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 1 in the reply filed on 06/29/2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 3, 6, and 11 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: Line 3 includes the term “hub and” after “plurality of fan blades”, this appears to be a typo. Appropriate correction is required.
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) 1-2, 4-5, 7-10, and 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Avidano et al (US Patent No. 6,384,494).
Avidano teaches:
limitations from claim 1, an internal circulation heat dissipation fan (1; FIG. 1), comprising: a stator (5), comprising a coil seat (7); and an impeller (3), comprising a hub (4, 27) and a plurality of fan blades (28) surrounding the hub (FIG. 1), the hub comprising an inner shell (4, 11) and an outer shell (27) sheathing the inner shell, the coil seat accommodated in the inner shell (see FIG. 1), an internal flow channel (30) defined between the inner shell (4 at wall 11) and the outer shell (27b), the internal flow channel comprising one side communicated with the inner shell and another side communicated to outside of the outer shell (FIG. 1; C. 3 Lines 15-21), the internal flow channel comprising a plurality of heat dissipation blades therein (29), the heat dissipation blades annually arranged, and each of the heat dissipation blades comprising a side edge connected to one of the inner shell and the outer shell (FIG. 1; C. 2 Lines 44-48);
limitations from claim 2, wherein the heat dissipation blades (29) are arranged outside of the inner shell (FIG. 1);
limitations from claim 4, wherein the outer shell comprises an outer cylinder (27b) and a top lid (27a, or alternatively end element 13);
limitations from claim 5, wherein the fan blades are arranged on an external surface of the outer cylinder (FIG. 1 at skirt 27b);
limitations from claim 7, wherein at least a portion of the internal flow channel (30) is defined between the top lid and the inner shell (see apertures 19 and the flow path arrows shown in FIG. 1);
limitations from claim 8, wherein at least a portion of the internal flow channel is defined between the outer cylinder and the inner shell (passage 30, see flow path arrows in FIG. 1);
limitations from claim 9, wherein the inner shell (11) is tubular (see FIG. 2) and opened at two ends thereof (see FIG. 1 as annotated below);
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limitations from claim 10, wherein the internal flow channel comprises a bottom opening defined between the outer shell and the inner shell (see annotated FIG. 1 below);
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limitations from claim 12, wherein the stator comprises a base (8), the coil seat (7) is fixed on the base, the hub is pivoted on the base (C. 1 Lines 41-43 and C. 2 Lines 62-64);
Claim(s) 1 and 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lee (US Patent No. 7,061,155).
limitations from claim 1, an internal circulation heat dissipation fan (FIG. 4), comprising: a stator (26), comprising a coil seat (27); and an impeller (FIG. 3-4), comprising a hub (211) and a plurality of fan blades (see dashed lines in FIG. 4) surrounding the hub, the hub comprising an inner shell (222) and an outer shell (211) sheathing the inner shell, the coil seat accommodated in the inner shell (see FIG. 4), an internal flow channel (23 between 211 and 222; C. 2 Lines 40-42) defined between the inner shell (222) and the outer shell (211; see FIG. 2-3), the internal flow channel comprising one side communicated with the inner shell and another side communicated to outside of the outer shell (FIG. 4; C. 2 Lines 49-61), the internal flow channel comprising a plurality of heat dissipation blades therein (214), the heat dissipation blades annually arranged, and each of the heat dissipation blades comprising a side edge connected to one of the inner shell and the outer shell (FIG. 2-3; C. 2 Lines 25-42);
limitations from claim 13, wherein each of the heat dissipation blades (214) comprises another side edge abutting against the inner shell (FIG. 2-3; C. 2 Lines 25-42);
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) 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Avidano et al (US Patent No. 6,384,494) as applied to claim 1 above, and in further view of Lee (US Patent No. 7,061,155).
Avidano teaches blades (29) connected to outer shell (27b), but does not teach that the dissipation blades (29) abut against the inner shell (11);
However, Lee teaches a fan (FIG. 4) including an outer shell (21, 211) and an inner shell (22, 222), heat dissipation blades (214) attached to the outer shell (FIG. 2), and
limitations from claim 13, wherein each of the heat dissipation blades (214) comprises another side edge abutting against the inner shell (FIG. 2-3; C. 2 Lines 25-42);
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art of fans at the time the invention was filed to form the heat dissipation blades of Avidano such that the blades contact both the inner and outer shells, as taught by Lee, as a matter of design choice in order to form desired flow channels through the fan.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Lee (US 9,488,181) teaches a fan having flow channels between an inner and outer shell (FIG. 7);
Dano (US 2005/0116554) teaches a fan having flow channels between an inner and outer shell (FIG. 7);
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRISTOPHER S BOBISH whose telephone number is (571)270-5289. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 9-5.
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/CHRISTOPHER S BOBISH/Examiner, Art Unit 3746
