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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
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.
Claims 1 – 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hornik et al. (US 9,995,422) in view of Finis et al. (DE 102 16 175).
With respect to claims 1 and 5, Hornik et al. teach silencer (Fig.1, Item 10) to be connected to piping of an air conditioner (Col.3, Lines 17 – 18) for a vehicle comprising an insertion-side component (Fig.1, upper Item 3) having a cylindrical shape, an insertion portion on one end portion in an axial direction of a barrel portion, and a pipe portion (Fig.1, upper Item 2) with a smaller diameter than the barrel portion connected to the other end portion in the axial direction via an expanded pipe portion expanded in diameter toward the barrel portion and a receiving-side component (Fig.1, bottom Item 3) having a cylindrical shape, a receiving portion into which the insertion portion is inserted on the other end portion in an axial direction of the barrel portion, and a pipe portion (Fig.1, bottom Item 2) with a smaller diameter than the barrel portion connected to one end portion in the axial direction via an expanded pipe portion expanded in diameter toward the barrel portion.
However, Hornik et al. fail to disclose a method of manufacturing a resin silencer, the method comprising forming, via resin injection molding, an insertion-side component comprising an annular circumferential rib disposed protruding from an outer circumferential surface of a barrel portion having a cylindrical shape, and a receiving-side component comprising an annular circumferential rib disposed protruding from an outer circumferential surface of a barrel portion having a cylindrical shape; the receiving portion comprising an annular groove into which the cylindrical insertion portion is inserted and a cylindrical flow stopping wall portion connected to an outer circumferential side of the annular groove with a gap, joining the barrel portion of the insertion-side component and the barrel portion of the receiving-side component to make an integrally formed cylindrical portion by causing a leading edge surface of the insertion portion inserted into the annular groove to be brought into contact with and pressed against a bottom surface of the annular groove, bringing an outer circumferential surface of the insertion portion into contact with an outer circumferential wall of the annular groove, putting an inner circumferential surface of the insertion portion and an inner circumferential wall of the annular in a non-contact state with a gap therebetween, and rotating the insertion-side component and the receiving-side component relatively about an axial center to spin weld a contact portion between the insertion portion and the annular groove.
On the other hand, Finis et al. teach a method of manufacturing a resin silencer (Figs.1 and 2; Specification under “Description” ¶ [0010]), the method comprising forming, via resin injection molding (Specification under “Description” ¶ [0011]), an insertion-side component (Figs.1 and 2, Item 2) comprising an annular circumferential rib (Fig.1, Items 21) disposed protruding from an outer circumferential surface of a barrel portion having a cylindrical shape, and a receiving-side component (Figs.1 and 2, Item 4) comprising an annular circumferential rib disposed protruding from an outer circumferential surface of a barrel portion having a cylindrical shape; the receiving portion (Fig.7b) comprising an annular groove (Fig.7b, Items 27) into which the cylindrical insertion portion (Fig.7a) is inserted and a cylindrical flow stopping wall portion (Fig.7b, about Item 16) connected to an outer circumferential side of the annular groove with a gap (Figs.7a and 7b), joining the barrel portion of the insertion-side component and the barrel portion of the receiving-side component to make an integrally formed cylindrical portion by causing a leading edge surface of the insertion portion inserted into the annular groove to be brought into contact with and pressed against a bottom surface of the annular groove (Fig.7c), bringing an outer circumferential surface of the insertion portion into contact with an outer circumferential wall of the annular groove (Fig.7c), putting an inner circumferential surface of the insertion portion and an inner circumferential wall of the annular in a non-contact state with a gap therebetween (Figs.7b and 7c, Items 14 and 16), and rotating the insertion-side component and the receiving-side component relatively about an axial center to spin weld a contact portion between the insertion portion and the annular groove (Specification under “Description” ¶ [0007]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to employ the Finis et al. method of manufacturing to fabricate the Hornik et al. silencer because it would provide a lightweight plastic silencer that could be easily manufactured and would handle the physical and acoustical constraints of the system as necessitated by the specific requirements of the particular application.
With respect to claim 2, Finis et al. teach disposing an axial rib (Fig.1, Items 21) extending in the axial direction protruding from an outer circumferential surface of the insertion-side component via the resin injection molding (Specification under “Description” ¶ [0011]); and disposing an axial rib (Fig.1, Items 21) extending in the axial direction protruding from an outer circumferential surface of the receiving-side component via the resin injection molding (Specification under “Description” ¶ [0011]).
With respect to claims 3 and 6, The Examiner takes official notice that it is well-known in the art to dispose an annular circumferential rib protruding from an inner circumferential surface of a barrel portion because it would provide reflective surfaces that would enhance the sound dampening characteristic of the silencer, as disclosed by Pavillon (US 2,096,260).
With respect to claims 4 and 7, The Examiner considers that it would have been an obvious matter of design choice to dispose the circumferential rib disposed protruding from the outer circumferential surface of the barrel portion of the insertion-side component and the circumferential rib disposed projecting from the inner circumferential surface offset in the axial direction; and disposing the circumferential rib disposed protruding from the outer circumferential surface of the barrel portion of the receiving-side component and the circumferential rib disposed protruding from the inner circumferential surface offset in the axial direction because it would help improve the stiffness of the silencer walls by placing one of the inner or outer ribs in a “weak” surface of the other side of the wall.
Conclusion
The attached hereto PTO Form 892 lists prior art made of record that the Examiner considered it pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to EDGARDO SAN MARTIN whose telephone number is (571)272-2074. The examiner can normally be reached on 9:00 - 5:00 M - F.
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/Edgardo San Martin/
Edgardo San Martín
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2837
August 8, 2026
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