DETAILED ACTION
This office action is a reply to the amendment dated November 28, 2026.
Claims 1-3 have been amended; and claims 4-5 have been canceled.
Claims 1-3 remain pending in this application.
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)(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 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Miyoshi (US 2021/0387506 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Miyoshi discloses a heat management device (6) for a vehicle (100) that includes an internal combustion engine (110, 52) and a traveling electric motor (112, [0036]), and is configured to perform hybrid vehicle traveling with the internal combustion engine operating and electric vehicle traveling with the internal combustion engine stopped, the heat management device comprising:
an air conditioning device that includes a heater core (43) for heating a vehicle cabin of the vehicle;
a first flow path that circulates a cooling liquid in the internal combustion engine and the heater core ([0028], Fig. 9), the cooling liquid flowing through the first flow path being warmed by the internal combustion engine;
a second flow path ([0029], Fig. 10) that includes a bypass flow path (4a) that bypasses the internal combustion engine, the second flow path circulating the cooling liquid in an electric heater (22, [0161]) and the heater core (43), the cooling liquid flowing through the second flow path being heated by the electric heater;
a third flow path (Fig. 6 and Fig. 8) that allows the cooling liquid flowing through the bypass flow path to flow into at least one of the internal combustion engine and the electric heater by bypassing the heater core; and
a processor configured to circulate the cooling liquid in the first flow path in a case where there is a heating request of the vehicle cabin during the hybrid vehicle traveling, circulate the cooling liquid in the second flow path in a case where there is the heating request during the electric vehicle traveling (Fig. 10), and
switch from the first flow path to the third flow path and then to the second flow path in a case where there is demand for the electric vehicle traveling during the hybrid vehicle traveling (Fig. 8).
Regarding claim 2, Miyoshi discloses the heat management device according to claim 1, further comprising: a battery being a power source of the traveling electric motor [0038]; and a fourth flow path through which a heat medium circulates to raise a temperature of the battery [0161], wherein the third flow path allows the cooling liquid flowing through the bypass flow path to flow into the electric heater via a heat exchanger provided in the fourth flow path (Fig. 8).
Regarding claim 3, Miyoshi discloses the heat management device according to claim 2, wherein in a case where there is a temperature rise request of the battery, the processor is configured to circulate the heat medium of the fourth flow path, circulate the cooling liquid of the third flow path, and raise the temperature of the battery by using the heat source (Fig. 10 and Fig. 15).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed November 28, 2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues that prior art Miyoshi fails to teach switching a flow path in a case there is a demand for electric vehicle traveling during hybrid vehicle traveling. Examiner asserts that claims are given their broadest reasonable interpretation consistent with the specifications. In this instance, Miyoshi discloses a hybrid vehicle (Fig. 1; [0037-0039]), and a method of switching between different flow paths based on the heating/cooling requirement during different vehicle’s operation. For example, in Fig. 15, S21 “the ECU 61 determines whether the internal combustion engine 110 is in operation. Whether the internal combustion engine 110 is in operation is determined based on, for example, the output of a sensor or the like indicating the rotation speed of the internal combustion engine 110. When it is determined in step S21 that the internal combustion engine 110 is not in operation, the control routine proceeds to step S22. In step S22, the ECU 61 sets the distribution state of the heat medium in the in-vehicle temperature control system 1 to the fourth heating mode (FIG. 10)”. Paragraph [0151]. Hence, the switching between different modes is determined based on the vehicle’s demand for heating/cooling and weather the engine is operating, and the motor/battery is providing power. In Fig. 10, engine is not operating, and heating is provided by the electric motor 112.
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.
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/TEUTA HOLBROOK/
Examiner
Art Unit 3747
/GEORGE C JIN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3747