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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 2026.03.15 has been entered.
Status of the Claims
Claims 1, and 22 have been amended.
Claims 15 and 20 remain as previously canceled.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claims 11 – 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
Claim 11 recites the limitation “the plurality of air guiding blades comprises a plurality of first blades and a plurality of second blades; the plurality of first blades are extending from a central portion of the hub outwardly; and the plurality of second blades are disposed at and surround an outer periphery of the plurality of first blades.” These limitations are directed towards an arrangement of the fan assembly comprising two concentric rings of blades further comprising an airflow guiding structure and a partition plate arranged between the concentric rings, such that the fan assembly forms the recited first air inlet port and second air inlet port as further recited by claim 12. It is noted that such a structure is shown only by the embodiments of Figures 47 – 49 and additionally in Figure 4. The originally filed specification indicates the embodiment of Figures 47 – 49 as directed towards “embodiment II.” It is noted that Applicant has amended claim 1 to recite the limitation “a connection between the blade top portion and the front edge portion is arc shaped,” and the originally filled specification recites such structure in at least [0184] as directed towards Figures 34, 36, and 37 (It is noted the recited feature is not distinguishable in Figure 37). The originally filled specification appears to indicate the embodiment of Figures 34 – 37 as directed towards “embodiment I.” The originally filled specification provides no support for including the newly recited feature of claim 1, directed towards a first embodiment of the invention, as being included with, or combinable with, a second embodiment of the invention as presented by claims 11 – 14. This is a new matter rejection. As no support for such a modification is provided, and no indication is provided on how such a modification is intended to be made, an art rejection for claims 11 – 14 is not provided herein. It is further noted that Applicant has pointed to [0184] as providing support to the amendments to claim 1, and that [0184] is directed to the embodiment as shown in Figures 34, 36, and 37 ([0184], “As shown in FIGS. 34, 36 and 37, in the present embodiment, each first blade top portion 2421 extends horizontally, and each second blade top portion 2422 extends in an arc shape.”).
Dependent claims not specifically rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement, are interpreted as being rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement, for depending 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, 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 – 10, 16, 21, and 22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CN 213931251, “Lai,” in view of US 2018/0328376, “Ishii.”
Regarding Claim 1: Lai discloses a portable wind blowing device (Figures 1 – 6), comprising: a hanging body portion (Generally interpreted as the “U-shaped” housing formed by shells 10 and 20; [0024]), having an air inlet portion (18, 32) (At least [0031] and [0040]) and a receiving cavity (Generally interpreted as the internal volume of the hanging body formed by at least the first accommodating cavity 17 and the air duct 16, shown receiving the fan in at least Figure 3); a fan assembly (40), received in the receiving cavity and disposed at a position corresponding to the air inlet portion (As shown in at least Figures 1 and 3); the fan assembly is configured to rotate to intake air from an outside of the portable wind blowing device through the air inlet portion to generate an airflow (As discussed in at least [0033] and as shown arranged in at least Figures 1 – 6); wherein, the air inlet portion comprises a plurality of air inlet holes arranged in an array (As shown in at least Figures 1, 3, and 4; [0032], “The first air inlet 18 on the outer wall of the first shell 10 is composed of a number of small holes arranged in an array”). Lai discloses the fan assembly 40 comprises a centrifugal impeller ([0031], “first fan 40 is a centrifugal fan;”); however, Lai fails to explicitly disclose the details of the fan arrangement and as such is silent as to wherein the fan assembly comprises a hub and a plurality of air guiding blades arranged on a front side of the hub; each of the plurality of air guiding blades has a blade top portion disposed away from the front side of the hub and a front edge portion extending from and connecting the blade top portion to the front side of the hub; the front edge portion is inclined; a connection between the blade top portion and the front edge portion is arc shaped.
Ishii teaches fan assembly comprising a centrifugal impeller (18) (As shown in at least Figures 1 – 17), the assembly further comprising a hub (15, 56) and a plurality of air guiding blades (52) arranged on a front side of the hub (As indicated by at least 562a in at least Figure 15, the side of the hub in the upwards direction as shown); each of the plurality of air guiding blades has a blade top portion (523a) disposed away from the front side of the hub and a front edge portion (523b) extending from and connecting the blade top portion to the front side of the hub (As shown in at least Figure 15); the front edge portion is inclined (As shown in at least Figures 15); a connection between the blade top portion and the front edge portion is arc shaped (As shown in at least Figure 15 as 523e; [0123], “the first front edge 523a and the second front edge 523b may be coupled via an arc-shaped front edge 523e”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to have modified the portable wind blowing device of Lai to have substituted the fan assembly with that of Ishii with the predicted results that such a fan assembly would be capable of use in the device of Lai and that such a modification amounts to a simple substitution of one know centrifugal blade assembly for that of another. Such a substitution would have been obvious since, an express suggestion to substitute one equivalent component or process for another is not necessary to render such substitution obvious (MPEP 2144.06).
Regarding Claim 2: Lai, in view of Ishii, teaches the portable wind blowing device according to claim 1; once combined, Ishii further teaches wherein, an angle between the front edge portion and the front side of the hub is less than 90 degrees (As shown in at least Figures 6 and 15 as angle AGg; [0092], “a countermeasure inner surface angle AGg of FIG. 6 which is provided on the outer side of the blade front edge 523 in the fan radial direction DRr is preferably equal to or larger than 70°”).
Regarding Claim 3: Lai, in view of Ishii, teaches the portable wind blowing device according to claim 1; once combined, Ishii further teaches wherein, the front edge portion has a bottom end arranged on the front side of the hub and a top end connected with the blade top portion (The bottom end arranged adjacent to the hub 56 and the top end arranged adjacent the shroud ring 54); the bottom end of the front edge portion is disposed closer to a central portion of the hub (As shown in at least Figure 15; The bottom end is shown arranged at 523d, closer to the central portion of the hub); and the top end of the front edge portion is disposed away from the central portion of the hub and is extending approaching a circumferential edge of the hub (As shown in at least Figure 15; The top end of the front edge is shown at the connection point between 523b and the arc-shape 523e, and the front edge is shown angled away from the central portion and axis CL towards the circumferential outer edge, in the direction DRr, of the hub).
Regarding Claim 4: Lai, in view of Ishii, teaches the portable wind blowing device according to claim 1; once combined, Lai further discloses wherein, at least a portion of the plurality of air inlet holes are located corresponding to a central portion of the hub (As shown in at least Figures 1 – 4; The air inlet holes are shown formed in a grid or array such that at least a portion of the holes formed overlap with a central portion of the hub, generally interpreted as the portion of the hub interior to the front side of the blades as shown in at least Annotated Figure B and as discussed in the aforesaid rejection of claim 3.); and when the fan assembly is rotating, the front edge portion of each of the plurality of air guiding blades is configured to guide air intaken from the at least a portion of the plurality of air inlet holes corresponding to the central portion of the hub (Lai, At least [0032] and [0033]; Once combined the fan blades of Ishii will act in a manner analogous to the fan blades replaced in Lai such that the front edge portion of each blade will guide air drawn in from the air inlet hoes in a manner well known in the art).
Regarding Claim 5: Lai, in view of Ishii, teaches the portable wind blowing device according to claim 4; once combined, Ishii further teaches wherein the plurality of air guiding blades are spirally extending from a circumferential edge of the hub towards the central portion of the hub (As best shown in at least Figures 5 and 5, and Annotated Figure B; The blades are shown in each figure extending spirally in a clockwise manner between the circumferential edge and the central portion of the hub).
Regarding Claim 6: Lai, in view of Ishii, makes obvious the portable wind blowing device according to claim 5; once combined, Ishii further teaches wherein the hub is arranged with a rotation shaft (14) disposed at a center of the hub (As shown in at least Figure 15). It is additionally noted that the fan of Lai is shown arranged with a central shaft as shown in at least Figure 3.
Regarding Claim 7: Lai, in view of Ishii, teaches the portable wind blowing device according to claim 6; once combined, Ishii further teaches wherein the front edge portion of each of the plurality of air guiding blades is disposed near the rotation shaft and is spaced apart from the rotation shaft (As shown in at least Figures 3, 13, and 15; The front edge portions 523b are shown disposed near the rotation shaft relative to the outer circumferential edge of the hub and arranged such that they are spaced apart from the rotation shaft).
Regarding Claim 8: Lai, in view of Ishii, teaches the portable wind blowing device according to claim 7; once combined, Ishii further teaches wherein, the front edge portion is non-parallel to the rotation shaft (As shown in at least Figures 6 and 15; The front edge portions 523b are shown arranged non-parallel to the rotation shaft 14, as further shown by Ltg and as discussed in at least [0113]).
Regarding Claim 9: Lai, in view of Ishii, teaches the portable wind blowing device according to claim 4; Lai further discloses wherein orthographic projections of the at least the portion of the plurality of air inlet holes onto the front side of the hub are located within the central portion of the hub (As shown in at least Figures 2 and 3; At least a portion of the plurality of air inlet hors are shown arranged such that projections of the holes extending to the surface of the hub will overlap the central portion of the hub). One of ordinary skill in the art, when combining the impeller of Ishii into the apparatus of Lai would be motivated to maintain the placement of the impeller such that the shaft and central portion of the hub would be maintained, such that the relative placement to the plurality of air inlet holes would also be maintained, as such, Lai, in view of Ishii, makes obvious the claimed arrangement.
Regarding Claim 10: Lai, in view of Ishii, teaches the portable wind blowing device according to claim 4; Lai further discloses wherein orthographic projections of the at least the portion of the plurality of air inlet holes onto the front side of the hub are located within a region enclosed by front edge portions of all of the plurality of air guiding blades (As shown in at least Figures 2 and 3; At least a portion of the plurality of air inlet hors are shown arranged such that projections of the holes extending to the surface of the hub will overlap the central portion of the hub in a region interior to the front edge portion of the plurality of air guiding blades). One of ordinary skill in the art, when combining the impeller of Ishii into the apparatus of Lai would be motivated to maintain the placement of the impeller such that the shaft and central portion of the hub would be maintained, such that the relative placement to the plurality of air inlet holes would also be maintained, as such, Lai, in view of Ishii, makes obvious the claimed arrangement.
Regarding Claim 16: Lai, in view of Ishii, teaches the portable wind blowing device according to claim 1; once combined, Lai further discloses wherein the hanging body portion defines a plurality of air vent holes (19), each of the plurality of air vent holes penetrates from a side of the hanging body portion near a body part of a user to a side of the hanging body portion away from the body part (As shown in at least Figures 1, 4, and 5; Each of the air vent holes 19 is shown penetrating the hanging body between a side of the hanging body portion facing away from a body part (i.e. interior wall) to a side near a body part (i.e. exterior wall)).
Regarding Claim 21: Lai, in view of Ishii, teaches the portable wind blowing device according to claim 13; once combined, Ishii further teaches wherein the front side of the hub is a sloped side (As shown in at least Figures 6 and 15; The front side of the hub is shown sloping upwards in the “one side” direction, of axial direction DRa, from the outer circumferential edge towards the centerline CL); in a direction from a circumferential edge of the front side to a center of the front side (As shown in at least Figures 6 and 15; The front side of the hub, towards the “one side,” is shown formed with a sloping (i.e. curved) surface which extends in a radial direction (i.e. the direction from the circumzenithal edge to the center of the hub)), the front side is gradually protruding (As shown in at least Figures 6 and 15; The slope of the front side of the hub is shown as being formed as a gradual slope).
Regarding Claim 22: Lai, in view of Ishii, teaches the portable wind blowing device according to claim 21; once combined, Ishii further teaches wherein a main body of the hub is of a plate structure (As shown in at least Figures 6 and 15; The hub main body is shown generally as the combination of elements 56 and 60 and they are broadly interpreted as forming a plate structure on which the blades are arranged as shown), and a front side of the plate structure forms the front side of the hub (As further discussed in the aforesaid rejection of claim 1, the front side of the hub is interpreted as the side of the hub on which the blades are arranged, the “one side,” as shown in axial direction DRa); the plate structure further has a rear side of the plate structure opposite to the front side (The front side of the hub is interpreted as the side of the hub on which the blades are arranged, the “other side,” as shown in axial direction DRa), a receiving portion is arranged on and protrudes with respect to the rear side along a direction away from the rear side, (As shown in at least Figures 6, 11, 14, and 15; The receiving portion shown formed by at least annular extension 564 which extends in the “other side” direction, as shown in axial direction DRa, extending away from the rear side.), the fan assembly further comprises a motor (16) configured to drive the hub and the plurality of air guiding blades to rotate to generate the airflow (At least [0055] and as further shown in at least Figures 2, 9 – 11, and 14), the motor is arranged in the receiving portion (As shown in at least Figures 2, 9 – 11, and 14).
Claim(s) 16 – 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CN 213931251, “Lai,” in view of US 2018/0328376, “Ishii,” and CN 213931256, “Li.”
Regarding Claim 16: Lai, in view of Ishii, teaches the portable wind blowing device according to claim 1; however, Lai, in view of Ishii fails to explicitly disclose wherein the hanging body portion defines a plurality of air vent holes, each of the plurality of air vent holes penetrates from a side of the hanging body portion near a body part of a user to a side of the hanging body portion away from the body part. It is noted that this rejection is provided in parallel to that of Claim 16, as shown in at least ¶27, and is provided as an alternative interpterion of the claim.
Li teaches a portable wind blowing device (Figures 1 – 6), comprising: a hanging body portion (Generally interpreted as the “u-shaped” body formed by blowing module 30 and temperature control module 10), a centrifugal fan (34) in an interior space of the hanging body portion, an air inlet portion (38, 40) (The air inlet portion of Li is arranged similarly to that of Lai with one portion comprising a plurality of holes and the second portion comprising a cover), and wherein the hanging body portion defines a plurality of air vent holes (39) (As shown in at least Figure 3 and 4), each of the plurality of air vent holes penetrates from a side of the hanging body portion near a body part of a user to a side of the hanging body portion away from the body part (As shown in at least Figures 3 and 4; Each of the air vent holes 39 is shown penetrating the hanging body between a side of the hanging body portion facing away from a body part (i.e. interior wall) to a side near a body part (i.e. exterior wall)).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to have added the plurality of air vent holes, as taught by Li, into the device of Lai, with the predicted results that the air vent holes will act as additional air outlets which will provide increased cooling flow to the users neck as taught by Li (At least [0028]).
Regarding Claim 17: Lai, in view of Ishii, and Li, teaches the portable wind blowing device according to claim 16; once combined, Li further teaches wherein at least one of the plurality of air vent holes is disposed at a side of the air inlet portion away from a free end of the hanging body portion (As shown in at least Figures 3 and 4; The air vent holes are arranged along the extension arm of the hanging body portion which comprises the centrifugal fan, this portion of the hanging body is interpreted as comprising the free end of the hanging body portion, the air vent holes are arranged at a side with the air inlet portion as interpreted as being located on the interior surface of the hanging body which comprises a portion of the air inlet portion as previously discussed with respect to claims 1 and 16).
Regarding Claim 18: Lai, in view of Ishii, and Li, teaches the portable wind blowing device according to claim 17; once combined, Li further teaches wherein at least another one of the plurality of air vent holes is disposed at a side of the air inlet portion near the free end of the hanging body portion (As shown in at least Figures 3 and 4; The air vent holes are arranged along the extension arm of the hanging body portion which comprises the centrifugal fan, this portion of the hanging body is interpreted as comprising the free end of the hanging body portion, the air vent holes are arranged at a side with the air inlet portion as interpreted as being located on the interior surface of the hanging body which comprises a portion of the air inlet portion as previously discussed with respect to claims 1 and 16, air vent holes are shown located both near and further from the air inlet portion such that those located in closer proximity to the air inlet portion are interpreted as being near the free end of the hanging body portion).
Regarding Claim 19: Lai, in view of Ishii, and Li, teaches the portable wind blowing device according to claim 16; once combined, Li further teaches wherein each of the plurality of air vent holes is elongated and extending along a length of the hanging body portion (As shown in at least Figures 3 and 4; The air vent holes are shown formed of an ovular shape such that they are interpreted as being elongated and are further shown extending along the body portion along its length); once combined, Li further teaches wherein the plurality of air vent holes are spaced apart from each other along a length of the hanging body portion (As shown in at least Figures 3 and 4; The air vent holes are shown formed along the length of the body portion in an intermittent manner such that they are interpreted as being spaced apart from each other along the length of the body portion).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 2026.03.15 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues on pages 6 – 8 of their Remarks that Lai in view of Kedelty, and that Lai in view of Yuei, fail to disclose or teach the newly recited “arc shaped connection design” (with specific respect to Kedelty) and “a ‘protruding’ physical structure” (with specific respect to Yuei) as recited by claims 1 and 22. Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1 and 22 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference, or combination of references, applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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 BENJAMIN DOYLE whose telephone number is (571)270-5821. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 0900 - 1700.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Mark Laurenzi can be reached at 571-270-7878. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/BENJAMIN DOYLE/Examiner, Art Unit 3746 2026.03.25
/MARK A LAURENZI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3746 4/1/2026