4 Art Unit: 3762 Application/Control Number: 18/706,130 Page 5 Art Unit: 3762
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