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 .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d).
Status
This Office Action is in response to the remarks and amendments filed 02/25/2025 and the original claims filed 11/11/2024. The amendments to the drawings and the specification are accepted. Claims 1-15 remain pending for consideration on the merits.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 11/11/2024 was filed on or after the mailing date of the Application. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Specification
Applicant is reminded of the proper language and format for an abstract of the disclosure.
The abstract should be in narrative form and generally limited to a single paragraph on a separate sheet within the range of 50 to 150 words in length. The abstract should describe the disclosure sufficiently to assist readers in deciding whether there is a need for consulting the full patent text for details.
The language should be clear and concise and should not repeat information given in the title. It should avoid using phrases which can be implied, such as, “The disclosure concerns,” “The disclosure defined by this invention,” “The disclosure describes,” etc. In addition, the form and legal phraseology often used in patent claims, such as “means” and “said,” should be avoided.
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because the term, “may”, is not clear and concise and does not definitively convey what the claimed invention comprises of or how it functions. Correction is required. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because the abstract appears to include language that refers to purported merits or speculative applications of the invention, such as “This secures required cooling performance…and reduces the inverter capacity…,”. Where applicable, the abstract should include the following: (1) if a machine or apparatus, its organization and operation; (2) if an article, its method of making; (3) if a chemical compound, its identity and use; (4) if a mixture, its ingredients; (5) if a process, the steps. Extensive mechanical and design details of apparatus should not be included in the abstract. Correction is required. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 2 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding Claim 2, the recitation of “…wherein the condenser is a single core, and wherein an area of the single core is used by being divided in the first cooling cycle and the second cooling cycle,” renders the claim unclear. Specifically, ¶ 0067 of Applicant’s specification states that condenser 60 is made up of a first condenser core 60A and a second condenser core 60B, however the recitation in ¶ 0068 states that condenser 60 is a single core with divided area. Under broadest reasonable interpretation, a heat exchanger core is given its plain meaning and is understood as the structure that transfers heat, or in other words the pathway to convey refrigerant for heat exchange in the heat exchanger. This discrepancy makes interpretation of the structure of the condenser difficult and unclear, as Figure 5 and ¶ 0067 imply that sections 60A and 60B have different refrigerant flow paths for respective compressors and evaporators; whereas ¶ 0068 and the claim language of claim 2 appear to imply that the refrigerant from compressors 50A and 50B share a “single core” and merely have multiple inputs/outputs. Due to the possible differences in structural interpretation, the claim is not considered to meet the minimum threshold requirements of clarity and precision [MPEP 2173.02]. Alternatively, it is unclear as to what structure would divide a single core to arrive at the function of dividing the area of the single core condenser. MPEP 2173.05(g) requires the particular structure, materials or steps that accomplish a function be recited to indicate the scope of the subject matter claimed. Therefore, the claim and all claims depending therefrom are indefinite and are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, second paragraph.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
Claims 1-5 and 8-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yun (US 20230074635 A1), and further in view of Araki (JP 2020131753 A) and Imada et al. (US 20230099940 A1, hereinafter “Imada”).
Regarding Claim 1, Yun teaches a dual inverter two-cycle roof mounted air conditioning system [20] [Figs. 1-8] for a motorized vehicle [Abstract], the air conditioning system comprising:
a first compressor [51] and a second compressor [52] that are disposed in a vehicle width direction [¶ 0053; Figs. 2-3; disposed in the right-left direction];
a condenser [53] disposed in a vehicle longitudinal direction [¶ 0053; Fig. 3; apparent from inspection 53 is disposed at the rear end (longitudinal being rear-front); and
a first evaporator [23] [¶ 0053, 0066] and a second evaporator [not shown; ¶ 0073; second evaporator is connected to the second compressor],
wherein a first cooling cycle including the first compressor and the first evaporator [¶ 0072] and a second cooling cycle including the second compressor and the second evaporator [¶ 0073] each have a left-right two directional independent refrigerant path [The limitation “left-right two directional independent refrigerant path” is given its broadest reasonable plain meaning, as requiring the two refrigerant paths to be independent and having some dimension in the left-right direction] [¶ 0072; compressor 51 may be connected to evaporator 23 to prepare a high-pressure refrigerant] [¶ 0073; compressor 52 may be connected to an evaporator via pipe 54 to similarly apply a high pressure to a refrigerant] [Figs. 4-6; apparent form inspection the refrigerant traverse at least the left-right direction, as each components necessarily has some depth in the left-right direction].
Yun does not explicitly disclose that the first evaporator and the second evaporator are disposed at left and right sides of the condenser.
However, Araki teaches a roof mounted air conditioner [10] for a bus [Figs. 1-7] comprising a plurality of first and second compressor [14, 16], a first and second condenser [30, 32], a first and second evaporator [24, 26], wherein each set of refrigeration components may comprise a refrigeration pathway on the respective left and right sides of the air conditioner [¶ 0015, 0018-0020]. While Araki teaches two condensers side by side, a combination with the embodiment of Yun may provide a similar singular condenser centered in the unit’s left-right direction, as depicted in Yun, thereby broadly providing the evaporators [24 and 26] to be on the left and right sides of the condenser as claimed. Imada also teaches a similar vehicle air conditioning system disposed on the roof with multiple independent refrigeration circuits [10, 20] disposed in the left-right direction [Fig. 2] [Imada ¶ 0045]. Imada discloses that having multiple independent refrigeration circuits in the left-right direction provides the advantage of providing a means to control the temperature of other equipment (i.e. batteries), as well as providing zone control for sides of the vehicle with different demand (i.e. more windows/doors) [Imada ¶ 0059-0061]. One of ordinary skill in the art could have combined the locations of the evaporators as claimed by known methods and that in combination, the locations of the evaporators 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. providing a means to control the temperature of other equipment (i.e. batteries), as well as providing zone control for sides of the vehicle with different demand (i.e. more windows/doors) [Imada ¶ 0059-0061].
Therefore, it is a simple mechanical expedient that would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the assembly of Yun to have wherein the first evaporator and the second evaporator are disposed at left and right sides of the condenser, in view of the teachings of Araki and Imada where the elements could have been combined by known methods with no change in their respective function and the combination would have yielded predictable results i.e. providing a means to control the temperature of other equipment, as well as providing zone control for sides of the vehicle with different demand.
Regarding Claim 2, Yun, as modified, teaches the air conditioning system of claim 1 above and Yun wherein the condenser is a single core [¶ 0075; condenser module 53 is made up of a condenser for condensing refrigerant compressed by the first compressor 51 and a condenser for condensing the refrigerant compressed by the second compressor 52], and wherein an area of the single core is used by being divided in the first cooling cycle and the second cooling cycle [¶ 0075-0076; module 53 necessarily comprises divided spaces for the plurality of individual condenser/compressor pairs].
Regarding Claim 3, Yun, as modified, teaches the air conditioning system of claim 1 above and Yun teaches wherein an inverter [55] is built into each of the first compressor and the second compressor [¶ 0074; Fig. 3; apparent from inspection that a plurality of inverters 55 are provided for the plurality of compressors 51 and 52].
Regarding Claim 4, Yun, as modified, teaches the air conditioning system of claim 1 above and Araki teaches wherein a converter [18] for driving a motor in the air conditioning system is disposed so that the first compressor [14] and the second compressor [16] are located between the converter and the condenser [Fig. 2; apparent from inspection that the mean height of 18 in Fig. 2 is lower than the mean height of 14, 16, thereby disposing the compressors between the converter and the condenser]
Regarding Claim 5, Yun, as modified, teaches the air conditioning system of claim 4 above but Araki does not explicitly teach wherein the converter is installed to be spaced by a predetermined distance upward from a bottom surface of the air conditioning system.
However, regarding the spatial location of the converter, the limitation requiring an arbitrary space from the bottom of the air conditioning system may be considered an obvious matter of design choice regarding a rearrangement of parts [MPEP 2144.04 VI.C]. The converter in the invention and the prior art serve the same exact function to convert a voltage from a power supply to be used by the refrigeration system. Upon review of Applicant’s specification, no criticality could be found regarding the spatial location of the converter, therefore leading one of ordinary skill in the art to believe that the location of the converter does not modify the operation of the device in any significant or unexpected manner, and may merely be considered an obvious matter of design choice regarding a rearrangement of parts.
Regarding Claim 8, Yun, as modified, teaches the air conditioning system of claim 4 above and Araki teaches wherein the converter [18] is connected to motors of first and second blowers [28a, 28b] mounted in installation spaces of the first evaporator and the second evaporator [¶ 0016, 0025, 0065; converter 18 supplies power to the compressors and the inside of the case, wherein blowers 28a and 28b are arranged inside of the case to induce an airflow through the evaporators].
Regarding Claim 9, Yun, as modified, teaches the air conditioning system of claim 4 above and Yun further teaches comprising:
an air conditioner case [20] in which each of the converter, the first compressor, the second compressor, and the condenser is installed [Fig. 3; apparent from inspection],
wherein the air conditioner case is formed with a heat-dissipation area in which a surrounding space of the converter, the first compressor, the second compressor, and the condenser thermally exchanges heat with outside air [¶ 0018; the device is capable of an outdoor air mode, wherein an actuator door rotates such that outdoor air may be suctioned and forcibly introduced into the air conditioner unit (with the compressors and converters) and the interior].
Regarding Claim 10, Yun, as modified, teaches the air conditioning system of claim 9 above and Araki teaches wherein:
the air conditioner case [10] forms an air conditioner case bottom upward structure [The limitation “air conditioner case bottom upward structure” is given its broadest reasonable plain meaning, as requiring the air conditioner have some upward structure from its bottom] [Fig. 3; apparent from inspection that the case has depth in the up-down direction]; and
the air conditioner case bottom upward structure forms a lower height spaced apart from an upper surface of a vehicle body roof at an upward bottom inclined angle facing a center of the air conditioner case [Fig. 3; apparent from inspection that the left and right sides of the figure contains inclined surface towards the center of the case, such that the height of the upward bottom structure is spaced apart from the van by an arbitrary distance].
Regarding Claim 11, Yun, as modified, teaches the air conditioning system of claim 9 above and Araki teaches wherein the air conditioner case [10] mounts a converter mounting bracket on a case bottom [While Araki does not explicitly disclose a bracket, the converter is commonsensically secured to the unit as it is intended for a moving vehicle; also see ¶ 0004; converter is installed on the roof of the bus], and wherein the converter mounting bracket locates an installation location of the converter at an upper height matching a roof panel of a vehicle body roof [¶ 0004; converter is installed on the roof of the bus].
Regarding Claim 12, Yun, as modified, teaches the air conditioning system of claim 9 above and Araki teaches wherein:
the air conditioner case [10] forms a dual-insulated compressor mounting structure [at least space S2] in installation spaces of the first compressor and the second compressor [14, 16]; and
the dual-insulated compressor mounting structure includes
base members [44] installed on an air conditioner case bottom to provide a mounting space for each of the first compressor and the second compressor [¶ 0023-0027; partition walls 44 for the space for the compressors], and
a compressor bracket fixing the first compressor and the second compressor to the base members, respectively [While Araki does not explicitly disclose a compressor bracket, the compressors are commonsensically secured to the unit, as it is intended for a moving vehicle; also see ¶ 0004; compressors are installed on the roof of the bus] [Also see Gotmalm (US 20180319247 A1) ¶ 0087 as evidence that brackets, frames, fasteners, bolts, screws and welding are known methods of mounting a compressor assembly and considered to be commonsensical despite Araki’s silence regarding a specific bracket].
Regarding Claim 13, Yun, as modified, teaches the air conditioning system of claim 12 above and Araki teaches wherein the base members include:
a compressor mounting plate [122] on which each of the first compressor and the second compressor is located [Figs. 2, 4; the compressors are mounted within space S2 similar to converter 18, wherein converter 18 rests on 122]; and
an air conditioner case connection bar [12a, 12b] fixed to the air conditioner case bottom to support the compressor mounting plate [Fig. 4; connection members 12a and 12b are connected to 122 via 124 and 126, thereby supporting 122].
Claims 6-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yun, Araki and Imada, and further in view of Ungarelli et al. (US 20220134838 A1, hereinafter “Ungarelli”).
Regarding Claim 6, Yun, as modified, teaches the air conditioning system of claim 4 above and Araki teaches wherein a condenser fan [34] located above the condenser [¶ 0015; Fig. 2] forms an air flow along the condenser [¶ 0017]. While Araki teaches an additional blower [28] configured to provide the function of an airflow, in the front rear direction, over the converter and the first and second compressors [¶ 0034-0035; Fig. 2; see airflow arrows A1 and A2], Araki does not explicitly disclose wherein the condenser fan forms the air flow from the front or rear side of the air conditioning system along the converter, the first compressor, the second compressor, and the condenser.
However, Ungarelli teaches an air treatment system for recreational vehicles [100] [Figs. 1-4] wherein a metal sheet body [101] contains a plurality of electrical components [103, 104], a compressor [105] and a condenser heat exchanger [107] disposed within a compartment of said body [¶ 0044-0047], wherein a condenser blower [111] is configured to generate an airflow to such that an airflow enters an intake [114], flows around the compressor [105], then through the heat exchanger [107] to expel heat [¶ 0047] [Also see Figs. 3-4 showing the airflow in a front-rear direction]. Upon inspection of Figs. 1-4, the selector and power board [103, 104] are directly adjacent to and in the same compartment as the compressor and therefore also commonsensically receive said airflow for the same cooling. Ungarelli discloses that providing an airflow over the compressor from the condenser fan provides a required cooling to the compressor, thus enabling the system [¶ 0036]. One of ordinary skill in the art could have combined the condenser fan airflow path as claimed by known methods and that in combination, the condenser fan airflow path 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. providing an airflow over the compressor from the condenser fan provides a required cooling to the compressor, thus enabling the system [¶ 0036].
Therefore, it is a simple mechanical expedient that would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the assembly of Yun to have wherein the condenser fan forms the air flow from the front or rear side of the air conditioning system along the converter, the first compressor, the second compressor, and the condenser, in view of the teachings of Ungarelli, where the elements could have been combined by known methods with no change in their respective function and the combination would have yielded predictable results i.e. providing an airflow over the compressor from the condenser fan provides a required cooling to the compressor, thus enabling the system.
Regarding Claim 7, Yun, as modified, teaches the air conditioning system of claim 4 above and Yun teaches wherein a condenser fan [34] located above the condenser [¶ 0015; Fig. 2] forms an air flow along the condenser [¶ 0017]. While Araki teaches an additional blower [28] configured to provide the function of an airflow, in the left-right direction, over the first and second compressors [¶ 0034-0035; Fig. 2; see airflow arrows A1 and A2], Araki does not explicitly disclose wherein the condenser fan forms the air flow from left and right sides of the air conditioning system along the first compressor, the second compressor, and the condenser.
However, Ungarelli teaches an air treatment system for recreational vehicles [100] [Figs. 1-4] wherein a metal sheet body [101] contains a plurality of electrical components [103, 104], a compressor [105] and a condenser heat exchanger [107] disposed within a compartment of said body [¶ 0044-0047], wherein a condenser blower [111] is configured to generate an airflow to such that an airflow enters an intake [114], flows around the compressor [105], then through the heat exchanger [107] to expel heat [¶ 0047]. Upon inspection of Figs. 1-2 and 7, it is apparent that the airflow through intake 114 must comprise some left-right flow, as the width of the intake 114 in Fig. 7 in the left-right direction is much greater than the widths of either blower exit 111, therefore necessitating, under the broadest reasonable interpretation, that the air flows in the left-right direction along the compressor and condenser. Ungarelli discloses that providing an airflow over the compressor from the condenser fan provides a required cooling to the compressor, thus enabling the system [¶ 0036]. One of ordinary skill in the art could have combined the condenser fan airflow path as claimed by known methods and that in combination, the condenser fan airflow path 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. providing an airflow over the compressor from the condenser fan provides a required cooling to the compressor, thus enabling the system [¶ 0036].
Therefore, it is a simple mechanical expedient that would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the assembly of Yun to have wherein the condenser fan forms the air flow from left and right sides of the air conditioning system along the first compressor, the second compressor, and the condenser, in view of the teachings of Ungarelli, where the elements could have been combined by known methods with no change in their respective function and the combination would have yielded predictable results i.e. providing an airflow over the compressor from the condenser fan provides a required cooling to the compressor, thus enabling the system.
Claims 14-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yun, Araki and Imada, and further in view of Peng et al. (CN 116278638 A, hereinafter “Peng”).
Regarding Claim 14, Yun, as modified, teaches the air conditioning system of claim 12 above but Araki does not teach wherein the compressor bracket has an arch structure into which two bushings and two insulators are inserted and has a separation space with a compressor mounting plate.
However, Peng discloses a shock absorption and movement prevention device [Figs. 1-19] for compressors in a car or vehicle, wherein the compressor [1] may be disposed on a two-stage shock absorber bracket assembly [2] [¶ 0046]. The bracket comprises a first-level shock-absorbing bracket [11] comprising shock-absorbing pads [7] connected via pad nuts [8], wherein the main first-level bracket is secured on the car body [¶ 0047]. The bracket further comprises a secondary shock absorber bracket [5], secured to the first-level bracket via at least another pair of shock absorbing nuts and pads [9,10] wherein the second bracket receives the compressor connection [¶ 0047-0048]. The second bracket [5] comprises a u-shaped (arched) structure [Figs 2-3], wherein Yun discloses that providing bent flanges for the compressor connection increases flexibility without reducing strength, thereby greatly weakening undesired vibration caused by compressor operation, thus improving the system [¶ 0048, 0052]. One of ordinary skill in the art could have combined the bracket, bushings and insulators, as claimed by known methods and that in combination, the bracket, bushings and insulators 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. providing a means for the compressor connection to increase flexibility without reducing strength, thereby greatly weakening undesired vibration caused by compressor operation, thus improving the system [¶ 0048, 0052].
Therefore, it is a simple mechanical expedient that would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the assembly of Yun to have wherein the compressor bracket has an arch structure into which two bushings and two insulators are inserted and has a separation space with a compressor mounting plate, in view of the teachings of Peng, where the elements could have been combined by known methods with no change in their respective function and the combination would have yielded predictable results i.e. providing a means for the compressor connection to increase flexibility without reducing strength, thereby greatly weakening undesired vibration caused by compressor operation, thus improving the system.
Regarding Claim 15, Yun, as modified, teaches the air conditioning system of claim 14 above and Peng teaches wherein each of the two bushings and the two insulator reduces compressor response characteristics for compressor rotation vibrations generated by driving the first compressor and the second compressor [¶ 0046-0048; shock absorbing pads 7 and 10 and shock absorbing pad nuts 8 and 9 provide the function of shock absorption for the shock absorbing bracket]
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
(CN 207106100 U) discloses a roof-mounted bus air conditioner appearing to comprise a similar condenser and evaporator structure to that of the claimed invention.
(US 20230098535 A1) discloses a recreational vehicle air condition system comprising a plurality of zone controls with a plurality of evaporators receiving refrigerant split from a single condenser
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KEITH S MYERS whose telephone number is (571)272-5102. The examiner can normally be reached 8:00-4:00.
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/KEITH STANLEY MYERS/Examiner, Art Unit 3763
/JERRY-DARYL FLETCHER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3763
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