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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species a – Fig. 8A, encompassing Claims 1-5, 8, and 11-14, in the reply filed on 10/21/2025, is acknowledged. It is noted, however, that the embodiment of Figure 8A does not appear to coincide with the disclosure of Claim 8, since Figure 8A appears to show the circuit boards in a triangle shape (Claim 7), not a rectangular shape. Therefore, it is being treated that Figure 8B discloses the claimed embodiment of the circuit boards being joined in a rectangular shape.
Claims 6-7 and 9-10 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 10/21/2025.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) was filed on 06/13/2025. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Double Patenting
Claims 1-5, 8, and 11-14 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-5, 8, and 11-14 of U.S. Patent No. 12,331,754 in view of Yamagata (US Patent No: 9,957,965).
Although the claims are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from one another. The application claims are broader in at least one aspect and also recite additional features not claimed in the patent claims.
FOR CLAIM 1:
Application Claim 1
Patent Claim 1
An axial fan motor
A casing having a hollow tubular shape and provided with an intake opening at one end in an axial direction and an exhaust opening at another end in the axial direction
An impeller accommodated in the casing and including a plurality of blades
A motor accommodated in the casing and configured to rotate the impeller
A plurality of circuit boards arranged along the axial direction at a side near the exhaust opening in the casing, wherein two circuit boards of the plurality of circuit board are combined with each other, the two circuit boards are disposed so that board surfaces of the two circuit boards extend in a longitudinal direction with the rotational axis of the impeller.
An axial fan motor
A casing having a hollow tubular shape and provided with an intake opening at one end in an axial direction and an exhaust opening at another end in the axial direction
An impeller accommodated in the casing and including a plurality of blades
A motor accommodated in the casing and configured to rotate the impeller
A plurality of circuit boards arranged along the axial direction at a side the exhaust opening in the casing, wherein at least two circuit boards to be combined with each other among the plurality of circuit boards are provided with a slit, and a through-hole is formed around the slit
Thus, it is apparent, for the broadening aspect, that patent claim 1 includes features that are not in application claim 1. Following the rationale in In re Goodman, cited above, where applicant has once been granted a patent containing a claim for the specific or narrower invention, applicant may not then obtain a second patent with a claim for the generic or broader invention without first submitting an appropriate terminal disclaimer. Since application claim 1 is anticipated by patent claim 1, with respect to the broadening aspect, and since anticipation is the epitome of obviousness, then application claim 1 is obvious over patent claim 1 with respect to the broadening aspect.
With respect to the additional features recited in application claim 1, patent claim 1 fails to recite that the two circuit boards are disposed so that board surfaces of the two circuit boards extend in a longitudinal direction with the rotational axis of the impeller. However, Yamagata teaches an axial fan motor comprising a two circuit boards (Figure 2, No. 5; Figure 12, No. 5E) extending in a longitudinal direction with a rotational axis of the impeller of the axial fan motor (Figures 2 and 12; Column 7, Lines 34-38). Since the patent claim recites the axial fan motor having two circuit boards and Yamagata teaches that the two circuit boards extending in a longitudinal direction with a rotational axis of the impeller of the axial fan motor, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the axial fan motor in the patent claim so that the two circuit boards extend in a longitudinal direction with a rotational axis of the impeller of the axial fan motor, as taught by Yamagata, for the purpose of preventing the circuit boards from vibrating, leading to the axial fan motor to becoming quiet (Column 7, Lines 34-41).
For dependent Claims 2-5, 8, and 11-14, the recited limitations are contained in patent claims 2-5, 8, and 11-14, respectively.
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) 1-3, 11-12, and 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kurita (US Publication No: 2010/0117468).
Regarding Claim 1: Kurita discloses an axial fan motor (Figure 1a, No. 1), comprising a casing (30) having a hollow tubular shape (Paragraph [0056], Lines 1-2) and provided with an intake (400) opening at one end in an axial direction and an exhaust opening (500) at another end in the axial direction; an impeller (11) accommodated in the casing and including a plurality of blades (11a); a motor (10) accommodated in the casing and configured to rotate the impeller; and a plurality of circuit boards (22, 23) arranged along the axial direction at a side close to the exhaust opening in the casing (Figure 1a), wherein two circuit boards (22, 23) of the plurality of circuit boards are combined with each other (Paragraph [0066], Lines 1-4), the two circuit boards are disposed so that board surfaces of the two circuit boards extend in a longitudinal direction with the rotational axis of the impeller (Figure 1a – surfaces of boards 22, 23 facing out of the page).
Regarding Claim 2: Kurita discloses the axial fan motor according to Claim 1,
wherein the plurality of circuit boards are each mounted with an electronic component (circuit board 22 - 27 (Figure 1a); circuit board 23 - 23a (Figure 2a)), and the electronic component is disposed at the circuit boards in an exposed state in a flow channel formed by the impeller (Figure la).
Regarding Claim 3: Kurita discloses the axial fan motor according to Claim 1,
wherein the casing includes an upper casing (upper portion of casing 30) and a lower
casing (lower portion of casing 30) integrally coupled (Figure 1a), and the plurality of circuit boards are accommodated inside the lower casing (Figure 1a).
Regarding Claim 11: Kurita discloses the axial fan motor according to Claim 4,
wherein the plurality of circuit boards are used as a side wall for the lower casing (Figure 1a).
Regarding Claim 12: Kurita discloses the axial fan motor according to Claim 12, wherein of the plurality of circuit boards, a circuit board (23) forming an engagement opening part (23c) and a circuit board (22) forming an engagement protruding part (24) engaged with the engagement opening part are joined together (Figure 1a; Paragraph [0069], Lines 9-15).
Regarding Claim 14: Kurita discloses the axial fan motor according to Claim 12, wherein on a circuit board of the plurality of circuit boards, a downstream portion of a flow channel formed by the impeller is subjected to a surface treatment by a predetermined potting process (Figure 1a – the surface of circuit board 23 can be subjected to a surface treatment).
Claim(s) 1, 3-5, and 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yamagata (US Patent No: 9,957,965).
Regarding Claim 1: Yamagata discloses an axial fan motor comprising a casing
(Figure 2, No. 4 & 9) having a hollow tubular shape and provided with an intake opening (41) at one end in an axial direction and an exhaust opening (42) at another end in the axial direction; an impeller (2) accommodated in the casing and including a plurality of blades (21); a motor (3) accommodated in the casing and configured to rotate the impeller (Column 3, Lines 4-6); and a plurality of circuit boards (Figure 2, No. 5; Figure 12, No. 5E) arranged along the axial direction at a side close to the exhaust opening in the casing (Figures 2 & 12), wherein two circuit boards (5, 5E) of the plurality of circuit boards are combined with each other, the two circuit boards are disposed so that board surfaces of the two circuit boards extend in a longitudinal direction with the rotational axis of the impeller (Figures 2 and 12; Column 7, Lines 34-38).
Regarding Claim 3: Yamagata discloses the axial fan motor according to Claim 1, wherein the casing includes an upper casing (71) and a lower casing (72) integrally coupled (Figure 2), and the plurality of circuit boards are accommodated inside the lower casing (Figures 2 & 12).
Regarding Claim 4: Yamagata discloses the axial fan motor according to Claim 4, wherein the plurality of circuit boards are each held by a board insertion groove formed near a corner of the lower casing (Figure 3 – groove in corner portion 810 that houses circuit board 5).
Regarding Claim 5: Yamagata discloses the axial fan motor according to Claim 4, wherein the board insertion groove is formed at a thick portion of a flange part formed at the corner of the lower casing (Figure 3 – corner portion 81 thicker than side portion of casing 4).
Regarding Claim 11: Yamagata discloses the axial fan motor according to Claim 4, wherein the plurality of circuit boards are used as a side wall for the lower casing (Figures 2 & 12).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8 and 13 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but
would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the non-statutory double patenting rejections set forth above and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The prior art fails to disclose an axial fan motor according to Claim 1, wherein the plurality of circuit boards are held at the lower casing in a state of being joined in a rectangular shape in plan view, or wherein each of the plurality of circuit boards includes an electronic component mounted only at an exposed surface located at a side exposed to a flow channel formed by the impeller, and an outer surface located at an outer side opposite to the exposed surface is coated. Both Kurita and Yamagata disclose an axial fan motor with a plurality of circuit boards; however, neither Kurita not Yamagata disclose the circuit boards being joined in a rectangle shape, or each of the circuit boards including an electronic component mounted only at an exposed surface located at a side exposed to a flow channel formed by the impeller, and an outer surface located at an outer side opposite to the exposed surface is coated. The prior art fails to disclose an axial fan motor as claimed in Claims 8 and 13; therefore, Claims 8 and 13 comprise allowable subject matter.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL L SEHN whose telephone number is (571)270-3564. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30 AM-6 PM, every other Friday off.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Courtney Heinle can be reached at 571-270-3508. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MICHAEL L SEHN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3745