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 .
1. This communication in response to application filed 12/12/2024
Information Disclosure Statement
2. The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the Examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
3. 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 and 3-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by LI ZHEN (CN # 113852891 (A)).
Regarding claim 1, LI ZHEN teaches a sound device (reads on a sound productions device containing a passive radiator, see [0001] and [0065]) comprising:
a housing having an internal space (the sound production device includes a housing/enclosure defining an internal space, see [0065] and Figs. 1-4);
a speaker mounted at the housing (a speaker is mounted to the housing of the sound producing device, see [0065]); and
a passive radiator spaced apart from the speaker and mounted at the housing (passive radiator 100 is mounted at the housing separately from the speaker, see [0065] and Figs. 1-4),
wherein the passive radiator comprises:
a diaphragm extending long, the diaphragm having a first end and a second end
opposite each other in a longitudinal direction of the diaphragm (reads on diaphragm 30 longitudinally elongated, its opposite ends correspond to opposing fixing portions 20, see [0034] and Figs. 1-4);
an edge extending along a perimeter of the diaphragm and coupled to the diaphragm and the housing (frame 10 and folding ring 50 collectively form the perimeter edge coupling diaphragm 30 to the housing, see [0034-0053] and Figs. 1-4);
an upper supporter adjacent to the first end and protruding from the diaphragm and the edge (second damping member/supporter 73 adjacent one longitudinal end protrudes from diaphragm 30 and the perimeter edge, see [0034] and Figs. 1-3); and
a lower supporter adjacent to the second end and protruding from the diaphragm and the edge (opposing second damping member/supporter 73 adjacent the other longitudinal end protrudes from diaphragm 30 and the perimeter edge, see [0034] and Figs. 1-3).
Regarding claim 3, LI ZHEN teaches wherein a horizontal axis passes through a center of the diaphragm and extends in a width direction of the diaphragm (this reads on the horizontal axis through the center of diaphragm 30 extends in the diaphragm’s width direction, see [0034-0035] and Figs. 1-3), wherein the upper supporter is symmetric to the lower supporter with respect to the horizontal axis (reads on the left upper supporter 73 and right lower supporter 73 are symmetrically disposed about the diaphragm’s central horizontal axis, see Figs. 1-3).
Regarding claim 4, LI ZHEN teaches wherein the upper supporter comprises a plurality of upper supporters disposed along a perimeter direction of the diaphragm (reads on four supporters 73 distributed along the perimeter of disphragm3. The left and two central supporters provide the claimed plurality of upper supporters, see [0034-0053] and Figs. 1-3).
Regarding claim 5, LI ZHEN teaches wherein a portion of each of the plurality of upper supporters is located on the diaphragm (note that portions of supporters 73 extend onto surface of diaphragm 30, see [0034-0053] and Figs. 1-3), and are spaced apart from each other (the respective supporters 73 are separated along the diaphragm perimeter, see Figs. 1-3).
Regarding claim 6, LI ZHEN teaches wherein a portion of each of the plurality of upper supporters is located on the diaphragm (portion supporters 73 are positioned on diaphragm 30, see [0034-0053] and Figs. 1-3), and are connected to each other at least two by two (reads on associated damping-member portions connect the supporters in paired arrangements, see [0034-0053] and Figs. 1-3).
Regarding claim 7, LI ZHEN teaches wherein the plurality of upper supporters comprise:
a first upper supporter located at a longitudinal axis of the diaphragm and disposed
parallel to the longitudinal axis (one supporter 73 is disposed centrally along and parallel to the longitudinal axis of diaphragm 30, see [0034-0053] and Figs. 1-3);
a second upper supporter which, in the perimeter direction of the diaphragm, is
spaced apart from the first upper supporter in a first direction (a second supporter 73 is spaced from the central supporter toward one perimeter direction, see Figs. 1-3); and
a third upper supporter which, in the perimeter direction of the diaphragm, is spaced
apart from the first upper supporter in a second direction opposite the first direction (a third supporter 73 is spaced from the central supporter in the opposite perimeter direction, see Figs. 1-3).
Regarding claim 8, LI ZHEN teaches wherein the passive radiator comprises:
a straight section extending in a longitudinal direction of the diaphragm (reads on diaphragm 30 includes longitudinally extending straight section, see [0034-0053] and Figs. 1-3); and
a first curved section connected to the straight section and including a portion of the
diaphragm that defines the first end (the end of the diaphragm 30 curves from the straight section and defined the first longitudinal end, see Figs. 1-3), wherein the second upper supporter and the third upper supporter are adjacent to a first boundary which is a boundary between the straight section and the first curved section (the two opposing central supporters 73 are positioned adjacent the boundary between the straight portion and curved end portion, see Figs. 1-3).
Regarding claim 9, LI ZHEN teaches wherein the second upper supporter and the third upper supporter are located below the first boundary (the two central supporters 73 are positioned below the boundary between the straight and curved section) and belong to the straight section (The two supporters 73 are positioned on the diaphragm’s straight section, see Figs. 1-3).
Regarding claim 10, LI ZHEN teaches wherein the edge comprises:
a flange spaced apart from the diaphragm and fixed to the housing (Frame 10 reads on the claimed flange and ius spaced from diaphragm 30 and secured to the housing, see [0034-0053] and Figs. 1-3); and
a groove located between the diaphragm and the flange and connecting the diaphragm and the flange (Folding ring 50 corresponds to the claimed groove and connects diaphragm 30 to frame 10, see [0034-0053] and Figs. 1-3), wherein, in the first curved section, the diaphragm has a semicircular shape that is convex in a direction opposite the straight section (the curved end portion of diaphragm 30 has the claimed rounded/semicircular perimeter configuration, see Figs. 1-3), wherein, in the first curved section, the flange and the groove have a curved shape along the perimeter of the diaphragm (Frame 10 and folding ring 50 follow the curved perimeter of diaphragm 30, see Figs. 1-3).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
4. 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 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over LI ZHEN and further in view of Goksel (WO # 2018/022087 A1).
Claim 2 recites “wherein the speaker is mounted at an upper surface or a lower surface of the housing, wherein the passive radiator is mounted at a side surface of the housing, wherein the speaker and the passive radiator define a portion of a boundary of the internal space of the housing”.
Note that LIZHEN discloses the sound device of claim 1 but does not expressly disclose the relative placement (i.e., limitations of claim 2).
However, Goksel teaches a speaker system 100 having a downward-facing acoustic driver 102 mounted at an upper or lower surface of enclosure 104 and passive radiators 106 mounted at side walls 105. The acoustic driver and passive radiators define respective portions of the boundary of the sealed internal acoustic chamber, see ([0035-0037] and Figs. 1A-1B).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to mount LI ZHEN’s speaker at an upper or lower housing surface and LI ZHEN’s passive radiator at a side surface, as taught by Goksel, so that the speaker and passive radiator communicate with and define portions of the same sealed acoustic chamber. Goksel explains that pressure changes created by the acoustic driver within the chamber drive the passive-radiator diaphragms (see [0037]). This will provide a known, compact speaker-enclosure arrangement that acoustically couples the active speaker to the passive radiator, with predictable results.
Claim(s) 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over LI ZHEN and further in view of Litovsky et al. (Pub.No.: 2005/0157900 A1).
Claim 11 recites “wherein each of the plurality of upper supporters comprises:
a first part protruding from one surface of the diaphragm in a thickness direction of
the diaphragm;
a second part protruding from one surface of the flange in a thickness direction of the
flange; and
a third part protruding from one surface of the groove in a thickness direction of the
groove, wherein the first part, the second part, and the third part are formed as one body”.
Note that LI ZHEN discloses the sound device and that that each supported includes, first damping member 71 protruding from a surface of diaphragm 30, a third damping member 75 protruding from a surface of frame 10 and a second damping member 73 protruding from a folding ring 50 and connecting first damping member 71 to third damping member 75 (see [0034-0053] and Figs. 1-3). LI ZHEN therefore discloses the claimed first, second, and third parts and their connected arrangement, but doe not specifically teach forming the three parts as one body.
Litovsky teaches forming passive-radiator components as unitary structure and further teaches insert-molding a passive-radiator assembly by placing a component in a mold and introducing a flowable, curable material that sets into an elastomeric suspension structure. Litovsky explains that this construction provides more precise positioning, reduce misalignment and rocking-mode vibration, eliminates adhesives and associated mechanical failure, and simplifies manufacturing (See [0032] and [0036-0037]).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to integrally mold LI Zhen’s connected damping-member portions, 71, 73 and 75 as one body, as taught by Litovsky, to maintain their relative positioning, reduce diaphragm movement, eliminate adhesive connections, and improve structural and manufacturing reliability. The resulting supporter would include the claimed first, second and third parts formed as one body.
Conclusion
5. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Rasha S. AL-Aubaidi whose telephone number is (571) 272-7481. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Ahmad Matar, can be reached on (571) 272-7488.
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/RASHA S AL AUBAIDI/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2693
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