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 11/13/2025, 7/1/2026 was filed after the mailing date of the application on 3/18/2025. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(4) because reference character “30” has been used to designate both the first heating unit (paragraph 0064-0065) and the third heating unit (paragraph 0071). Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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 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.
Claim(s) 1, 9, 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Cho et al (CN 113195989).
Regarding claim 1, Cho teaches a heat pump (160, 170, 130) comprising: a housing (100) including a base (140, 150); a guide (133, 50) provided inside the housing and configured to guide water; and a drain plug (135) detachably mountable on the base; wherein the drain plug includes: a drain body (body of 135) forming a drain passage (interior of 135); a through hole (fig. 7, water passes through 135 to the bottom of 135 to 10 to 50) passing through the drain body, the through hole configured to guide water of the base to the drain passage while the drain plug is mounted on the base (pg. 8, paragraph 6); and a guide connection portion (annotated fig. below) extending from the drain body and connectable to the guide (fig. 2 illustrates 133 is connected to upper end of 135), the guide connection portion configured to guide water of the guide to the drain passage while the drain plug is mounted on the base and the guide connection portion is connected to the guide (fig. 2 and 7, pg. 8, paragraph 6).
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Regarding claim 9, Cho teaches the guide connection portion further includes a contact protrusion (annotated fig. below) configured to contact an inner surface of the guide (fig. 2).
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Regarding claim 11, Cho teaches a heat exchanger (130); and a water tank (132) disposed inside the housing and configured to store water heat-exchanged by the heat exchanger, wherein the guide is configured to connect the water tank and the drain plug, and guide water of the water tank to the drain plug (fig. 2).
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) 2-6, 14-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cho as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Kim (KR 0136184).
Regarding claim 2, Cho teaches while the drain plug is mounted on the base (fig. 2 and 7, pg. 8, paragraph 6), configured to guide water introduced through the through hole from the base and water introduced through the guide connection portion from the guide (fig. 2 and 7, pg. 8, paragraph 6) but fails to teach while the drain plug is mounted on the base, the drain passage is configured to extend from inside of the housing to outside of the housing, and configured to guide water introduced through the through hole from the base and water introduced through the guide connection portion from the guide.
However, Kim teaches while the drain plug is mounted on the base (40), the drain passage is configured to extend from inside of the housing to outside of the housing (fig. 2 illustrates 90 as being inside 10 and outside 10) to easily disassemble the drainage pipe during the mobile installation of the outdoor unit.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person skilled in the art before the effective filing date to modify the heat pump of Cho to include while the drain plug is mounted on the base, the drain passage is configured to extend from inside of the housing to outside of the housing, and configured to guide water introduced through the through hole from the base and water introduced through the guide connection portion from the guide in view of the teachings of Kim to easily disassemble the drainage pipe during the mobile installation of the outdoor unit.
Regarding claim 3, the combined teachings teach the drain plug further includes a discharge port (91d of Kim) provided at one end of the drain passage configured to communicate with the outside of the housing (figs. 2-4 of Kim), and configured to discharge the water guided by the drain passage (pg. 2, paragraph 2 of Kim).
Regarding claim 4, the combined teachings teach the drain plug further includes a stopper (91a of Kim) protruding from an outer surface of the drain body and configured to interfere with the base to limit a rotation range of the drain plug with respect to the base (figs. 2-4 of Kim).
Regarding claim 5, the combined teachings teach the base includes an opening (41 of Kim), the drain plug is mounted on the base by being inserted into the opening (figs. 2-5 of Kim), and the stopper is configured to contact at least a portion of a rim (91a contacts 41, fig. 5 of Kim) defining the opening of the base (fig. 5 of Kim).
Regarding claim 6, the combined teachings teach the base includes an opening (41 of Kim), the drain plug is mounted on the base by being inserted into the opening (figs. 2-5 of Kim), and the opening further includes: a body hole (upper opening of 41 of Kim) corresponding to the drain body (figs. 4-5 of Kim); and a stopper hole (bottom side of 41 of Kim) extending from a portion of the body hole to outside of the body hole, and corresponding to the stopper (figs. 4-5 of Kim).
Regarding claim 14, the combined teachings teach the base includes an opening (opening 41 of Kim), and the drain plug is mounted on the base by being inserted into the opening (fig. 5 of Kim), the drain plug further includes a plate (91b) extending from an outer surface of the drain body (fig. 5 of Kim) and coming into contact with a lower surface of the base (fig. 5 of Kim), the plate having a shape tapered downward (fig. 5 of Kim) and configured to guide water passing through the opening to the drain passage (pg. 2, paragraph 5 of Kim).
Regarding claim 15, the combined teachings teach the base includes an opening (opening 41 of Kim), and the drain plug is mounted on the base by being inserted into the opening (fig. 5 of Kim), the drain plug further includes a locking protrusion (91a of Kim) formed along a circumference of the through hole (fig. 5 of Kim), the locking protrusion supported by an upper surface of the base (fig. 5 of Kim).
Claim(s) 7-8, 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cho as applied to claim 6 above, in view of Kim (KR 0136184) and in further view of Wu et al (CN 209101421).
Regarding claim 7, the combined teachings teach the invention as described above but fail to teach the stopper hole extends along a circumferential direction of the body hole and has a first point and a second point provided on an opposite side of the first point, and the drain plug is rotatable between a position in which the stopper is arranged at the first point of the stopper hole and a position in which the stopper is arranged at the second point of the stopper hole.
However, Wu teaches the stopper hole (indentations of 21) extends along a circumferential direction of the body hole (fig. 2) and has a first point (left side 21) and a second point (right side 21) provided on an opposite side of the first point, and the drain plug is rotatable between a position in which the stopper is arranged at the first point of the stopper hole (locking, abstract) and a position in which the stopper is arranged at the second point of the stopper hole (unlocking, abstract) to improve drainage effects.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person skilled in the art before the effective filing date to modify the heat pump of the combined teachings to include the stopper hole extends along a circumferential direction of the body hole and has a first point and a second point provided on an opposite side of the first point, and the drain plug is rotatable between a position in which the stopper is arranged at the first point of the stopper hole and a position in which the stopper is arranged at the second point of the stopper hole in view of the teachings of Wu to improve drainage effects.
Regarding claim 8, the combined teachings teach the stopper is a first stopper (91b of Kim), and the stopper hole is a first stopper hole (left side of 21 of Wu), the drain plug further includes a second stopper (91b of Kim) spaced apart from the first stopper and protruding from an outer surface of the drain body (fig. 5 of Kim), and the opening further includes: a second stopper hole (right side of 21 of Wu) extending from another portion of the body hole to the outer side of the body hole, and corresponding to the second stopper (fig. 5 of Kim, fig. 4 of Wu).
Regarding claim 10, the combined teachings teach the guide connection portion extends upward from the drain body (fig. 7 of Cho) and is vertically connectable to the guide (fig. 2 of Cho), and the contact protrusion has a shape tapered upward (fig. 7 of Cho).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 12-13 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.
Reasons for Allowance
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Regarding claims 12-13, the subject matter which is considered to distinguish from the closest prior art of record, Cho et al (CN 113195989), Kim (KR 0136184), and Chen (20150345829).
Cho teaches the tray including a tray body (body of 40) and a tray hole (opening connecting 41) passing through the tray body
Kim teaches wherein the guide is configured to allow communication between the tray hole and the drain plug, and guide water of the tray body to the drain plug (fig. 2 of Kim).
Chen teaches a heat exchanger (4, 3); a heating unit (201) disposed indoors, outside of the housing (fi. 2); a water pipe (arrow through 5) configured to provide water heat-exchanged by the heat exchanger to the heating unit (fig. 2), a valve (203) connected to the water pipe.
In contrast at least a portion of the water pipe being disposed inside the housing; and a tray disposed inside the housing and configured to support the water pipe as recited in claim 12 or a valve connected to the water pipe and configured to open based on a pressure of the water in the water pipe being higher than a set pressure or a temperature of the water in the water pipe being higher than a set temperature, wherein the guide is configured to connect the valve and the drain plug and guide water of the valve to the drain plug as recited in claim 13.
Conclusion
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.
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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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/ELIZABETH J MARTIN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3763
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