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 .
35 USC 102 rejections
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 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a1) as being anticipated by the reference PTP Turbo Blankets (hereinafter, PTP).
Regarding claim 1, PTP discloses a system to passively control heat for automobiles (PTP Turbo Blankets isolate the heat produced by your turbocharger with the purpose of reducing turbo lag, cooler air intake temperatures, protecting and prolonging engine components, and giving a boost in horsepower., Product Details, Bullet 1) comprising: a turbo shield configured to protect components within an engine bay of a vehicle (PTP Turbo Blankets isolate the heat produced by your turbocharger with the purpose of reducing turbo lag, cooler air intake temperatures, protecting and prolonging engine components, and giving a boost in horsepower., Product Details, Bullet 1); a mesh screen positioned over the turbo shield (With an outer layer made from actual pulverized volcanic lava rock (continuous-filament basalt) formed into fabric and woven into a tight mesh weave, these turbo blankets are internally insulated with high temperature calcium magnesium silicate wool, overlaid with a high temperature silica fabric for increased durability and for improved thermal resistance., Product Details, Bullet 3), ; wherein the mesh screen is configured to passively control heat generated by a turbo charger within the vehicle (PTP Turbo Blankets isolate the heat produced by your turbocharger with the purpose of reducing turbo lag, cooler air intake temperatures, protecting and prolonging engine components, and giving a boost in horsepower., Product Details, Bullet 1). Note Analyst-Referenced Figure 1 below.
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35 USC 103 rejections
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.
Claims 2-11 are rejected under 35 USC 103 as unpatentable over PTP Turbo Blankets (hereinafter, "PTP").
Regarding claim 2, PTP discloses the invention as shown above in claim 1, wherein the turbo shield includes a woven fiber layer and an insulation layer (With an outer layer made from actual pulverized volcanic lava rock (continuous-filament basalt) formed into fabric and woven into a tight mesh weave, these turbo blankets are internally insulated with high temperature calcium magnesium silicate wool, overlaid with a high temperature silica fabric for increased durability and for improved thermal resistance., Product Details, Bullet 3). PTP fails to explicitly disclose the mesh screen being more rigid than the woven fiber layer. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made based on “routine optimization” (MPEP 2144.05) to make the shield wherein the mesh screen being more rigid than the woven fiber layer, since selection of a known material on the basis of its suitability for an intended use involves only routine skill in the art. The motivation for doing so would have been to maintain the shape of the shield. Note: MPEP 2144.05, II. ROUTINE OPTIMIZATION, A) Optimization Within Prior Art Conditions or Through Routine Experimentation, In re Williams, 36 F.2d 436, 438 (CCPA 1929) ("It is a settled principle of law that a mere carrying forward of an original patented conception involving only change of form, proportions, or degree, or the substitution of equivalents doing the same thing as the original invention, by substantially the same means, is not such an invention as will sustain a patent, even though the changes of the kind may produce better results than prior inventions.").
Regarding claims 3, 10-11, the modified PTP discloses the invention as shown above in claim 2, wherein the turbo shield includes a front face (front face, 11, Analyst-Referenced Figure 1), a rear face (rear face 12, AR Fig. 1), and a curved surface (curved surface 13, AR Fig. 1), wherein the curved surface is positioned between the front face and the rear face (AR Fig. 1). However, PTP does not disclose a slit cited in claim 3 with four edges and forms rotation axis as claimed in claims 10-11. However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made based on “routine optimization” (MPEP 2144.05) to use the turbo shield with a slit since selection of a known material on the basis of its suitability for an intended use involves only routine skill in the art. The motivation for doing so would have been to assemble and disassemble the turbo shield with the turbocharger much more easily because the slit provide flexibility. Note: MPEP 2144.05, II. ROUTINE OPTIMIZATION.
Regarding claim 4, modified PTP discloses the invention as shown above in claim 3, wherein a coverage of the mesh screen is uniform on the front face, the rear face, and the curved surface (front face 11, rear face 12, curved surface 13 are shown to be covered uniformly, AR Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 5, modified PTP discloses the invention as shown above in claim 3, wherein the mesh screen includes a first mesh screen configured to cover the front face, and a second mesh screen configured to cover the curved surface (mesh screen on front face 11 and curved surface 13 are shown to be separate units joined at a sewn seam 18 therebetween, AR Fig, 1).
Regarding claim 6, modified PTP discloses the invention as shown above in claim 5; PTP fails to explicitly disclose wherein the first mesh screen has more openings in one linear inch than the second mesh screen. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to make the shield wherein the first mesh screen has more openings in one linear inch than the second mesh screen, since selection of a known material on the basis of its suitability for an intended use involves only routine skill in the art. The motivation for doing so would have been to control the radiative heat transfer through the screen. MPEP 2144.05, II. ROUTINE OPTIMIZATION.
Regarding claim 7, modified PTP discloses the invention as shown above in claim 5. ; PTP fails to explicitly disclose wherein the first mesh screen has fewer openings in one linear inch than the second mesh screen. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to make the shield wherein the first mesh screen has fewer openings in one linear inch than the second mesh screen, since selection of a known material on the basis of its suitability for an intended use involves only routine skill in the art. The motivation for doing so would have been to control the radiative heat transfer through the screen. MPEP 2144.05, II. ROUTINE OPTIMIZATION.
Regarding claim 8, modified PTP discloses the invention as shown above in claim 5. PTP fails to explicitly disclose wherein a first thickness of the first mesh screen is larger than a second thickness of the second mesh screen. . It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to make the shield wherein a first thickness of the first mesh screen is larger than a second thickness of the second mesh screen, since selection of a known material on the basis of its suitability for an intended use involves only routine skill in the art. The motivation for doing so would have been to create a stiffer portion of the shield. MPEP 2144.05, II. ROUTINE OPTIMIZATION.
Regarding claim 9, modified PTP discloses the invention as shown above in claim 5; PTP fails to explicitly disclose wherein a second thickness of the second mesh screen is larger than a first thickness of the first mesh screen. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to make the shield wherein a second thickness of the second mesh screen is larger than a first thickness of the first mesh screen, since selection of a known material on the basis of its suitability for an intended use involves only routine skill in the art. The motivation for doing so would have been to create a stiffer portion of the shield. MPEP 2144.05, II. ROUTINE OPTIMIZATION.
Prior Art of Record
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Anthon, US 11,933,189, US D1,006,708, and Moore disclose turbo shield covers for turbochargers.
Conclusions
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the Examiner should be directed to Examiner Nguyen whose telephone number is (571) 272-4861. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday--Thursday from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Mark Laurenzi, can be reached on (571) 270-7878.
The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/HOANG M NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3746
HOANG NGUYEN
PRIMARY EXAMINER
ART UNIT 3746
Hoang Minh Nguyen
8/28/2025