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
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS’s) submitted on 09/24/2024 and 09/22/2025 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements have been considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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) 21-24, 28,29 and 39 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a1) as being anticipated by Wang (CN 211981613).
Regarding claim 21, Wang teaches:
A motor mounting structure (abstract) comprising:
a motor (1, abstract);
a first support member (see annotated Fig 2 below) disposed at the motor (1); and
a second support member (4) disposed at the motor (1) and different from the first support member.
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Regarding claim 22/21, Wang teaches wherein the motor includes: a motor body (by numeral 1) having an end surface (by numerals 1, 7, Fig 2) and a circumferential surface (by 3,7,9), the first support member being disposed at the end surface (see annotated Fig 2 above), and the second support member (4) being disposed at the circumferential surface; and a rotation shaft extending beyond the end surface and surrounded by the circumferential surface (see annotated Fig 2 above).
Regarding claim 23/22, Wang teaches wherein the rotation shaft is surrounded by the first support member (see annotated Fig 2 above).
Regarding claim 24/23, Wang teaches wherein the motor body includes a cover (by numeral 1, Fig 2) having the end surface, the cover and the first support member being integrally formed (paras 23, 39).
Regarding claim 28/22, Wang teaches wherein the second support member (4) is one of two second support members (Fig 2) each disposed at one of two sides of the rotation shaft.
Regarding claim 29/22, Wang teaches wherein the second support member extends in an axial direction of the motor body (Fig 2 shows 4 having an axial width).
Regarding claim 39, Wang teaches:
An air conditioner indoor unit (pre-amble, patentable weight not given) comprising:
a motor mounting structure (Fig 2) including:
a motor (1);
a first support member (see annotated Fig 2 above) disposed at the motor; and
a second support member (4) disposed at the motor (1) and different from the first support member.
Claim(s) 40 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a1) as being anticipated by Okada et al. (US 20150188383).
Regarding claim 40, Okada et al. disclose:
An air conditioner (paras 5-6) comprising:
an air conditioner indoor unit (paras 5-6) including
a motor mounting structure (200, Fig 3), the motor mounting structure including:
a motor (2);
a first support member (210) disposed at the motor; and
a second support member (220) disposed at the motor (2) and different from the first support member (210).
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.
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) 25-27 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang (CN 211981613) in view of Okada et al. (US 20150188383).
Regarding claim 25/23, Wang teaches the invention as discussed above, except
further comprising: a resilient member mounted at and arranged around the first support member; and a fastening ring mounted at the first support member and fixed around the resilient member.
Okada et al. teaches an apparatus further comprising: a resilient member (4, Fig 1) mounted at and arranged around the first support member (7); and a fastening ring (3) mounted at the first support member (7) and fixed around the resilient member (4).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the rat before the effective filing of the invention to modify Wang et al. to further comprising: a resilient member mounted at and arranged around the first support member; and a fastening ring mounted at the first support member and fixed around the resilient member, as Okada et al. teaches.
The motivation to do so is it would provide a motor that can prevent the rotation of a damping member relative to a motor body (para 9 of Okada et al.).
Regarding claim 26/25, Wang teaches the invention as discussed above, except
wherein one of the first support member and the resilient member is provided with a protrusion, and another one of the first support member and the resilient member has a recess, the protrusion being inserted in the recess to prevent the resilient member from rotating relative to the first support member.
Okada et al. teaches an apparatus wherein one of the first support member (7) and the resilient member is provided with a protrusion (Fig 4), and another one of the first support member and the resilient member (5, Fig 6) has a recess, the protrusion being inserted in the recess (by 231) to prevent the resilient member (5) from rotating relative to the first support member (7).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the rat before the effective filing of the invention to modify Wang et al. wherein one of the first support member and the resilient member is provided with a protrusion, and another one of the first support member and the resilient member has a recess, the protrusion being inserted in the recess to prevent the resilient member from rotating relative to the first support member, as Okada et al. teaches.
The motivation to do so is it would provide a motor that can prevent the rotation of a damping member relative to a motor body (para 9 of Okada et al.).
Regarding claim 27/25, Wang teaches the invention as discussed above, except
further comprising: a fixation plate abutting against the resilient member; and a fastener penetrating the fixation plate and connected to the first support member.
However, Wang et al. in another embodiment (Fig 3, para 32) teaches further comprising: a fixation plate (3) abutting against the resilient member; and a fastener penetrating the fixation plate and connected to the first support member
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the rat before the effective filing of the invention to modify Wang et al. further comprising: a fixation plate abutting against the resilient member; and a fastener penetrating the fixation plate and connected to the first support member, as Wang et al. further teaches in another embodiment.
The motivation to do so is it would provide a detachable configuration (para 11 of Wang et al.).
Claim(s) 30 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang (CN 211981613).
Regarding claim 30/22, Wang teaches the invention as discussed above, except wherein: the second support member has a clamp slot configured to be connected to a support leg via a fastener; and the fastener includes: a bolt including: a head engaged in the clamp slot; and a rod extending out of the clamp slot and configured to penetrate the support leg; and a nut screwed to the rod and configured to fasten the support leg.
However, Wang et al. in another embodiment (Fig 3, para 32) teaches wherein: the second support member (4) has a clamp slot (by 8,10,11) configured to be connected to a support leg (by 9,10) via a fastener (5,6); and the fastener includes: a bolt (5) including: a head engaged in the clamp slot; and a rod extending out of the clamp slot and configured to penetrate the support leg; and a nut (6) screwed to the rod and configured to fasten the support leg.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the rat before the effective filing of the invention to modify Wang et al. wherein: the second support member has a clamp slot configured to be connected to a support leg via a fastener; and the fastener includes: a bolt including: a head engaged in the clamp slot; and a rod extending out of the clamp slot and configured to penetrate the support leg; and a nut screwed to the rod and configured to fasten the support leg, as Wang et al. further teaches in another embodiment.
The motivation to do so is it would provide a detachable configuration (para 11 of Wang et al.).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 31-38 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: In claim 31/21 inter alia, the specific limitations of “…The motor mounting structure according to claim 21, wherein the second support member (4) is connected to a support leg (by 5,6); the motor mounting structure further comprising: a support (3), the support leg (by 5,6) being connected to the support (3) and having a first side and a second side facing away from the first side (radially inner and outer sides of 3); a lower damping cushion disposed between the support and the first side; an upper damping cushion disposed at the second side; and a fastener configured to clamp the support, the lower damping cushion, the support leg, and the upper damping cushion.”, in the combination as claimed are neither anticipated nor made obvious over the prior art made of record.
Claims 32-38 are also allowable for depending on claim 31.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Please see PTO-892 for details.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NAISHADH N DESAI whose telephone number is (571)270-3038. The examiner can normally be reached 9-5.
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NAISHADH N. DESAI
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2834
/NAISHADH N DESAI/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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