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 .
Status of Claims
This Office Action is in response to the remarks and amendments filed on 2/23/2026. Claims 1-6, 8-17, 19 and 20 are pending for consideration in this Office Action.
Response to Amendment
The objections to the drawings have been withdrawn in light of the amendments filed.
Drawings
The drawings were received on 2/23/2026. These drawings are acceptable.
Specification
Applicant is reminded of the proper content of an abstract of the disclosure.
A patent abstract is a concise statement of the technical disclosure of the patent and should include that which is new in the art to which the invention pertains. The abstract should not refer to purported merits or speculative applications of the invention and should not compare the invention with the prior art.
If the patent is of a basic nature, the entire technical disclosure may be new in the art, and the abstract should be directed to the entire disclosure. If the patent is in the nature of an improvement in an old apparatus, process, product, or composition, the abstract should include the technical disclosure of the improvement. The abstract should also mention by way of example any preferred modifications or alternatives.
Where applicable, the abstract should include the following: (1) if a machine or apparatus, its organization and operation; (2) if an article, its method of making; (3) if a chemical compound, its identity and use; (4) if a mixture, its ingredients; (5) if a process, the steps.
Extensive mechanical and design details of an apparatus should not be included in the abstract. The abstract should be in narrative form and generally limited to a single paragraph within the range of 50 to 150 words in length.
See MPEP § 608.01(b) for guidelines for the preparation of patent abstracts.
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because the abstract contains “and the wall sleeve. –". A corrected abstract of the disclosure is required and must be presented on a separate sheet, apart from any other text. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 1-4, 6, 8, 13-15 and 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Aoki et al. (US2023/0114621) in view of Otani (JPH05157410A) and Kase (JP2005337676A).
Regarding Claims 1 and 13, Aoki teaches an air conditioner unit defining a vertical, a lateral, and a transverse direction [see fig 4] and a condensate management system for an air conditioner [0024; 0025], the air conditioner unit comprising:
a bulkhead [at least a portion of the sound insulating wall] mounted within a cabinet [34] to define an indoor portion and an outdoor portion [0053; 0064];
an indoor heat exchanger [14] positioned within the indoor portion [0043]; an outdoor heat exchanger [16] positioned within the outdoor portion [0043];
a base pan [36s] positioned under the outdoor heat exchanger for collecting condensate that drips off the outdoor heat exchanger [0079];
a wall sleeve [at least side walls 36a, 3b and other portions of body 36] defining a mechanical compartment configured for receiving at least a portion of the base pan, the indoor heat exchanger, and the outdoor heat exchanger [0052; figs 13 & 14]; and a defrost heater [80; 0079].
Aoki does not teach where the heater is mounted within a gap defined between the base pan and the wall sleeve;
wherein the wall sleeve defines one or more discharge apertures on an exterior side of the wall sleeve;
and wherein the defrost heater defines cutouts or channels for guiding the condensate out of the wall sleeve, the cutouts or channels configured to direct collected condensate toward the discharge apertures.
However, Otani teaches an air conditioner [0001] having where the heater [17] is mounted within a gap defined between a base pan [16] and a wall sleeve [at least insulator 28, cover 29; 0013] where one of ordinary skill in the art could have combined the elements as claimed by known methods and that in combination, each element would perform the same function as it did separately and one of ordinary skills would have recognized that the results of the combination were predictable i.e. prevent the excessive temperature rise while providing a resistance heating body which is excellent in safety [0017].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the assembly of Aoki to have where the heater is mounted within a gap defined between the base pan and the wall sleeve in view of the teachings of Otani where the elements could have been combined by known methods with no change in their respective functions, and the combination would have yielded predictable results i.e. prevent the excessive temperature rise while providing a resistance heating body which is excellent in safety.
Also, Kase teaches a drain pan [see figs 3 & 4; Drawing I below] wherein a wall sleeve defines one or more discharge apertures on an exterior side of the wall sleeve [see Drawing I];
and wherein a defrost heater [53] defines cutouts or channels [where fins 54 define channels] for guiding the condensate out of the wall sleeve, the cutouts or channels configured to direct collected condensate toward the discharge apertures [0028; 0029; figs 3&4; Drawing I; where the drain pan is deeper on the end having drain channel 11 and thus the water flow is biased towards the drain channel and the fins 54 would serve to direct condensate towards the drain channel] where one of ordinary skill in the art could have combined the elements as claimed by known methods and that in combination, each element would perform the same function as it did separately and one of ordinary skills would have recognized that the results of the combination were predictable i.e. improves the removal of drain water from the system.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the assembly of Aoki to have wherein the wall sleeve defines one or more discharge apertures on an exterior side of the wall sleeve;
and wherein the defrost heater defines cutouts or channels for guiding the condensate out of the wall sleeve, the cutouts or channels configured to direct collected condensate toward the discharge apertures in view of the teachings of Otani where the elements could have been combined by known methods with no change in their respective functions, and the combination would have yielded predictable results i.e. improves the removal of drain water from the system.
Regarding Claims 2 and 14, Aoki, as modified, teaches the invention of claims 1 and 13 above and Otani teaches where the defrost heater [17] is mounted to a bottom of the base pan [16; 0012; where claim 14 is recited in the alternative].
Regarding Claim 3, Aoki, as modified, teaches the invention of claim 1 above and Otani teaches where the defrost heater is mounted to the wall sleeve [0012; 0013].
Regarding Claims 4 and 15, Aoki, as modified, teaches the invention of claims 1 and 13 above and Aoki teaches wherein the defrost heater [80] is mounted proximate a pan hole [36h; 0079-0082; fig 15].
Regarding Claims 6 and 17, Aoki, as modified, teaches the invention of claims 1 and 13 above and Aoki teaches wherein the defrost heater [80] extends to a discharge port [36h] defined on the wall sleeve [0084].
Regarding Claim 8, Aoki, as modified, teaches the invention of claim 1 above and Aoki teaches wherein the defrost heater is a resistive heater [0078].
Claim(s) 5 and 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Aoki et al. (US2023/0114621), Otani (JPH05157410A) and Kase (JP2005337676A) as applied to claims 1 and 13 above, and further in view of Lee et al. (KR2006008792A).
Regarding Claims 5 and 16, Aoki, as modified, teaches the invention of claims 4 and 16 above but does not teach wherein the defrost heater surrounds a pan hole.
However, Lee teaches a defrosting heater that prevents a defrosting water discharge pipe from being blocked [Abstract] wherein the defrosting heater [124c] surrounds the pan hole [124a; Abstract] where one of ordinary skill in the art could have combined the elements as claimed by known methods and that in combination, each element would perform the same function as it did separately and one of ordinary skills would have recognized that the results of the combination were predictable i.e. reduce power consumption of the system by providing concentrated heating [0018].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the assembly of Aoki to have wherein the defrost heater surrounds a pan hole in view of the teachings of Lee where the elements could have been combined by known methods with no change in their respective functions, and the combination would have yielded predictable results i.e. reduce power consumption of the system by providing concentrated heating.
Claim(s) 9-12, 19 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Aoki et al. (US2023/0114621), Otani (JPH05157410A) and Kase (JP2005337676A) as applied to claims 1 and 13 above, and further in view of Kanazawa et al. (JPH06213475A).
Regarding Claims 9 and 19, Aoki, as modified, teaches the invention of claims 1 and 13 above but does not teach an ambient temperature sensor and a controller in operative communication with the ambient temperature sensor, the controller being configured to: determine that a defrost cycle is requested; obtain an ambient temperature using the ambient temperature sensor; determine that the ambient temperature is below a predetermined temperature threshold; and activate the defrost heater and perform the defrost cycle.
However, Kanazawa teaches a drain water treatment device [0001] having an ambient temperature sensor [42] and a controller [fig 13] in operative communication with the ambient temperature sensor [0060], the controller being configured to:
determine that a defrost cycle is requested [0048];
obtain an ambient temperature using the ambient temperature sensor [0053; 0072]; determine that the ambient temperature is below a predetermined temperature threshold; and activate the defrost heater and perform the defrost cycle [0072] where one of ordinary skill in the art could have combined the elements as claimed by known methods and that in combination, each element would perform the same function as it did separately and one of ordinary skills would have recognized that the results of the combination were predictable i.e. provide freeze prevention of the drain water [0028].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the assembly of Aoki to have an ambient temperature sensor and a controller in operative communication with the ambient temperature sensor, the controller being configured to: determine that a defrost cycle is requested; obtain an ambient temperature using the ambient temperature sensor; determine that the ambient temperature is below a predetermined temperature threshold; and activate the defrost heater and perform the defrost cycle in view of the teachings of Kanazawa where the elements could have been combined by known methods with no change in their respective functions, and the combination would have yielded predictable results i.e. provide freeze prevention of the drain water.
Regarding Claims 10 and 20, Aoki, as modified, teaches the invention of claims 9 and 19 above and Kanazawa teaches wherein the controller is further configured to: determine that the ambient temperature is at or above the predetermined temperature threshold; and deactivate the defrost heater [0072].
Regarding Claim 11, Aoki, as modified, teaches the invention of claim 9 above and Kanazawa teaches wherein the predetermined temperature threshold is 32°F [0072].
Regarding Claim 12, Aoki, as modified, teaches the invention of claim 9 above and Kanazawa teaches wherein the controller is further configured to: determine the defrost cycle is not being performed; and stop operating the defrost heater [0072].
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1 and 13 under 35 USC 103 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of newly found prior art references.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LARRY L FURDGE whose telephone number is (313)446-4895. The examiner can normally be reached M-R 6a-3p; F 6a-10a.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jerry Fletcher can be reached at 571-270-5054. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/LARRY L FURDGE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3763
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