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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 01/10/2025 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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 1-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wada et al.
Wada et al. (JP 2005-156748 A) discloses (see annotated Figure 12):
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Regarding claim 1, a projection system (Figure 12, element 51) comprising: a projector body (Figure 12, element 8) configured to project modulated light (Figure 12, element 10) frontward; a channel (Figure 12, element A) configured to guide air exhausted (Figure 12, element 58) from the projector body (Figure 12, element 8); a fan (Figure 12, element 54) configured to cause the air in the channel (Figure 12, element A) to flow; and a housing (Figure 12, element 2) configured to house the projector body (Figure 12, element 8), the channel (Figure 12, element 55), and the fan (Figure 12, element 54), wherein the channel (Figure 12, element A) includes an outflow port (Figure 12, element 9) via which the air is discharged out of the housing (Figure 12, element 2), the housing (Figure 12, element 2) includes a projection section (Figure 12, element 7) through which the light projected from the projector body (Figure 12, element 8) passes, an intake section (Figure 12, element 6) configured to take in air (Figure 12, element 59) outside the housing (Figure 12, element 2), and an exhaust section (Figure 12, element 8a) that overlaps with the outflow port (Figure 12, element 9) when viewed in an air delivering direction of the fan (Figure 12, element 54) and is configured to exhaust the air exhausted via the outflow port (Figure 12, element 9) out of the housing (Figure 12, element 2), and the projection section (Figure 12, element 7), the intake section (Figure 12, element 6), and the exhaust section (Figure 12, element 8a) are all provided at a frontward facing surface of the housing (clearly illustrated in Figure 12).
Regarding claim 2, the fan (Figure 12, element 54) causes the air to flow along an outer surface of the projector body (Figure 12, element 8) in an exterior of the channel (Figure 12, element B) in addition to an interior of the channel (Figure 12, element A).
Regarding claim 3, the fan (Figure 12, element 54) overlaps with the projector body (Figure 12, element 8) when viewed in the air (Figure 12, element 56) delivering direction of the fan (Figure 12, element 54).
Regarding claim 4, a heat generator (Figure 12, element 24) that is housed in the housing (Figure 12, element 2) and is an element different from the projector body (Figure 12, element 8), wherein an air delivery path that extends along an outer surface of the projector body (Figure 12, element 8) from the intake section (Figure 12, element 6) to a suction section of the fan (Figure 12, element 54) is provided in the housing (Figure 12, element 2), and the heat generator (Figure 12, element 24) is disposed in the air delivery path (Figure 12, element 56).
Regarding claim 5, the outflow port (Figure 12, element 9) is located at a position shifted frontward from an intake port (Figure 12, element 6) of the projector body (Figure 12, element 8).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Saeki (JP 2009-080146 A) discloses a projector having a light modulator, which modulates a light beam emitted from a light source e.g. LED, based on an input drive signal. A drive circuit outputs the drive signal to the light modulator. A projection lens projects video light modulated in the light modulator from an outer peripheral surface of a projector main body. An exhaust port discharges an inlet port that takes external air by a cooling fan. The inlet port and the exhaust port are formed in a periphery part of the projection lens.
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/MAGDA CRUZ/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2882
09/05/2026
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