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 § 102
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 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 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(A)(1) as being anticipated by US 2006/0182646 to Sato.
Regarding claim 1, Sato discloses a rotary compressor comprising:
a sealed container (12, figs. 1-3; [21]) having a central axis extending in an up-down direction;
an electric motor unit (14, figs. 1-3; [22]) provided within the sealed container;
a crankshaft (16, figs. 1-3; [22]), having a low-pressure side eccentric portion (44, figs. 1-3; [22]) and a high-pressure side eccentric portion (42, figs. 1-3; [22]), configured to be rotationally driven around the central axis by the electric motor unit, the low-pressure side eccentric portion being eccentric from the central axis of the sealed container by a first eccentric length ([22]-[26]), the high-pressure side eccentric portion being provided below the low-pressure side eccentric portion and being eccentric from the central axis by a second eccentric length ([22]-[26]); and
a compression mechanism (18, figs. 1-3; [22]) unit having a low-pressure side cylinder (40, figs. 1-3; [21], [22]), a high-pressure side cylinder (38, figs. 1-3; [21]-[22]), and a partition plate (36, figs. 1-3; [22]) provided between the low-pressure side cylinder and the high-pressure side cylinder, the low-pressure side cylinder having a low-pressure side compression chamber that compresses introduced gaseous refrigerant and discharges the compressed refrigerant gas by power of the low-pressure side eccentric portion ([22]-[26]), the high-pressure side cylinder having a high-pressure side compression chamber that compresses the refrigerant discharged from the low-pressure side compression chamber by power of the high-pressure side eccentric portion ([22]-[26]),
wherein a height of the low-pressure side compression chamber is a same as a height of the high-pressure side compression chamber ([36]), and an inner diameter dimension of the low-pressure side compression chamber is larger than an inner diameter dimension of the high-pressure side compression chamber ([36]).
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 2-4, 9-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sato as applied to claim1 above, and further in view of US 2004/0071576 to Matsumoto et al. (Matsumoto).
Regarding claim 2, Sato discloses the rotary compressor according to claim 1, but does not explicitly disclose which Matsumoto discloses:
the first eccentric length is larger than the second eccentric length ([10], [121]-[125]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to the one with ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have the first eccentric length larger than the second eccentric length as taught by Matsumoto with the device of Sato so as to prevent unstable movements such as breakaway of the vane in the internal medium-pressure, multi-stage compression type rotary compressor using combustible refrigerant.
Regarding claims 3 and 9, Sato discloses the rotary compressor according to claim 1 and 2, respectively, wherein a compression start angle of the high-pressure side compression chamber is larger than a compression start angle of the low-pressure side compression chamber ([10], [121]-[125]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to the one with ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have the first eccentric length larger than the second eccentric length as taught by Matsumoto with the device of Sato so as to prevent unstable movements such as breakaway of the vane in the internal medium-pressure, multi-stage compression type rotary compressor using combustible refrigerant ([10], [121]-[125]).
Regarding claims 4, 10, 11, Sato discloses the rotary compressor according to any one of claims 1 to 3, respectively, wherein the high-pressure side cylinder has a groove, the groove being provided on a wall surface defining the high-pressure side compression chamber, the groove being connected to a suction portion of the high-pressure side compression chamber ([10], [121]-[125]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to the one with ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have the first eccentric length larger than the second eccentric length as taught by Matsumoto with the device of Sato so as to prevent unstable movements such as breakaway of the vane in the internal medium-pressure, multi-stage compression type rotary compressor using combustible refrigerant.
Claim(s) 5-8, 19-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sato as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of WO 2021/033283 to Toshiba Carrier Corp. (Toshiba) (Machine translation has been used for translational purposes).
Regarding claim 5, Sato discloses the rotary compressor according to any one of claims 1, but does not explicitly disclose which Toshiba discloses:
the partition plate (39, fig. 1) and the high-pressure side cylinder (38a, fig. 1) have a medium-pressure flow path (39c, 7, fig. 1), and the medium-pressure flow path connects a discharge portion of the low-pressure side compression chamber and a suction portion of the high-pressure side compression chamber (fig. 1; [50]-[52]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to the one with ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have the partition plate and the high-pressure side cylinder have a medium-pressure flow path, and the medium-pressure flow path connects a discharge portion of the low-pressure side compression chamber and a suction portion of the high-pressure side compression chamber as taught by Toshiba with the device of Sato so that the discharge pulsation of the gas refrigerant from the low-stage compression mechanism unit 37 and the suction pulsation of the gas refrigerant into the high-stage compression mechanism unit 38 are suppressed (Toshiba).
Regarding claim 6. The rotary compressor according to claim 5, wherein the partition plate has a first partition plate half body (39a, fig. 1; Toshiba) and a second partition plate half body (39b, fig. 1; Toshiba) stacked below the first partition plate half body, and part of the medium-pressure flow path is provided on a mating surface of the first partition plate half body and the second partition plate half body (fig. 1; Toshiba), and the second partition plate half body has a larger thickness than the first partition plate half body (fig. 1; Toshiba), the second partition plate half body having a lower part of the part of the medium-pressure flow path, the first partition plate half body having an upper part of the part of the medium-pressure flow path (fig. 1; Toshiba).
Regarding claim 7, Sato discloses the rotary compressor according to claim 5, further comprising an intermediate pipe (7, fig. 1; Toshiba) provided outside the sealed container, wherein the medium-pressure flow path is connected to a suction portion of the high-pressure side compression chamber via the intermediate pipe (fig. 1; Toshiba).
Regarding claims 8, 19, 20, Sato discloses a refrigeration cycle apparatus comprising: a rotary compressor according to claims 1, 5-6, respectively (see rejection of claims 1, 5-6 above); but does not explicitly disclose which Toshiba discloses:
a heat radiator (3, fig. 1);
an expansion device (4, fig. 1);
a heat absorber (5, fig. 1); and
a refrigerant pipe (13, fig. 1) that connects the rotary compressor, the heat radiator, the expansion device, and the heat absorber, to allow the refrigerant to circulate ([50]-[52]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to the one with ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have a heat radiator; an expansion device; a heat absorber; and a refrigerant pipe that connects the rotary compressor, the heat radiator, the expansion device, and the heat absorber, to allow the refrigerant to circulate as taught by Toshiba with the device of Sato so that the discharge pulsation of the gas refrigerant from the low-stage compression mechanism unit 37 and the suction pulsation of the gas refrigerant into the high-stage compression mechanism unit 38 are suppressed (Toshiba).
Claim(s) 12-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sato combined with Matsumoto as applied to claims 2-4 above, respectively, and further in view of Toshiba.
Regarding claims 12-14, Sato combined with Matsumoto discloses the rotary compressor according to any one of claims 2-4, respectively, but does not explicitly disclose which Toshiba discloses:
the partition plate (39, fig. 1) and the high-pressure side cylinder (38a, fig. 1) have a medium-pressure flow path (39c, 7, fig. 1), and the medium-pressure flow path connects a discharge portion of the low-pressure side compression chamber and a suction portion of the high-pressure side compression chamber (fig. 1; [50]-[52]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to the one with ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have the partition plate and the high-pressure side cylinder have a medium-pressure flow path, and the medium-pressure flow path connects a discharge portion of the low-pressure side compression chamber and a suction portion of the high-pressure side compression chamber as taught by Toshiba with the device of Sato so that the discharge pulsation of the gas refrigerant from the low-stage compression mechanism unit 37 and the suction pulsation of the gas refrigerant into the high-stage compression mechanism unit 38 are suppressed (Toshiba).
Regarding claim 15, Sato combined with Matsumoto discloses the rotary compressor according to claim 7, further comprising an intermediate pipe (7, fig. 1; Toshiba) provided outside the sealed container, wherein the medium-pressure flow path is connected to a suction portion of the high-pressure side compression chamber via the intermediate pipe (fig. 1; Toshiba).
Regarding claims 16-18, Sato discloses a refrigeration cycle apparatus comprising: a rotary compressor according to claims 2-4, respectively (see rejection of claims 2-4 above); but does not explicitly disclose which Toshiba discloses:
a heat radiator (3, fig. 1);
an expansion device (4, fig. 1);
a heat absorber (5, fig. 1); and
a refrigerant pipe (13, fig. 1) that connects the rotary compressor, the heat radiator, the expansion device, and the heat absorber, to allow the refrigerant to circulate ([50]-[52]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to the one with ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have a heat radiator; an expansion device; a heat absorber; and a refrigerant pipe that connects the rotary compressor, the heat radiator, the expansion device, and the heat absorber, to allow the refrigerant to circulate as taught by Toshiba with the device of Sato so that the discharge pulsation of the gas refrigerant from the low-stage compression mechanism unit 37 and the suction pulsation of the gas refrigerant into the high-stage compression mechanism unit 38 are suppressed (Toshiba).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 11,408,425 to Hoshino et al.
US 10,495,091 to Ueda et al.
US 9,951,775 to Katayama et al.
US 2017/0051739 to Morishita
US 2013/0171017 to Park et al.
US 2009/0035166 to Newland
All references above describe general state of art.
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/DAPINDER SINGH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3746