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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 06/12/2026 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-11 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Applicant's arguments filed 05/07/2026 (regarding the 35 U.S.C. §102(a)(1) rejections of claims 12-17) have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Regarding the argument that Hattori et al. (JP 2021076283 A) does not disclose, “a guide that is disposed in the casing and configured to guide the airflow of the fan toward at least one of the first outlet or the second outlet”
The Examiner has previously indicated (61, 62, 63, 111; Fig. 8) as a guide, which is disposed in the casing (10, Fig. 8) and configured to guide the air flow (A1, A3, A4) of the fan (80, 81) toward at least one of the first outlet (31) or the second outlet (32), an inclined upper surface (63) of the guide extending forward and upward toward the first outlet, and an inclined lower surface of the guide (111) extending forward and downward toward the second outlet (32).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claims 1-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
Claim 1, lines 8-15 recites,
“a discharge guide disposed in the casing and configured to guide the air flow of the fan toward at least one of the first outlet or the second outlet,
wherein the discharge guide is disposed below the first outlet and in front of the second outlet,
wherein an upper surface of the discharge guide is inclined upward toward the front to guide air toward the first outlet, and
wherein a lower surface of the discharge guide is inclined downward toward the front to guide air toward the second outlet.”
However, there is no place in the immediate specification that indicates, “a discharge guide” and there is no place in the immediate specification that indicates or suggest that a “discharge guide” is “configured to guide the air flow of the fan toward at least one of the first outlet or the second outlet” ,“the discharge guide is disposed below the first outlet and in front of the second outlet,”, “wherein an upper surface of the discharge guide is inclined upward toward the front to guide air toward the first outlet,”, nor “wherein a lower surface of the discharge guide is inclined downward toward the front to guide air toward the second outlet” as claimed by the Applicant, and further is not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or joint inventor had possession of the claimed invention at the time of filing.
Claims 2-11 are rejected based on their dependencies.
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.
Claims 12-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hattori et al. (JP 2021076283 A).
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Regarding claim 12, Hattori et al. discloses an air conditioner (1B), comprising:
a casing (10) in which an inlet (20), a first outlet (A1) positioned at a front (12) thereof, and a second outlet (A6) positioned at a lower surface (14) thereof are formed;
a fan (80) that creates an air flow (A1-A6) from the inlet to the first outlet or the second outlet (Fig. 8, Fig. 9);
a first vane (76) that opens or closes the second outlet (Fig. 8, Fig. 9), wherein the first vane
closes the second outlet to discharge the air through the first outlet (Fig. 8), or opens the second outlet
to discharge air below the first outlet (Fig. 9); and
a guide (61, 62, 63, 111) is disposed in the casing (Fig. 8) and configured to guide the air flow of the fan toward at least one of the first outlet or the second outlet (Fig. 8), and inclined upper surface (63) of the guide extending forward and upward toward the first outlet (Fig. 8, A1) and an inclined lower surface (111) of the guide extending forward and downward toward the second outlet (Fig. 8, A4).
Regarding claim 13, Hattori et al. discloses all of claim 12 as above, wherein a front end of the first vane (76) forms an inclined surface that extends downward as it extends forward (Fig. 9), and
wherein the front end of the first vane is positioned under the inclined lower surface of the guide (Fig. 8), when the first vane closes the second outlet.
Regarding claim 14, Hattori et al. discloses all of claim 12 as above, wherein a front vane (71) is positioned in the first outlet (Fig. 8).
Regarding claim 15, Hattori et al. discloses all of claim 14 as above, wherein the front vane is
inclined forward and upward (Fig. 8).
Regarding claim 16, Hattori et al. discloses all of claim 1 as above, further comprising a second
vane (73) that guides a flow of air generated by the fan (Fig. 8).
Regarding claim 17, Hattori et al. discloses all of claim 16 as above wherein the first vane is positioned in the second outlet, the second vane is positioned so that a front end of the second vane faces forward to guide air into the first outlet (Fig. 8; the second vane guides air into the first outlet).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RYAN C CLARK whose telephone number is (571)272-2871. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday 0730-1730, Alternate Fridays 0730-1630.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Courtney D 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.
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/RYAN C CLARK/Examiner, Art Unit 3745
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