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 .
This action is responsive to the claim amendment filed on 03/06/2026. Claims 1-9 and 11-20 are pending in this application. Claims 1 and 13 have been amended. Claim 10 has been cancelled.
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 1-9 and 11-20 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.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "the condensate collection reservoir" in line 7. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. For examination purposes, the limitation has been interpreted as “a condensate collection reservoir”.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "a condensate collection reservoir" in the last line. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. For examination purposes, the limitation has been interpreted as “the condensate collection reservoir”.
Claim 13 recites the limitation "the condensate collection reservoir" in line 7. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. For examination purposes, the limitation has been interpreted as “a condensate collection reservoir”.
Claim 13 recites the limitation "a condensate collection reservoir" in the last line. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. For examination purposes, the limitation has been interpreted as “the condensate collection reservoir”.
Claims 2-9, 11-12 and 14-20 are rejected by the virtue dependency of claims 1 and 13.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claim(s) 1, 4, 6-7, 9, 12-13, 16 and 18-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Zhang et al. (CN117760013A, previously cited).
Regarding claim 1, Zhang applied as an alternative discloses an air conditioner unit defining a vertical, a lateral, and a transverse direction (see figures 1-6), the air conditioner unit comprising:
a bulkhead (a clapboard or a separator 15) mounted within a cabinet (it is understood to one having ordinary skill in the art that the window air conditioner includes a cabinet for protection) to define an indoor portion (the right portion of the air conditioner with respect to the right side of the separator 15) and an outdoor portion (the left portion of the air conditioner with respect to left side of the separator 15; see figure 6);
an indoor heat exchanger (the evaporator 42) positioned within the indoor portion (the right portion of the air conditioner with respect to the right side of the separator 15; see figure 6);
an outdoor heat exchanger (the condenser 41) positioned within the outdoor portion (the left portion of the air conditioner with respect to left side of the separator 15; see figure 6);
a base pan (a first chassis 1) positioned under the outdoor heat exchanger (41; see figures 1-2 and 4-6), wherein the base pan (1) defines one or more pan holes (11 or 111) within the condensate collection reservoir (the outdoor groove 14), the one or more pan holes (11 or 111) passing through the base pan (1) along the vertical direction from a top surface to a bottom surface of the base pan (1; see figures 1-2 and 4-6); and
an elevated wall (the elevated sidewall of the first chassis 1) that extends upward from the base pan (1) along the vertical direction to define a condensate collection reservoir (the outdoor groove 14; see figures 1-2 and 4-6).
Regarding claim 4, Zhang applied as an alternative discloses the elevated wall (the elevated sidewall of the first chassis 1) fully encloses the outdoor heat exchanger (the condenser 42) within a horizontal plane (the horizontal plate of the outdoor groove 14; see figures 1-2 and 4-6).
Regarding claim 6, Zhang applied as an alternative discloses the elevated wall (the elevated sidewall of the first chassis 1) is positioned between the outdoor heat exchanger (41) and an outdoor fan (the fan 52; see figures 1-2 and 4-5).
Regarding claim 7, Zhang applied as an alternative discloses the elevated wall (the elevated sidewall of the first chassis 1) is continuous along a width of the outdoor heat exchanger (41; see figures 1-2 and 4-5).
Regarding claim 9, Zhang applied as an alternative discloses the elevated wall (the elevated sidewall of the first chassis 1) is integrally formed with the base pan (the first chassis 1; see figures 2 and 4-5).
Regarding claim 12, Zhang applied as an alternative discloses the air conditioner unit is a single-package vertical unit (SPVU) (see figures 1-6) or a package terminal air conditioner (PTAC).
Regarding claim 13, Zhang applied as an alternative discloses a base pan assembly (the water receiving plate 2) for an air conditioner unit (see figures 1-6), the air conditioner unit comprising a bulkhead (the separator 15) mounted within a cabinet (it is understood to one having ordinary skill in the art that the window air conditioner includes a cabinet for protection) to define (the right portion of the air conditioner with respect to the right side of the separator 15) and an outdoor portion (the left portion of the air conditioner with respect to left side of the separator 15; see figure 6), an indoor heat exchanger (the evaporator 42) positioned within the indoor portion (see figure 6), and an outdoor heat exchanger (the condenser 41) positioned within the outdoor portion (see figure 6), the base pan assembly comprising:
a base pan (2) positioned under the outdoor heat exchanger (41; see figures 2-3 and 6), wherein the base pan (1) defines one or more pan holes (11 or 111) within the condensate collection reservoir (the outdoor groove 14), the one or more pan holes (11 or 111) passing through the base pan (1) along the vertical direction from a top surface to a bottom surface of the base pan (1; see figures 1-2 and 4-6); and
an elevated wall (the elevated sidewall of the first drainage groove 22) that extends upward from the base pan (2) along the vertical direction to define a condensate collection reservoir (the first drainage groove 22; see figures 2-3 and 6).
Regarding claim 16, Zhang applied as an alternative discloses the elevated wall (the elevated sidewall of the first chassis 1) fully encloses the outdoor heat exchanger (the condenser 42) within a horizontal plane (the horizontal plate of the outdoor groove 14; see figures 1-2 and 4-6).
Regarding claim 18, Zhang applied as an alternative discloses the elevated wall (the elevated sidewall of the first chassis 1) is positioned between the outdoor heat exchanger (41) and an outdoor fan (the fan 52; see figures 1-2 and 4-5).
Regarding claim 19, Zhang applied as an alternative discloses the elevated wall (the elevated sidewall of the first chassis 1) is continuous along a width of the outdoor heat exchanger (41; see figures 1-2 and 4-5).
Regarding claim 20, Zhang applied as an alternative discloses the elevated wall (the elevated sidewall of the first chassis 1) is integrally formed with the base pan (the first chassis 1; see figures 1-2 and 4-6).
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.
Claim(s) 2-3, 5, 11, 14-15 and 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang alone.
Regarding claim 2, Zhang applied as an alternative discloses the condensate collection reservoir (14) defines a reservoir footprint in a horizontal plane (see figure 5) and the outdoor heat exchanger (41) defines a heat exchanger footprint (a downward projection of the heat exchanger) in the horizontal plane (see figures 1-2 and 4-6).
Though Zhang fails to disclose the reservoir footprint is less than 5 times the heat exchanger footprint, figure 2 shows the reservoir footprint is slightly bigger than or surrounding the perimeter of the heat exchanger footprint in order to ensure the collection of the condensed water, based on the scale of the reservoir footprint and the heat exchanger footprint, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art that the reservoir footprint is less than 5 times the heat exchanger foot print.
Regarding claim 3, though Zhang applied as an alternative fails to disclose the reservoir footprint is less than 3 times the heat exchanger footprint, figure 2 shows the reservoir footprint is bigger than or surrounding the perimeter of the heat exchanger footprint in order to ensure the collection of the condensed water, based on the scale of the reservoir footprint and the heat exchanger footprint as shown in figure 2, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art that the reservoir footprint is less than 5 times the heat exchanger foot print.
Regarding claim 5, Zhang applied as an alternative discloses the elevated wall (the elevated sidewall of the first chassis) defines a height (see figures 2 and 4-5). Though Zhang fails to disclose the height that is greater than 5 millimeters since Zhang discloses the elevated wall has a certain height, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time before the effective filing date that the claim greater than 5 millimeters height is just mater of design choice of change height of the wall in order to prevent overflow the condensate (see MPEP 2144.04 section IV-A).
Regarding claim 11, Zhang applied as an alternative discloses the base pan is formed from a material.
Though Zhang fails to disclose the material is plastic Zhang discloses the base pan (1) is form from a material, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time before the effective filing date of the claim invention to substitute the base pan material of Zhang with the claimed plastic in order to prevent corrosion generating from the condensed water (see MPEP 2143 section B).
Regarding claim 14, Zhang applied as an alternative discloses the condensate collection reservoir (14) defines a reservoir footprint in a horizontal plane (see figures 2 and 4-5) and the outdoor heat exchanger (41) defines a heat exchanger footprint (a downward projection of the outdoor heat exchanger) in the horizontal plane (see figure 2).
Though Zhang fails to disclose the reservoir footprint is less than 5 times the heat exchanger footprint, figure 2 shows the reservoir footprint is slightly bigger than or surrounding the perimeter of the heat exchanger footprint in order to ensure the collection of the condensed water, based on the scale of the reservoir footprint and the heat exchanger footprint as shown in figure 2, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art that the reservoir footprint is less than 5 times the heat exchanger foot print.
Regarding claim 15, though Zhang applied as an alternative fails to disclose the reservoir footprint is less than 3 times the heat exchanger footprint, figure 2 shows the reservoir footprint is bigger than or surrounding the perimeter of the heat exchanger footprint in order to ensure the collection of the condensed water, based on the scale of the reservoir footprint and the heat exchanger footprint, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art that the reservoir footprint is less than 5 times the heat exchanger foot print.
Regarding claim 17, Zhang applied as an alternative discloses the elevated wall (the elevated sidewall of the first chassis 1) defines a height (see figure 2). Though Zhang fails to disclose the height that is greater than 5 millimeters since Zhang discloses the elevated wall has a certain height, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time before the effective filing date that the claim greater than 5 millimeters height is just mater of design choice of change height of the wall in order to prevent overflow the condensate (see MPEP 2144.04 section IV-A).
Claim(s) 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang in view of Shaffer (2021/0318011).
Regarding claim 8, Zhang applied as an alternative discloses the condensate collection reservoir (14) is positioned entirely in front of or spaced apart from a fan (52; see figures 1-2 and 4-6).
However, Zhang fails to disclose a fan shroud.
Shaffer teaches an air conditioner comprising a fan shroud (36) positioned in front of or space part from a condenser fan (32; see figures 1-2).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time before the effective filing date of the claim invention to modify the air conditioner unit of Zhang to incorporate a fan shroud as taught by Shaffer in order to direct the flow of air from the fan to the condenser. Upon the modification, the modified air conditioner unit of Zhang provides the condensate collection reservoir (22) is positioned entirely in front of or spaced apart from a fan shroud (36, Shaffer; see figures 6 of Zhang and figures 1-2 of Shaffer).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments on the Remarks filed on 03/06/2026 with respect to claim(s) 1 and 13 have been considered but are moot because the new prior art interpretation has been applied to Zhang for the rejection of amended claims 1 and 13 in the current final action.
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 KUN KAI MA whose telephone number is (571)-270-3530. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 9am-6pm.
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/KUN KAI MA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3763
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