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
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.
Claim(s) 1-6 and 8-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 6798098 to Tai in view of US 7008192 to Hidalgo in further view of US 6196803 to Hill.
(a) Regarding claim 1:
(i) Tai discloses a fan assembly (see title) comprising:
a housing including a front panel (one of upper cover 50 and lower cover 60, Fig 3), a back panel (the other one of upper cover 50 and lower cover 60, Fig 3), and a side (rotor 40, Fig 3) defining an outer periphery (radially outer surface of rotor 40, Fig 3) and an inner cavity (cavity within rotor 40, Fig 3);
a motor disposed within the inner cavity of the housing (magnetic inductive portion 41 and electromagnetic portion 71, Figs 3/5);
a front mount and a rear mount (respective ones of portions of stator 70 extending beyond covers 50 and 60, Fig 5); and
at least one vent (apertures 52 and 62 between adjacent ones of flow deflectors 43 and 44, Figs 3/5) disposed along the outer periphery of the housing (Fig 3) with each vent configured to allow air flow within the inner cavity of the housing (see abstract).
(ii) Tai does not disclose a plurality of blades; a securing plate extending from each blade; and a hanger including a front mount and a rear mount wherein the hanger orients the fan assembly to push air substantially horizontally; and wherein said housing is rotatable relative to the hanger
(iii) Hidalgo is also in the field of fans (see title) and teaches a fan assembly comprising a plurality of blades (blades 26/28/30, Fig 1) and a securing plate (plate extending radially inward of edges 74/76, Fig 8) extending from each blade (Fig 8).
(iv) It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the fan assembly as disclosed by Tai with the above aforementioned plurality of blades and securing plates as taught by Hidalgo for the purpose of releasably securing blades to the housing (see abstract).
(v) Hill is also in the field of fans (see title) and teaches a fan assembly comprising a hanger including a front mount (chains or cables 50 and 52, Figs 1-2) and a rear mount (chain or cable 48, Figs 1-2) wherein the hanger orients the fan assembly to push air substantially horizontally (Fig 2).
(vi) It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the first and rear mounts as disclosed by Tai to further have a hanger as taught by Hill for the purpose of suspending the fan (see abstract) in a configuration that allows for stirring of air such as in a barn (Col 1 Lns 13-14/25-32) and cooling of a manufacturing environment (Col 1 Lns 43-46) in a desired position/orientation (Col 3 Lns 29-33).
(b) Regarding claim 2:
(i) Tai as modified by Hidalgo as further modified by Hill teaches the fan assembly of claim 1.
(ii) Tai further discloses wherein the side of the housing includes at least one louver (flow deflectors 43 and 44, Figs 3/5) disposed along the outer periphery (Figs 3/5); and wherein each vent of the housing is disposed between each louver (Figs 3/5).
(c) Regarding claim 3:
(i) Tai as modified by Hidalgo as further modified by Hill teaches the fan assembly of claim 2.
(ii) Tai further discloses wherein each louver is equally spaced from an adjacent louver (reasonably disclosed in Figs 3/5); and wherein each louver cooperates with the side of the housing to define a perimeter of each vent (Figs 3/5).
(d) Regarding claim 4:
(i) Tai as modified by Hidalgo as further modified by Hill teaches the fan assembly of claim 1.
(ii) Tai further discloses wherein the at least one vent further includes a plurality of vents (Figs 3/5).
(e) Regarding claim 5:
(i) Tai as modified by Hidalgo as further modified by Hill teaches the fan assembly of claim 1.
(ii) Tai further discloses wherein each vent of the housing is equally spaced from an adjacent vent (reasonably disclosed in Figs 3/5).
(f) Regarding claim 6:
(i) Tai as modified by Hidalgo as further modified by Hill teaches the fan assembly of claim 1.
(ii) Tai does not disclose wherein each vent extends from the front panel to the back panel.
(iii) The Applicant has disclosed no criticality, nor any new or unexpected results, from having each vent extend from the front panel to the back panel and the prior art would perform the same having vents extending from the front panel to the back panel. Mere changes in size/proportion support a prima facie obviousness determination, see MPEP 2144.04(IV)(A).
(iv) It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the vents as disclosed by Tai to extend from the front panel to the back panel as claimed through mere changes in size/proportion, see MPEP 2144.04(IV)(A).
(g) Regarding claim 8:
(i) Tai as modified by Hidalgo as further modified by Hill teaches the fan assembly of claim 1.
(ii) Tai as modified by Hidalgo as further modified by Hill further teaches wherein the front mount of the hanger includes a front mount length (must exist); and wherein the rear mount of the hanger includes a rear mount length (must exist) with the rear mount length being different than the front mount length (Hill: lengths changed to achieve desired direction, Col 3 Lns 31-33).
(h) Regarding claim 9:
(i) Tai as modified by Hidalgo as further modified by Hill teaches the fan assembly of claim 1.
(ii) Tai as modified by Hidalgo as further modified by Hill further teaches wherein the hanger adjusts a position of the housing by adjusting at least one of the front mount length and the rear mount length while the air continues to be pushed substantially horizontally (Col 3 Lns 31-33/55).
(i) Regarding claim 10:
(i) Tai as modified by Hidalgo as further modified by Hill teaches the fan assembly of claim 1.
(ii) Tai as modified by Hidalgo as further modified by Hill further teaches wherein at least one of the front mount or the rear mount (Hill: front mount) has two arrangement portions (Hill: chains or cables 50 and 52, Figs 1-2) to define a three-point contact of the hanger for mounting the housing to a ceiling of a building (see abstract).
(j) Regarding claim 11:
(i) Tai as modified by Hidalgo as further modified by Hill teaches the fan assembly of claim 1.
(ii) Tai as modified by Hidalgo as further modified by Hill further teaches wherein the fan assembly is further defined as a first fan assembly and further including a second fan assembly (Hill: “array of … fans”, Col 1 Lns 25-26); wherein the first fan assembly is configured to operate in a spaced relationship with the second fan assembly (Hill: “array of … fans”, Col 1 Lns 25-26); and wherein the first fan assembly is configured to operatively direct the air to the second fan assembly (Hill: “move a curtain of air from one fan to the next”, Col 1 Lns 27-28).
Claim(s) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 6798098 to Tai in view of US 7008192 to Hidalgo in further view of US 6196803 to Hill as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of US 9726192 to Whitley.
(a) Regarding claim 7:
(i) Tai as modified by Hidalgo as further modified by Hill teaches the fan assembly of claim 1.
(ii) Tai as modified by Hidalgo as further modified by Hill do not teach an insert; wherein each blade includes a blade cavity; and wherein a corresponding insert is disposed within each blade cavity.
(iii) Whitley is also in the field of fans (see title) and teaches a fan assembly comprising a plurality of blades (blades 106, Fig 1); an insert (tip 114, Figs 1/4A); wherein each blade includes a blade cavity (leading and trailing edge cavities 454a/454b, Fig 4A); and wherein a corresponding insert is disposed within each blade cavity (Figs 4A-4B/7A-7C).
(iv) It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the fan assembly as taught by Tai as modified by Hidalgo as further modified by Hill with the above aforementioned inserts and blade cavities as taught by Whitley for the purpose of providing lightweight blade tips (see abstract).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 12-22 allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: the closest prior art is US 6798098 to Tai in view of US 7008192 to Hidalgo in further view of US 6196803 to Hill (see rejection of claim 1 above) however the prior art does not teach nor suggest wherein the side of the housing includes a plurality of louvers with each louver including a slit and at least one fastening hole wherein the slit penetrates the louver and is orientated at an angle relative to the housing and the fastening hole is open to the slit; wherein the securing plate extends into the slit; and wherein the fastener extends through the fastening hole to engage the securing plate within the slit to attach the blade to a corresponding louver.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 10844866 to Eggers teaches a fan assembly comprising a hanger with multiple mounts each having an adjustable length to orient the fan apparatus (Fig 6). US 7066721 to Bird teaches a fan assembly comprising a motor housing whose sides are defined by spaced apart louvers with vents formed therebetween each adjacent louver (Fig 3).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Justin A Pruitt whose telephone number is (571)272-8383. The examiner can normally be reached T-F 8:30am - 6:30pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Nathaniel Wiehe can be reached at (571) 272-8648. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JUSTIN A PRUITT/Examiner, Art Unit 3745
/NATHANIEL E WIEHE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3745
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