DETAILED ACTION
This Non-Final Office Action is in response to the claims filed on 1/6/2025.
Claims 21-23 are currently pending.
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 .
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.
Claim(s) 21-23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Blanks (US 2020/0263641) in further view of Williams (US 2020/0189362).
As to claim 21 Blanks discloses an air intake system (fig. 1) for an internal combustion engine (figure 1), the air intake system comprising:
a cold air intake for receiving cold air (figure 1 #12);
a tube for directing filtered air to an internal combustion engine (shown but not labeled in figure 1);
an airbox (figure 26 #24h) having an airbox aperture (figure 26 #76h), the airbox adapted to receive and secure a conically-tapered filter (figure 11), the airbox configured to accept cold air from the cold air intake, direct the air though a filter, and provide filtered air through the tube leading to the internal combustion engine (figure 1); and,
a removable window assembly (figure 26 #28h) configured to be received by and releasably attach to the airbox aperture (figure 26 #76h) of the airbox,
wherein the window assembly comprises:
a window housing comprising a window frame (84h) and a transparent window, the window frame (84h) surrounding the transparent window;
a first type of magnetic material secured to the window frame (80h); and,
the airbox further comprises a second type of magnetic material (78h) secured proximal to a perimeter of the airbox aperture of the airbox, the first type of magnetic material being magnetically attracted to the second type of magnetic material.
Blanks discloses the claims invention except the window (84h) being transparent.
Williams discloses a air intake box with an inspection window (figure 2 #148) that window being transparent (paragraph 0034). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to use the transparent window in place of the solid window of Blanks to offer a means of inspection as disclosed in paragraph 0034.
As to claim 22 Blanks discloses the air intake system for the internal combustion engine of claim 21 including the magnetic material on both the window side and the airbox side. However is silent to the plurality of magnets on each side as described below.
the first type of magnetic material secured to the window frame comprises a plurality of discrete magnets secured to the window frame; and,
the second type of magnetic material secured proximal to the perimeter of the airbox aperture comprises a plurality of metal plugs formed proximal to the perimeter of the airbox aperture;
wherein each metal plug of a plurality of the metal plugs formed on the airbox are positioned to align with and magnetically attract a corresponding discrete magnet of the plurality of discrete magnets when the airbox receives and secures the window assembly in place.
Williams discloses the airbox (figure 2) including the window (148) and frame (146) both including a plurality of fasteners (147) securing the window frame to the airbox. Since it is known in the art at the time of filing, according to the art of Blanks, to use magnets to secure the window to the airbox for easy interchangeability, functionality and filter maintenance (paragraph 0002). It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filling to replace the plurality of fasteners (147) around the perimeter of Williams window (figure 2) with a plurality of magnets for the same purpose as described in Blanks paragraph 0002.
As to claim 23 Blanks discloses the air intake system for the internal combustion engine of claim wherein the window frame (figure 26 #84) is opaque (not see thru).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SHERMAN D MANLEY whose telephone number is (571)270-5539. The examiner can normally be reached M-TH 7-5:30 est.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Phutthiwat Wongwian can be reached at 571-270-5426. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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SHERMAN D. MANLEY
Examiner
Art Unit 3747
/SHERMAN D MANLEY/Examiner, Art Unit 3747
/LOGAN M KRAFT/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3747
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