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 § 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.
Claims 1 and 4-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kittaka (US 11051563) in view of Soneta (JP 2000220614).
Regarding claims 1 and 7;
Kittaka discloses a fan comprising a case body that includes: a motor case to which a motor for rotating an impeller is attached (a motor 2 which rotably drives the fan 1 is arranged within the tubular fan case 6); a first case part (tubular fan case 6 with outer peripheral wall portion); and a second case part that is detachably attached to the first case part (mounting ring 10 that is engaged with and detachable from the fan case), wherein: the first case part includes: a cylindrical part (tubular fan case 6 having cylindrical configuration); a flange that protrudes outward from an outer circumference of the cylindrical part (the mounting flange 9 s integrally formed from the outer peripheral wall portion of the tubular fan case 6 in the outer peripheral direction); and an engaging tip that restricts a relative movement between the first case part and the second case part along a circumferential direction of the flange (hook-shaped first lock portions 11 are provided in portions of a peripheral portion of the mounting flange 9; and second lock portion 12 that restrict circumferential movement); the second case part includes an engaged part that restricts the relative movement between the first case part and the second case part along the circumferential direction of the flange (notch-shaped first engagement portions 13 are provided at portions in the mounting ring 10 corresponding to the first lock portions 11). The fan is combined with a fan-equipped garment, the garment body covers at least a portion of a body of a wearer (Figures 1-4).
Kittaka fails to teach the engaging tip includes: a tongue-shaped part that is flexible, extends along the circumferential direction of the flange, and has one end that is a fixed end with respect to the flange and another end that is a free end; and an engaging part that is disposed at the free end of the tongue-shaped part and includes a protruding portion protruding from a surface of the flange facing the second case part and a recessed portion recessed with respect to the protruding portion, the protruding portion and the recessed portion being aligned along the circumferential direction of the flange; and the engaged part is engaged with the engaging part and includes: a recessed portion recessed with respect to a back surface of the second case part facing the flange; and a protruding portion protruding with respect to the recessed portion, the protruding portion and the recessed portion being aligned along a circumferential direction of the second case part.
Soneta teaches a snap fitting mechanism wherein the engaging tip includes: a tongue-shaped part that is flexible (the resin can deform and rotate slightly; thereby it is considered flexible), extends along the circumferential direction of the flange, and has one end that is a fixed end with respect to the flange and another end that is a free end (protrusion 3 has a shape that increases in height toward the engaging direction with fixed base and free engaging end); and an engaging part that is disposed at the free end of the tongue-shaped part and includes a protruding portion protruding from a surface of the flange facing the second case part and a recessed portion recessed with respect to the protruding portion (the protrusion has the shape of an obliquely-cut cylinder or elliptical cylinder), the protruding portion and the recessed portion being aligned along the circumferential direction of the flange (the hole has a shape corresponding to the horizontal cross-section of the cylinder or ellipse); and the engaged part is engaged with the engaging part and includes: a recessed portion recessed with respect to a back surface of the second case part facing the flange; and a protruding portion protruding with respect to the recessed portion, the protruding portion and the recessed portion being aligned along a circumferential direction of the second case part (engage portion 2 with circular or elliptical hole 4 that exactly fits the protrusion 3; Figures 7-8).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the fan of Kittaka such that the engaging tip includes: a tongue-shaped part that is flexible, extends along the circumferential direction of the flange, and has one end that is a fixed end with respect to the flange and another end that is a free end; and an engaging part that is disposed at the free end of the tongue-shaped part and includes a protruding portion protruding from a surface of the flange facing the second case part and a recessed portion recessed with respect to the protruding portion, the protruding portion and the recessed portion being aligned along the circumferential direction of the flange; and the engaged part is engaged with the engaging part and includes: a recessed portion recessed with respect to a back surface of the second case part facing the flange; and a protruding portion protruding with respect to the recessed portion, the protruding portion and the recessed portion being aligned along a circumferential direction of the second case part as taught by Soneta because they’re both in the same field of endeavor of detachable engagement mechanism, and the flexible engaging portion reduces stress concertation.
Regarding claim 4, Kittaka in view of Soneta teaches the fan according to claim 1 above. Kittaka as modified by Soneta teaches the engaging part includes a guide surface that bends the tongue-shaped part by being pressed by the engaged part (Soneta, inclined guide surface on rising portion 5); and the engaged part includes a guide surface that bends the tongue-shaped part by pressing the engaging part (ratio of diameter protrusion 3 to maximum height of the rising portion 5 creates guide geometry; Figures 7-8).
Regarding claims 5-6, Kittaka in view of Soneta teaches the fan according to claim 1 above. Kittaka further discloses a mounting member that mounts the case body to a target body (Kittaka, an edge of the through hole of the air cooled clothing is pinched between the mounting flange of the tubular fan case of the air cooling blower and the mounting ring), and Kittaka as modified by Soneta teaches the tongue-shaped part is exposed on a back surface of the flange and contacts the target body to which the case body is mounted by the mounting member (Soneta, engaging portion 1 with flexible rising portion 5 extending from and exposed on engagement surface, and a surface of the mounting flange 9 on the air outlet portion 5b side is abutted against an opening edge of the through hole 145 – the back surfaced of the flange contacts the garment material).
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kittaka (US 11051563) in view of Soneta (JP 2000220614), and further in view of Ichigaya (JP 2021181755).
Kittaka in view of Soneta teaches the fan according to claim 1 above. Kittaka further discloses circumferential engagement with respect to locking of the parts.
Kittaka fails to teach the first case part includes a locking part that restricts a relative movement between the first case part and the second case part along an axial direction of the cylindrical part; the second case part includes a locked part that restricts the relative movement between the first case part and the second case part along the axial direction of the cylindrical part; and when the first case part and the second case part relatively move along the circumferential direction of the flange to a position at which the engaging part and the engaged part are engaged with each other, the locking part is locked to the locked part.
Ichigaya teaches a locking part that restricts relative axial movement (rear guard 20 with 21 having engaging claws 21a; Figures 6-10), a second case part includes a locked part that restricted the relative movement between the first case part and the second case part along the axial direction of the cylindrical part (case body 10 with tubular portion 11 having notch portion 11a that receives the engaging claw), and when the first and second parts are circumferentially engaged with each other, the locking part is locked to the locked part (by rotating tubular portion 11 relative to the inner cylinder 21, the engagement of the engagement claw by the notch portion is released).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the fan of Kittaka such that the first case part includes a locking part that restricts a relative movement between the first case part and the second case part along an axial direction of the cylindrical part; the second case part includes a locked part that restricts the relative movement between the first case part and the second case part along the axial direction of the cylindrical part; and when the first case part and the second case part relatively move along the circumferential direction of the flange to a position at which the engaging part and the engaged part are engaged with each other, the locking part is locked to the locked part as taught by Ichigaya for the purposes of combining circumferential engagement with axial locking through a single rotational assembly motion enabling secure attachment while maintaining easy detachability for cleaning access.
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kittaka (US 11051563) in view of Soneta (JP 2000220614), and further in view of Hu (US 11378100).
Kittaka in view of Soneta teaches the fan according to claim 1 above.
Kittaka as modified fails to teach the free end of the tongue-shaped part is disposed downstream of a direction of an engagement between the engaging part and the engaged part caused by the relative movement between the front case part and the rear case part along the circumferential direction of the flange.
Hu teaches a fan with an engaging part that defines a free end disposed downstream of the engagement direction (ramped profile 36 on a corner thereof, counter the direction of the unlocking rotation – the ramp faces the locking/engagement direction so the free end of the latch tab 33 is downstream), and engagement caused by relative movement along the circumferential direction (grille 13 configured to engage in a locked position and rotate…approximately 5 degrees between locked and release positions; slots 15 engage with tabs 34 on housing 14). Hu explicitly teaches that a flexible latch for rotational engagement has its ramped profile oriented counter the direction of the unlocking rotation (ie, free end faces the engagement direction downstream). Hu further teaches that this orientation enables automatic re-engagement (“encounter of tab 34 with the profile 36 will cause the button 30 and the latch 31 to be depressed without the need for a user to apply pressure”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the fan of Kittaka such that the free end of the tongue-shaped part is disposed downstream of a direction of an engagement between the engaging part and the engaged part caused by the relative movement between the front case part and the rear case part along the circumferential direction of the flange as taught by Hu for the purposes of enabling automatic locking without a need for the user to apply pressure.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JUSTIN D SEABE whose telephone number is (571)272-4961. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 9:00-5:30.
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/JUSTIN D SEABE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3745