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
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 12-15, 17-18 and 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a2 as being anticipated by unpatentable over U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2023/0280048, hereafter referred to as ‘Gray ‘048.’ Regarding claim 12, Gray ‘048 teaches a window air conditioner (figures 1-17) comprising: an indoor unit component 200 including an indoor unit body (figures 1-5 and 11-13); and an outdoor unit component 300 including an outdoor unit body (figures 1-5 and 11-13) spaced apart from the indoor unit body in a longitudinal direction (figures 1-5 and 11-13); wherein the indoor unit component 200 is rotatably (via hinges 370, para. #’s 30 and 38-42) connected to the outdoor unit component 300, to enable the outdoor unit component and the indoor unit component to rotate relative to each other about a rotation axis extending in a transverse direction (para. #’s 30 and 37-42).
Regarding claim 13, Gray ‘048 teaches the window air conditioner according to claim 12 and further teaches wherein the outdoor unit body 300 is reciprocally rotatable about the rotation axis between: a first state, in which a back plate (see back plate 325 in figures 3, 5 and 13) of the outdoor unit body is vertically arranged (see first state where outdoor body unit 300 is vertically arranged in figures 2, 4 and 11-12), and the rotation axis is located at a position at which a top portion of the back plate of the outdoor unit body is located; and a second state, in which the back plate 325 of the outdoor unit body is transversely arranged (see second state where back plate is transversely arranged in figures 1, 3, 5 and 13).
Regarding claim 14, Gray ‘048 teaches the window air conditioner according to claim 13 and further teaches wherein: the indoor unit component 200 further includes a connection support 400 configured to pass through a window opening (figures 11 and 13), the connection support 400 including an outer end 413 extending to be pivotally connected to an upper inner end of the outdoor unit body 130 (figures 3-5 and 13), to enable the rotation axis to be located at an intersection between the back plate 325 and a top plate (as broadly claimed the term ‘top’ can be any side of the outdoor unit body 300 depending the body’s orientation, so the top plate is the plate where detail 320 points to in figure 5) of the outdoor unit body 300; and the back plate 325 of the outdoor unit body 300 is flush with a bottom plate of the connection support 400 when the outdoor unit body 300 is in the second state (see figures 1, 3, 5 and 13).
Regarding claim 15, Gray ‘048 teaches the window air conditioner according to claim 13 and further teaches wherein the back plate 325 of the outdoor unit body includes a guide structure 413 configured to be engaged with a guide rail 416 at a mounting support (figures 3-6) mounted at the window opening (figures 1 and 11-13) to allow a drawable guiding of the outdoor unit body 300 in an inward-outward direction in the second state (see para. #’s 29 and 38).
Regarding claim 17, Gray ‘048 teaches the window air conditioner according to claim 13 and further teaches a limit structure 375 configured to prevent the outdoor unit body 300 from further rotating in a current rotation direction in response to the outdoor unit body rotating into the second state in a process of rotating relative to the indoor unit component 200 (para. #’s 30, 38 and 40-42).
Regarding claim 18, Gray ‘048 teaches the window air conditioner according to claim 13 and further teaches a limit structure 375 configured to prevent, in response to the outdoor unit body 300 rotating into the second state in a process of rotating relative to the indoor unit component 200, the outdoor unit body 300 from rotating reversely in a direction along which the outdoor unit body returns to the first state (para. #’s 30, 38 and 40-42).
Regarding claim 21, Gray ‘048 teaches the window air conditioner according to claim 12 and further teaches wherein the indoor unit component 200 is pivotally (via pivot hinge 370) connected to the outdoor unit component 300 (para. #’s 30 and 38-42).
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.
Claims 12-15, 17-18 and 21-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by unpatentable over U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2021/0078118, hereafter referred to as ‘Li ‘118.’ Regarding claim 12, Li ‘118 teaches a window air conditioner (figures 1-17) comprising: an indoor unit component 110 including an indoor unit body (figures 1-2, 12-15 and 17); and an outdoor unit component 130 including an outdoor unit body (figures 1 and 10-17) spaced apart from the indoor unit body in a longitudinal direction (figures 1, 12-15 and 17); wherein the indoor unit component 110 is rotatably (via pivot arm 350, para. #’s 127-128, figures 16-17) connected to the outdoor unit component 130, to enable the outdoor unit component and the indoor unit component to rotate relative to each other about a rotation axis extending in a transverse direction (para. #’s 127-128, figures 16-17).
Regarding claim 13, Li ‘118 teaches the window air conditioner according to claim 12 and further teaches wherein the outdoor unit body 130 is reciprocally rotatable about the rotation axis between: a first state, in which a back plate (see back plate 131 in figures 16-17) of the outdoor unit body 130 is vertically arranged (see first state where outdoor body unit 130 is vertically arranged in figure 17, para. #’s 127-128), and the rotation axis is located at a position at which a top portion of the back plate 131 of the outdoor unit body is located (figures 16-17); and a second state, in which the back plate 131 of the outdoor unit body 130 is transversely arranged (see second state where back plate is transversely arranged in figure 16).
Regarding claim 14, Li ‘118 teaches the window air conditioner according to claim 13 and further teaches wherein: the indoor unit component 110 further includes a connection support 150 configured to pass through a window opening (figures 11-15), the connection support 150 including an outer end (figures 16-17) extending to be pivotally connected to an upper inner end of the outdoor unit body 130 (figures 16-17, para. #’s 127-128), to enable the rotation axis to be located at an intersection between the back plate 131 and a top plate 134 (as broadly claimed the term ‘top’ can be any side of the outdoor unit body 130 depending the body’s orientation, see top plate 134 in figures 16-17) of the outdoor unit body 130; and the back plate 131 of the outdoor unit body 130 is flush with a bottom plate of the connection support 1500 when the outdoor unit body 130 is in the second state (see figures 1 and 14-15).
Regarding claim 15, Li ‘118 teaches the window air conditioner according to claim 13 and further teaches wherein the back plate 131 of the outdoor unit body 130 includes a guide structure 720 configured to be engaged with a guide rail at a mounting support (para. #’s 88, 97 and 125-128, figures 10-15) mounted at the window opening (figures 1 and 14-15) to allow a drawable guiding of the outdoor unit body 130 in an inward-outward direction in the second state (para. #’s 88, 97 and 125-128, figures 1 and 14-16).
Regarding claim 17, Li ‘118 teaches the window air conditioner according to claim 13 and further teaches a limit structure (see limit structure which includes stops and locks used to prevent rotating in para. #’s 88-89 and 97-98) configured to prevent the outdoor unit body 130 from further rotating in a current rotation direction in response to the outdoor unit body 130 rotating into the second state in a process of rotating relative to the indoor unit component 110 (para. #’s 88-89 and 97-98).
Regarding claim 18, Li ‘118 teaches the window air conditioner according to claim 13 and further teaches a limit structure (see limit structure which includes stops and locks used to prevent rotating in para. #’s 88-89 and 97-98) configured to prevent, in response to the outdoor unit body 130 rotating into the second state in a process of rotating relative to the indoor unit component 110, the outdoor unit body 130 from rotating reversely in a direction along which the outdoor unit body returns to the first state (para. #’s 88-89 and 97-98).
Regarding claim 21, Li ‘118 teaches the window air conditioner according to claim 12 and further teaches wherein the indoor unit component 110 is pivotally (via pivot bar 350) connected to the outdoor unit component (para. 127-128).
Regarding claim 22, Li ‘118 teaches the window air conditioner according to claim 12 and further teaches wherein the outdoor unit body has a grip groove (116, 136, 137) located on at least one of a transverse side plate, a top plate, or a back plate of the outdoor unit body 130 (figures 1, 7 and 10-17).
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.
Claim 22 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gray ‘048 over Li ‘118. Regarding claim 22, Gray ‘048 teaches the window air conditioner according to claim 12. However, Gray ‘048 fails to explicitly teach that the outdoor unit body has a grip groove located on at least one of a transverse side plate, a top plate, or a back plate of the outdoor unit body.
Li ‘118 teaches a window air conditioner wherein the outdoor unit body has a grip groove (116, 136, 137) located on at least one of a transverse side plate, a top plate, or a back plate of the outdoor unit body 130 (figures 1, 7 and 10-17).
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of applicant’s claimed invention to modify the outdoor unit body of Gray ‘048 to include a grip groove located on at least one of a transverse side plate, a top plate, or a back plate of the outdoor unit body as taught by Li ‘118 in order to more easily hold the outdoor unit body during installation.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 16 and 19-20 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Dubin ‘025 discloses a window air conditioner (figures 1-12) comprising an outdoor unit 21 rotatable (figures 6-7) with an indoor unit 21 which is similar to applicant’s invention.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THOMAS M SEMBER whose telephone number is (571)272-2381. The examiner can normally be reached flexing generally from 7 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. M-F.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, ABDULMAJEED Aziz can be reached at 571-270-5046. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/THOMAS M SEMBER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875
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