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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
1. The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION. — The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 14-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor, or for pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Claim 14, recites the limitation of “the unlocked state by adjusting a relative position of the second locking member on the locking portion” which is confusing as it is unclear what constitute “a relative position” as recited in the claim. As such the claim limitation is indefinite.
Claims 15-17 are dependent from claim 14 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112 above and therefore inherit the deficiencies of the parent claim 14.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
2. 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 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 of this title, 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.
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.
Claims 1-12, 18 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over YOUCHENG (English Translated Chinese Pub No.: 100412453 C), hereinafter referred to as YOUCHENG ‘090, in view of WU et al (English Translated Chinese Pub No.: 215982902 U), hereinafter referred to as WU et al ‘902; further in view of YU (English Translated Chinese Pub No.: 215062783 U), hereinafter referred to as YU ‘783.
Regarding claims 1 and 20, YOUCHENG ‘090 discloses a shielding assembly (700) configured to be mounted to at least one side of a window air conditioner to shield a gap between a window and the window air conditioner {see Fig. 3: Page 9, ¶2 and Page 13, ¶6}; wherein the shielding assembly comprises: a first shielding plate (710) configured to be connected to the window{see Fig. 3: Page 13, ¶6}; wherein at least one of the first shielding plate comprises a filter screen (720) configured to allow outdoor fresh air to pass through to enter an indoor space {see Fig. 3: Page 13, ¶6}.
However, YOUCHENG ‘090 fails to disclose the limitations of the shielding assembly comprises: a second shielding plate configured to be connected to the window air conditioner, the second shielding plate being in sliding connection to the first shielding plate, the second shielding plate and the first shielding plate being configured to change a shielding area by relative movement; the second shielding plate comprises a filter screen configured to allow outdoor fresh air to pass through to enter an indoor space.
WU et al ‘902 teach: the concept of the shielding assembly (20) comprises: a second shielding plate (224) configured to be connected to the window air conditioner, the second shielding plate being in sliding connection to the first shielding plate (225), the second shielding plate and the first shielding plate being configured to change a shielding area by relative movement {see Figs. 1-4: Page 6, ¶ 5 through Page 11, ¶2}.
Since all claimed elements were known in the art at the time of the invention, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to modify YOUCHENG ‘090 shielding assembly by the shielding assembly of WU et al ‘902 so as to include least one of the first shielding plate and a second shielding plate configured to be connected to the window air conditioner, the second shielding plate being in sliding connection to the first shielding plate, the second shielding plate and the first shielding plate being configured to change a shielding area by relative movement, in order to simplified window type air installation {WU et al ‘902 - Page 1, Abstract}.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to modify the YOUCHENG ‘090, in view of WU et al ‘902 to obtain the invention as specified in claims 1 and 20.
YU ‘783 teaches: the concept of the shielding plate (2) comprises a filter screen (3) configured to allow air to pass through {as shown in Fig. 1. Page 4, Detailed Description}.
Since all claimed elements were known in the art at the time of the invention, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to modify YOUCHENG ‘090 as modified by WU et al ‘902, in view of YU ‘783, so as to include the second shielding plate comprises a filter screen configured to allow outdoor fresh air to pass through to enter an indoor space, in order to maximized the volume of purified outside air into the indoor space.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to modify the YOUCHENG ‘090 as modified by WU et al ‘902, in view of YU ‘783 to obtain the invention as specified in claims 1 and 20.
Regarding claim 2, the combination of YOUCHENG ‘090, WU et al ‘902 and YU ‘783 disclose and teach the shielding assembly according to claim 1, YOUCHENG ‘090 as modified by WU et al ‘902, in view YU ‘783 further teaches the limitations of wherein at least one of the first shielding plate and the second shielding plate further comprises a base body (2), wherein the filter screen (3) is connected to the base body, the filter screen being formed with a plurality of filter holes {as shown in Fig. 1: Detailed Description, Page 4-5}.
Regarding claim 3, the combination of YOUCHENG ‘090, WU et al ‘902 and YU ‘783 disclose and teach the shielding assembly according to claim 2, YOUCHENG ‘090 as modified by WU et al ‘902 further teach the limitation of wherein the base body comprises: a base plate (211) connected to the filter screen {see Figs. 2 and 4: Page 2, Background Technique, ¶¶ 1-2; and Page 5, ¶6; and Page 9, ¶¶2-3}; and a frame (212) connected to an edge (21) of the base plate {as shown in Fig. 2}; wherein the frame of the first shielding plate is configured (226) to be connected to the window, and the frame of the second shielding plate is configured to be connected to the window air conditioner {as shown in Fig. 3: Page 11, ¶ 3}.
Regarding claim 4, the combination of YOUCHENG ‘090, WU et al ‘902 and YU ‘783 disclose and teach the shielding assembly according to claim 3, YOUCHENG ‘090 as modified by WU et al ‘902 in view of YU ‘783 further teach the limitation for wherein a through hole (101) is formed on the base plate (4), the filter screen (3) is positioned in the through hole, and an edge (301) of the filter screen is connected to the base plate {as shown in Figs. 1-2: Page 4, ¶2}.
Regarding claim 5, the combination of YOUCHENG ‘090, WU et al ‘902 and YU ‘783 disclose and teach the shielding assembly according to claim 3, YOUCHENG ‘090 as modified by WU et al ‘902 further teach the limitation of wherein the frame of the first shielding plate is provided with a first sliding portion (225), and the frame of the second shielding plate is provided with a second sliding portion (220), wherein the first sliding portion is in sliding fit with the second sliding portion {see Figs 3-4: Page 11, ¶¶ 1-2}.
Regarding claim 6, the combination of YOUCHENG ‘090, WU et al ‘902 and YU ‘783 disclose and teach the shielding assembly according to claim 3, YOUCHENG ‘090 as modified by WU et al ‘902 in view of YU ‘783 further teach the limitation for wherein a surface area of one side of the base plate is S1 (1), a surface area of one side of the filter screen is S2 (3), and S1 and S2 satisfy a relation: 0.5 S1≤S2<S1 {as shown in Fig. 1}.
Regarding claim 7, the combination of YOUCHENG ‘090, WU et al ‘902 and YU ‘783 disclose and teach the shielding assembly according to claim 2, YOUCHENG ‘090 as modified by WU et al ‘902 further teach the limitations of comprising: a sealing plate detachably mounted to one side of the first shielding plate and on one side of the second shielding plate, the sealing plate capable of being configured to shield the filter screen {see Page 9, ¶ 2}.
Regarding claim 8, the combination of YOUCHENG ‘090, WU et al ‘902 and YU ‘783 disclose and teach the shielding assembly according to claim 7, YOUCHENG ‘090 as modified by WU et al ‘902 further teach the limitations of wherein a mounting groove (216) is formed on one side of each of the first shielding plate and the second shielding plate, and the sealing plate is mounted within the mounting groove {see Page 11, ¶¶ 4-5}.
Regarding claim 9, the combination of YOUCHENG ‘090, WU et al ‘902 and YU ‘783 disclose and teach the shielding assembly according to claim 2, YOUCHENG ‘090 discloses wherein the filter screen is integrally formed with the base body {as shown in Fig. 3}.
Regarding claim 10, the combination of YOUCHENG ‘090, WU et al ‘902 and YU ‘783 disclose and teach the shielding assembly according to claim 2, YOUCHENG ‘090 as modified by WU et al ‘902 further teach the limitations of wherein the first shielding plate further comprises a mounting plate (226) connected to a top of the base body {see Page 2, ¶ 3 and Page 11, ¶3}.
Regarding claim 11, the combination of YOUCHENG ‘090, WU et al ‘902 and YU ‘783 disclose and teach the shielding assembly according to claim 1, YOUCHENG ‘090 as modified by WU et al ‘902 further teach the limitations of wherein the second shielding plate is provided with an insertion portion (220) being in inserting fit with the window air conditioner {see Page 11, ¶¶ 1-2}.
Regarding claim 12, the combination of YOUCHENG ‘090, WU et al ‘902 and YU ‘783 disclose and teach the shielding assembly according to claim 1, YOUCHENG ‘090 as modified by WU et al ‘902 further teach the limitations of wherein the shielding assembly further comprises: a locking mechanism (215) disposed between the first shielding plate and the second shielding plate, the locking mechanism being configured to lock the first shielding plate and the second shielding plate {see Page 10, ¶ 3}.
Regarding claim 18, the combination of YOUCHENG ‘090, WU et al ‘902 and YU ‘783 disclose and teach the shielding assembly according to claim 1, YOUCHENG ‘090 as modified by WU et al ‘902 further teach the limitations of wherein the first shielding plate is provided with a first guiding portion (225), and the second shielding plate is provided with a second guiding portion (220), the first guiding portion being guiding fit with the second guiding portion {as shown in Figs. 3-4: Page 11, ¶¶ 1-2} .
Allowable Subject Matter
3. Claims 13 and 19 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
4. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US-20230204231-A1 to BIASOTTI; Mark.
US-20230026722-A1 to YU; Hui.
US-5467610-A to Bolton; Theodore S.
CN-100365347-C to KANG, Ming-guan.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to EMMANUEL E DUKE whose telephone number is (571)270-5290. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday thru Friday; 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM Monday thru Friday; 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, FRANTZ JULES can be reached on (571)272-6681. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/EMMANUEL E DUKE/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3763
10/08/2026
