0DETAILED.0 .0A2CTION
This Non-Final Office Action is in response to the claims filed on 9/18/2025.
Claims 1-20 are currently pending.
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 § 102
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 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, 6-8, 10-12 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kaufman et al. (US 11,092,119).
As to claim 1 Kaufman discloses an air intake system for an internal combustion engine, the air intake system comprising:
a cold air intake for receiving cold air (figure 1 #34);
a tube (figure 1 #12) for directing filtered air to an internal combustion engine;
an airbox (figure 1 #18) having an airbox aperture (figure 1 #41), the airbox adapted to receive and releasably secure an automotive air filter (figure 1 #38), the airbox configured to accept cold air from the cold air intake (figure 1 #34), direct the air though the filter, and provide filtered air through the tube leading to the internal combustion engine;
a removable airbox cover (figure 1 #24) having a cover aperture (figure 1 #40), the removable airbox cover configured to be received by and releasably attach to the airbox aperture (figure 1 #41) of the airbox (shown in figure 1); and,
a removable window assembly (figure 1 #22) configured to be received by and releasably attach to the cover aperture (figure 1 #40) of the removable airbox cover (figure 1 #24).
As to claim 2 Kaufman discloses the air intake system for the internal combustion engine of claim 1, wherein the airbox (figure 1 #18) is adapted to receive the automotive air filter (figure 1 #38) through the airbox aperture (#41, shown in figure 1).
As to claim 3 Kaufman discloses the air intake system for the internal combustion engine of claim 1, wherein the airbox further comprises an internal velocity stack leading to the tube for directing filtered air to the internal combustion engine.
“shaped as a bell of a trumpet, is typically a tubular component having a decreasing inner diameter in the direction of air flow”, (applicants’ definition in paragraph 0072)
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As to claim 6 Kaufman discloses the air intake system for the internal combustion engine of claim 1, wherein the airbox (figure 1 #18) further comprises an airbox recess (figure 1 #41) surrounding the airbox aperture, the airbox recess (figure 1 #41) is shaped to receive and surround the removable airbox cover (figure 1 #24) such that the outer surface of the removable airbox cover (figure 1 #24) is generally flush with outer surface of the airbox (figure 2).
As to claim 7 Kaufman discloses the air intake system for the internal combustion engine of claim 6, wherein the removable airbox cover (figure 1 #24) further comprises a cover recess (figure 1 #40) surrounding the cover aperture (figure 1 #40), the cover recess shaped to receive and surround the removable window assembly (figure 1 #22) such that the outer surface of the removable window assembly is generally flush with the outer surface of the removable airbox cover (see figure 2).
As to claim 8 Kaufman discloses the air intake system for the internal combustion engine of claim 1, wherein the airbox cover aperture (figure 1 #40) is positioned near a top of the airbox cover (figure 1 #24) proximal to the tube for directing filtered air to the internal combustion engine (shown in figure 1).
As to claim 10 Kaufman discloses the air intake system for the internal combustion engine of claim 1, wherein the air intake system is an aftermarket product (This product is not OEM).
As to claim 11 Kaufman discloses an air intake system for an internal combustion engine, the air intake system comprising:
a cold air intake for receiving cold air (figure 1);
a tube (figure 1 #12) for directing filtered air to an internal combustion engine; and,
an airbox (figure 1 #18) having an airbox aperture (figure 1 #41), the airbox adapted to receive and releasably secure an automotive air filter (figure 1 #38), the airbox configured to accept cold air from the cold air intake (figure 1 #34), direct the air though the filter, and provide filtered air through the tube leading to the internal combustion engine;
As to claim 12 Kaufman discloses the air intake system for the internal combustion engine of claim 11, further comprising an airbox aperture trim-piece (figure 1 #24) configured to releasably attach to the air box aperture (figure 1 #41) of the air box, the airbox aperture trim-piece having an opening to receive secondary air and direct the secondary air through the air filter (without the window #22).
As to claim 20. An air intake system for an internal combustion engine, the air intake system comprising:
a cold air intake for receiving cold air (figure 1 #34);
a tube (figure 1 #12) for directing filtered air to an internal combustion engine;
an airbox (figure 1 #18) having an airbox aperture (figure 1 #41), the airbox adapted to receive and releasably secure a conically-tapered automotive air filter (figure 1 #38), the airbox configured to accept cold air from the cold air intake (figure 1 #34), direct the air though the filter, and provide filtered air through the tube leading to the internal combustion engine;
a removable airbox cover (figure 1 #24) having a cover aperture (figure 1 #40), the removable airbox cover configured to be received by and releasably attach to the airbox aperture (figure 1 #41) of the airbox (shown in figure 1); and,
a removable window assembly (figure 1 #22) comprising a window housing having a window frame (figure 1 #27) and a transparent window (figure 1 #22), the window frame (figure 1 #27) surrounding the transparent window, the removable window assembly (figure 1 #22) configured to be received by and releasably attached to the cover aperture (figure 1 #40) of the removable airbox cover (figure 1 #24). wherein:
the airbox further comprises an internal velocity stack leading to the tube for directing filtered air to the internal combustion engine (shown in the attached modified drawing above), and
the airbox further comprises an airbox recess surrounding the airbox aperture (figure 1 #41), the airbox recess is shaped to receive and surround the removable airbox cover (figure 1 #24) such that the outer surface of the removable airbox cover is generally flush with the airbox (shown in figure 2), and
the removable airbox cover (figure 1 #24) further comprises a cover recess (figure 1 #40) surrounding the cover aperture, the cover recess shaped to receive and surround the removable window assembly (figure 1 #22) such that the outer surface of the removable window assembly is generally flush with the removable airbox cover (shown in figure 2).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4, 5, 9 and 13-19 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SHERMAN D MANLEY whose telephone number is (571)270-5539. The examiner can normally be reached M-TH 7-5:30 est.
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SHERMAN D. MANLEY
Examiner
Art Unit 3747
/SHERMAN D MANLEY/Examiner, Art Unit 3747
/JACOB M AMICK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3747
