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
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 11-13 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 applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 11 recites the limitation “the temperature control unit” in the last line which is unclear and renders the claim indefinite. It is unclear whether the limitation refers to “a temperature control system” of claim 1, “the supplemental temperature control unit” or something else. For examination purposes, the limitation has been interpreted as “the supplemental temperature control unit”.
Claims 12-13 are rejected by the virtual dependency of claim 11.
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.
Claim(s) 1-2, 10, 15-16 and 18-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Gillatt (WO2018073573A1).
Regarding claim 1, Gillatt discloses a temperature control unit comprising:
a first fan (112) on a conditioned air side of the temperature control unit (100; see figures 1-2);
a second fan (122) on a plenum air side (230) of the temperature control unit (100; see figures 1-2);
a duct wall (220) between the first fan (112) and the second fan (122; see figures 1-2); and
a thermoelectric element (130; paragraph [71]) positioned on the duct wall (220) between the first fan (112) and the second fan (122; see figures 1-2), the thermoelectric element (130) configured to transfer heat between the conditioned air side of the temperature control unit (100) and the plenum air side (230) of the temperature control unit (100; see figures 1-2).
Regarding claim 2, Gillatt discloses the temperature control unit further comprising an inlet (116) positioned radially over a center portion of the first fan (112; see figures 3-4; figure 4 shows claimed detail of the inlet 116).
Regarding claim 10, Gillatt discloses a temperature control system comprising:
an air conditioning system (see figure 1) configured to supply conditioned air to a conditioned space (the space for occupants) and draw air from a plenum (230; see figure 1); and
a supplemental temperature control unit (100; see figure 2) comprising:
a first fan (112) on a conditioned side of the temperature control unit (100; see figure 2);
a second fan (122) on a plenum side (230) of the temperature control unit (100; see figure 2); and
a thermoelectric element (130; paragraph [71]) positioned between the first fan (112) and the second fan (122; see figure 2), the thermoelectric element (130) configured to transfer heat between the conditioned space (space for occupants) and the plenum (230; see figures 1-2).
Regarding claim 15, Gillatt discloses a method of conditioning air in a space (space for occupants), the method comprising:
drawing conditioned air from the space at a conditioned inlet (116; the fan 112 draws air; see figures 1-2);
drawing plenum air from a plenum at a plenum inlet (126; the fan 122 draws air; see figures 1-2);
passing the conditioned air from the space (the space for occupants) over a first side (the lower side) of a thermoelectric element (130; paragraph [71]; see figures 1-2);
passing the plenum air from the plenum over a second side (the upper side) of the thermoelectric element (130) opposite the first side (the lower side) of the thermoelectric element (130; see figures 1-2);
transferring heat between the conditioned air (the conditioned air from the space) and the plenum air (the plenum air form the plenum 230) through the thermoelectric element (130; see figures 1-2).
Regarding claim 16, Gillatt discloses transferring heat between the conditioned air and the plenum air through the thermoelectric element (130) comprises:
applying a first voltage (the voltage applied the Peltier unit 130 to provide warm air) to the thermoelectric element (130) at a first polarity causing the thermoelectric element (130) to transfer heat from the plenum air (230) to the conditioned air (the conditioned air of the space for occupants; when the control switch the voltage on the Peltier unit 130 to provide warm air to the personal space; paragraph [0087]); and
applying a second voltage (the voltage applied to the Peltier unit 130 to provide cold air) to the thermoelectric element (130) at a second polarity opposite the first polarity (alternate the hot and cold side of the heat exchanger 130), causing the thermoelectric element (130) to transfer heat from the conditioned air to the plenum air (the air in the plenum 230; when the control switch the voltage on the Peltier unit 130 to provide cold air to the personal space; paragraph [0087]).
Regarding claim 18, Gillatt discloses the method further comprising separating the plenum air (the air in the plenum 230) from the conditioned air (the air in the personal space) with a duct wall (220; see figures 1-2).
Regarding claim 19, Gillatt discloses drawing the conditioned air from the space comprises drawing the conditioned air from the space with a first fan (112) positioned over the inlet (114; see figures 1-2).
Regarding claim 20, Gillatt discloses drawing the conditioned air from the space comprises drawing the conditioned air from the space with a first fan (112) where the inlet 114) is positioned radially outward of the first fan (112; see figures 1-2 and 4; figure 4 shows the claimed inlet of the first fan 112).
Claim(s) 1, 3-8, 10-12 and 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Shin et al. (2013/0276465).
Regarding claim 1, Shin discloses a temperature control unit comprising:
a first fan (432) on a conditioned air side (the side associated with the space within the case 50) of the temperature control unit (40; see figures 3-6);
a second fan (442) on a plenum air side (the side associated with the return duct 153; see figure 2) of the temperature control unit (40; see figures 3-6);
a duct wall (524) between the first fan (432) and the second fan (442; see figures 3-6); and
a thermoelectric element (41) positioned on the duct wall (524) between the first fan (432) and the second fan (442; see figures 3-6), the thermoelectric element (41) configured to transfer heat between the conditioned air side (the side associated with the space within the case 50) of the temperature control unit (40) and the plenum air side (the side associated with the return duct 153) of the temperature control unit (40; see figures 3-6).
Regarding claim 3, Shin discloses the temperature control unit (40) further comprising an outlet (522a and 522b) positioned radially outward of the first fan (432; see figures 3-6).
Regarding claim 4, Shin discloses the temperature control unit (40) further comprising a heat exchanger (431) secured to the thermoelectric element (41) and configured to transfer heat between the thermoelectric element (41) and air passing through the conditioned air side (the side associated with space within the case 50) of the temperature control unit (40; see figures 3-6).
Regarding claim 5, Shin discloses the temperature control unit (40) further comprising a heat exchanger (441) secured to the thermoelectric element (41) and configured to transfer heat between the thermoelectric element (41) and air passing through the plenum air side (the side associated with the return duct 153; see figure 2) of the temperature control unit (40; see figures 3-6).
Regarding claim 6, Shin discloses the temperature control unit (40) further comprising an inlet (the cool air inlet 512) positioned radially outward of the first fan (432) and an outlet (522a and 522b) positioned radially over a center portion of the first fan (432; see figures 5-6).
Regarding claim 7, Shin discloses the thermoelectric element (41) is positioned on the duct wall (524) along the inlet (512; see figures 5-6).
Regarding claim 8, Shin discloses the temperature control unit (40) further comprising a heat exchanger (431) positioned within the inlet (512) configured to transfer heat between the thermoelectric element (41) and air passing through the inlet (512; see figure 5-6).
Regarding claim 10, Shin discloses a temperature control system comprising:
an air conditioning system (see figures 3-6) configured to supply conditioned air to a conditioned space (the space for case 50) and draw air from a plenum (153; see figures 3-6); and
a supplemental temperature control unit (40; see figures 3-6) comprising:
a first fan (432) on a conditioned side of the temperature control unit (40; see figures 3-6);
a second fan (442) on a plenum side (153; see figure 2) of the temperature control unit (40; see figures 3-6); and
a thermoelectric element (41) positioned between the first fan (432) and the second fan (442; see figures 3-6), the thermoelectric element (41) configured to transfer heat between the conditioned space (space of the case 50) and the plenum (153; see figures 2-6).
Regarding claim 11, Shin discloses the supplemental temperature control unit (40) further comprises a heat exchanger (431) attached to the thermoelectric element (41) on the conditioned side (the space of the case 50) of the temperature control unit (40; see figures 3-6).
Regarding claim 12, Shin discloses the supplemental temperature control unit (40) further comprises a first inlet (512) positioned radially outward of the first fan (432), wherein the heat exchanger (431) is positioned in the first inlet (512; see figures 5-6).
Regarding claim 14, Shin discloses the supplemental temperature control unit (40) further comprises a duct wall (524) separating the conditioned side (the side associated with the space within the case 50) of the temperature control unit (40) and the plenum side (the return air duct 153) of the temperature control unit (40).
Claim(s) 1 and 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Adamski et al. (6,370,882).
Regarding claim 1, Adamski discloses a temperature control unit comprising:
a first fan (50) on a conditioned air side (the side associated with the space 12) of the temperature control unit (22; see figures 3);
a second fan (64) on a plenum air side (30) of the temperature control unit (40; see figures 3-6);
a duct wall (16) between the first fan (50) and the second fan (64; see figure 3); and
a thermoelectric element (24a and 24b) positioned on the duct wall (16) between the first fan (50) and the second fan (64; see figure 3), the thermoelectric element (24a and 24b) configured to transfer heat between the conditioned air side (the side associated with the space 12) of the temperature control unit (40) and the plenum air side (30) of the temperature control unit (40; see figure 3).
Regarding claim 9, Adamski discloses the thermoelectric element (24a and 24b) comprises an array of thermoelectric elements (24a and 24b; see figure 3).
Claim(s) 10-13, 15, 17-18 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kim et al. (KR102639852B1).
Regarding claim 10, Kim discloses a temperature control system comprising:
an air conditioning system (see figure 6c) configured to supply conditioned air to a conditioned space (the space of the closet) and draw air from a plenum (221; see figure 6c); and
a supplemental temperature control unit (100, 110 and 120; see figure 6c) comprising:
a first fan (213) on a conditioned side of the temperature control unit (100, 110 and 120; see figure 6c);
a second fan (230) on a plenum side (221) of the temperature control unit (100, 110 and 120; see figures 6c); and
a thermoelectric element (100) positioned between the first fan (213) and the second fan (230; see figure 6c), the thermoelectric element (100) configured to transfer heat between the conditioned space (space of the closet) and the plenum (221; see figure 6c).
Regarding claim 11, Kim discloses the supplemental temperature control unit (100, 110 and 120) further comprises a heat exchanger (110) attached to the thermoelectric element (100) on the conditioned side (the space of the closet) of the temperature control unit (100, 110 and 120; see figure 6c).
Regarding claim 12, Kim discloses the supplemental temperature control unit (see figure 6c) further comprises a first inlet (the upper inlet 211) positioned radially outward of the first fan (213), wherein the heat exchanger (110) is positioned in the first inlet (the upper 211; see figure 6c).
Regarding claim 13, Kim discloses the supplemental temperature control unit (see figure 6c) further comprises a second inlet (the lower inlet 211) positioned radially outward of the first fan (213) on an opposite lateral side of the first fan (213) from the first inlet (the upper inlet 211), wherein a second heat exchanger (110) attached to a second thermoelectric element (100) is positioned in the second inlet (the lower inlet 211; see figures 6c and 6d).
Regarding claim 15, Kim discloses a method of conditioning air in a space (space of the closet), the method comprising:
drawing conditioned air from the space at a conditioned inlet (211; the fan 213 draws air; see figure 6c);
drawing plenum air from a plenum at a plenum inlet (see figure 6c; the fan 230 draws air; see figure 6c);
passing the conditioned air from the space (the space of the closet) over a first side (the left side) of a thermoelectric element (100; see figure 6c);
passing the plenum air from the plenum (221) over a second side (the right side) of the thermoelectric element (100) opposite the first side (the left side) of the thermoelectric element (100; see figure 6c);
transferring heat between the conditioned air (the conditioned air from the space of the closet) and the plenum air (the plenum air from the plenum 221) through the thermoelectric element (100; see figure 6c).
Regarding claim 17, Kim discloses passing the conditioned air from the space (the space of the closet) over the first side (the left side) of the thermoelectric element (100) comprises passing the conditioned air from the space (the space of the closet) over a heat exchanger (110) operatively coupled to the first side (the left side) of the thermoelectric element (100; see figure 6c).
Regarding claim 18, Kim discloses the method further comprising separating the plenum air (the air in the plenum 221) from the conditioned air (the air in the space of the closet) with a duct wall (200; see figure 6c).
Regarding claim 20, Kim discloses drawing the conditioned air from the space comprises drawing the conditioned air from the space with a first fan (213) where the inlet (211) is positioned radially outward of the first fan (213; see figure 6c).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KUN KAI MA whose telephone number is (571)-270-3530. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 9am-6pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jianying Atkisson can be reached on 5712707740. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KUN KAI MA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3763
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