DETAILED ACTION
Information Disclosure Statement
1. The information disclosure statements submitted are being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
2. 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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
3. Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Voishvillo, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011/0085692 (hereinafter Voishvillo).
Regarding claim 1, Voishvillo discloses a dual compression driver (from Figure 4, see 400), comprising:
a first driver assembly including a first motor assembly (from Figure 4, see 236) disposed about a central axis (from Figure 4, see 112) at a first end of the dual compression driver and a front phasing plug (from Figure 2, see 202) disposed coaxially below the first motor assembly, the front phasing plug including a first input side (see Figure 6) oriented toward the first motor assembly and a first output side (see Figure 8) oriented away from the first motor assembly, the front phasing plug including a first plurality of apertures (from Figure 6, see 620) extending therethrough, the first motor assembly including a first annular magnet (from Figure 4, see 482) and a first pole piece (from Figure 4, see 484) disposed coaxially above the first annular magnet at the first end of the dual compression driver, the first pole piece having a central conduit therethrough having an inner surface (from Figure 5, see 570);
a second driver assembly including a second motor assembly (from Figure 2, see 246) disposed about the central axis at a second end of the dual compression driver and a rear phasing plug (from Figure 2, see 212) disposed coaxially above the second motor assembly, the rear phasing plug including a second input side (see Figure 10) oriented toward the second motor assembly and a second output side (see Figure 11) oriented away from the second motor assembly, the rear phasing plug including a second plurality of apertures (from Figure 10, see 1020) extending therethrough; and
a central insert (from Figure 2, see 218) having a bottom end configured to be mounted to the second output side, the central insert configured to be received in the central conduit and having a top end (from Figure 2, see 222) extending toward the first end of the dual compression driver, wherein the inner surface of the central conduit and an outer surface of the central insert form an annular pathway terminating at an annular exit at the first end inboard from the first annular magnet (see Figure 5), wherein acoustical signals from the first plurality of apertures merge with acoustical signals from the second plurality of apertures between the first output side and the second output side and radiate radially inward to the annular pathway and through the annular exit (see paragraph 0067).
Regarding claim 2, Voishvillo discloses the dual compression driver of claim 1, wherein the rear phasing plug includes a rear base portion and an insert mounting portion extending upwardly therefrom on the second output side for mounting the bottom end of the central insert (see Figure 11).
Regarding claim 3, Voishvillo discloses the dual compression driver of claim 1, wherein the front phasing plug includes a front base portion and a front mounting portion extending upwardly therefrom on the first input side for mounting to the first pole piece (see Figure 6).
Regarding claim 4, Voishvillo discloses the dual compression driver of claim 1, wherein a diameter of the bottom end of the central insert is smaller than a diameter of the top end of the central insert (see paragraph 0057).
Regarding claim 5, Voishvillo discloses the dual compression driver of claim 1, wherein the inner surface of the central conduit and the outer surface of the central insert are curvilinear (see Figure 5).
Regarding claim 6, Voishvillo discloses the dual compression driver of claim 1, wherein the annular pathway expands from the bottom end of the central insert to the top end of the central insert (see Figure 4).
Regarding claim 7, Voishvillo discloses the dual compression driver of claim 1, wherein a diameter of a lower end of the central conduit is smaller than a diameter of an upper end of the central conduit (see paragraph 0057).
Regarding claim 8, Voishvillo discloses the dual compression driver of claim 1, wherein the central insert is hollow (see Figure 6).
Regarding claim 9, Voishvillo discloses the dual compression driver of claim 1, wherein the second motor assembly includes a second annular magnet (from Figure 4, see 492) and a second pole piece (from Figure 4, see 494) disposed coaxially below the second annular magnet and forming the second end of the dual compression driver.
Regarding claim 10, Voishvillo discloses the dual compression driver of claim 9, wherein the second input side includes a rear mounting portion configured to be received by the second pole piece (see Figure 10).
Regarding claim 11, Voishvillo discloses the dual compression driver of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of apertures and the second plurality of apertures are each arranged generally circumferentially about the central axis (see Figure 2).
Regarding claim 12, Voishvillo discloses the dual compression driver of claim 11, wherein the first plurality of apertures and the second plurality of apertures each have a zig zag configuration around the central axis (see Figure 2).
Regarding claim 13, Voishvillo discloses the dual compression driver of claim 1, wherein the first output side (see Figure 8) includes a first plurality of radial channels extending inwardly from the first plurality of apertures, and the second output side (see Figure 11) includes a second plurality of radial channels extending inwardly from the second plurality of apertures, the first plurality of radial channels and the second plurality of radial channels forming part of a shared acoustic path for the merged acoustical signals toward the annular pathway.
Regarding claim 14, Voishvillo discloses the dual compression driver of claim 1, further comprising a first annular diaphragm (from Figure 2, see 230) disposed coaxially below and operably connected to the first motor assembly, and a second annular diaphragm (from Figure 2, see 240) disposed coaxially above and operably connected to the second motor assembly (see Figure 2).
Regarding claim 15, Voishvillo discloses a dual compression driver (from Figure 4, see 400), comprising:
a first driver assembly including a first motor assembly (from Figure 4, see 236) disposed about a central axis (from Figure 4, see 112) at a first end of the dual compression driver and a front phasing plug (from Figure 2, see 202) disposed coaxially below the first motor assembly, the front phasing plug including a first plurality of apertures (from Figure 6, see 620) extending therethrough, the first motor assembly including a first annular magnet (from Figure 4, see 482) and a first pole piece (from Figure 4, see 484) disposed coaxially above the first annular magnet at the first end of the dual compression driver, the first pole piece having a central conduit therethrough having an inner surface, the front phasing plug including a front base portion and a front mounting portion extending upwardly therefrom for mounting to the first pole piece;
a second driver assembly including a second motor assembly (from Figure 4, see 246) disposed about the central axis at a second end of the dual compression driver and a rear phasing plug (from Figure 2, see 212) disposed coaxially above the second motor assembly, the rear phasing plug including a second plurality of apertures (from Figure 10, see 1020) extending therethrough, the rear phasing plug including a rear base portion and an insert mounting portion extending upwardly therefrom (see Figure 10); and
a central insert (from Figure 2, see 218) having a bottom end configured to be mounted to the insert mounting portion, the central insert configured to be received in the central conduit and having a top end (from Figure 2, see 222) extending toward the first end of the dual compression driver, wherein the inner surface of the central conduit and an outer surface of the central insert form an annular pathway terminating at an annular exit at the first end inboard from the first annular magnet (see Figure 5), wherein acoustical signals from the first plurality of apertures merge with acoustical signals from the second plurality of apertures between the front phasing plug and the rear phasing plug and radiate radially inward to the annular pathway and through the annular exit (see paragraph 0067).
Regarding claim 16, Voishvillo discloses a transducer, comprising:
a dual compression driver (from Figure 4, see 400) including a first driver assembly including a first motor assembly (from Figure 4, see 236) disposed about a central axis (from Figure 4, see 112) at a first end of the dual compression driver and a front phasing plug (from Figure 2, see 202) disposed coaxially below the first motor assembly, the front phasing plug including a first input side (see Figure 6) oriented toward the first motor assembly and a first output side (see Figure 8) oriented away from the first motor assembly, the front phasing plug including a first plurality of apertures (from Figure 6, see 620) extending therethrough, the first motor assembly including a first annular magnet (from Figure 4, see 482) and a first pole piece (from Figure 4, see 484) disposed coaxially above the first annular magnet at the first end of the dual compression driver, the first pole piece having a central conduit therethrough having an inner surface (from Figure 5, see 570);
a second driver assembly including a second motor assembly (from Figure 2, see 246) disposed about the central axis at a second end of the dual compression driver and a rear phasing plug (from Figure 2, see 212) disposed coaxially above the second motor assembly, the rear phasing plug including a second input side (see Figure 10) oriented toward the second motor assembly and a second output side (see Figure 11) oriented away from the second motor assembly, the rear phasing plug including a second plurality of apertures (from Figure 10, see 1020) extending therethrough; and
a central insert (from Figure 2, see 218) having a bottom end configured to be mounted to the second output side, the central insert configured to be received in the central conduit and having a top end (from Figure 2, see 222) extending toward the first end of the dual compression driver, wherein the inner surface of the central conduit and an outer surface of the central insert form an annular pathway terminating at an annular exit at the first end inboard from the first annular magnet (see Figure 5), wherein acoustical signals from the first plurality of apertures merge with acoustical signals from the second plurality of apertures between the first output side and the second output side and radiate radially inward to the annular pathway and through the annular exit (see paragraph 0067); and
a waveguide (from Figure 1A, see 108) disposed on a top surface of the first pole piece, the waveguide having an annular inlet adjacent to the annular exit of the dual compression driver.
Regarding claim 17, Voishvillo discloses the transducer of claim 16, wherein the waveguide includes a rectangular outlet (see Figure 1).
Regarding claim 18, Voishvillo discloses the transducer of claim 16, wherein the rear phasing plug includes a rear base portion and an insert mounting portion extending upwardly therefrom on the second output side mounting the bottom end of the central insert (see Figure 11).
Regarding claim 19, Voishvillo disclose the transducer of claim 16, wherein the front phasing plug includes a front base portion and a front mounting portion extending upwardly therefrom on the first input side for mounting to the first pole piece (see Figure 6).
Regarding claim 20, Voishvillo discloses the transducer of claim 16, wherein the first output side (see Figure 8) includes a first plurality of radial channels extending inwardly from the first plurality of apertures, and the second output side (see Figure 11) includes a second plurality of radial channels extending inwardly from the second plurality of apertures, the first plurality of radial channels and the second plurality of radial channels forming part of a shared acoustic path for the merged acoustical signals toward the annular pathway.
Conclusion
4. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to OLISA ANWAH whose telephone number is 571-272-7533. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Friday from 8.30 AM to 6 PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Carolyn Edwards can be reached on 571-270-7136. The fax phone numbers for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned are 571-273-8300 for regular communications and 571-273-8300 for After Final communications.
Any inquiry of a general nature or relating to the status of this application or proceeding should be directed to the receptionist whose telephone number is 571-272-2600.
/OLISA ANWAH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2692
Olisa Anwah
Patent Examiner
June 24, 2026
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