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 .
This Office action is in response to the application filed 01/02/2025. Claims 1-20 are pending.
Specification
The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
Claim Objections
Claim 7 objected to because of the following informalities: Claim 7 recites “he” in the last line and should be –the--. Appropriate correction is required
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.
Claim(s) 1 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yamashita (US PG Pub. 2016/0146496).
Regarding claim 1, Yamashita discloses a flow reversing device for a heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVACR) system (Fig. 10) having a heat exchanger (71), the flow reversing device comprising: a first flow control device (73a), a second flow control device (73d), a third flow control device (73c), and a fourth flow control device (73b), each flow control device being a two-way flow control device (valves 73a-73d having an inlet and outlet port); wherein a first port of the first flow control device (73a) and a first port of the third flow control device (73c) connect to a fluid inlet (5a), a first port of the second flow control device (73d) and a first port of the fourth flow control device (73b) connect to a fluid outlet (5b), a second port of the first flow control device (73a) and a second port of the second flow control device (73d) connect to a first port of the heat exchanger (71), a second port of the third flow control device (73c) and a second port of the fourth flow control device (73b) connect to a second port of the heat exchanger (71), when the first flow control device and the fourth flow control device are opened and the second flow control device and the third flow control device are closed, a first flow is formed from the fluid inlet, the first port and the second port of the first flow control device, the first port and the second port of the heat exchanger, the second port and the first port of the fourth flow control device, to the fluid outlet (paragraph 107), when the second flow control device and the third flow control device are opened and the first flow control device and the fourth flow control device are closed, a second flow is formed from the fluid inlet, the first port and the second port of the third flow control device, the second port and the first port of the heat exchanger, the second port and the first port of the second flow control device, to the fluid outlet (paragraph 108).
Regarding claim 20, Yamashita discloses a heat pump unit, comprising: the flow reversing device of claim 1; and the heat exchanger (71), wherein the heat exchanger has a first heat exchange side (side communicating with working fluid circuit 60) and a second heat exchange side (side communicating with inlet 5a and outlet 5b), the first heat exchange side is a working fluid side (working fluid 60), the flow reversing device (73a-73d) is located at the second heat exchange side, when the heat pump unit is in a cooling mode, the flow reversing device forms the first flow (paragraph 107); and when the heat pump unit is in a heating mode, the flow reversing device forms the second flow (paragraph 108).
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.
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.
Claim(s) 7-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamashita (US PG Pub. 2016/0146496) in view of Kim et al. (US PG Pub. 2020/0309392).
Regarding claim 7, Yamashita discloses the flow reversing device of claim 1, wherein the first flow control device (73a) and the third flow control device (73c) form a first three-way flow control device through a branch line (branch between 5a, 72a), the second flow control device (73d) and the fourth flow control device (73b) form a second three-way flow control device through a second branch line (branch between 5b, 72b), each of the first three-way branch line and the second three-way branch line includes a first end, a second end, and a third end, the first end and the second end extend in a same direction different from a direction in which the third end extends (Fig. 10), the first end of the first three-way branch line connects to the fluid inlet (5a), and the first flow control device (73a) and the third flow control device (73c) respectively connect to the second end and the third end of the first three-way branch; the first end of the second three-way branch connects to the fluid outlet (5b), and the second flow control device (73d) and the fourth flow control device (73b) respectively connect to the third end and the second end of the second three-way branch line.
Yamashita does not explicitly teach the branch lines are formed through first and second three-way connectors.
Kim teaches the concept of an air conditioning apparatus having branched refrigerant lines connected using a first three-way connector (133) and a second three-way connector (134) that allows the flow to branch and be controlled by the switching valves (paragraph 136) to control the flow of refrigerant in the system leading to expected results. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to modify the flow reversing device of Yamashita to have the branch lines formed through first and second three-way connectors taught by Kim in order to utilize well-known connectors to connect the flow control valves in order to control the flow of refrigerant depending on the heating or cooling needs of the system.
Regarding claim 8, Yamashita as modified discloses the flow reversing device of claim 7, wherein the first flow control device (73a) and the fourth flow control device (73b) respectively connect to the first port and the second port of the heat exchanger (71) through a first three-way pipeline (pipeline with 27) and a second three-way pipeline (pipeline with 28), the first three-way pipeline and the second flow control device (73d) are connected through a first bent pipe (bent pipe connection between 16 and 73d), and the second three-way pipeline (pipeline with 28) and the third flow control device (73c) are connected through a second bent pipe (bent pipe connection between 28 and 73c), wherein the first bent pipe and the second bent pipe are not in a plane where the fluid inlet (5a) and the fluid outlet (5b) are located (Fig. 10).
Regarding claim 9, Yamashita as modified discloses the flow reversing device of claim 7, wherein the first flow control device (73a) and the fourth flow control device (73b) respectively connect to the first port and the second port of the heat exchanger (71) through a first three-way pipeline (pipeline with 27) and a second three-way pipeline (pipeline with 28), the first three-way pipeline and the second flow control device (73d) are connected through a first bent pipe (Fig. 10), the second three-way pipeline and the third flow control device (73c) are connected through a second bent pipe (Fig. 10), the first bent pipe is not in a plane where the fluid inlet (5a) and the fluid outlet (5b) are located, and the second bent pipe is located in the plane where the fluid inlet (5a) and the fluid outlet (5b) are located (Fig. 10).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-6, 10-19 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The prior art does not anticipate nor render obvious the combination set forth in the independent claims, and specifically does not show "a rod of the first flow control device, a rod of the second flow control device, a rod of the third flow control device, and a rod of the fourth flow control device are disposed on a same plane and are connected through a connecting mechanism"; “wherein the first end of the first three-way connector extends in a direction different from a direction in which the fluid inlet extends, and the first end of the second three-way connector extends in a same direction in which the fluid outlet extends”; “the first end and the second end extends in a same direction different from a direction in which the third end extends, the third end of the first three-way connector connects to the fluid inlet, and the first flow control device and the third flow control device symmetrically connect to the first end and the second end of the first three-way connector respectively; the third end of the second three-way connector connect to the fluid outlet, and the second flow control device and the fourth flow control device symmetrically connect to the first end and the second end of the second three-way connector respectively”; “the first flow control device and the second flow control device form a first three-way flow control device through a first three-way connector, the third flow control device and the fourth flow control device form a second three-way flow control device through a second three-way connector, the first flow control device and the third flow control device connect through a third three-way connector, the first three-way connector, the second three-way connector and the third three-way connector each includes a first end, a second end and a third end, the first end and the second end extend in a same direction different from a direction in which the third end extends, the first flow control device and the second flow control device respectively connect to the third end and the first end of the first three-way connector, and the second end of the first three-way connector connect to the first port of the heat exchanger”; “wherein the first flow control device and the second flow control device form a first three-way flow control device through a first three-way connector, the third flow control device and the fourth flow control device form a second three-way flow control device through a second three-way connector, the first flow control device and the third flow control device connect through a third three-way connector, the first three-way connector, the second three-way connector and the third three-way connector each includes a first end, a second end and a third end, the first end and the second end extend in a same direction different from a direction in which the third end extends, the first flow control device and the second flow control device respectively connect to the third end and the first end of the first three-way connector, and the second end of the first three-way connector connect to the first port of the heat exchanger; the third flow control device and the fourth flow control device respectively connect to the third end and the first end of the second three-way connector”. The closest prior art of record discloses first, second, third and fourth flow control devices, but not further including the particular arrangement as claimed. Although it is well known to provide branch lines between inlet and outlet refrigerant lines, there is no teaching in the prior art of record that would, reasonably and absent impermissible hindsight, motivate one having ordinary skill in the art to modify the teachings of the prior art to incorporate the combination of technical features in the arrangement as claimed above.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOSEPH F TRPISOVSKY whose telephone number is (571)270-5296. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 8AM-4PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jerry-Daryl Fletcher can be reached at (571) 270-5054. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JOSEPH F TRPISOVSKY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3763
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