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) 1-8, 10-14, and 16-21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kamoda (WO 2013035236 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Kamoda discloses a louver arrangement for a portable air treatment unit (shown in figure 2), the louver arrangement comprising a first louver portion (18) having an outer periphery, a second louver portion (20) moveably connected to the first louver portion (shown in figure 8), and a drive arrangement (40) connected to the first louver portion (18), wherein the drive arrangement (40) is configured to displace the second louver portion (20) from a first position to a second position in relation to the first louver portion, wherein in the first position, the second louver portion is arranged within the outer periphery of the first louver portion (shown in figures 1, 8 and 9), and wherein in the second position, at least a portion of the second louver portion extends beyond the outer periphery of the first louver portion (shown in figure 8-9).
Regarding claim 2, Kamoda discloses the louver arrangement according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the first louver portion (18) extends in a first plane (plane of 18) and at least a portion of the second louver portion (20) extends in a second plane (plane of 20), and wherein in the second position, the second plane extends at an angle to the first plane (shown in figures 7-9).
Regarding claim 3, Kamoda discloses the louver arrangement according to claim 2, wherein in the first position of the second louver portion (20), the second plane (plane of 20) is arranged substantially in parallel with the first plane (plane of 18, shown in figure 8).
Regarding claim 4, Kamoda discloses the louver arrangement (20) according to claim 1, wherein the drive arrangement (40) defines a displacement path for the second louver portion (20), and wherein the second louver portion (20) is displaceable from the first position along the displacement path to the second position (shown in figures 7-9).
Regarding claim 5, Kamoda discloses the louver arrangement (20) according to claim 4, wherein the drive arrangement (40) comprises at least a first track forming member (18a) connected to the first louver portion (18), wherein the first track forming member (18a) forms a first guide track (track of 18a), wherein the second louver portion (20) comprises at least a first track follower (36b) configured to follow the first guide track (guide path of 18a), and wherein when the drive arrangement (40) displaces the second louver portion (20) from the first position to the second position, the first guide track (guide path of 18a) and the first track follower (36b) cause the second louver portion (20) to follow the displacement path (shown in figure 3).
Regarding claim 6, Kamoda discloses the louver arrangement according to claim 5, wherein the first guide track (movement path of 18a) comprises a straight first portion (shown in figure below) and a second portion (shown in figure below) angled or curved in relation to the first portion, and wherein the first track follower (36b) is positioned in the second portion when the second louver portion (20) is in the second position.
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Regarding claim 7, Kamoda discloses the louver arrangement according to claim 5, comprising a second track forming member (20a) connected to the first louver portion (18), wherein the second track forming member (20a) forms a second guide track (track path of 20a), wherein the second louver portion (20) comprises at a second track follower (36a) configured to follow the second guide track (track path of 20a), wherein the second louver portion (20) has a longitudinal extension extending between a first lateral side and a second lateral side of the second louver portion (20), and wherein the first track forming member (18a) is arranged adjacent to the first lateral side (side of 18a) and the second track forming member (20a) is arranged adjacent to the second lateral side (lateral side of 20a).
Regarding claim 8, Kamoda discloses the louver arrangement (20) according to claim 7, wherein the second lateral side of the second louver portion (20) is arranged adjacent to the second track forming member (20a) with a play (a play is inherent since the connection of 24 to 36a allow rotation through a play) between the second lateral side and the second track forming member (20a).
Regarding claim 10, Kamoda discloses the louver arrangement according to claim 7, wherein the first track follower (36b) extends from the first lateral side of the second louver portion (20) in parallel with the second plane, and wherein the second track follower (36a) extends from the second lateral side in parallel with the second plane (shown in figure 8).
Regarding claim 11, Kamoda discloses the louver arrangement according to claim 7, wherein the second louver portion (20) comprises a third track follower (follower that connects 20 to 36b) extending from the first lateral side of the second louver portion (20) in parallel with the second plane and in parallel with the first track follower (18a, shown in figure 7)
Regarding claim 12, Kamoda discloses the louver arrangement (20) according to claim 11, wherein the third track follower (follower that connects 20 and 36b together) is positioned in the first portion of the first guide track (18) or in the second portion of the first guide track when the second louver portion (20) is in the second position (shown in figure 8).
Regarding claim 13, Kamoda discloses the louver arrangement according to claim 5, wherein the second louver portion (20) is connected to the drive arrangement (40) via the first track follower (36b). Examiner notes that when the apparatus is fully assembles, every component is “connected” to each other. Must state directly connected.
Regarding claim 14, Kamoda discloses the louver arrangement according to claim 11, wherein the first and third track followers (18a, portion where 20 is connected to 36b) extend through the first track forming member (shown in figure 7), and wherein the first and third track followers are secured to the drive arrangement (40) by a mounting member (38), the mounting member (38) connecting to the first and third track followers on opposite sides of the first track forming member (18a).
Regarding claim 16, Kamoda discloses the louver arrangement according to claim 1, wherein drive arrangement (40) comprises a motor (38) and a linkage (36) interconnecting the motor (38) with the second louver portion (20, paragraph 39).
Regarding claim 17, Kamoda discloses the louver arrangement according to claim 1, wherein drive arrangement (40) comprises a motor (38) and a leadscrew (22) interconnecting the motor (38) with the second louver portion (20).
Regarding claim 18, Kamoda discloses the portable air treatment unit (2) comprising a housing (housing of 2), wherein an airflow path for air to be treated extends through the housing, wherein the airflow path (6) has an inlet (inherent) in the housing and an outlet (10) in the housing (housing of 2), and wherein the portable (inherently is portable) air treatment unit (2) comprises a louver arrangement according to claim 1 arranged at the outlet (10) of the airflow path (shown in figure 3).
Regarding claim 19, Kamoda discloses the portable air treatment unit (2) according to claim 18, wherein the outlet (10) of the airflow path is arranged at an upper portion of the housing (housing of 2) when the portable air treatment unit (2) is positioned on a horizontal surface in an ordinary operating position of the portable air treatment unit (2). Examiner notes that the air treatment unit can be oriented any way to be considered as being a upper portion of the housing under broadest reasonable interpretation (BRI).
Regarding claim 20, Kamoda discloses the portable air treatment unit (2) according to 19, wherein an opening face of the outlet (10) extends in an outlet plane (plane of 10), and wherein the outlet plane (plane of 10) extends at an angle (α) within a range of 0 - 45 degrees of a horizontal plane when the portable air conditioning unit (2) is positioned in the ordinary operating position (shown in figure 3).
Regarding claim 21, Kamoda discloses the portable air treatment unit (2) according to the preceding claim 20, wherein a longitudinal direction of the first louver portion (18) extends in parallel with the outlet plane (shown in figure 3 with the dashed line).
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.
Claim(s) 9 and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kamoda.
Regarding claim 9, Kamoda discloses the claimed invention except for the second lateral side and the second track forming member having a play within a range of 0.1 - 2 % of a length of the second louver portion. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of when the invention was made to have this range, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233.
Regarding claim 15, Kamoda discloses the louver arrangement according to claim 14, wherein the mounting member (38) is arranged in sliding abutment with the first track forming member (18a). Examiner notes that the sliding abutment configuration would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art. Figure 8 shows that 38 still slide and is abutment configuration with 18a.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Refer to PTO-892.
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/SYED O HASAN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3747 9/28/2026
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