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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 8/16/2024 was filed on or after the mailing date of the application. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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 and 4-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Satou et al. (US2020/0363107) in view of Okuda et al. (US2023/0117450).
Regarding Claim 1, Satou teaches an outdoor unit [fig 2] comprising:
a housing [30] having a rectangular plan-view shape with an air outlet [302] provided at a top center [0088; 0094; fig 2];
three outdoor heat exchangers [40] provided inside the housing [0098; fig 4]; and
an outdoor fan [18] provided above the three outdoor heat exchangers [40] and configured to blow air upward through the air outlet [0061; fig 5],
wherein the three outdoor heat exchangers each include a flat-tube group including a plurality of flat tubes through insides of which refrigerant is to flow, the flat tubes extending in a top-bottom direction and arranged side by side at flat faces of the flat tubes in such a manner as to be parallel to one another [0005; 0109],
wherein the housing has four lateral faces, three of the four lateral faces serving as permeable faces through which air is permeable [see at least right face, rear face and left face], a remaining one of the four lateral faces [front face at 37] serving as a sealed face through which air is nonpermeable [see fig 4],
wherein the three outdoor heat exchangers extend along the respective permeable faces, and wherein with reference to the sealed face, letting the three outdoor heat exchangers arranged in a direction of rotation of the outdoor fan be denoted in order as a first outdoor heat exchanger [at right face]; a second outdoor heat exchanger [at rear face]; and a third outdoor heat exchanger [at left face; see in combination figs 3 & 4].
Satou does not teach where the three outdoor heat exchangers are connected to one another such that, in a cooling operation, the first outdoor heat exchanger and the third outdoor heat exchanger are located on an upstream side in a flow of the refrigerant, and the second outdoor heat exchanger is located on a downstream side in the flow of the refrigerant.
However, Okuda teaches a heat pump having a first outdoor heat exchanger 5a, a second outdoor heat exchanger 5c, and a third outdoor heat exchanger 5b [fig 1] where the three outdoor heat exchangers are connected to one another such that, in a cooling operation, the first outdoor heat exchanger and the third outdoor heat exchanger are located on an upstream side in a flow of the refrigerant, and the second outdoor heat exchanger is located on a downstream side in the flow of the refrigerant [0030; 0031] 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 a flow arrangement where the flow rate of refrigerant through the third heat exchanger increases and thereby improves a heat transfer efficiency [0031].
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 Satou to have where the three outdoor heat exchangers are connected to one another such that, in a cooling operation, the first outdoor heat exchanger and the third outdoor heat exchanger are located on an upstream side in a flow of the refrigerant, and the second outdoor heat exchanger is located on a downstream side in the flow of the refrigerant in view of the teachings of Okuda 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 a flow arrangement where the flow rate of refrigerant through the third heat exchanger increases and thereby improves a heat transfer efficiency.
Regarding Claim 4, Satou, as modified, teaches the invention of claim 1 above and Satou teaches wherein an airflow resistance of the third outdoor heat exchanger [left face] is smaller than an airflow resistance of the first outdoor heat exchanger [right face; see in combination figs 3 & 4; see also MPEP 2112.01; which states in part “…Where the claimed and prior art products are identical or substantially identical in structure or composition, or are produced by identical or substantially identical processes, a prima facie case of either anticipation or obviousness has been established].
Regarding Claim 5, Satou, as modified, teaches the invention of claim 1 above and Satou teaches wherein a flow resistance between the second outdoor heat exchanger [rear face] and the third outdoor heat exchanger [left face] is greater than a flow resistance between the second outdoor heat exchanger and the first outdoor heat exchanger [right face; see in combination figs 3 & 4; see also MPEP 2112.01; which states in part “…Where the claimed and prior art products are identical or substantially identical in structure or composition, or are produced by identical or substantially identical processes, a prima facie case of either anticipation or obviousness has been established].
Regarding Claim 6, Satou, as modified, teaches the invention of claim 1 above and Satou teaches an air-conditioning apparatus comprising the outdoor unit [10] and an indoor unit [20; 0051; fig 1].
Claim(s) 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Satou et al. (US2020/0363107) and Okuda et al. (US2023/0117450) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Okazaki (US2017/0122630).
Regarding Claim 2, Satou, as modified, teaches the invention of claim 1 above and Satou teaches wherein the three outdoor heat exchangers each include flat-tube groups each being the flat-tube group, the flat-tube groups forming two respective rows that are side by side in an airflow direction [See fig 6].
Satou does not teach where two distribution headers that are located at a same position in a same direction in a height-wise direction and extending in a same direction, each receive one end of a corresponding one of the flat-tube groups; and a row-connecting header that receive other ends of the two flat-tube groups, and wherein one of the distribution headers that receives one end of a leeward one of the flat- tube groups has a refrigerant inlet provided such that a gas refrigerant in the cooling operation acts as a counterflow to an airflow.
However, Okazaki teaches an outdoor heat exchanger [fig. 7] where two distribution headers [31, 32] that are located at a same position in a same direction in a height-wise direction and extending in a same direction, each receive one end of a corresponding one of the flat-tube groups [0055; 0062-0064; fig 7]; and
a row-connecting header [35] that receive other ends of the two flat-tube groups, and wherein one of the distribution headers that receives one end of a leeward one of the flat- tube groups have a refrigerant inlet provided such that a gas refrigerant in the cooling operation acts as a counterflow to an airflow [0055; 0062-0064; fig 7] 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 an even distribution of refrigerant regardless of the degree of dryness and the flow rate and thereby improves 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 Satou to have where two distribution headers that are located at a same position in a same direction in a height-wise direction and extending in a same direction, each receive one end of a corresponding one of the flat-tube groups; and a row-connecting header that receive other ends of the two flat-tube groups, and wherein one of the distribution headers that receives one end of a leeward one of the flat- tube groups has a refrigerant inlet provided such that a gas refrigerant in the cooling operation acts as a counterflow to an airflow in view of the teachings of Okazaki 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 an even distribution of refrigerant regardless of the degree of dryness and the flow rate and thereby improves the system.
Claim(s) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Satou et al. (US2020/0363107) and Okuda et al. (US2023/0117450) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Mori (JP2020085285A).
Regarding Claim 3, Satou, as modified, teaches the invention of claim 1 above and Satou teaches wherein the three outdoor heat exchangers each include flat-tube groups each being the flat-tube group, the flat-tube groups forming two respective rows that are side by side in an airflow direction [fig 6].
Satou does not teach four distribution headers that receive both ends of the flat-tube groups, wherein one of the distribution headers that receives one end of a leeward one of the flat- tube groups has a refrigerant inlet provided such that a gas refrigerant in the cooling operation acts as a counterflow to an airflow, and wherein another one of the distribution headers that receives an other end of the leeward flat-tube group and yet another one of the distribution headers that is located at a same position in a same direction in a height-wise direction and extending in a same direction as the another distribution header and that receives one end of a windward one of the flat-tube groups are connected to each other by an inter-row connection pipe.
However, Mori teaches a heat exchanger [fig. 7] where four distribution headers [2 4, 11a, 11b] that receive both ends of the flat-tube groups, wherein one of the distribution headers that receives one end of a leeward one of the flat- tube groups has a refrigerant inlet [13] provided such that a gas refrigerant in the cooling operation acts as a counterflow to an airflow [0067; fig 2], and
wherein another one of the distribution headers that receives an other end of the leeward flat-tube group and yet another one of the distribution headers that is located at a same position in a same direction in a height-wise direction and extending in a same direction as the another distribution header and that receives one end of a windward one of the flat-tube groups are connected to each other by an inter-row connection pipe [67; 0062; 0063; 0067; fig 7] 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 a system the improves heat exchange performance.
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 Satou to have teach four distribution headers that receive both ends of the flat-tube groups, wherein one of the distribution headers that receives one end of a leeward one of the flat- tube groups has a refrigerant inlet provided such that a gas refrigerant in the cooling operation acts as a counterflow to an airflow, and wherein another one of the distribution headers that receives an other end of the leeward flat-tube group and yet another one of the distribution headers that is located at a same position in a same direction in a height-wise direction and extending in a same direction as the another distribution header and that receives one end of a windward one of the flat-tube groups are connected to each other by an inter-row connection pipe in view of the teachings of Mori 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 a system the improves heat exchange performance.
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.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
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.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/LARRY L FURDGE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3763