DETAILED ACTION
This is on the merits of Application No. 18/719151, filed on 12/18/2024. Claims 11-24 are pending. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS), submitted on 06/12/2024 and 08/15/2024 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements have been considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
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.
Claims 11-24 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 11 states “An air intake duct including an air intake unit… the air intake unit being provided on a roof part of a vehicle… the side face being located on an inside in a vehicle width direction of the vehicle… a plurality of grooves… each formed so as to downwardly extend from the front side to the rear side of the vehicle.” It is unclear how an air intake duct can include components of a vehicle. These features do not clearly define structural limitations of the intake duct itself but rather rely on its installation in a vehicle. It is suggested applicant either reformulate the claims as vehicle claims in which the intake duct is defined in combination with the vehicle or specify that these components are “configured to” to be arranged on these components of a vehicle. This also applies to claim 16 for similar reasons.
This applies also to:
Claims 12 and 17 “recess dented at a portion of the roof part of the vehicle”.
Claims 13 and 18 “disposed on a rear side edge of the roof part of the vehicle”.
Claims 15, 21, and 23 “downwardly extends from the front side to the rear side of the vehicle”.
Claim 19 “downwardly extend from the front side to the rear side of the vehicle”.
The remainder of the claims are rejected for being dependent on a rejected claim.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 11-24 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The prior art of record does not disclose nor render obvious the limitations of claims 11 and 16. Particularly, the water guide including a plurality of grooves/embossed portions provided on the side face of the air intake unit and each formed so as to downwardly extends from the front side to the rear side of the vehicle.
JP2020094535 (cited in applicant’s IDS) is the closest prior art of record. The ‘535 reference discloses an intake duct including an air intake unit that sucks external air and a duct unit that supplies air to a supply target, the air intake unit provided on a roof part of a vehicle (see Fig. 1). Water guides are also known in the art (see JP 2021049830 cited in applicant’s IDS). While it may be obvious to add a water guide to the duct of the ‘535 reference, none of the prior art of record disclose a water guide including the limitations pointed out above. It would not have been obvious to modify ‘545 without improper hindsight reasoning.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Stosel et al (US 5794733) discloses a vehicle air intake and method.
Magrini (US 4212569) discloses an air-intake device for internal combustion engines.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TIMOTHY HANNON whose telephone number is (571)270-1943. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 10-6.
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/TIMOTHY HANNON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3655
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