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 .
Status of Claims
This Office Action is in response to the remarks and amendments filed on 6/19/2026. Claims 1-15 are pending for consideration in this Office Action.
Response to Amendment
The rejections pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph have been withdrawn in light of the amendments filed.
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.
Claim(s) 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu et al. (US2017/0010027) in view of Tamaki et al. (US2013/0312443).
Regarding Claim 15, Liu teaches a multi-split air conditioner outdoor unit [fig 2], comprising: a manifold [at least the pipe containing valve 10] connected between a discharge port of a compressor and a first port [at least port A of valve 4; 0040-0043; fig 2]; a valve [10] disposed in the first manifold [0040-0043; fig 2].
Liu does not explicitly teach a second manifold connected between a suction port of the compressor and a second port; and a second valve disposed in the second manifold.
However, Tamaki teaches a refrigeration cycle apparatus [fig 1] having a manifold connected between a suction port of a compressor [1] and a port [see fig 1; Drawing I]; and a valve [21] disposed in the second manifold [See fig 1; Drawing I] where one of ordinary skill in the art could have combined the elements as claimed by known methods and that in combination, each element would perform the same function as it did separately and one of ordinary skills would have recognized that the results of the combination were predictable i.e. provide pressure equalizing control for the system [0079].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the assembly of Liu to have a second manifold connected between a suction port of the compressor and a second port; and a second valve disposed in the second manifold in view of the teachings of Tamaki where the elements could have been combined by known methods with no change in their respective functions, and the combination would have yielded predictable results i.e. provide pressure equalizing control for the system.
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Drawing I
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-14 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding Claim 1, the prior art does not teach “…a first manifold connected between the discharge port of the compressor and the first port; a third valve disposed in the first manifold; a second manifold connected between the suction port of the compressor and the third port; and a switching device connected to the second manifold, the fourth port, and the second valve, and capable of being switched between a first switching state and a second switching state, in the first switching state, the switching device connects the fourth port to the second valve, and in the second switching state, the switching device connects the second manifold to the second valve.”
Regarding Claim 10, the prior art does not teach “…the multi-split air conditioner outdoor unit further comprises: a first manifold connected between the discharge port of the compressor and the first port; a third valve disposed in the first manifold; a third manifold connected between the suction port of the compressor and the third port; and a fourth valve disposed in the third manifold.”
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LARRY L FURDGE whose telephone number is (313)446-4895. The examiner can normally be reached M-R 6a-3p; F 6a-10a.
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, Jerry Fletcher can be reached at 571-270-5054. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/LARRY L FURDGE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3763
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