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(s) (IDS) submitted on 4/24/2025 was/were in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement(s) is/are being considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claim(s) 16-17 is/are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 16, line 11, should recite - - a second rotation stopper, - -
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim(s) 17 is objected to as being dependent from an objected claim.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
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.
Claim(s) 13-15 is/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 13 recites “the first side of the first guided portion”. However, it is unclear what “first side of the first guided portion” is being referred to because there is a lack of antecedent basis for “a first side of the first guided portion”. For purposes of examination “the first side of the first guided portion” will be considered - - a first side of the first guided portion - - .
Claim 14 recites “An indoor unit of an air conditioner, the indoor unit comprising: an indoor unit main body; the attachment structure according to claim 1; and an electronic device that is attached to an inside of a housing of the indoor unit main body using the attachment structure.” However, it is unclear if these are the same “indoor unit,”, “air conditioner,” “indoor unit main body,” “electronic device,” an “an inside of a housing” recited in claim 1. For purposes of examination “An indoor unit of an air conditioner, the indoor unit comprising: an indoor unit main body; the attachment structure according to claim 1; and an electronic device that is attached to an inside of a housing of the indoor unit main body using the attachment structure” will be considered - - The indoor unit of the air conditioner, the indoor unit comprising: the indoor unit main body; the attachment structure according to claim 1; and the electronic device that is attached to the inside of the housing of the indoor unit main body using the attachment structure - - .
Claim 15 recites “An air conditioner”. It is unclear if this is the “air conditioner” recited in parent claim 1. For purposes of examination “An air conditioner” will be considered - - The air conditioner - - .
Claim(s) 15 is rejected to as being dependent from a rejected claim.
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 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.
The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied for establishing a background for determining obviousness under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) 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.
Claim(s) 1-3 and 13-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ikawa et al. (US 20170336092) in view of Latham (US 20180224153).
Per claim 1, Ikawa teaches an attachment structure for detachably attaching an electronic device (6) to an inside of a housing (20a) of an indoor unit main body (main body of 20 (not internal components)) in
an indoor unit (20) of an air conditioner (10, 20), the attachment structure comprising:
a first attachment (70) that is included in the indoor unit main body;
a second attachment (64) that is included in the electronic device (9), and that is attached to the first attachment; and
a fixer (“S”, para. 0051) that fixes the second attachment (64) to the first attachment (70);
wherein the first attachment includes a guide rail (see annotated figure below) that extends in a first direction, and
a first rotation stopper (see annotated figure below),
the second attachment includes
a first guided portion (see annotated figure below) which is supported so as to be movable in the first direction on the guide rail during attachment and removal work of the electronic device (9), and
a connector (see annotated figure below) that is connected to the first attachment from a first side of the first direction,
the fixer (“S”, para. 0051) detachably fixes the second attachment (64) to the first attachment (70) from the first side,
the first guided portion includes
an arm (see annotated figure below) which protrudes towards the guide rail (see annotated figure below), and
a guided portion main body (see annotated figure below) which is provided on a tip of the arm, and is supported by the guide rail (see figure 12a), and
the first attachment includes the first rotation stopper but fails to explicitly teach wherein the first rotation stopper hooks onto the arm in a direction which intersects the first direction.
However, Latham teaches a fastening system used in a cooling system () having a first attachment (upper region of 104; see figure 9) including a first rotation stopper (130) that hooks onto an arm (128) of a second attachment (upper corner region of 106; see figure 9) in a direction that intersects a first direction (direction of axis of 128) for saving “time and costs associated with installation or maintenance” (para. 0046) of the cooling system. Therefore it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to provide a first attachment including a first rotation stopper that hooks onto an arm of a second attachment in a direction that intersects a first direction, as taught by Latham in the invention of Ikawa, in order to advantageously save “time and costs associated with installation or maintenance” (para. 0046) of the cooling system.
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Per claim 2, Ikawa, as modified, meets the claim limitations as disclosed in the above rejection of claim 1. Further, Ikawa, as modified, teaches wherein the fixer (“S”, para. 0051; “screw”, para. 0051) detachably fixes the connection to the first attachment (70).
Per claim 3, Ikawa, as modified, meets the claim limitations as disclosed in the above rejection of claim 2. Further, Ikawa, as modified, teaches wherein the fixer is a threaded member (“S”, para. 0051; “screw”, para. 0051) that is inserted from the first side in the first direction through a hole portion (71) formed on the connector (see annotated figure below), and is fastened in the first direction to a thread hole which is formed on the first attachment (70) (see figures 12a/12b).
Per claim 13, Ikawa, as modified, meets the claim limitations as disclosed in the above rejection of claim 1. Further, Ikawa, as teaches wherein the second attachment (64) includes a second guided portion (see annotated figure below) that is supported by the guide rail (see annotated figure below) so as to be movable in the first direction during attachment and removal work of the electronic device (9) (see annotated figure below), and the second guided portion (see annotated figure below) is separately disposed on a first side of the first guided portion (see annotated figure below).
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Per claim 14, Ikawa, as modified, teaches the indoor unit (20) of the air conditioner (10, 20), the indoor unit comprising: the indoor unit main body (main body of 20 (not internal components)); the attachment structure according to claim 1 (see rejection of claim 1); and the electronic device (9) that is attached to the inside of the housing (20a) of the indoor unit main body using the attachment structure (see figure 12a/12b).
Per claim 15, Ikawa, as modified, teaches the air conditioner (10, 20) comprising the indoor unit (20) according to claim 14; and an outdoor unit (10).
Claim(s) 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ikawa et al. (US 20170336092) in view of Song et al. (US 20070066215).
Per claim 16, Ikawa teaches an attachment structure for detachably attaching an electronic device (9) to an inside of a housing (20a) of an indoor unit main body (20) in an indoor unit of an air conditioner, the attachment structure comprising:
a first attachment (70) that is included in the indoor unit main body;
a second attachment (64) that is included in the electronic device, and that is attached to the first attachment; and
a fixer (“S”, para. 0051) that fixes the second attachment (64) to the first attachment (70);
wherein the first attachment includes
a guide rail (see annotated figure below) that extends in a first direction, and
a second rotation stopper (see annotated figure below)
the second attachment includes
a first guided portion (see annotated figure below) which is supported so as to be movable in the first direction on the guide rail (see annotated figure below) during attachment and removal work of the electronic device (9), and
a connector (see annotated figure below) that is connected to the first attachment from (70) a first side of the first direction,
the fixer (“S”, para. 0051) detachably fixes the second attachment (64) to the first attachment (70) from the first side, and
the first attachment (70) includes the second rotation stopper (see annotated figure below) but fails to explicitly teach the second rotation stopper hooks onto the connector in a direction that intersects with the first direction.
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However, Song teaches a fastening system used in a cooling system including a first attachments (191) including a second rotation stopper (198) that hooks onto a connector (195) of a second attachment (192) in a direction that intersects with a first direction (axial direction of 149a) for providing a secure connection between elements (para. 0139). Therefore it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to provide a first attachment including a second rotation stopper that hooks onto a connection in a direction that intersects with a first direction, as taught by Song in the invention of Ikawa, in order to advantageously provide a secure connection between components (para. 0139).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 18-21 are allowed.
Claim(s) 10 and 17 is/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
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Petele et al. (US 20230117306) teaches an attachment structure for an electronic device.
Tsuji et al. (US 20220128267) teaches an attachment structure for an electronic device.
Eskew et al. (US 20210302056) teaches an attachment structure for an electronic device.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAVID J TEITELBAUM whose telephone number is (571)270-5142. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 8:00 am-4:30 pm EST.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, FRANTZ JULES can be reached on (571) 272-66816681. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DAVID J TEITELBAUM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3763
