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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the claim objections have been fully considered and are persuasive. The claim objections of 10/2/2025 has been withdrawn.
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1, 11 and 20 under 35 USC 102 on 10/2/2025 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of a different interpretation of the prior art to teach the new limitations. New prior art has been also provided that could read onto the new claim language. The claim language can read onto many impeller that blow fluid that have a shroud covering an inlet end with an inner edge, outer edge and hub end of a blade. There is an abundance of prior art that could read onto the generic blades being covered for an fan wheel/ impeller such as Rao et al. US 20230136866, Gruber et al. US 20200040904, Sawada et al. US 20180100517, and Liang et al. US 20190010955.
The rejection is updated below and made FINAL necessitated by amendment.
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 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lee US 20020028138.
Fan Wheel 1
Regarding claim 1, Lee discloses: A ventilation fan (Fig 1) comprising
a fan housing (7) formed to define an interior space (area within 7),
an inlet opening (3i), and
an outlet opening (11e) spaced apart from the inlet opening (11e is spaced from 3i);
a fan wheel (13) arranged to lie within the interior space defining an axis of rotation about which the fan wheel is configured to rotate (Par 10: 15 rotates 13),
the fan wheel (Fig 8) comprising a hub (32),
a plurality of fan blades (40) having a hub end (end of blades secured to hub 32; as seen in the clip below) secured to the hub and
an opposing inlet end (end of blade towards the inlet; as seen in the clip below) configured to be located adjacent to the inlet opening,
wherein at least one of the fan blades defines an inner edge (Inner edge of the blade; as seen in the clip below) and an outer edge (Outer edge of the blade; as seen in the clip below), and
a plate (50) extending over the fan blade inlet ends (50 extends over the inlet ends of the blades) and covering the at least one fan blades inlet end from the inner edge to the outer edge (Plate 50 covers the blades inlet end from the inner edge to the outer edge; as seen in the clip below).
PNG
media_image1.png
442
730
media_image1.png
Greyscale
Regarding claim 2, Lee discloses:
a scroll (Fig 1: 9) and the fan wheel located within the scroll (13 is located in 9).
Regarding claim 3, Lee discloses:
wherein the plate defines an annulus (Fig 7: 50 is annulus).
Regarding claim 5, Lee discloses:
Wherein the plate outer edge is aligned with the blade outer edge at the blade inlet end (outer edge of the plate is aligned with the blade outer edge; as seen in the clip below).
PNG
media_image2.png
442
730
media_image2.png
Greyscale
Regarding claim 6, Lee discloses:
wherein the fan blade inner edge is angled with respect to the axis of rotation (Blades inner edge is angled with respect to the axis of rotation; as seen in the clip below).
PNG
media_image3.png
442
730
media_image3.png
Greyscale
Regarding claim 7, Lee discloses:
wherein the fan blade outer edge is parallel with the axis of rotation (rotation axis is parallel with the blade outer edge).
PNG
media_image4.png
442
730
media_image4.png
Greyscale
Regarding claim 8, Lee discloses:
wherein the at least one fan blade extends beyond an outer perimeter of the hub (Fig 8: 40 extends beyond the outer perimeter edge of 32).
Regarding claim 9, Lee discloses:
wherein the hub end of the at least one of the fan blades defines a secured portion secured to the hub (Fig 8: par of 40 hub end that is secured to 32) and a free portion, which extends radially beyond the hub (Free end of the hub end of 40 that extends past 32).
Regarding claim 10, Lee discloses:
wherein the hub end of at least one of the fan blades defines a secured portion secured to the hub (Fig 8: par of 40 hub end that is secured to 32) and a free portion, which extends radially beyond the hub (Free end of the hub end of 40 that extends past 32).
Regarding claim 11, Lee discloses: A fan wheel (Fig 1: 13) for a ventilation fan, the fan wheel comprising:
a hub (32),
a plurality of fan blades (40) having a hub end (end of blades secured to hub 32; as seen in the clip below) secured to the hub and
an opposing inlet end (end of blade towards the inlet; as seen in the clip below) configured to be located adjacent to the inlet opening of the ventilation fan,
wherein at least one of the fan blades defines an inner edge (Inner edge of the blade; as seen in the clip below) and an outer edge (Outer edge of the blade; as seen in the clip below), and
a plate (50) extending over the fan blade inlet ends (50 extends over the inlet ends of the blades) and covering the at least one fan blades inlet end from the inner edge to the outer edge (Plate 50 covers the blades inlet end from the inner edge to the outer edge; as seen in the clip below).
PNG
media_image1.png
442
730
media_image1.png
Greyscale
Regarding claim 12, Lee discloses:
wherein the plate defines an annulus (Fig 7: 50 is annulus).
Regarding claim 14, Lee discloses:
wherein the plate outer edge is aligned with the blade outer edge at the blade inlet end (outer edge of the plate is aligned with the blade outer edge; as seen in the clip below).
PNG
media_image2.png
442
730
media_image2.png
Greyscale
Regarding claim 15, Lee discloses:
Wherein the inner edge of the at least one of the fan blades is angled with respect to the axis of rotation (Blades inner edge is angled with respect to the axis of rotation; as seen in the clip below).
PNG
media_image3.png
442
730
media_image3.png
Greyscale
Regarding claim 16, Lee discloses:
wherein the outer edge of the at least one of the fan blades is parallel with the axis of rotation (rotation axis is parallel with the blade outer edge).
PNG
media_image4.png
442
730
media_image4.png
Greyscale
Regarding claim 17, Lee discloses:
wherein the at least one fan blade extends beyond an outer perimeter of the hub (Fig 8: 40 extends beyond the outer perimeter edge of 32).
Regarding claim 18, Lee discloses:
wherein the hub end of the at least one of the fan blades defines a secured portion secured to the hub (Fig 8: par of 40 hub end that is secured to 32) and a free portion, which extends radially beyond the hub (Free end of the hub end of 40 that extends past 32).
Regarding claim 19, Lee discloses:
wherein the hub end of at least one of the fan blades defines a secured portion secured to the hub (Fig 8: par of 40 hub end that is secured to 32) and a free portion, which extends radially beyond the hub (Free end of the hub end of 40 that extends past 32).
Regarding claim 20, Lee discloses: A fan wheel (Fig 1: 13) comprising:
a hub (32),
a plurality of fan blades (40) having a hub end (end of blades secured to hub 32; as seen in the clip below) secured to the hub and
an opposing inlet end (end of blade towards the inlet; as seen in the clip below) configured to be located adjacent to the inlet opening of a ventilation fan,
wherein at least one of the fan blades defines an inner edge (Inner edge of the blade; as seen in the clip below) and an outer edge (Outer edge of the blade; as seen in the clip below), and
a plate (50) extending over the fan blade inlet ends (50 extends over the inlet ends of the blades) and covering the at least one fan blades inlet end from the inner edge to the outer edge (Plate 50 covers the blades inlet end from the inner edge to the outer edge; as seen in the clip below).
PNG
media_image1.png
442
730
media_image1.png
Greyscale
Fan Wheel 2
Regarding claim 1, Lee discloses: A ventilation fan (Fig 1) comprising
a fan housing (7) formed to define an interior space (area within 7),
an inlet opening (3i), and
an outlet opening (11e) spaced apart from the inlet opening (11e is spaced from 3i);
a fan wheel (13) arranged to lie within the interior space defining an axis of rotation about which the fan wheel is configured to rotate (Par 10: 15 rotates 13),
the fan wheel (Fig 4) comprising a hub (42),
a plurality of fan blades (43) having a hub end (end of blades secured to hub 42; as seen in the clip below) secured to the hub and
an opposing inlet end (end of blade towards the inlet; as seen in the clip below) configured to be located adjacent to the inlet opening,
wherein at least one of the fan blades defines an inner edge (Inner edge of the blade; as seen in the clip below) and an outer edge (Outer edge of the blade; as seen in the clip below), and
a plate (44) extending over the fan blade inlet ends (44 extends over the inlet ends of the blades) and covering the at least one fan blades inlet end from the inner edge to the outer edge (Plate 44 covers the blades inlet end from the inner edge to the outer edge; as seen in the clip below).
PNG
media_image5.png
289
572
media_image5.png
Greyscale
Regarding claim 4, Lee discloses:
wherein the plate has an inner edge aligned with the blade inner edge at the blade inlet end (Plates inner edge is aligned with the blades inner edge).
PNG
media_image6.png
544
572
media_image6.png
Greyscale
Regarding claim 11, Lee discloses: A fan wheel (Fig 1: 13) for a ventilation fan, the fan wheel comprising:
a hub (42),
a plurality of fan blades (43) having a hub end (end of blades secured to hub 42; as seen in the clip below) secured to the hub and
an opposing inlet end (end of blade towards the inlet; as seen in the clip below) configured to be located adjacent to the inlet opening,
wherein at least one of the fan blades defines an inner edge (Inner edge of the blade; as seen in the clip below) and an outer edge (Outer edge of the blade; as seen in the clip below), and
a plate (44) extending over the fan blade inlet ends (44 extends over the inlet ends of the blades) and covering the at least one fan blades inlet end from the inner edge to the outer edge (Plate 44 covers the blades inlet end from the inner edge to the outer edge; as seen in the clip below).
PNG
media_image5.png
289
572
media_image5.png
Greyscale
Regarding claim 13, Lee discloses:
wherein the plate has an inner edge aligned with the blade inner edge at the blade inlet end (Plates inner edge is aligned with the blades inner edge).
PNG
media_image6.png
544
572
media_image6.png
Greyscale
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Rao et al. US 20230136866, Gruber et al. US 20200040904, Sawada et al. US 20180100517, and Liang et al. US 20190010955 discloses an impeller that can read onto many of the claims in the present application; such as the free up and inlet end cover. Huang et al. US 20220099106 discloses the covered inlet area of the blades that could be used as a modification and motivation to do so in paragraph 6-7.
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 Andrew J Marien whose telephone number is (469)295-9159. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00 am- 6:00 pm CST, Monday through Friday.
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, Courtney Heinle can be reached at (571) 270-3508. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/Andrew J Marien/Examiner, Art Unit 3745