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 .
Responsive to correspondence
This office action is in response to correspondence filed on 01/15/2024.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements filed 09/27/2024 was were filed before the first action on the merits. This submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97.
Accordingly, the IDS has been fully considered by the Office.
Abstract
The abstract filed 09/27/2024 appears to be acceptable.
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 17-19 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.
In Claims 17:
The element “a plurality of radial segments” (Claim 17, line 3) in combination with the element “a radial segment” (Claim 16, line 4) renders the claim indefinite in that it is not understood if the radial segment recited in Claim 16 is also one of the plurality of radial segments recited in Claim 17 or is a radial segment different from the radial segments. For this reason, the metes and bounds of claims 17-19 cannot be ascertained and the claim appears to be indefinite.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-3, 10-13, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S Publication number 2004/0050081 A1 to TSUBOI (TSUBOI).
Re: Claim 1:
TSUBOI discloses:
A direct-drive refrigerant screw compressor (See Fig. 9: ¶0032), comprising:
a housing (See Fig. 9);
a compression chamber (See Fig. 9: compression chamber in which rotors 51, 52 are disposed) in the housing;
a pair of rotors (See Fig. 9: a pair of rotors 51, 52) , each rotor of the pair of rotors being rotationally disposed in the compression chamber (as shown in figure 9 ) and including an outer surface with a screw-geared profile (See Fig. 9: ¶0032: discloses screw compressor, and screw geared profile on outer surface of rotors is inherent in a screw compressor);
a fluid being disposed in the compression chamber (See Fig. 9: ¶0033: the refrigerant in the gas state is delivered out from the evaporator 14 to and sucked by the screw compressor 11), the fluid consisting of a working fluid for providing lubrication to each rotor (See Fig. 9: ¶0033-¶0036, ¶0039: the refrigerant in the fluid state seals and lubricates between the rotors, and between the rotors and the inner wall surface of the rotor room);
a first port (as shown in figure 9: a first port II) extending through the housing and configured for directing the fluid toward the compression chamber; and
when the compressor is activated, each rotor rotates (See Fig. 9: a pair of rotors 51, 52, this is typically the inherent function rotors to rotate and compress the fluid) and the fluid is distributed about each rotor to lubricate each rotor (See Fig. 9: ¶0033-¶0036, ¶0039).
Regarding method claim 11, TSUBOI discloses all the limitations of method claim 11.
Re: Claim 3:
TSUBOI discloses:
The compressor of claim 1, TSUBOI discloses all the limitation of claim 1, and wherein:
the first port extends directly into the compression chamber (See Fig. 9).
TSUBOI discloses all the limitations of method claim 13.
Re: Claim 10:
TSUBOI discloses:
A refrigerant system including:
a condenser (See Fig. 9: ¶0034: condenser 12);
the compressor of claim 1 (See Fig. 9: and rejection of claim 1 above); and
a conduit (See Fig. 9: ¶0034: conduit 1) fluidly connecting the condenser (See Fig. 9: ¶0034: condenser 12) and the first port (See Fig. 9:a first port II) of the compressor , and configured to transport the fluid (See Fig. 9: ¶0033-¶0036, ¶0039: refrigerant flows via conduit 1) to the compressor to provide the working fluid to each rotor (See Fig. 9: ¶0033-¶0036, ¶0039: rotors 51-52).
TSUBOI discloses all the limitations of method claim 20.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S Publication number 2004/0050081 A1 to TSUBOI (TSUBOI) in view of US Publication number 2006/0288713 A1 to KNIGHT et al. (KNIGHT).
Re: Claim 2:
TSUBOI discloses:
The compressor of claim 1, TSUBOI discloses all the limitation of claim 1, and wherein:
the first port includes a flow control orifice (See Fig. 9: ¶0061: fluid control throttle means 59), the problem to be resolved is flow control, therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to position a flow control device and TSUBOI discloses flow control means 59, further it is well known in the art to employ an orifice to control refrigerant flow, such a system is explicitly taught by US Publication number 2006/0288713 A1 to KNIGHT et al. (KNIGHT: ¶0037).
TSUBOI modified by KNIGHT discloses all the limitations of method claim 12.
Claim(s) 4- 9, 14-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S Publication number 2004/0050081 A1 to TSUBOI (TSUBOI) as applied to claim 1 above , and further in view of U.S Patent number 5653585 to FRESCO (FRESCO).
Re: Claim 4:
TSUBOI discloses:
The compressor of claim 1, TSUBOI discloses all the limitation of claim 1, TSUBOI is silent regarding: wherein:
the first port is fluidly connected to a passage in one rotor of the pair of rotors that directs the fluid to the compression chamber.
However, it is well known in the art to position, the first port is fluidly connected to a passage in one rotor of the pair of rotors that directs the fluid to the compression chamber , such a system is explicitly taught by U. S Patent number 5653585 to FRESCO (FRESCO: See Fig.7: col. 16 line 4: discloses all the limitations of claim 1 and claim 11 and further discloses first port 198 is fluidly connected to a passage hole 202 in the rotor in one rotor of the pair of rotors 178, 180) that directs the fluid to the compression chamber space(s) surrounding the rotors 178, 180) which is an art known system and one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention would have configured the fluid passages according to the known system as explicitly taught by FRESCO which is beneficial because such a configuration creates positively a homogeneous mixture of oil droplets to maximize the effectiveness of the working liquid oil in improving the isothermal and volumetric efficiencies (abstract).
TSUBOI in view of FRESCO discloses all the limitations of method claim 14.
Re: Claim 5:
TSUBOI in view of FRESCO discloses:
The compressor of claim 4, TSUBOI discloses all the limitations of claim 4, TSUBOI is silent regarding: wherein:
the passage extends between an axial aft port in the one rotor and the outer surface of the one rotor an axial aft port in the one rotor.
However, it is well known in the art to position, the passage extends between an axial aft port in the one rotor and the outer surface of the one rotor an axial aft port in the one rotor, such a system is explicitly taught by U. S Patent number 5653585 to FRESCO (FRESCO: See Fig. 7: col. 16 line 4: that the first port 198 is fluidly connected to a passage hole 202 in the rotor in one rotor of the pair of rotors 178, 180 that directs the fluid to the compression chamber space(s) surrounding the rotors 178, 180),
TSUBOI in view of FRESCO discloses all the limitations of method claim 15.
Re: Claim 6:
TSUBOI in view of FRESCO discloses:
The compressor of claim 5, TSUBOI in view of FRESCO discloses all the limitations of claim 5, and wherein:
the passage (FRESCO: Figs. 7 and 8: col. 16 line 4: hole 202 in the rotor) includes an axial segment forming a blind hole (FRESCO: Fig. 7: blind hole 202 as shown) and a radial segment (FRESCO: Figs. 7-8: radial segment 214) fluidly connected between the axial segment and a surface port on the outer surface of the one rotor (FRESCO: Figs. 7-8: rotor 8).
TSUBOI in view of FRESCO discloses all the limitations of method claim 16.
Re: Claim 7:
TSUBOI in view of FRESCO discloses:
The compressor of claim 6, TSUBOI in view of FRESCO discloses all the limitations of claim 6, and wherein:
the passage (FRESCO: See Figs.7-8: col. 16 line 4: hole 202 in the rotor) includes a plurality of the radial segments (FRESCO: See Figs.7-8: plurality of segments 204) fluidly connected to a respective plurality of the surface ports on the outer surface of the one rotor (FRESCO: See Figs.7-8: rotor 178).
TSUBOI in view of FRESCO discloses all the limitations of method claim 17.
Re: Claim 8:
TSUBOI in view of FRESCO discloses:
The compressor of claim 7, TSUBOI in view of FRESCO discloses all the limitations of claim 7, and wherein:
the plurality of the surface ports are staggered at regular intervals along the outer surface of the one rotor (FRESCO: See Figs.7-8: outer ports 214 are staggered as shown along the outer surface of rotor 178)
TSUBOI in view of FRESCO discloses all the limitations of method claim 18.
Re: Claim 9:
TSUBOI in view of FRESCO discloses:
The compressor of claim 8, wherein:
the plurality of the radial segments each include opposing radial portions extending to a respective plurality of the surface ports on the outer surface of the one rotor (FRESCO: See Figs.7-8: outer openings of the 214s, on the outer surface of the one rotor 178).
TSUBOI in view of FRESCO discloses all the limitations of method claim 19.
Conclusion
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/SHAFIQ MIAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3746
Jul. 27, 26
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