DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
This action is in response to the claims set filed 01/15/2026 following the Non-Final Rejection of 10/27/2025. Claims 1-4, 8-10, 13 and 15 were amended. Claims 1-20 are currently pending with claims 17-20 withdrawn from consideration as being party to a non-elected invention.
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see Remarks, filed 01/15/2026, with respect to the specification objection, claim objections and claims rejected under 35 USC § 102 have been fully considered and are persuasive. These objections and/or rejections of 10/27/2025 have been withdrawn.
Applicant’s arguments, see Remarks, filed 01/15/2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) under 35 USC § 103 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejections as previously presented have been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of amendments made to the claims.
Applicant's point on page 9 of Remarks that “Wilcox similarly discloses fans mounted within a fixed housing, where airflow management is achieved through ducting and fan operation rather than mechanical reconfiguration of a mounting subassembly. See Wilcox at FIGS. 1-3. Wilcox does not disclose repositioning a fan mounting deck relative to the enclosure to cooperate with different enclosure ports. Accordingly, none of the cited references, alone or in combination, teach or suggest the limitations of the amended independent claims” was not found persuasive by Examiner.
As shown in the figures of Wilcox, the module 100 is mechanically repositioned relative to the chassis 600 so as to change the flow direction.
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 aspect of claim 13 “a rotation interface configured to rotatably couple the fan mounting deck to the fan mount and facilitate rotation of the fan mounting deck and the axial fan together between the first orientation and the second orientation” as well as;
the invention of claim 13 which requires “a rotation interface” and “a fan mount configured to releasably receive and support a fan mounting deck that supports the axial fan, the fan mounting deck being selectively repositionable relative to the enclosure” recited in claim 1, from which claim 13 depends upon, must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered. Currently, the figures related to the embodiment with a rotation interface show a fan mounting deck 620 which does not move or isn’t removed relative to the enclosure.
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
Claim 2 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 2 recites “wherein the the fan mounting deck” but should likely read “wherein the [[the]] fan mounting deck”.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claims 13-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
Regarding Claim 13, the limitation “wherein the fan mounting deck comprises a rotation interface”, in context of claim 1 from which claim 13 depends upon, fails the written description requirement and is considered new matter as the invention of claim 13 was not described the specification at the effective instant filing date in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that Applicant had possession of the claimed invention at the time the application was filed. Claim 1, from which claim 13 depends upon, recites “a fan mount configured to releasably receive and support a fan mounting deck that supports the axial fan, the fan mounting deck being selectively repositionable relative to the enclosure when the axial fan is in (1) a first orientation [and (2) a second orientation]”. The embodiment related to “a rotation interface” fails to disclose of a fan mount configured to releasably receive and support a fan mounting deck that supports the axial fan, the fan mounting deck being selectively repositionable relative to the enclosure when the axial fan is in the first orientation and the second orientation. Instead, the fan mounting deck 620 for the embodiment with a rotation interface “can include a rotation interface 634 that can allow the fan 222 and the stator 224 to be flipped together within the fan mounting deck frame 330 without moving the fan mounting deck 620” (pr. 59 of the instant PGPub). This paragraph also states that “the fan mounting deck 620 can be configured to facilitate converting the fan mounting deck 620 from the first orientation to the second orientation (or vice-versa) without removing the fan mounting deck 620 from the enclosure 202 of the air handling unit 200”. These sections point to the rotation interface embodiments not having “a fan mount configured to releasably receive and support a fan mounting deck that supports the axial fan, the fan mounting deck being selectively repositionable relative to the enclosure”, as required by the invention of claim 13, given that this embodiment relates to not moving/removing the fan mounting deck.
Regarding Claim 13, the limitation “wherein the fan mounting deck comprises a rotation interface configured to rotatably couple the fan mounting deck to the fan mount and facilitate rotation of the fan mounting deck and the axial fan together between the first orientation and the second orientation” fails the written description requirement and is considered new matter as it was not described in the specification at the effective instant filing date in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that Applicant had possession of the claimed invention at the time the application was filed. While there is support for “a rotation interface configured to rotatably attach the axial fan to the fan mounting deck” as previously presented, no support is found for the limitation of claim 13 cited above.
Claims 14-16 are also rejected under 35 USC § 112(a) due to their respective dependency upon claim 13 rejected above.
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 13-16 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.
Regarding Claim 13, the limitation “wherein the fan mounting deck comprises a rotation interface” renders the claim indefinite. Claim 1, from which claim 13 depends upon, recites “a fan mount configured to releasably receive and support a fan mounting deck that supports the axial fan, the fan mounting deck being selectively repositionable relative to the enclosure when the axial fan is in (1) a first orientation [and (2) a second orientation]”. The limitation of claim 13, when interpreted in light of instant disclosure at the effective filing date of invention, is indefinite since the embodiment with a rotation interface has a fan mounting deck 620 which is not moved or removed relative to the enclosure or the fan mount; this conclusion is supported by pr. 59 of the instant PGPub. Instead, the axial fan’s orientation is altered by rotating it relative to the fan mounting deck within an aperture of the fan mounting deck by means of a rotation interface.
Regarding Claim 13, the limitation “wherein the fan mounting deck comprises a rotation interface configured to rotatably couple the fan mounting deck to the fan mount and facilitate rotation of the fan mounting deck and the axial fan together between the first orientation and the second orientation” renders the claim indefinite. When viewing this limitation in light of instant disclosure at the effective filing date of invention, it is unclear what the “rotation interface” is meant to be given that the instant disclosure at the effective filing date of invention discloses it as something significantly different from what is currently claimed. The specification states “the fan mounting deck 620 can include a rotation interface 634 that can allow the fan 222 and the stator 224 to be flipped together within the fan mounting deck frame 330 without moving the fan mounting deck 620. The fan mounting deck 620 can include an aperture 635 having a shape that is complementary to the shape of the axial fan 222 and/or stator 224, and the size of the aperture 635 can be approximately equal to, or greater than, the size of the fan 222 and/or stator 224, which can help facilitate rotation of the fan 222 and/or stator 224” in pr. 59 of the instant PGPub. This section stating that the fan/stator would be rotated while the fan mounting deck does not.
Claims 14-16 are also rejected under 35 USC § 112(b) due to their respective dependency upon claim 13 rejected above.
Regarding Claim 14, the limitation “the fan mounting deck includes an aperture, and the rotation interface is configured to facilitate rotation of the axial fan at least partially within the aperture” renders the claim indefinite. Claim 13, from which claim 14 depends upon, recites “wherein the fan mounting deck comprises a rotation interface configured to rotatably couple the fan mounting deck to the fan mount and facilitate rotation of the fan mounting deck and the axial fan together between the first orientation and the second orientation” which conflicts conflict with what the rotation interface is stated as being configured to do in claim 14. It is unclear how the rotation interface can possess the limitations of claim 13 and 14 given that they conflict with each other.
Regarding Claim 16, the limitation “the rotation interface is further configured to facilitate rotation of the stator at least partially within the aperture” renders the claim indefinite. Given that the fan mounting deck comprises the “aperture”, it is unclear how the rotation interface would be configured to facilitate rotation of the stator within the aperture of the fan mounting deck if the rotation interface is also “configured to rotatably couple the fan mounting deck to the fan mount and facilitate rotation of the fan mounting deck and the axial fan together between the first orientation and the second orientation” as required by claim 13, from which claim 16 depends upon.
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) 1-3 and 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CN201129802Y (first cited in the Office Action of 10/27/2025), herein referenced as Zhu, in view of US 2016/0150675, herein referenced as Wilcox.
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Figure 4 of Zhu
Regarding Claim 1, Zhu discloses an air handling unit for a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system (“floor type air conditioner” title), the air handling unit comprising:
a heat exchanger coil (heat exchanger 3 fig. 4; “heat exchanger 3 is an evaporator” pr. 26) configured to (i) receive a refrigerant circulated through the heat exchanger coil and (ii) facilitate heat exchange between the refrigerant and air directed across the heat exchanger coil (“heat exchanger 3 is an evaporator” pr. 26; the heat exchanger is part of an air conditioner apparatus so would therefore be configured to do the recited limitations, which is evident by pr. 29 which establishes it as an evaporator);
an axial fan (2 fig. 4) configured to direct the air across the heat exchanger coil (heat exchanger 3 fig. 4); and
an enclosure (see housing for apparatus in fig. 4 which houses the axial fan 2 and the heat exchangers 3 in fig. 4) configured to house the heat exchanger coil and the axial fan, the enclosure comprising:
a first port configured to facilitate passage of air between an interior of the enclosure and an exterior of the enclosure (see bottom port of housing in fig. 4);
a second port configured to facilitate passage of air between the interior of the enclosure and the exterior of the enclosure (see upper port of housing in fig. 4); and
[the fan is configured to (1)] direct the air across the heat exchanger coil in a first direction such that air enters the enclosure via the first port and exits the enclosure via the second port and [to (2)] direct the air across the heat exchanger coil in a second direction such that air enters the enclosure via the second port and exits the enclosure via the first port (“a split floor-standing air conditioner with interchangeable air inlet and air outlet, which adopts axial flow fan blades as the air supply system and realizes the reversibility of air flow by controlling the forward and reverse rotation of the fan blades. During cooling, cold air flows out from the top of the cabinet, while during heating, hot air flows out from the bottom of the cabinet. Combined with the natural flow of cold air downward and hot air upward, the temperature in the room is made as uniform as possible, thereby improving comfort” pr. 10).
However, Zhu fails to anticipate a fan mount configured to releasably receive and support a fan mounting deck that supports the axial fan, the fan mounting deck being selectively repositionable relative to the enclosure when the axial fan is in (1) a first orientation configured to direct the air across the heat exchanger coil in a first direction such that air enters the enclosure via the first port and exits the enclosure via the second port and (2) a second orientation configured to direct the air across the heat exchanger coil in a second direction such that air enters the enclosure via the second port and exits the enclosure via the first port.
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Figure 7 of Wilcox
Zhu and Wilcox are analogous art since they both relate to the field of endeavor of heating, ventilation and/or air conditioning.
Wilcox teaches of an axial fan (see axial fan units 102 fig. 1); an enclosure (chassis 600 fig. 7) configured to house the axial fan, the enclosure comprising:
a first port (first opening 605 fig. 7) configured to facilitate passage of air between an interior of the enclosure and an exterior of the enclosure;
a second port (second opening 608 fig. 7) configured to facilitate passage of air between the interior of the enclosure and the exterior of the enclosure; and
a fan mount (see dividing wall 601 which includes attachment receptacles 613 and the bay 612 which receives the reversible fan module 100 in figs. 6-8) configured to releasably receive (“chassis (600) also includes a bay (612) adapted to receive a reversible fan module (100). The bay (612) opens to the second external region (610) for insertion and removal of the reversible fan module (100). The bay includes one or more attachment receptacles (613) disposed on the dividing wall (601)” pr. 34) and support a fan mounting deck (see housing 101 of module 100 which forms a mounting deck of axial fans 102 in fig. 1) that supports the axial fan (housing 101 shown to support axial fans 102 in fig. 1), the fan mounting deck being selectively repositionable (see first and second orientations in figs. 2A-2B and 7-8) relative to the enclosure (repositioning of module 100 relative to the chassis 600 shown in figs. 7-8) when the axial fan is in (1) a first orientation (see first orientation 700 of fans in fig. 7) configured to direct the air across the heat exchanger coil in a first direction (see airflow direction in fig. 7) such that air enters the enclosure via the first port and exits the enclosure via the second port (see airflow entry through first opening 605 and exit through second opening 608 in fig. 7) and (2) a second orientation (see second orientation 800 of fans in fig. 8) configured to direct the air across the heat exchanger coil in a second direction (see airflow direction in fig. 8) such that air enters the enclosure via the second port and exits the enclosure via the first port (see airflow entry through second opening 608 and exit through first opening 605 in fig. 8). Wilcox further teaches that “the closing element (108) enables multiple fan units (102) to operate as redundant backups without risking impairing the operation of the reversible fan module (100) in the event of inactivity of one of the fan units (102)” in pr. 28.
a fan mount (see dividing wall 601 which includes attachment receptacles 613 and the bay 612 which receives the reversible fan module 100 in figs. 6-8) configured to receive and support the axial fan when the axial fan is in (1) a first orientation (see first orientation 700 of fans in fig. 7) configured to direct the air across the heat exchanger coil in a first direction (see airflow direction in fig. 7) such that air enters the enclosure via the first port and exits the enclosure via the second port (see airflow entry through first opening 605 and exit through second opening 608 in fig. 7) and (2) a second orientation (see second orientation 800 of fans in fig. 8) configured to direct the air across the heat exchanger coil in a second direction (see airflow direction in fig. 8) such that air enters the enclosure via the second port and exits the enclosure via the first port (see airflow entry through second opening 608 and exit through first opening 605 in fig. 8). Wilcox further teaches that “the closing element (108) enables multiple fan units (102) to operate as redundant backups without risking impairing the operation of the reversible fan module (100) in the event of inactivity of one of the fan units (102)” in pr. 28.
Therefore, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of invention to one of ordinary skill in the art to have modified the fan assembly in Zhu to instead use the reversible fan module disclosed by Wilcox so as to obtain the benefit fan units to operate as redundant backups without risking impairing the operation of the fan module due to inactivity of one of the fan units” as taught by Wilcox. A motivation also known in the art is that the blades of the fan disclosed by Wilcox can be optimized for flow in a single direction compared to reversible drive fans which have to compromise the blade design between the forward flow mode and the reverse flow mode.
Regarding Claim 2, the combination of Zhu and Wilcox comprises the air handling unit of Claim 1, wherein the fan mounting deck is configured to interface with the fan mount (the bay 12 and the dividing wall 601 with its receptacles 613 interfaces with the housing 101 as shown in figs. 6-8 of Wilcox, as used to modify Zhu).
Regarding Claim 3, the combination of Zhu and Wilcox comprises the air handling unit of Claim 1, wherein:
the fan mounting deck comprises a mount extension (see attachment members 106 fig. 1 of Wilcox, as used to modify Zhu), and
the fan mount comprises a recess configured to slideably receive at least a portion of the mount extension when the axial fan is in the first orientation or the second orientation (see receptacles 613 on dividing wall 601 which take the form of a recess so as to slideably receive the attachment members 106 to attach the module 100 in figs. 1 and 7-8 of Wilcox, as used to modify Zhu).
Regarding Claim 8, the combination of Zhu and Wilcox comprises the air handling unit of Claim 1, wherein:
the fan mounting deck comprises a mount extension (see attachment members 106 in fig. 1 of Wilcox, as used to modify Zhu), and
the fan mount comprises a railing (see dividing wall 601, which would be analogous to a railing given its bar-shaped form, in fig. 6 of Wilcox, as used to modify Zhu) configured to receive at least a portion of the mount extension when the axial fan is in the first orientation or the second orientation (see attachment members 106 which interface onto the receptacles 613 of the dividing wall 601 in figs. 1 and 6-8 of Wilcox, as used to modify Zhu).
Claim(s) 4-7 and 9-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over the combination of Zhu and Wilcox as applied to claims 3 and 8 above, and further in view of JP2002317972A (first cited in the Office Action of 10/27/2025), herein referenced as Funabashi.
Regarding Claim 4, the combination of Zhu and Wilcox comprises the air handling unit of Claim 3 further comprising a [stationary component] (see grating or screening element provided at rear side 104 in fig. 1 of Wilcox, as used to modify Zhu) positioned in an airflow path downstream from the axial fan (the grating or screening element provided at the rear side 104 in fig. 1 of Wilcox, as used to modify Zhu, is shown in figs. 3 and 7-8 of Wilcox to be provided downstream from the axial fans 102).
However, the combination of Zhu and Wilcox fails to teach wherein the stationary component is a stator, the stator being configured to straighten the airflow path of the air.
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Figure 2 of Funabashi
Funabashi is analogous art since it relates to the field of endeavor of heating, ventilation and/or air conditioning.
Funabashi teaches of a stator (see fan guard 2 comprised of concentric ring-shaped bars 2a, vane-shaped bars 2b and central disk 2c fig. 1) positioned in an airflow path downstream from the axial fan (fan guard 2 shown to be downstream of axial fan 3 in fig. 2), the stator being configured to straighten the airflow path of the air (see airflow being straightened in fig. 3; “the object of the present invention is to suppress pressure loss in the fan guard by minimizing the number of static pressure recovery vanes while still maintaining the strength required for the fan guard in the outdoor unit of an air conditioner” pr. 6). Funabashi further teaches that “the converted static pressure energy acts in a direction that cancels out the pressure loss that occurs simultaneously in the vane-shaped crosspiece 2b and the ring-shaped crosspiece 2a, thereby reducing the pressure loss in the fan guard” in pr. 13.
Therefore, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of invention to one of ordinary skill in the art to have modified at least the grating or screening element provided at the rear side 104 in fig. 1 of Wilcox, in the combination of Zhu and Wilcox above, to be formed as the fan guard with vane-shaped crosspieces disclosed by Funabashi so as to obtain the benefit of ‘converting the swirl of the fan outlet into static pressure energy thereby reducing the pressure loss due to the fan guard’ as taught by Funabashi.
Regarding Claim 5, the combination of Zhu, Wilcox and Funabashi comprises the air handling unit of Claim 4, wherein the fan mounting deck is further configured to support the stator (the housing 101 is shown to support the grating element at the rear side 104 in fig. 1 of Wilcox, in the combination of Zhu, Wilcox and Funabashi above).
Regarding Claim 6, the combination of Zhu, Wilcox and Funabashi comprises the air handling unit of Claim 5, wherein the mount extension is positioned on a plane that extends between the axial fan and the stator (the attachment members 106 is shown to be provided a vertical plane which would go through the fans 102 and a vertical plane which would go through the grating element at the rear side 104 in figs. 1 and 7-8 of Wilcox, in the combination of Zhu, Wilcox and Funabashi).
Regarding Claim 7, the combination of Zhu, Wilcox and Funabashi comprises the air handling system of Claim 5, wherein the mount extension is attached to the stator (the attachment members 106 are shown to be attached to the grating element at the rear side 104 via the side face 105 of the housing 101 in fig. 1 of Wilcox, in the combination of Zhu, Wilcox and Funabashi).
Regarding Claim 9, the combination of Zhu and Wilcox comprises the air handling unit of Claim 3 further comprising a [stationary component] (see grating or screening element provided at rear side 104 in fig. 1 of Wilcox, as used to modify Zhu) positioned in an airflow path downstream from the axial fan (the grating or screening element provided at the rear side 104 in fig. 1 of Wilcox, as used to modify Zhu, is shown in figs. 3 and 7-8 of Wilcox to be provided downstream from the axial fans 102).
However, the combination of Zhu and Wilcox fails to teach wherein the stationary component is a stator, the stator configured to straighten the airflow path of the air.
Funabashi is analogous art since it relates to the field of endeavor of heating, ventilation and/or air conditioning.
Funabashi teaches of a stator (see fan guard 2 comprised of concentric ring-shaped bars 2a, vane-shaped bars 2b and central disk 2c fig. 1) positioned in an airflow path downstream from the axial fan (fan guard 2 shown to be downstream of axial fan 3 in fig. 2), the stator configured to straighten the airflow path of the air (see airflow being straightened in fig. 3; “the object of the present invention is to suppress pressure loss in the fan guard by minimizing the number of static pressure recovery vanes while still maintaining the strength required for the fan guard in the outdoor unit of an air conditioner” pr. 6). Funabashi further teaches that “the converted static pressure energy acts in a direction that cancels out the pressure loss that occurs simultaneously in the vane-shaped crosspiece 2b and the ring-shaped crosspiece 2a, thereby reducing the pressure loss in the fan guard” in pr. 13.
Therefore, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of invention to one of ordinary skill in the art to have modified at least the grating or screening element provided at the rear side 104 in fig. 1 of Wilcox, in the combination of Zhu and Wilcox above, to be formed as the fan guard with vane-shaped crosspieces disclosed by Funabashi so as to obtain the benefit of ‘converting the swirl of the fan outlet into static pressure energy thereby reducing the pressure loss due to the fan guard’ as taught by Funabashi.
Regarding Claim 10, the combination of Zhu, Wilcox and Funabashi comprises the air handling unit of Claim 9, wherein the fan mounting deck is further configured to support the stator (the housing 101 is shown to support the grating element at the rear side 104 in fig. 1 of Wilcox, in the combination of Zhu, Wilcox and Funabashi above).
Regarding Claim 11, the combination of Zhu, Wilcox and Funabashi comprises the air handling unit of Claim 10, wherein the mount extension is positioned on a plane that extends between the axial fan and the stator (the attachment members 106 is shown to be provided a vertical plane which would go through the fans 102 and a vertical plane which would go through the grating element at the rear side 104 in figs. 1 and 7-8 of Wilcox, in the combination of Zhu, Wilcox and Funabashi).
Claim(s) 9-10 and 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over the combination of Zhu and Wilcox as applied to claim 8 above, and further in view of US 2017/0102007, herein referenced as Stauter.
Regarding Claim 9, the combination of Zhu and Wilcox comprises the air handling unit of Claim 8 but fails to teach it further comprising a stator positioned in an airflow path downstream from the axial fan, the stator configured to straighten the airflow path of the air.
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Figure 5 of Stauter
Stauter is analogous art since it relates to the field of endeavor of heating, ventilation and/or air conditioning.
Stauter teaches a stator (see stator assembly 80 formed of outlet guide vanes 86 in fig. 5; stator assembly 80 shown to mount the fan rotor 72 to the housing 70 in fig. 5) positioned in an airflow path downstream from the axial fan (see fan rotor 72 and fan blades 74 fig. 5; “stator assembly 80 is configured as an outlet stator assembly” pr. 50), the stator configured to straighten the airflow path of the air (“radial vanes 86 can be configured to straighten the flow exiting from the fan rotor 72, transforming swirl kinetic energy in the airflow into static pressure rises across the outlet guide vanes 86” pr. 50).
Therefore, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of invention to one of ordinary skill in the art to have modified the fan(s) in fig. 1 of Wilcox, in the combination of Zhu and Wilcox to include the outlet stator assembly which supports the fan rotor disclosed by Stauter so as to obtain the benefit of ‘straightening the flow exiting from the fan rotor as well as transforming swirl kinetic energy in the airflow into static pressure rises across the outlet guide vanes’ as taught by Stauter.
Regarding Claim 10, the combination of Zhu, Wilcox and Stauter comprises the air handling unit of Claim 9, wherein the fan mounting deck is further configured to support the stator (see stator assembly 80 shown to mount the fan rotor 72 to the housing in fig. 5 of Stauter, as used to modify the combination of Zhu and Wilcox).
Regarding Claim 12, the combination of Zhu, Wilcox and Stauter comprises the air handling system of Claim 10, wherein the stator is configured to support the axial fan (see stator assembly 80 shown to mount the fan rotor 72 to the housing in fig. 5 of Stauter, as used to modify the combination of Zhu and Wilcox).
Claim(s) 1 and 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CN103759333A (first cited in the Office Action of 10/27/2025), herein referenced as Shun.
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Figure 4 of Shun
Regarding Claim 1, Shun discloses an air handling unit for a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system (“an air conditioner” title), the air handling unit comprising:
a heat exchanger coil (see indoor unit heat exchanger 2 formed as a coil in fig. 3-4) configured to (i) receive a refrigerant circulated through the heat exchanger coil (for an air conditioner, such as that of Shun, the indoor unit heat exchanger 2 would circulate a refrigerant there through) and (ii) facilitate heat exchange between the refrigerant and air directed across the heat exchanger coil (the shape of the indoor unit heat exchanger 2 is configured to facilitate heat exchange between a refrigerant and the air due to its surface area shown in figs. 3-4);
an axial fan (indoor unit fan 3 shown to be an axial fan in fig. 4) configured to direct the air across the heat exchanger coil (see arrows in fig. 3); and
an enclosure (indoor unit case 1 fig. 3-4) configured to house the heat exchanger coil (see 2 in fig. 4) and the axial fan (see 3 in fig. 4), the enclosure comprising:
a first port (lower outlet 6 fig. 3) configured to facilitate passage of air between an interior of the enclosure (case 1 fig. 3) and an exterior of the enclosure (see fig. 3);
a second port (upper outlet 5 fig. 3) configured to facilitate passage of air between the interior of the enclosure and the exterior of the enclosure (shown in fig. 3); and
a fan mount (see protrusions from side of case 1 which support/hold the reversing mechanism 4 in fig. 4) configured to [releasably] receive and support a fan mounting deck (see structure of reversing mechanism 4 which is supported by the protrusions extending from the case 1 in fig. 4; the frame/structure of the reversing mechanism 4 would be formed flat in fig. 4) that supports the axial fan (see bracket 7 which supports the axial fan on the reversing mechanism 4 in fig. 4), the fan mounting deck (4 fig. 4) being selectively repositionable (“indoor unit fan 3 and the motor 8 are both fixed to the reversing mechanism 4 through a fixing bracket 7 and rotate up and down around the support point between the reversing mechanism 4 and the inner side of the air conditioner indoor unit case 1, thereby changing the air supply direction” pr. 18) relative to the enclosure (case 1 fig. 4) when the axial fan is in (1) a first orientation (see upward blowing orientation of axial fan 3 in figs. 3-4) configured to direct the air across the heat exchanger coil in a first direction (see air directed upwards across 2 in figs. 3-4) such that air enters the enclosure via the first port and exits the enclosure via the second port (see air entering lower outlet 6 and exiting upper outlet 5 in figs. 3-4) and (2) a second orientation (see downward blowing orientation of axial fan 3 in figs. 5-6) configured to direct the air across the heat exchanger coil in a second direction (see air directed downward across 2 in figs. 5-6) such that air enters the enclosure via the second port and exits the enclosure via the first port (see air entering the upper outlet 5 and exiting the lower outlet 6 in figs. 5-6).
However, Shun fails to explicitly anticipate the fan mount configured to releasably receive and support the fan deck.
In reDulberg, 289 F.2d 522, 523, 129 USPQ 348, 349 (CCPA 1961), “The court held that “if it were considered desirable for any reason to obtain access to the end of [the prior art’s] holder to which the cap is applied, it would be obvious to make the cap removable for that purpose.”” (see MPEP 2144.04 V. C.). Similarity in the instant case, commonly known desires/reasons in the art that to make a component releasably receive another would be for cleaning, maintenance, part replacement, etc. Therefore, it would have been obvious matter of making separable to have modify the interface between the protrusions that are holding the reversing mechanism 4 in fig. 4 of Shun such that they are releasably separable/receivable for commonly known desirable reasons such as easing of cleaning/maintenance/replacement. See MPEP 2144.04 V. C. “Making Separable”.
Regarding Claim 13, Shun as modified above comprises the air handling unit of Claim 1, wherein the fan mounting deck comprises a rotation interface (see the two axles of the reversing mechanism 4 which interface with the support points of the case 1 in fig. 4) configured to rotatably couple the fan mounting deck to the fan mount (see support points/protrusion of case 1 in fig. 4; “The indoor unit fan 3 and the motor 8 are both fixed to the reversing mechanism 4 through a fixing bracket 7 and rotate up and down around the support point between the reversing mechanism 4 and the inner side of the air conditioner indoor unit case 1, thereby changing the air supply direction” pr. 19) and facilitate rotation of the fan mounting deck and the axial fan together between the first orientation and the second orientation (the axial fan 3 and the reversing mechanism 4 are shown to rotate together between the first orientation and the second orientation in figs. 3-6).
Examiner Note: no prior art rejections are provided for claims 14-16 due to the conflicting limitations that are required by the invention of claims 14-16 as highlighted in the 35 USC § 112 rejections above.
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.
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/W.L.F./Examiner, Art Unit 3745
/COURTNEY D HEINLE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3745
/COURTNEY D HEINLE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3745
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