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 .
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 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.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
1. 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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-13 and 17-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Rust, Jr. et al (U.S. Patent No.: 5,715,697), hereinafter referred to as Rust, Jr. et al ‘697.
Regarding claim 1, Rust, Jr. et al ‘697 disclose an air handling unit (10), comprising: a cabinet provided with an air inlet (17) and an air outlet (18) that are spaced from each other in a horizontal direction {as shown in Fig. 2: Abstract, and Col 3, lines 9-61}; a fan (12) that is disposed between the air inlet and the air outlet and suctions air from the air inlet to the air outlet {as shown in Fig. 2: Col 3, lines 9-61}; at least one heat exchanger (13) disposed between the air inlet and the fan and that exchanges heat with the air suctioned from the air inlet {as shown in Fig. 2: Col 3, lines 9-61}; at least one drain pan (22), the at least one drain pan being disposed under the at least one heat exchanger {as shown in Fig. 2: Col 3, lines 9-61}; and a drain cover (24) that extends in a direction perpendicular to the horizontal direction, installed to cover an end portion at an air outlet side of the at least one heat exchanger and configured to collect condensed water formed at the at least one heat exchanger {as shown in Fig. 2: Col 3, lines 9-61}.
Regarding claim 2, Rust, Jr. et al ‘697 disclose the air handling unit of claim 1, wherein the drain cover comprises a drain portion (26) that extends at least vertically, and wherein the drain portion protrudes and extends further in at least any one of an upward direction or a downward direction than the end portion at the air outlet side of the at least one heat exchanger {as shown in Fig. 2: Col 3, lines 9-61}.
Regarding claim 3, Rust, Jr. et al ‘697 disclose the air handling unit of claim 2, wherein the drain portion protrudes and extends further in the downward direction than the end portion at the air outlet side of the at least one heat exchanger, and wherein a drain hole open in the downward direction is provided at a lower end portion of the drain portion {as shown in Fig. 2: Col 3, lines 9-61}.
Regarding claim 4, Rust, Jr. et al ‘697 disclose the air handling unit of claim 3, wherein the drain portion protrudes and extends further in the upward direction and in the downward direction than the end portion at the air outlet side of the heat exchanger, wherein a drain hole (DH) is provided at an upper end portion and the lower end portion of the drain portion, respectively, and is open the upward direction and the downward direction, respectively, and wherein the drain hole provided in the upper end portion of the drain portion is sealed by a drain hole cap (24) {as shown in annotated Fig. 2: Col 3, lines 9-61}.
Regarding claim 5, Rust, Jr. et al ‘697 disclose the air handling unit of claim 4, wherein the at least one drain pan is provided with an inclined surface (S) a height of which decreases from the air outlet side toward the air inlet, and wherein a drain outlet (29) is provided at an end portion (27) at the air inlet side of the at least one drain pan and discharges condensed water having fallen to the at least one drain pan outward {as shown in annotated Fig. 2: Col 3, lines 9-61; and Col 5, lines 9-46}.
Regarding claim 6, Rust, Jr. et al ‘697 disclose the air handling unit of claim 3, wherein the at least one drain pan extends towards the air outlet at least up to under the drain hole {as shown in annotated Fig. 2: Col 3, lines 9-61}.
Regarding claim 7, Rust, Jr. et al ‘697 disclose the air handling unit of claim 2, wherein the at least one drain pan is spaced a predetermined distance apart from the end portion at the air outlet side of the at least one heat exchanger in the horizontal direction {as shown in Fig. 2}.
Regarding claim 8, Rust, Jr. et al ‘697 disclose the air handling unit of claim 2, wherein the drain cover (24) comprises a first side wall (24a) that protrudes toward the air inlet, on at least any one of an upper end portion or a lower end portion of the drain portion {as shown in annotated Fig 2}.
Regarding claim 9, Rust, Jr. et al ‘697 disclose the air handling unit of claim 8, wherein the drain cover comprises a second side wall (24b) configured to protrude toward the air inlet, on at least any one of a front-end portion or a rear end portion of the drain portion {as shown in annotated Fig 2}.
Regarding claim 10, Rust, Jr. et al ‘697 disclose the air handling unit of claim 9, wherein the second side wall is fixed to at least one of a front surface or a rear surface of the at least one heat exchanger (13) {as shown in annotated Fig 2}.
Regarding claim 11, Rust, Jr. et al ‘697 disclose the air handling unit of claim 1, wherein the at least one heat exchanger comprises a first heat exchanger (13) and a second exchanger (13a) spaced from each other in an upward-downward direction, and wherein a distance between an end portion at an air outlet side (18) of the first heat exchanger and an end portion at an air outlet side (18) of the second heat exchanger is less than a distance between an end portion at an air inlet side (17) of the first heat exchanger and an end portion at an air inlet side (17) of the second heat exchanger {as shown in annotated Fig. 2}.
Regarding claim 12, Rust, Jr. et al ‘697 disclose the air handling unit of claim 11, wherein the drain cover covers both of the end portion at the air outlet side of the first heat exchanger and the end portion at the air outlet side of the second heat exchanger {as shown in Fig. 2}.
Regarding claim 13, Rust, Jr. et al ‘697 disclose the air handling unit of claim 11, wherein the air handling unit further comprises a rear cover (RC) configured to cover a rear of the first and second heat exchangers {as shown in annotated Fig. 2}.
Regarding claim 17, Rust, Jr. et al ‘697 disclose an air handling unit (10), comprising: a cabinet provided with an air inlet (17) and an air outlet (18) that are spaced from each other in a first direction {as shown in Fig. 2: Abstract, and Col 3, lines 9-61}; a fan (12) that is disposed between the air inlet and the air outlet and creates a flow of air from the air inlet to the air outlet {as shown in Fig. 2: Col 3, lines 9-61}; at least one heat exchanger (13) disposed between the air inlet and the fan and that exchanges heat with the air {as shown in Fig. 2: Col 3, lines 9-61}; at least one drain pan (22), the at least one drain pan being disposed under the at least one heat exchanger {as shown in Fig. 2: Col 3, lines 9-61}; and a drain cover (24) that extends in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, installed to cover an end portion at an air outlet side of the at least one heat exchanger and configured to collect condensed water formed at the at least one heat exchanger {as shown in Fig. 2: Col 3, lines 9-61}.
Regarding claim 18, Rust, Jr. et al ‘697 disclose the air handling unit of claim 17, wherein the drain cover comprises a drain portion (26) that extends at least in the second direction, and wherein the drain portion protrudes and extends further in the second direction than the end portion at the air outlet side of the at least one heat exchanger {as shown in Fig. 2: Col 3, lines 9-61}.
Regarding claim 19, Rust, Jr. et al ‘697 disclose the air handling unit of claim 17, wherein the at least one heat exchanger comprises a first heat exchanger (13) and a second exchanger (13a) spaced from each other in the second direction, and wherein a distance between an end portion at an air outlet side (18) of the first heat exchanger and an end portion at an air outlet side (18) of the second heat exchanger is less than a distance between an end portion at an air inlet side (17) of the first heat exchanger and an end portion at an air inlet side (17) of the second heat exchanger{as shown in annotated Fig. 2}.
Regarding claim 20, Rust, Jr. et al ‘697 disclose the air handling unit of claim 19, wherein the drain cover covers both of the end portion at the air outlet side of the first heat exchanger and the end portion at the air outlet side of the second heat exchanger {as shown in Fig. 2}.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
2. 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 of this title, 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.
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 14-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Rust, Jr. et al ‘697, in view of Rios et al (U.S. PG Pub No.: 2007/0169499 A1), hereinafter referred to as Rios et al ‘499.
Regarding claim 14, Rust, Jr. et al ‘697 disclose the air handling unit of claim 13, further comprising: an outer refrigerant pipe (16) configured to connect to a front of the first and second heat exchangers {as shown in Fig. 2: Col 3, lines 9-19},
However, Rust, Jr. et al ‘697 fail to disclose the limitations of a front cover configured to cover a front of a space between the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger.
Rios et al ‘499 teach: the concept of a front cover configured to cover a front (10A) of a space between the first heat exchanger (6A) and the second heat exchanger (6B) {as shown in Figs. 1-2: ¶ [0021], [0024], [0036] and [0045]}.
Since all claimed elements were known in the art at the time of the invention, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to modify Rust, Jr. et al ‘697 in view of Rios et al ‘499 to include the use of a front cover configured to cover a front of a space between the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger, in order to provide additional surface area for installation of heat insulating materials.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to modify the Rust, Jr. et al ‘697 in view of Rios et al ‘499 to obtain the invention as specified in claim 14.
Regarding claim 15, the combination of Rust, Jr. et al ‘697 and Rios et al ‘499 disclose and teach the air handling unit of claim 14, Rust, Jr. et al ‘697 as modified by Rios et al ‘499 further teach the limitations of wherein a predetermine gap is formed between the end portions at the air outlet sides of the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger in the upward-downward direction, and wherein the drain cover covers the predetermined gap between the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger {see Fig. 2: ¶ [0037], [0039], [0045]}.
Regarding claim 16, the combination of Rust, Jr. et al ‘697 and Rios et al ‘499 disclose and teach the air handing unit of claim 14, Rust, Jr. et al ‘697 disclose wherein the drain cover comprises a drain portion (26) that extends at least vertically, and wherein a front-end portion of the drain portion protrudes and extends further forward than the first and second heat exchangers {as shown in Fig. 2: Col 3, lines 45-55}.
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Conclusion
3. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
KR-200146159-Y1 to JEONG NAK-HUN.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to EMMANUEL E DUKE whose telephone number is (571)270-5290. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday thru Friday; 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM Monday thru Friday; 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, FRANTZ JULES can be reached on (571)272-6681. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/EMMANUEL E DUKE/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3763
05/27/2026
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