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 .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d).
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 output shaft of at least claim 13 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 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.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 8 and 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Barlettano (US2022/0299216) in view of Rheau et al. (WO2024149948A1).
Regarding Claim 1, Barlettano teaches a top panel of an air cooler [see 26 at fig 1], comprising a front panel body [64] and an opening arranged on the front panel body [0062], wherein an air outlet panel [52] is arranged in the opening [0062; fig 3].
Barlettano does not teach where the air outlet panel is arranged in the opening through an axis pin mechanism; and wherein the air outlet panel swings with the axis pin mechanism as an axis; and at least one locking mechanism for limiting the swing of the air outlet panel is arranged in the opening.
However, Rheau teaches a ventilator [0003] having where the air outlet panel is arranged in the opening through an axis pin mechanism; and wherein the air outlet panel swings with the axis pin mechanism as an axis; and at least one locking mechanism for limiting the swing of the air outlet panel is arranged in the opening [See Drawing I] 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. providing an air outlet having lower cost [Abstract].
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 Barlettano to have where the air outlet panel is arranged in the opening through an axis pin mechanism; and wherein the air outlet panel swings with the axis pin mechanism as an axis; and at least one locking mechanism for limiting the swing of the air outlet panel is arranged in the opening in view of the teachings of Rheau 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. providing an air outlet having lower cost.
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Drawing I
Regarding Claim 8, Barlettano as modified, teaches the invention of claim 1 above and Rheau teaches wherein there are two axis pin mechanisms, which are respectively arranged on a top and a bottom wall of the air outlet panel; and wherein, the axis pin mechanism comprises a slot and an axis pin [by inspection at Drawing I].
Regarding Claim 9, Barlettano, as modified, teaches the invention of claim 8 above and Rheau teaches wherein the axis pin is inserted into the slot and rotatably connected with the slot; and one of the slots or the axis pin is arranged on an outer wall of the air outlet panel, and the other is arranged on the inner wall of the opening [by inspection at Drawing I].
Claim(s) 11-13 and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Barlettano (US2022/0299216) and Rheau et al. (WO2024149948A1) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Baker (US2020/0164722).
Regarding Claim 11, Barlettano, as modified, teaches the invention of claim 1 above but does not teach wherein the front panel body is further provided with a panel driving mechanism for driving the air outlet panel to swing.
However, Baker teaches an air vent assembly [fig 4] having wherein a front panel body [2] is further provided with a panel driving mechanism [13] for driving the air outlet panel to swing [0064; fig 4] 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. providing a mechanism that can control the air outlet panel to achieve multiple stopping positions [0084].
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 Barlettano to have wherein the front panel body is further provided with a panel driving mechanism for driving the air outlet panel to swing in view of the teachings of Baker 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. providing a mechanism that can control the air outlet panel to achieve multiple stopping positions.
Regarding Claim 12, Barlettano teaches a top panel of an air cooler [see 26 at fig 1], comprising a front panel body [64] and an opening arranged on the front panel body [0062], wherein an air outlet panel [52] is arranged in the opening [0062; fig 3].
Barlettano does not teach where the air outlet panel is arranged in the opening through an axis pin mechanism; and wherein the air outlet panel swings with the axis pin mechanism as an axis; and the front panel body is also provided with a panel driving mechanism for driving the air outlet panel to swing and adjusting an air outlet direction.
However, Rheau teaches a ventilator [0003] having where the air outlet panel is arranged in the opening through an axis pin mechanism; and wherein the air outlet panel swings with the axis pin mechanism as an axis [See Drawing I] 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. providing an air outlet having lower cost [Abstract].
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 Barlettano to have where the air outlet panel is arranged in the opening through an axis pin mechanism; and wherein the air outlet panel swings with the axis pin mechanism as an axis in view of the teachings of Rheau 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. providing an air outlet having lower cost.
Also, Baker teaches an air vent assembly [fig 4] having wherein a front panel body [2] is also provided with a panel driving mechanism [13] for driving the air outlet panel to swing and adjusting an air outlet direction [0064; fig 4] 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. providing a mechanism that can control the air outlet panel to achieve multiple stopping positions [0084].
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 Barlettano to have wherein the front panel body is also provided with a panel driving mechanism for driving the air outlet panel to swing and adjusting an air outlet direction in view of the teachings of Baker 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. providing a mechanism that can control the air outlet panel to achieve multiple stopping positions.
Regarding Claim 13, Barlettano, as modified, teaches the invention of claim 12 above and Baker teaches wherein the panel driving device comprises a panel motor [13] and a first eccentric shaft [14]; the panel motor is installed on the front panel body [see fig 4], and the first eccentric shaft is installed on a rotating output shaft [16] of the panel motor [0064-0065; fig 4].
Regarding Claim 15, Barlettano, as modified, teaches the invention of claim 12 above and Rheau teaches wherein the air outlet panel comprises a movable frame [Drawing I], an air outlet arranged on the movable frame, a plurality of transverse diaphragms and a plurality of longitudinal diaphragms arranged in the air outlet [Drawing I].
Claim(s) 16 and 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Barlettano (US2022/0299216), Rheau et al. (WO2024149948A1) and Baker (US2020/0164722) as applied to claim 15 above, and further in view of Egashira (US2021/0107333).
Regarding Claim 16, Barlettano, as modified, teaches the invention of claim 15 above and teaches the movable housing [See at least claim 12 above] but does not teach wherein the plurality of transverse diaphragms are all arranged on the frame, and are obliquely arranged with an adjustable inclination angle; and the transverse diaphragms are provided with a first connecting rod for connecting the plurality of transverse diaphragms, and the plurality of transverse diaphragms are hinged with the first connecting rod.
However, Egashira teaches an air outlet [0001] having wherein a plurality of transverse diaphragms [52] are all arranged on the frame [20], and are obliquely arranged with an adjustable inclination angle [0025-0029]; and the transverse diaphragms are provided with a first connecting rod [54] for connecting the plurality of transverse diaphragms, and the plurality of transverse diaphragms are hinged with the first connecting rod [0025-0029; fig 2] 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. providing a mechanism that can control the air outlet panel to achieve multiple airflow angles.
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 Barlettano to have wherein the plurality of transverse diaphragms are all arranged on the movable frame, and are obliquely arranged with an adjustable inclination angle; and the transverse diaphragms are provided with a first connecting rod for connecting the plurality of transverse diaphragms, and the plurality of transverse diaphragms are hinged with the first connecting rod in view of the teachings of Egashira 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. providing a mechanism that can control the air outlet panel to achieve multiple airflow angles.
Regarding Claim 17, Barlettano, as modified, teaches the invention of claim 16 above and Egashira teaches wherein the plurality of longitudinal diaphragms [32] are arranged on the movable frame, and the longitudinal diaphragms are provided with a second connecting rod [34] for connecting the plurality of longitudinal diaphragms [0025-0029; fig 2].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 18-20 are allowed.
Claims 2-7, 10 and 14 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: the prior art, Barlettano (US2022/0299216), Rheau et al. (WO2024149948A1) and Baker (US2020/0164722) and Egashira (US2021/0107333) does not teach “... wherein the shell comprises a front panel assembly which comprises a front panel body and an air outlet panel; and wherein the air outlet panel is rotatably arranged on the front panel body; and wherein, at least one locking mechanism for limiting the swing of the air outlet panel is arranged in the front panel body; and wherein, the blower is installed on the air outlet panel,” when added to other features of independent claim 18.
Conclusion
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