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 § 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.
Claims 1-3, 9 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kageyama Masayoshi (JPH06351091A), hereinafter Masayoshi.
As to Claim 1, Masayoshi teaches a speaker apparatus ( Figures 1, 3, 4) comprising: a housing ( hollow box 3); a transducer ( speaker body 2, Figure 1) inside the housing ( hollow box 3) and configured to generate sound waves( woofer speaker for low frequency range reproduction, page 2, [0007]); and an acoustic structure ( ducts 5, 6, 7, duct 6 has long path and is formed in a meandering manner, [0007]) inside the housing ( hollow box 3) and including a plurality of resonant passages( ducts 5 to 7 have mutually different resonance frequency and sound pressure. See at least abstract.) each resonant passage of the plurality of resonant passages having an opening facing toward the transducer (ducts 5, 6 and 7 are provided in front of the speaker body 2, [0007], Figures 1, 3 and 4) so that the sound waves enter the opening and travel along the resonant passage, The shielding plates 18, 19, 20 provided with through holes 18a, 19a, 20a having the same shape as the sectional shape of are used. Duct 1. When only 5 is opened, the through hole 18a provided in the shielding plate 18 is aligned with the opening 15a of the duct 15. The shield plate 18 is superposed on the duct opening surface 14. By the shield plate 18, the openings 16a, 17a of the ducts 16, 17 are formed. Is closed and only the duct 15 is opened through the through hole 18a of the shielding plate 18. Similarly, when only the duct 16 is opened, the shield plate 19 is overlapped with the duct opening surface 14 to close the openings 15a and 17a of the ducts 15 and 17. Similarly, when only the duct 17 is opened, the shield plate 20. Is overlapped with the duct opening surface, and the openings 15a, 16a of the ducts 15, 16 are closed. The shielding plate 18 shown in FIG. Although 19 and 20 are provided with only one through hole, a plurality of through holes may be provided so that the openings of a plurality of ducts can be opened. See at least page 4, [[002]- [0008].
As to Claim 2, Kageyama Masayoshi teaches the limitations of Claim 1, and wherein the housing (hollow box 3) includes: a first housing (Figure 4) including an accommodating space in which the transducer (speaker 2) and the acoustic structure (ducts 5-7) are accommodated (abstract), and a second housing covering one side of the first housing and including a slot facing the transducer to connect the accommodating space to outside of the housing, Masayoshi teaches IG. 4 is a plan view showing a speaker device 21 of still another embodiment of the present invention. Also in this embodiment, the top plate 1a is removed so that the internal structure of the speaker device 21 can be easily understood. The speaker device 21 shown in FIG. 4 is similar to the speaker device 11 shown in FIG. 3, and the same reference numerals are given to corresponding parts. The difference from the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 is that the throttle valves 22, 23, 24 are used as cylinder switching means for closing or opening the ducts 15, 16, 17 respectively. Flat plates 22a, 23a, 24a having the same shape as the sectional shape of the openings of the ducts 15, 16, 17 are provided at the tips of the throttle valves 22, 23, 24. Handles 22b, 23b, 24b of the throttle valves 22, 23, 24, by rotating the flat plates 22a, 23a, 24a rotate in conjunction with each other, and ducts 15, 16, 17. One end of can be closed or open. In Figure 4. See at least page 4, [0010] lines 1-12.
As to Claim 3, Kageyama Masayoshi teaches the limitations of Claim 1, and wherein at least on resonant passage of the plurality of resonant passages includes a bent portion, (duct 6 has a long path and is formed in meandering manner, page 2, [0007] line 14.
As to Claim 9, Kageyama Masayoshi, wherein the acoustic structure is an acoustic meta-material (AMM), Kageyama teaches the duct 6 has a long path and is formed in a meandering manner so that the space can be effectively used. Further, in this embodiment, the cross-sectional area of each duct is formed such that the duct 5, the duct 6, and the duct 7 become larger in this order. The ducts 5, 6, shown in FIG.
Although 7 has a square tube shape, it may have another polygonal tube shape or a cylindrical shape, since according to the definition of acoustic meta-materials, acoustic meta-materials are architected materials ... designed to manipulate sound waves in ways not possible with natural materials. They can be engineered to have negative effective parameters (like negative bulk modulus or density), create band gaps, or achieve effects such as cloaking, focusing, or trapping of sound These materials are not just passive ducts; they are designed at the micro- or nano-scale to control wave propagation through tailored geometry and material properties. (Acoustic metamaterial - Wikipedia)
As to Claim 10, Kageyama Masayoshi teaches the limitations of Claim 1, and wherein the housing ( speaker box 3) includes: a first housing( 13 to accommodate speaker 2, abstract), and a second housing( top plate 1a) coupled to the first housing( speaker box 3), the transducer( speaker 2) is on an inner surface of the first housing ( speaker box 3), and each resonant passage of the plurality of resonant passages extends along the inner surface of the first housing in a direction away from the transducer and includes a meander shape having a plurality of bent portions, (ducts 5, 6 and 7 are provided in front of the speaker body 2, [0007], Figures 1, 3 and 4) so that the sound waves enter the opening and travel along the resonant passage, The shielding plates 18, 19, 20 provided with through holes 18a, 19a, 20a having the same shape as the sectional shape of are used. Duct 1. When only 5 is opened, the through hole 18a provided in the shielding plate 18 is aligned with the opening 15a of the duct 15. The shield plate 18 is superposed on the duct opening surface 14. By the shield plate 18, the openings 16a, 17a of the ducts 16, 17 are formed. Is closed and only the duct 15 is opened through the through hole 18a of the shielding plate 18. Similarly, when only the duct 16 is opened, the shield plate 19 is overlapped with the duct opening surface 14 to close the openings 15a and 17a of the ducts 15 and 17. Similarly, when only the duct 17 is opened, the shield plate 20. Is overlapped with the duct opening surface, and the openings 15a, 16a of the ducts 15, 16 are closed. The shielding plate 18 shown in FIG. Although 19 and 20 are provided with only one through hole, a plurality of through holes may be provided so that the openings of a plurality of ducts can be opened. See at least page 4, [[002]- [0008].
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.
1. Claims 6 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kageyama Masayoshi (JPJ06351091A), hereinafter Masayoshi in view of Kim (US5822443).
As to Claim 6, Kageyama Masayoshi teaches the limitations of Claim 1, and further comprising: a buffer section between the transducer and the opening of each resonant passage of the plurality of resonant passages. However, Kim in related field (speaker system ) teaches on col. 4 lines 31-50, Figures 5 and 6 a speaker 10, a front amplifying member 200 and a rear amplifying member 300. One end of the front amplifying member 200 is fastened to the front surface of the speaker 10, and an amplifying part 200a is defined in the front amplifying member 200 to amplify sound waves radiated forward of the speaker 10. One end of the rear amplifying member 300 is fastened to the rear surface of the speaker 10 to amplify a portion of the sound waves radiated rearward of the speaker 10. A cushioning member 220 is disposed between the front amplifying member 200 and the speaker 10. The cushioning member 220 has a through hole 220a. In this embodiment of the present invention, it is preferable that the through hole 220a has the same size as the speaker cone. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention to further include a buffer section (amplifying member 200) of Kim to amplify sound waves radiated from the speaker.
As to Claim 7, Kageyama Masayoshi in view of Kim teaches the limitations of Claim 6 and further comprising: an auxiliary sound absorbing material in the buffer section, a cushioning member 220 is disposed between the front amplifying member 200 and the speaker 10. The cushioning member 220 has a through hole 220a. See at least Kim on col. 4 lines 45-50.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-5, 8 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SUNITA JOSHI whose telephone number is (571)270-7227. The examiner can normally be reached 8-3.
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/SUNITA JOSHI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2691
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