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 .
DETAILED ACTION
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 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.
CLAIM INTERPRETATION
The presence of claim limitations that are preceded by the phrases “wherein” often raises a question as to the limiting effect of the claim limitations (see MPEP §2111.04). The Examiner has interpreted the limitations following the phrase “wherein” as positively being claimed (i.e. the claim limitations are required and/or the claim limitations following the “wherein clause” limits the structure), where “wherein” is being used as a transitional phrase.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species I and Sub-Species B in the reply filed on February 2, 2026 is acknowledged. Claims 6 and 8 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected species. Claim 7 is withdrawn with respect to depending on claim 6. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on February 2, 2026.
Restriction requirement is made FINAL.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
The following title is suggested: COMPRESSOR WITH INJECTION FLOW INTO THE COMPRESSION CHAMBER AND REFRIGERATION CYCLE DEVICE.
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 1-3, 5, 7, and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by JP ‘210 (Japanese Patent Publication JP 52-063210 U, a machine translation was provided in the IDS filed on December 20, 2024 and is utilized in the rejection below).
Regarding claim 1, JP ‘210 discloses: a compressor (see Figures 2 and 3 and claim that recites a compressor), comprising:
an annular cylinder (8) (see Figures 2 and 3), which constitutes a cylinder chamber (13, 14) including a suction chamber (13) for sucking a refrigerant and a compression chamber (14) for compressing the refrigerant (see Figure 3, Page 2);
a rotation shaft (see Marked up Figures 2 and 3 of JP’210), which includes an eccentric portion (see Marked up Figure 2 of JP’210) arranged in the cylinder chamber (see Marked up Figures 2 and 3 of JP’210);
a roller (9), which is fitted into the eccentric portion and eccentrically rotates with respect to a center of axis of the rotation shaft in the cylinder chamber (see Figures 2 and 3);
a flat blade (15), which advances or retracts in the cylinder chamber according to an eccentric rotation of the roller and partitions the cylinder chamber into the suction chamber (13) and the compression chamber (14) (see Figure 3, and claim); and
an injection flow channel (5, 18) branching from a cyclic circuit (see Figure 1, that shows the injection flow channel branching from a cyclic circuit), through which the refrigerant circulates (see Figure 1, and Page 2), and guiding a part of the refrigerant circulating through the cyclic circuit to the compression chamber (see Figure 1, and Page 2, where the refrigerant enters the compression chamber via (5)), wherein
the injection flow channel includes at least a blade groove (18) formed in a surface portion facing the compression chamber (see Figure 3), of side surface portions constituting a pair on the blade (see Marked up Figure 3 that shows that there are side surface portions that are a pair on the blade) and facing a circumferential direction with respect to the center of axis of the rotation shaft (see Figure 3), and
a surface on which the part of the refrigerant flows into the blade groove is flush with a surface discharging the part of the refrigerant from the blade groove to the compression chamber (see Figure 3).
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Regarding claim 2, JP ‘210 discloses: a compressor (see Figures 2 and 3 and claim that recites a compressor), comprising:
an annular cylinder (8) (see Figures 2 and 3), which constitutes a cylinder chamber (13, 14) including a suction chamber (13) for sucking a refrigerant and a compression chamber (14) for compressing the refrigerant (see Figure 3, Page 2);
a rotation shaft (see Marked up Figures 2 and 3 of JP’210), which includes an eccentric portion (see Marked up Figure 2 of JP’210) arranged in the cylinder chamber (see Marked up Figures 2 and 3 of JP’210);
a roller (9), which is fitted into the eccentric portion and eccentrically rotates with respect to a center of axis of the rotation shaft in the cylinder chamber (see Figures 2 and 3);
a substantially flat blade (15), which advances or retracts in the cylinder chamber according to an eccentric rotation of the roller and partitions the cylinder chamber into the suction chamber (13) and the compression chamber (14) (see Figure 3, and claim), wherein
the cylinder and the blade include an injection flow channel (see Marked up Figure 3 of JP’210) branching from a cyclic circuit (see Figure 1, that shows the injection flow channel branching from a cyclic circuit), through which the refrigerant circulates (see Figure 1, and Page 2), and guiding a part of the refrigerant circulating through the cyclic circuit to the compression chamber (see Figure 1, and Page 2, where the refrigerant enters the compression chamber via (5)),
the cylinder includes:
a blade hole (see Marked up Figure 3 of JP’210), which is open to an inner peripheral part (see Marked up Figure 3 of JP’210), extends outwardly along a diameter direction, and accommodates the blade (see Marked up Figure 3 of JP’210);
a spring (11) (see Marked up Figure 3 of JP’210), which presses the blade against the roller in the blade hole (see Figure 3, see claim); and
a spring insertion hole (see Marked up Figure 3 of JP’210) in which the spring is arranged (see Marked up Figure 3 of JP’210),
the injection flow channel includes:
a blade groove (see Marked up Figure 3 of JP’210) formed in a groove shape (see Marked up Figure 3 of JP’210 that shows the blade groove is in a groove shape) in a surface portion facing the compression chamber (see Marked up Figure 3 of JP’210), of side surface portions (see Marked up Figure 3 of JP’210) constituting a pair on the blade (see Marked up Figure 3 of JP’210) and facing a circumferential direction with respect to the center of axis of the rotation shaft (see Figure 3); and
a cylinder flow channel (see Marked up Figure 3 of JP’210) open to be communicable with the blade groove on a wall portion opposed to the surface portion facing the compression chamber of the blade in the blade hole (see Marked up Figure 3 of JP’210), and
the blade groove is arranged on the surface portion facing the compression chamber of the blade (see Marked up Figure 3 of JP’210) so as not to overlap with the spring insertion hole in the circumferential direction (see Figure 3. The Examiner would like to note that negative limitations do not have to be specifically recited in the prior art, but the prior art has to only show that the claimed negative feature is not there. In Figure 3 the spring insertion hole does not show that it overlaps in the circumferential direction).
Regarding claim 3, JP ‘210 discloses: an end portion in a retraction side of the blade in the blade groove does not reach an end surface portion in the retraction side of the blade (see Figure 3, where the Examiner would like to note that negative limitations do not have to be specifically recited in the prior art, but the prior art has to only show that the claimed negative feature is not there. JP’210 in Figure 3 appears that once in a retracted state a retraction side of the blade in the blade groove does not reach an end surface portion in the retraction side of the blade), and
in a state where the blade is most retracted with respect to the cylinder chamber in the blade hole, the end portion is located closer to the center of axis of the rotation shaft than the spring insertion hole is (see Figure 3, the Examiner would like to note that the end portion of the blade (i.e. the tip) will always be closer to the center axis of rotation shaft than the spring insertion hole, since the spring insertion hole is at the base of the blade).
Regarding claim 5, JP ‘210 discloses: the blade groove has a longitudinal side along an advancing/retracting direction in the blade hole (see Figure 2), and
a groove cross-section area of the blade groove (18) intersecting a longitudinal direction is approximately constant over the entire longitudinal direction (see Figure 2, where it is constant over the entire longitudinal direction).
Regarding claim 7, JP ‘210 discloses: the groove cross-section area of the blade groove (see Marked up Figure 2 of JP’210 that shows the groove cross-section area of the blade groove (length width), where the width is smaller than the aperture) is smaller than or equal to an aperture area of the aperture in the cylinder flow channel in the wall portion of the blade (see Marked up Figure 2 of JP’210 that shows groove cross-section area is smaller than the aperture area since the aperture area is the length times the width of the aperture. The Examiner would like to note that in addition to the aperture area including the wide section being wider and longer than the groove, the aperture also includes the smaller aperture that is connected to the larger aperture, that also has an area. The area of the entire aperture in the cylinder flow channel is larger than the groove.
Since a single figure (Figure 2) appears to show the necessary relative dimensions of a the groove cross-section area of the blade groove is smaller than or equal to an aperture area of the aperture in the cylinder flow channel in the wall portion of the blade (see discussion above), it is deemed inherent, absent evidence to the contrary, that the groove cross-section area of the blade groove is indeed smaller or equal to the aperture area. See MPEP 2112, V).
Regarding claim 9, JP ‘210 discloses: a refrigeration cycle device (see Figure 1), comprising:
the compressor of any one of claims 1 and 2 (see discussion above);
a condenser (2) connected to the compressor (1) (see Figure 1, Page 2);
an expansion device (3) connected to the condenser (see Figure 1, Page 2); and
an evaporator (4) (in Figure 1 the evaporator is labeled (5), however, Page 2 clarifies that the evaporator is connected to the expansion device and “sequentially connected to form a refrigeration cycle”) connected to the expansion device (see Figure 1, Page 2).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over JP ‘210 in view of MASAO (Chinese Patent Publication CN 104806522 A, a machine translation was provided with the foreign reference in the IDS filed on December 20, 2024 and is utilized in the rejection below).
Regarding claim 4, JP ‘210 discloses: the claimed invention (see above), however, fails to disclose multiple cylinders (JP’210 is a single cylinder compressor), and therefore, fails to disclose the rotation shaft includes the plurality of eccentric portions equidistantly arranged in the circumferential direction at intervals in a direction of the center of axis, and the cylinder includes the plurality of cylinder chambers each accommodating one of the plurality of eccentric portions, and while the rotation shaft rotates once, the compression chamber, the blade groove, and the cylinder flow channel are in communication with each other at an angle range smaller than an equidistant angle of the plurality of eccentric portions.
Regarding claim 4, MASAO teaches: the rotation shaft (see Marked up Figure 9 of MASAO) includes the plurality of eccentric portions (see Marked up Figure 9 of MASAO) equidistantly arranged in the circumferential direction at intervals in a direction of the center of axis (see Marked up Figure 9 of MASAO, ¶0046, ¶0048, since there are 2 cylinders they are offset by 180º), and
the cylinder includes the plurality of cylinder chambers (33a, 33b) (see Figure 10) each accommodating one of the plurality of eccentric portions (see Figures 9 and 10), and
while the rotation shaft rotates once, the compression chamber (33a), the blade groove (75a), and the cylinder flow channel (the cylinder flow channel is formed with (10)) are in communication with each other at an angle range smaller than an equidistant angle of the plurality of eccentric portions (see Figure 10 that shows at 180º the blade groove is closed, ¶0091-¶0094 discloses setting the coolant injection start and stop angles, since at 180º, which is the equidistant angle of the plurality of eccentric portions, since they are offset by 180º, is closed than it would be inherent that the cylinder flow channel are in communication with each other at an angle range smaller than an equidistant angle of the plurality of eccentric portions).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention was made to have multiple cylinders wherein the rotation shaft includes the plurality of eccentric portions equidistantly arranged in the circumferential direction at intervals in a direction of the center of axis, and the cylinder includes the plurality of cylinder chambers each accommodating one of the plurality of eccentric portions, and while the rotation shaft rotates once, the compression chamber, the blade groove, and the cylinder flow channel are in communication with each other at an angle range smaller than an equidistant angle of the plurality of eccentric portions in the compressor of JP ‘210, in order to provide the desired output, where increasing the number of cylinders allows for an increase in output due to two cylinders are providing compression instead of just a single cylinder.
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Additional Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
MORISHITA (Japanese Patent Publication JP 2012-251485 A) discloses a plurality of cylinders offset by 180º (see Figures 1 and 3) including an injection hole (146) and injection tube (144) (see Figures 3 and 4).
Communication
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MARY DAVIS whose telephone number is (571)272-9965. The examiner can normally be reached M-F, 8 am-4pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Essama Omgba can be reached at (469) 295-9278. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Mary A Davis/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3746