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 .
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.
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.
Claims 1-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Delano et al. (US 20170300094, hereinafter: “Delano”).
In reference to Claim 1
Delano discloses:
A composite fan, comprising: a housing (120 fan housing) comprising an inlet (210 opening; “The first side 204 includes an opening 210 that acts as an inlet for air, for example, moving through the fan 118,” [0030]), an outlet (208, “A third side of the at least one third side 208 includes an opening (not shown) that acts as an outlet for the air moving through the fan 118,” [0030]), a driving member (motor, shaft 216, 414; “a solid shaft 216 may be used when the fan assembly 118 includes a brushed direct current (DC) motor,” [0033]; “An opening 412 at the second end 406 may be smaller than an opening 414 at the first end 404, such that a magnet (e.g., a permanent magnet) may be positioned and/or fixed within the hub 402,” [0053]), and an internal space (space inside the fan housing 120); a hub (216, 402; Fig. 4) disposed in the internal space and comprising a central member (hub 402; Fig. 4), an annular base (bottom most base disc 422 as shown in Fig. 6), and an axis of rotation (axis of rotation about hub 406) wherein the hub is driven by the driving member for rotation, and the annular base (bottom most base as shown in Fig. 6) includes an inner annular surface (upper surface or lower surface of the bottom most base 422 as shown in Fig. 6) and an outer annular surface (upper surface or lower surface of the bottom most base 422 as shown in Fig. 6).
It is noted that the inner annular surface and the outer annular surface can be interpreted with respect to the axial direction as shown in the annotated Figure 6 of Delano.
Delano discloses a plurality of vertical blades (416) secured to the inner annular surface or the outer annular surface wherein a first airflow path is disposed between any two adjacent ones of the plurality of vertical blades (“The plurality of extensions 416 may be angled relative to the outer annular surface 408 of the hub 402 such that the plurality of extensions 416 act as blades, guiding air into channels 424 formed between the plurality of discs 422,” [0059]), and each vertical blade is at any number of angles ([0056]); and a plurality of horizontal blades (422) being annular, parallel to each other, and at an angle of 80 to 100 degrees with respect to the plurality of vertical blades wherein the plurality of horizontal blades are secured to the plurality of vertical blades (Fig. 6), the plurality of horizontal blades are secured to the inner annular surface or the outer annular surface, and a second airflow path is disposed between any two adjacent ones of the plurality of horizontal blades [0059]. [0023-0070] (Fig. 1-6).
[0059, Delano] The plurality of extensions 416 may be angled relative to the outer annular surface 408 of the hub 402 such that the plurality of extensions 416 act as blades, guiding air into channels 424 formed between the plurality of discs 422. The plurality of discs 422 do not include openings corresponding to the openings 220 shown in FIG. 2. The spaces between the outer annular surface 408 of the hub 402, the plurality of extensions 416 and the plurality of discs 422, respectively, act as the openings 220 shown in FIG. 2, allowing air to enter the channels 424 formed between the plurality of discs 422, respectively.
Although Delano is silent on the vertical blade disposed at an angle of 80 to 100 degrees with respect to the annular base, Delano discloses each vertical blade is positioned at any number of angles (“The plurality of extensions 416 may extend away from the outer annular surface 408 of the hub 402 at any number of angles relative to the outer annular surface 408, such as, for example, 60 degrees,” [0056]).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the vertical blades Delano by positioning them at the claimed angle with respect to the annular base as claimed in Claim 1, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233.
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In reference to Claim 2
Delano discloses:
The composite fan of claim 1, wherein the plurality of vertical blades (416) are secured to the inner annular surface and the plurality of horizontal blades are secured to the outer annular surface. [0058-0060] (Fig. 4-6; see annotated Figure 6 of Delano for interpretation of the inner and outer annular surface).
In reference to Claim 3
Delano discloses:
The composite fan of claim 1, wherein the plurality of vertical blades (416) are secured to the outer annular surface, the plurality of horizontal blades are secured to the inner annular surface, the plurality of horizontal blades each include an annular inner edge (radial inner edge of 416), and an air flows turning space (242 channels) is formed between the annular inner edges and the central member [0059] (Fig. 4-6; see annotated Figure 6 of Delano for interpretation of the inner and outer annular surface).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Chan et al. (US 20210102550), Tamaoka et al. (US 20150023814), Hino et al. (US 20170356466), Chen (US 20190195242), and Haraga et al. (US 5427503) discloses the impeller of a fan that is relevant to the Applicant’s invention.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AYE SU MON HTAY whose telephone number is (571)270-5958. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 9:00am-3:00pm PST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Nathan Wiehe can be reached at 571-272-8648. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/AYE S HTAY/Examiner, Art Unit 3745
/NATHANIEL E WIEHE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3745
