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) 1-3, 5, and 7-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kobayashi et al. (US 2013/0336819).
In Reference to Claim 1
(See Kobayashi, Figures 2-5 and Figure 1 as annotated by Examiner below)
Kobayashi et al. (Koba) discloses:
A blower, comprising:
a motor (3) including a motor shaft (9) (See Koba, Paragraphs [0028] & [0030]);
a centrifugal fan (2) connected to the motor shaft (9) and rotated about an axis (C) of the motor shaft (9) by output of the motor (3) (See Koba, Paragraphs [0028] & [0030]); and
a motor casing (8) including a cylindrical part (6) covering the motor (3) from a side opposite to the centrifugal fan (2) in a direction of the axis (C) (See Koba, Paragraphs [0028]-[0030]), wherein
the motor casing (8) includes;
outside of an outside surface of the cylindrical part (6), a flanged rib (A and/or B) extending outward in a radial direction of the axis (C) and
outside of the outside surface of the cylindrical part (6), an outer circumferential rib (20) that is annularly shaped when viewed from the direction of the axis (C) and extends in the direction of the axis (C), and the outer circumferential rib (20) includes a slit (22a-b) penetrating the outer circumferential rib (20) in the radial direction. (See Koba, Paragraphs [0031]-[0032]).
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In Reference to Claim 2
(See Kobayashi, Figures 2-5 and Figure 1 as annotated by Examiner above)
Koba discloses:
wherein the flanged rib (A) extends in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the axis (C).
In Reference to Claim 3
(See Kobayashi, Figures 2-5 and Figure 1 as annotated by Examiner above)
Koba discloses:
wherein the flanged rib (A) is annularly shaped when viewed from the direction of the axis (C).
In Reference to Claim 5
(See Kobayashi, Figures 2-5 and Figure 1 as annotated by Examiner above)
Koba discloses:
wherein the flanged rib (A) is provided on the outer circumferential rib (20) on an outermost side in the radial direction.
In Reference to Claim 7
(See Kobayashi, Figures 2-5 and Figure 1 as annotated by Examiner above)
Koba discloses:
wherein the flanged ribs (A) comprises a plurality of flanged ribs (A and B).
In Reference to Claim 8
(See Kobayashi, Figures 2-5 and Figure 1 as annotated by Examiner above)
Koba discloses:
further comprising a scroll casing (5) including the centrifugal fan incorporated, a suction port opening on a side opposite to the motor (3) across the centrifugal fan in the direction of the axis (C), and a discharge port (4) opening in a direction intersecting the direction of the axis (C). (See Koba, Paragraph [0028]).
In Reference to Claim 9
(See Kobayashi, Figures 2-5 and Figure 1 as annotated by Examiner above)
Koba discloses:
wherein the flanged rib (A) is provided at a position corresponding to a nose part (11) of the scroll casing (5).
In Reference to Claim 10
(See Kobayashi, Figures 2-5 and Figure 1 as annotated by Examiner above)
Koba discloses:
wherein the motor casing further includes,
a flange (7) which is provided over the entire circumference of the outside surface of the cylindrical part (6) and extends outward in the radial direction from the outside surface of the cylindrical part (6) and
a slope (See Koba, Fig. 5) which is provided between the cylindrical part (6) and the outer circumferential rib (20) and is formed to extend in the circumferential direction,
the outer circumferential rib (20) extends in the direction of the axis (C) from the flange (7), and
the slope is formed so as to approach the flange (7) in the direction of the axis (C) as approaching the slit (22a-b) in a circumferential direction of the axis (C).
The Examiner notes that in the interpretation of claim 10, the flanged rib is (B) as annotated by Examiner in claim 1 above.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-3, 5, 7-10 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MATTHEW THOMAS LARGI whose telephone number is (571)270-3512. The examiner can normally be reached 8:00 - 4:00 M-F.
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, Essama Omgba can be reached at (469) 295-9278. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MATTHEW T LARGI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3746
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