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 Objections
Claims 1-2, 5-6 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1, line 3, "a positioning groove" and line 5, "a positioning protrusion", Claim 5, line 2, "multiple positioning groove" and line 4, "multiple positioning protrusion", it is unclear whether the positioning groove and positioning protrusion in Claim 1 is included as a part of the multiple positioning grooves and multiple positioning protrusions in Claim 5 or it is an additional feature to Claim 5.
Claim 2, line 2, “a signal element” and line 3, “a detection element”, Claim 6, line 2, “multiple signal elements” and line 5, “multiple detection elements”, it is unclear to the Examiner if the signal and detection element of Claim 1 is a part of the multiple signal elements and multiple detection elements of Claim 6 or not.
Appropriate corrections are required.
Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
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)(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, 3- 5, 8-11, 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Hasenfratz et al., (DE 102015015778).
Regarding Claims 1, Hasenfratz et al. teaches a filter (Abstract, filter 10) for installation in a mounting frame (Figure 9, filter housing 14), comprising: a filter body (Figure 3, filter element 12), wherein a positioning groove (guide groove 44, 46) is provided on a side of the filter body facing toward the mounting frame (Figure 17) ; a positioning protrusion (guide protrusion 56, 58) is provided in the mounting frame (Figure 16); the positioning protrusion and the positioning groove are configured to correspond to each other and cooperate with each other (Claim 1, “at least one guide groove (44,46), at least for guiding at least one corresponding guide projection (56, 58) into or out of the filter housing (14)”); and when the filter body is installed in the mounting frame, the positioning protrusion enters the positioning groove ( ̕̕̕̕ Figure 11, ¶0178, “The course guide groove 44, 46 and the guide projections 56 and 58 defines an installation path 66 of the filter element 22 into the housing pot 18”, installation path 66 indicated that the protrusions entering the grooves when installing the filter element.
Regarding Claim 3, Hasenfratz et al. teaches the filter according to claim 1, wherein a sealing member (Figure 15, pot-side connecting flange 64, ¶0169, “The pot-side connecting flange 64 has a circumference sealing groove for the seal 62…, when the filter element 12 is installed, the walls of the sealing groove act as sealing surfaces with the seal 62”) is provided between an inner side wall of the mounting frame and an outer side wall of the filter body (Page 15, Figure 15).
Regarding Claim 4, Hasenfratz et al. teaches the filter according to claim 1, wherein a sealing groove (Figure 15, seal 62) is provided in an outer peripheral side wall of the filter body (Figure 15) ; and a sealing member configured to seal between an inner side wall of the mounting frame and the outer peripheral side wall of the filter body is provided in the sealing groove (“Walls of the sealing groove act with built-filter element 12 as sealing surfaces with the seal 62 together” Description Page 15).
Regarding Claim 5, Hasenfratz et al. teaches the filter according to claim 1, wherein multiple positioning grooves (guide groove 44, 46) are provided on the side of the filter body facing toward the mounting frame (Figure 11, Pages 3-6) ; the multiple positioning grooves are arranged along a width direction of the filter body (Figure 11) ; multiple positioning protrusions (guide projection 56, 58) are provided in the mounting frame (Figure 11); the multiple positioning protrusions are arranged along a width direction of the mounting frame (Figure 11, Pages 3-6); and the multiple positioning grooves are provided in a one-to-one correspondence with the multiple positioning protrusions (¶0169, “The opposite extending side walls of the element-side guide grooves 44 and 46 act with each other also with the corresponding side walls of the housing-side guide projections 56 and 58 leading together.” Figure 11, guide groove 44 corresponds with guide projection 58 and guide groove 46 corresponds with guide projection 56).
Regarding Claim 8, Hasenfratz et al. teaches the filter according to claim 1, wherein a first engaging portion (Figure 3, elastic holding device 56) is provided on a side of the positioning protrusion; a second engaging portion (Figure 3, elastic holding device 52) is provided on a side wall of the positioning groove; the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion are configured to cooperate with each other (Figure 4); and when the filter body is installed in the mounting frame, the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion engage with each other (Figure 3).
Regarding Claim 9, Hasenfratz et al. teaches the filter according to claim 8, wherein the first engaging portion comprises a first stopper (Figure 4, part of elastic holding device 56); the second engaging portion comprises a second stopper (Figure 4, part of elastic holding device 52); and when the filter body is installed in the mounting frame, a side of the first stopper facing away from the filter body abuts against a side of the second stopper facing away from the mounting frame (Figure 4).
Regarding Claim 10, Hasenfratz et al. teaches the filter according to claim 9, wherein an end of the first stopper facing an interior of the mounting frame is a first inclined surface (Figure 4, part of elastic holding device 56); an end of the second stopper facing away from the filter body is a second inclined surface (Figure 4, part of elastic holding device 52); and the first inclined surface is configured to cooperate with the second inclined surface (Figure 3-5).
Regarding Claim 11, The filter according to claim 9, wherein the second engaging portion comprises two second stoppers (Figure 4-5, elastic holding 52, 54) ; and the two second stoppers are respectively arranged on two opposite inner side walls of the positioning groove (Figure 3-5).
Regarding Claim 20, Hasenfratz et al. teaches a filter (Abstract, filter 10) for installation in a mounting frame (Figure 9, filter housing 14), comprising: a filter body (Figure 3, filter element 12), wherein a positioning groove (guide groove 44, 46) is provided on a side of the filter body facing toward the mounting frame (Figure 17); a positioning protrusion (guide protrusion 56, 58) is provided in the mounting frame (Figure 16); the positioning protrusion and the positioning groove are configured to correspond to each other and cooperate with each other (Claim 1); and when the filter body is installed in the mounting frame, the positioning protrusion enters the positioning groove (¶[0001], Figure 11).
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.
Claims 2, 6-7, 12-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hasenfratz et al. (DE 102015015778), in view of Ma et al. (CN 210832501).
Regarding Claim 2, Hasenfratz et al. teaches the filter according to claim 1.
Hasenfratz et al. fails to teach a signal element is provided on the filter body; and a detection element configured to cooperate with the signal element is provided on the mounting frame.
However, Ma et al. teaches a signal element (a magnet 2) is provided on the filter body (shell 9; the magnet is connected to the ozone filter 7 which is connected to shell 9, which broadly reads “on the filter body” because the magnet is on the filter therefore also on the shell); and a detection element (a hall switch 3) configured to cooperate with the signal element is provided on the mounting frame (Figure 3, ¶0033, mounting frame is inside the volute assembly 8).
Hasenfratz et al. and Ma et al., are both considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because they are in the same field of filter devices. Therefore, it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Hasenfratz et al. to incorporate the teachings of Ma et al. and provide a signal element and a detection element (Ma et al. Abstract) because doing so would aid in knowing when the filter body is removed from or attached incorrectly to the frame.
Regarding Claim 6, the combination of Ma et al. in view of Hasenfratz et al. teaches the filter according to claim 2, wherein multiple signal elements (Ma et al., i.e. magnet 2) are provided on the filter body (Ma et al., i.e. shell 9) , the multiple signal elements are arranged along a length direction or a width direction of the filter body (Ma et al., Figure 1); multiple detection elements are provided on the mounting frame; the multiple detection elements are arranged along a length direction of the mounting frame; and the multiple signal elements (Ma et al., i.e. hall switch 3) are provided in a one-to-one correspondence with the multiple detection elements (Ma at al., Figure 3, ¶0033). Hasenfratz et al. does not teach detection element is arranged in the length direction in one-to-one correspondence with the signal detection element. However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to rearrange the detection element of Hasenfratz et al. to be in one-to-one correspondence with the signal detection element in the length direction because it is a mere rearrangement of parts to achieve the predictable result of providing a convenient location to control the on-off state of the detection means (i.e. Hall switch) with a reasonable expectation of success. The mere rearrangement of parts, without any new or unexpected results, is within the ambit of a person of ordinary skill in the art. See In re Japikse, 86 USPQ 70 (CCPA 1950) (see MPEP § 2144.04).
Regarding Claim 7, Hasenfratz et al. and Ma et al. teach the filter according to Claim 2, wherein the signal element comprises a magnetic medium (Ma et al., a magnet 2), and the detection element comprises a Hall sensor (Ma et al., hall switch 3) that cooperates with the magnetic medium(see Ma et al. abstract).
Regarding Claim 12, the combination of Hasenfratz et al. and Ma et al. teaches the filter according to Claim 3, wherein the filter body (Ma et al. Figure 4) comprises a particle filter (Ma et al., electrostatic dust collecting module 6) and an odor adsorber (Ma et al., ozone deodorization filter 7); and the particle filter and the odor adsorber are provided in a stacked manner (Ma et al., Figure 4).
Regarding Claim 13, the combination of Hasenfratz et al. and Ma et al. teaches the filter to Claim 12, wherein the particle filter is hydrophobic (Hasenfratz et al. ¶0052, Hasenfratz teaches a flexible filter medium which could include hydrophobic filter medium); and the odor adsorber is hydrophobic (Ma et al. ¶0034).
Regarding Claim 14, the combination of Hasenfratz et al. and Ma et al. further teaches the filter according to Claim 12, wherein the particle filter is folded into a pleated shape (Hasenfratz et al., ¶0051)
Regarding Claim 15, the combination of Hasenfratz et al. and Ma et al. teaches the filter according to claim 12, wherein the filter body further comprises a housing (Hasenfratz et al., housing pot 14) and a cover (Hasenfratz et al., ¶0042); the housing and the cover are configured to be arranged oppositely and cooperate with each other (Hasenfratz et al., ¶0144); and the particle filter and the odor adsorber (Hasenfratz et al., both the particle filter and odor adsorber are read as filter element 12) are configured to be arranged between the housing and the cover (Hasenfratz et al., ¶0152).
Regarding Claim 16, the combination of Hasenfratz et al. and Ma et al. teaches the filter according to claim 15, wherein a gap (Hasenfratz et al., Figure 18, installation opening 24) is formed between a first side of the cover and a second side of the housing, wherein the first side is opposite to the second side; and the sealing member (Hasenfratz et al. seal 62) is arranged on an outer peripheral side wall of the filter body and is configured to close the gap (Hasenfratz et al., ¶0177).
Regarding Claim 17, the combination of Hasenfratz et al. and Ma et al. teaches the filter according to claim 15, wherein a supporting grid (Ma et al., primary filter 4) provided on a side of the cover facing away from the housing (Ma et al., Figure 4)
Regarding Claim 18, the combination of Hasenfratz et al. and Ma et al. teaches the filter according to claim 15, wherein a first fastener is provided on the housing (Hasenfratz et al., Figure 16, outer mating support sections 50); a second fastener is provided on the cover (Hasenfratz et al., Figure 16, outer support portion 48, the support portion is connect to the frame section which could also act as a cover for the device in Hasenfratz) ; and the first fastener is configured to cooperate with the second fastener to lock the housing and the cover (Hasenfratz et al., ¶0180).
Regarding Claim 19, the combination of Hasenfratz et al. and Ma et al. the filter according to claim 12, wherein the filter body also comprises a dustproof net (Ma et al., primary filter 4; where the primary filter is placed last on the filter body, to filter the first round of dust, and acts as a support grid); and the dustproof net is arranged on a side of the particle filter away from the odor adsorber or on a side of the odor adsorber away from the particle filter (Ma et al., Figure 1).
Conclusion
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/A.H.B./ Examiner, Art Unit 1773 /EKANDRA S. MILLER-CRUZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1773
