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
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 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.
Claim(s) 1-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Patent Application Publication 2017/0151854 to Smith et al. (Smith) in view of U.S. Patent Application Publication 2013/0185939 to Zapotocky et al. (Zapotocky).
In reference to claim 1, Smith teaches a mobile air conditioning system (FIG. 1-9), comprising a first housing (for the condenser region 76 and operation region 74, FIG. 8) having a base (condenser region 76 and operation region 74 portion of the recess 16, FIG. 1-9) and a shroud (condenser region 76 and operation region 74 portion of the box 24, FIG. 1-9) wherein said first housing has a first one or more cooling mechanicals therein comprising a variable speed compressor (82, FIG. 8), a condenser (90, FIG. 8); a second housing (for the conditioning region 78, FIG. 8) wherein said second housing defines a second interior space (78, FIG. 8) for positioning a second of said one or more cooling mechanicals (par 0071) comprising the other of said evaporator (94, FIG. 8); said one or more cooling mechanicals in fluid communication for movement of a refrigerant therebetween (par 0027); at least one of said first housing and said second housing comprising an interior space (38, FIG. 1-9) having a first portion and a second portion (below and above the horizontal centerline of 38, FIG. 7) wherein said first portion and said second portion are symmetrically disposed (with respect to the horizontal centerline of the receiver box 38, FIG. 7); and, a printed circuit board (118, FIG. 1-9) disposed in said first housing or said second housing, said printed circuit board controlling at least said first one or more cooling mechanicals and receiving input from one or more sensors (par 0069); said first one or more cooling mechanicals (for the condenser region 76 and operation region 74, FIG. 8) disposed in said first portion (FIG. 8), but does not teach an additional cooling mechanical capable of being positioned in said second portion when a larger cooling capacity is desired. Zapotocky teaches a method for constructing air conditioning systems with universal base units (FIG. 2-13) comprising an additional cooling mechanical (the other of evaporator coils 32, FIG. 3) capable of being positioned in said second portion (on base 20, FIG. 3) when a larger cooling capacity is desired (for the kit 350, FIG. 13) in order to provide greater cooling capacity for the same footprint (par 0040 and 0043).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Smith, to include an additional cooling mechanical capable of being positioned in said second portion when a larger cooling capacity is desired, as taught by Zapotocky, in order to provide greater cooling capacity for the same footprint.
In reference to claim 2, Smith and Zapotocky teach the system as explained in the rejection of claim 1 above, and Smith additionally teaches wherein said printed circuit board provides a speed signal to an evaporator fan or a condenser fan (ECM 118 controls all aspects of the HVAC, including the blower speed; par 0030, 0072).
In reference to claim 3, Smith and Zapotocky teach the system as explained in the rejection of claim 1 above, and Smith additionally teaches wherein said one or more sensors comprising one or more of a cabin temperature sensor, an outside temperature sensor, or a compressor temperature sensor (par 0069 and 0071).
In reference to claim 4, Smith and Zapotocky teach the system as explained in the rejection of claim 2 above, and Smith additionally teaches wherein said printed circuit board controlling fan speed of one or more of said evaporator fan, or said condenser fan, or said compressor motor speed (ECM 118 controls all aspects of the HVAC, including the blower and compressor speed; par 0030, 0072).
In reference to claim 5, Smith and Zapotocky teach the system as explained in the rejection of claim 1 above, and Smith additionally teaches wherein both of said first housing and said second housing comprising said interior space, wherein each said interior space has said first portion and said second portion (FIG. 1-9).
In reference to claim 6, Smith and Zapotocky teach the system as explained in the rejection of claim 1 above, and Smith additionally teaches wherein one of said first and second housings capable of being positioned at an exterior of said vehicle and the other of said first and second housings capable of being positioned in an interior of said vehicle (intended use recitation; the system in FIG. 8 is capable of being disassembled and positioned anywhere on and in the vehicle).
Claim(s) 7-10 and 12-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Patent 7,237,397 to Allen (Allen) in view of U.S. Patent Application Publication 2007/0227168 to Simmons (Simmons).
In reference to claim 7, Allen teaches a mobile air conditioning system (FIG. 1-7), comprising a variable speed compressor (76, FIG. 1-7) having a motor (82, FIG. 1-7), a condenser (36, FIG. 1-7), an evaporator (60, FIG. 1-7), and an expansion valve (37, FIG. 1-7); said variable speed compressor, said condenser, said evaporator, and said expansion valve being in fluid communication (inherent in the vapor compression split system described in FIG. 1-7); wherein said evaporator, said variable speed compressor having said motor, are disposed in a first housing (50, FIG. 1-7); a second housing (32, FIG. 1-7) spaced apart from said first housing, said condenser (36, FIG. 1-7) disposed in said second housing (32, FIG. 1-7); one or both of said first housing (50, FIG. 3) having an interior space which is capable of receiving a second evaporator (in place of the heater 66, FIG. 3) to increase cooling capacity of the mobile air conditioning system, but does not teach explicitly that the motor is a DC brushless motor. Simmons teaches a variable capacity air conditioning system (FIG. 1-7) utilizing a DC brushless motor for running the compressor (par 0030, first sentence) in order to drive the compressor at significantly varying rates to displace varying rates of the system refrigerant at varying rates of compression (par 0029, last sentence).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Allen, to use a DC brushless motor to run the compressor, as taught by Simmons, in order to drive the compressor at significantly varying rates to displace varying rates of the system refrigerant at varying rates of compression.
In reference to claim 8, Allen and Simmons teach the system as explained in the rejection of claim 7 above, and Allen additionally teaches wherein said second housing having a shroud (72, FIG. 3) and a base (68, FIG. 3).
In reference to claim 9, Allen and Simmons teach the system as explained in the rejection of claim 8 above, and Allen additionally teaches wherein said second housing (32, FIG. 1) disposed on an exterior of a vehicle (10, FIG. 1).
In reference to claim 10, Allen and Simmons teach the system as explained in the rejection of claim 7 above, and Allen additionally teaches wherein said first housing (50, FIG. 1-3) disposed in an interior of a vehicle (10, FIG. 1-3).
In reference to claim 12, Allen and Simmons teach the system as explained in the rejection of claim 7 above, and Simmons additionally teaches one or more sensors (par 0030).
In reference to claim 13, Allen and Simmons teach the system as explained in the rejection of claim 12 above, and Simmons additionally teaches wherein said one or more sensors comprising one or more of a cabin temperature sensor, an outside temperature sensor, or a compressor temperature sensor (par 0030, 0035 and 0055).
Claim(s) 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Allen in view of Simmons as applied to claim 10 above, and further in view of Smith.
In reference to claim 11, Allen and Simmons teach the system as explained in the rejection of claim 10 above, but they do not teach wherein said first housing disposed on an exterior of said vehicle and in air communication with an interior. Smith teaches a modular HVAC system (FIG. 1-9) wherein said first housing (housing for operation region 74 and conditioning region 78, FIG. 8) disposed on an exterior of said vehicle (20, FIG. 1-9) and in air communication with an interior (via ducts, par 0013) in order to provide a completely separate air-conditioning module from the vehicle and enable easy maintenance.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Allen and Simmons, to have the first housing disposed on an exterior of said vehicle and in air communication with an interior, as taught by Smith, in order to provide a completely separate air-conditioning module from the vehicle and enable easy maintenance.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
See attached PTO-892 for relevant prior art.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, JD Fletcher can be reached at 5712705054. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/FILIP ZEC/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3763
4/18/2026
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