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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 07/17/2024 was filed on the mailing date of the application. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the contact heads of claim 7 must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Objections
Claims 1 and 2 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1 line 4 recite, “the first connecting portion,” claim should be amended to recite --a first connecting portion--.
Claim 2 line 3 recite, “the second connecting portion,” claim should be amended to recite –a second connecting portion--. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 2 and 8-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Phillips et al. US10454194 in view of Ou et al. US10736232.
Regarding claim 1, Phillips discloses a fan connecting structure, comprising a connector (fig. 1; 104) and first connecting portions (fig. 1; 102), wherein the connector (104) comprises a substrate (fig. 5; 170), the substrate (170) is provided with second connecting portions (fig. 5; 178, 188) detachably combined with the first connecting portions (102), the first connecting portion (102) is provided with first contact points (fig. 2; 120), the substrate (170) is provided with second contact points (fig. 5; sections of 174 that 120 contacts) in contact with the first contact points (120), and the second contact points (sections of 174 that 120 contacts) are electrically connected to a circuit board (fig. 1; 320).
Phillips does not disclose the first connecting portions arranged on adjacent fans and a fan circuit board.
However, Ou teaches the first connecting portions (fig. 1; 15) arranged on adjacent fans (fig. 3; 10, 20) and a fan circuit board (fig. 1; 121).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to incorporate the first connecting portions arranged on adjacent fans and a fan circuit board as suggested by Ou for the benefit of providing improved connection methods of a modular fan system.
Regarding claim 2, Phillips modified by Ou has been discussed above. Phillip discloses wherein the first connecting portion (102) comprises a first limiting structure (fig. 2; 150) and a second limiting structure (Col 10 Ln 56-59; structure of 102 that engages with 188) that restrict the connector (104) from free disengagement, and the second connecting portion (178, 188) comprises a third limiting structure (178) fitted with the first limiting structure (150) to realize detachable combination, and a fourth limiting structure (188) fitted with the second limiting structure (structure of 102 that engages with 188) to realize detachable combination.
Regarding claim 8, Phillips modified by Ou has been discussed above. Phillip discloses wherein the connector (104) is provided with a contact surface (top surface of 170 that has 174), the contact surface (top surface of 170) being provided with conductive sheets (individual 174), and the second contact points (sections of 174 that 120 contacts) being located on the conductive sheets (individual 174).
Regarding claim 9, Phillip discloses the fan connecting structure according to claim 1 (see claim 1 rejection).
Regarding claims 9 and 10, Phillips does not disclose a magic link fan, comprising a plurality of fans [claim 9]; wherein upper and lower ends of the adjacent fans are respectively provided with the fan connecting structure [claim 10].
Regarding claims 9 and 10, Ou teaches a magic link fan, comprising a plurality of fans (fig. 3); wherein upper and lower ends (fig. 1; left and right lower sides of 10) of the adjacent fans (fig. 3; 10 and 20) are respectively provided with the fan connecting structure (fig. 1; structure of 15 and 14).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to incorporate a magic link fan, comprising a plurality of fans and upper and lower ends of the adjacent fans being respectively provided with the fan connecting structure as suggested by Ou for the benefit of providing improved connection methods of a modular fan system.
Claim(s) 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Phillips et al. US10454194 and Ou et al. US10736232 as applied to claim 2 above, and further in view of Hsieh US9163637.
Phillips and Ou disclose (Phillips) wherein the first limiting structure (178) is in a sliding fit with the third limiting structure (150), the second limiting structure (structure of 102 that engages with 188) is in a latching fit (Col 10 Ln 56-59) with the fourth limiting structure (188).
Phillips and Ou do not explicitly disclose a snap fit.
However, Hsieh teaches a snap fit (fig. 1a; mechanical connection between 155 and 118).
Therefore, it would have been further obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to incorporate a snap fit as suggested by Hsieh for the benefit of providing optimum mechanical retention strength of fan connectors117.
Claim(s) 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Phillips et al. US10454194 and Ou et al. US10736232 as applied to claim 2 above, and further in view of Hsieh et al. US20210018009.
Phillips and Ou disclose all of the claim limitations except wherein the fan is provided with contact heads, and the first contact point is located at a top of the contact head.
However, Hsieh teaches the fan (fig. 1a; 1) is provided with contact heads (fig. 1c; 141), and the first contact point (fig. 1b; 1141) is located at a top (1141 is connected to 141) of the contact head (141).
Therefore, it would have been further obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to incorporate the fan is provided with contact heads, and the first contact point is located at a top of the contact head as suggested by Hsieh for the benefit of improving the transmission of internal signals within a fan.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-6 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: regarding claim 4, the prior art of record fails to disclose, teach, provide or suggest wherein the first limiting structure and the third limiting structure slide in an direction, and the direction is perpendicular to a rotation axis L of the fan combined with all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See PTO-892 form.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MARCUS E HARCUM whose telephone number is (571)272-9986. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri. 8am-5pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Abdullah Riyami can be reached at 571-270-3119. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MARCUS E HARCUM/ Examiner, Art Unit 2831
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