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 § 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 1-20 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.
Claims 1 and 20 recites “an air conditioning circuit, in particular of a motor vehicle”. Regarding claim 1, the phrase "in particular" renders the claim indefinite because it is unclear whether the limitations following the phrase are part of the claimed invention. See MPEP § 2173.05(d). Claims 2-20 depend on claim 1 and hence are also rejected.
Claim 3 recites “at least one filter and advantageously a plurality of filters”. Regarding claim 3, the word “advantageously” renders the claim indefinite because it is unclear whether the limitations following the phrase are part of the claimed invention. See MPEP § 2173.05(d).
Claim 4 recites “the or each filter”. There is a lack of antecedent basis for “the or each filter” in previous claim limitations. Examiner notes claim 3 recites “at least one filter”, therefore a lack of antecedent basis exists for “each filter”.
Claim 5 recites “the filters”. There is a lack of antecedent basis for “the filters” in previous claim limitations.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1-6, 10-13, 15, 16, 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over German reference(DE102016210015A1) taken together with Breuhan et al(4768355).
German reference in figure 2 teaches an accumulator(refrigerant collection tank 14, noting para 0037 stating “refrigerant collection tank 14(accumulator)”), for an air conditioning circuit(para 0002 stating “refrigeration systems”), the accumulator comprising: an enclosure(housing 32) extending around and along a first axis, an inlet port (inlet 38) for a refrigerating fluid, and an outlet port outlet (high pressure outlet 20) for a refrigerating gas, a suction tube(suction pipe 56) for the refrigerating gas arranged in the enclosure and having an inlet (inlet 58) for the refrigerating gas located in the enclosure and an outlet (outlet end 62) for the refrigerating gas connected to the outlet port and oriented towards the top of the enclosure, the inlet and the outlet each having an axis extending parallel to the first axis, and a deflector (liquid separator 44 with bottom 46) mounted in the enclosure, the deflector comprising a deflector wall(bottom 46) centered on a second axis parallel to the first axis and defining at least one first internal cavity(noting internal cavity for liquid separator 44 in figures 3-5) in which the inlet of the suction tube is located, the deflector wall further having a first passage for the suction tube, characterized in that the deflector further comprises a filtration wall(gas filter 72 including recesses 92; noting para 0056 stating “the recesses 92 are covered by the filter material, so that the refrigerant 12 must flow through the filter material 74 and can thus be filtered”) closing the first internal cavity and having a second passage for the suction tube. German reference is silent as to the deflector wall having a generally inverted bowl or bell shape.
Breuhan et al in figure 2 teaches an accumulator(20) for an air conditioning circuit including an enclosure(housing 10), an inlet port(22) for a refrigerating fluid, an outlet port (26) for a refrigerating gas, a coupling tube (42) for refrigerating gas, and a inverted bowl or bell shape deflector(domed upper casing wall 32) mounted in the enclosure and defining at least one internal cavity. It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the deflector wall of German reference as an inverted bowl or bell shape deflector in order to provide a sloped surface for transfer of separated liquid refrigerant to a storage area(column 6 lines 7-9 of Breuhan et al stating “refrigerant impinging upon the domed upper casing wall 32 is separated into gaseous and liquid fractions”).
With regards to claim 2, German reference taken together with Breuhan et al further teaches characterized in that the filtration wall is connected to the deflector wall(noting an annular filtration wall is connected to a deflector wall (46) in figures 2-5 of German reference).
With regards to claim 3, German reference taken together with Breuhan et al further teaches characterized in that the filtration wall comprises at least one filter(filter 74).
With regards to claim 4, German reference taken together with Breuhan et al further teaches characterized in that the or each filter comprises a filter medium comprising fibres.
With regards to claim 5, German reference taken together with Breuhan et al further teaches characterized in that the filtration wall is annular and centered on the second axis, the filters being distributed around the second axis.
With regards to claim 6, German reference taken together with Breuhan et al further teaches characterized that the filtration wall has a semi-circular shape centered on the second axis.
With regards to claim 10, German reference taken together with Breuhan et al further teaches the deflector comprises ribs(helical comb 50) connected to the deflector wall and extending radially from a longitudinal axis parallel to the first axis.
With regards to claim 11, German reference taken together with Breuhan et al further teaches the deflector comprises fins(helical comb 50) regularly distributed around the second axis.
With regards to claim 12, German reference taken together with Breuhan et al further teaches the fins are arranged on an external periphery of the deflector wall and rest on the enclosure.
With regards to claim 13, German reference taken together with Breuhan et al further teaches characterized in that the suction tube is J-shaped or U-shaped.
With regards to claim 15, German reference taken together with Breuhan et al further teaches characterized in that the second axis is aligned with the first axis, or is offset from the first axis.
With regards to claim 16, German reference taken together with Breuhan et al further teaches characterized in that it comprises a lid attached to an upper end of the enclosure, the outlet port being provided in the lid(first end 34
in figure 2 of German reference) and the deflector being connected to the lid.
With regards to claim 20, German reference taken together with Breuhan et al further teaches an air conditioning circuit comprising an accumulator according to claim 1.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7-9, 14, 17-19 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Claim 7 recites “characterized in that the deflector wall defines a second internal cavity adjacent to the first internal cavity, this second 10 internal cavity being intended to receive a dehydrating bag.”. German reference taken together with Breuhan et al further teaches a deflector wall defines an internal cavity, however German reference taken together with Breuhan et al does not teach or suggest characterized in that the deflector wall defines a second internal cavity adjacent to the first internal cavity, this second 10 internal cavity being intended to receive a dehydrating bag. Claims 8 and 9 depend on claim 7 and hence would also be allowable upon incorporation of claims 6 and 7 into claim 1.
Claim 14 recites “characterized in that the suction tube comprises an internal conduit on which the outlet for the refrigerating gas is provided and an external conduit on which the inlet for the refrigerating gas is provided, the external conduit being arranged coaxially around the internal conduit.”. German reference taken together with Breuhan et al further teaches a suction tube, however German reference taken together with Breuhan et al does not teach or suggest characterized in that the suction tube comprises an internal conduit on which the outlet for the refrigerating gas is provided and an external conduit on which the inlet for the refrigerating gas is provided, the external conduit being arranged coaxially around the internal conduit.
Claim 17 recites “characterized in that the deflector comprises a sleeve extending coaxially around the suction tube and connected to the lid.”. German reference taken together with Breuhan et al further teaches a deflector and a suction tube however German reference taken together with Breuhan et al does not teach or suggest the deflector comprises a sleeve extending coaxially around the suction tube and connected to the lid. Claims 18 and 19 depend on claim 17 and hence would also be allowable upon incorporation of claims 16 and 17 into claim 1.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ROBERT A HOPKINS whose telephone number is (571)272-1159. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Thurs 6am-4pm.
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/ROBERT A HOPKINS/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1776
June 30, 2026
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