DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Status
This Office Action is in response to the remarks and amendments filed on {DATE}. The objections to the drawings have been withdrawn. The 35 USC 112 rejections have been withdrawn. Claims 1-7, 9-16, 18 remain pending for consideration on the merits.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 7/29/2026 was filed after the mailing date of the nonfinal action on 6/16/2026. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 1, 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kawaguchi et al (US 20230364980) as further in view of Yang et al (US 20240092145).
Regarding claim 1, Kawaguchi teaches a thermal management system (1), comprising: a refrigerant circuit (10) provided with a liquid refrigerant (41) and comprising a corresponding circuit (fig. 1) formed through a plurality of components among a compressor (42), a first heat exchanger (49), a condenser (43), a first evaporator (48) a first expansion valve (41c), a second expansion valve (47), and a third expansion valve (41a) according to needs; and a water circuit (60, 70, 80) provided with a cooling liquid (61, 62, 71, 72, 81, 82) and comprising a corresponding circuit formed through a plurality of components among the first heat exchanger (49), a first water pump (63), a first four-way valve (91), a second four-way valve (92), a battery assembly (84), a second water pump (87), a three-way valve (86) according to needs.
Kawaguchi teaches the invention as described above but fails to explicitly teach a refrigerant circuit provided with a second evaporator, a second heat exchanger and a water circuit provided with a drive assembly and the second heat exchanger.
However Yang teaches a refrigerant circuit provided with a second evaporator (131), a second heat exchanger (50) and a water circuit (20, 30, 40) provided with a drive assembly (41) and the second heat exchanger (50) to efficiently cool the engine module, the electric assembly module, and the battery module.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person skilled in the art before the effective filing date to modify the thermal management system of Kawaguchi to include a refrigerant circuit provided with a second evaporator, a second heat exchanger and a water circuit provided with a drive assembly and the second heat exchanger in view of the teachings of Yang to efficiently cool the engine module, the electric assembly module, and the battery module.
Regarding claim 10, the combined teachings teach a vehicle (paragraph 0028).
Claim(s) 9 and 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kawaguchi et al (US 20230364980) and Yang et al (US 20240092145) as applied to claim 1 and in further view of Lee et (US 20220055454).
Regarding claims 9 and 18, the combined teachings teach the invention as described above but fails to explicitly teach a first liquid storage apparatus communicated with the refrigerant circuit to replenish the refrigerant circuit; and/or a second liquid storage apparatus communicated with the water circuit to replenish the water circuit.
However, Lee teaches a second liquid storage apparatus (530) communicated with the water circuit to replenish the water circuit (paragraph 0057) to replenish insufficient cooling water on the cooling water line.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person skilled in the art before the effective filing date to modify the thermal management system of the combined teachings to include a second liquid storage apparatus communicated with the water circuit to replenish the water circuit in view of the teachings of Lee to efficiently cool the engine module, the electric assembly module, and the battery module.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-7, 11-16 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.
Regarding claims 2 and 11, the combined teachings teach the invention as described above but fails to explicitly teach an air conditioner main unit comprising a first heat exchange air duct, a second heat exchange air duct and a circulating air duct, wherein: the first heat exchange air duct is provided with a condenser, a first air inlet end and a first air outlet end, the first air inlet end comprises a first air inlet communicated with a circulating air inlet and a second air inlet communicated with an outside of a vehicle, and the first air outlet end is respectively communicated with a first air outlet communicated with an inside of the vehicle and a second air outlet communicated with the outside of the vehicle; the second heat exchange air duct is provided with the first evaporator, a second air inlet end and a second air outlet end, the second air inlet end comprises a third air inlet communicated with the circulating air inlet and a fourth air outlet communicated with the outside of the vehicle, and the second air outlet end is respectively communicated with a third air outlet communicated with the inside of the vehicle and the fourth air outlet communicated with the outside of the vehicle; and the circulating air duct is configured to recycle an air after heat exchange through the first heat exchange air duct and circulate the air to the first air inlet.
However, Frykberg teaches an air conditioner main unit (1) comprising a first heat exchange air duct (arrow into 22b), a second heat exchange air duct (arrow into 22a) and a circulating air duct (19), wherein: the first heat exchange air duct is provided with the condenser (4b), a first air inlet end and a first air outlet end (arrows, fig 1a-1c), the first air inlet end comprises a first air inlet (arrow into 4b) communicated with a circulating air inlet (from 19 into 4b) and a second air inlet (arrow into 22b) communicated with an outside of a vehicle (E), and the first air outlet end is respectively communicated with a first air outlet (fig. 1a-1c) communicated with an inside of the vehicle; the second heat exchange air duct is provided with the first evaporator (4a), a second air inlet end and a second air outlet end (arrows, fig. 1a-1c), the second air inlet end comprises a third air inlet (from 19 to 4a) communicated with the circulating air inlet and the circulating air duct is configured to recycle an air after heat exchange through the first heat exchange air duct and circulate the air to the first air inlet (fig. 1a-1c) in contrast to the claimed features of a second air outlet communicated with the outside of the vehicle; a fourth air outlet communicated with the outside of the vehicle, and the second air outlet end is respectively communicated with a third air outlet communicated with the inside of the vehicle and the fourth air outlet communicated with the outside of the vehicle.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed the reply have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
In response to applicant's argument that the references fail to show certain features of the invention, it is noted that the features upon which applicant relies (i.e., the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger of the present application are physically isolated and free from mutual interference, the second heat exchanger of the present application is connected to the high- pressure branch of high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant at the compressor outlet and the second heat exchanger of the present application is only connected to a single battery coolant circuit without being fluidly coupled to any of a motor coolant path, an engine coolant path or a radiator coolant path) are not recited in the rejected claim(s). Although the claims are interpreted in light of the specification, limitations from the specification are not read into the claims. See In re Van Geuns, 988 F.2d 1181, 26 USPQ2d 1057 (Fed. Cir. 1993). Therefore, Applicant's arguments are not persuasive and the rejection is maintained.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ELIZABETH J MARTIN whose telephone number is (571)270-3840. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30-3:00 CT pm M-F.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
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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/ELIZABETH J MARTIN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3763
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