P.O. Box 1450 Alexandria, Virginia 22313-1450
`
`UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`United States Patent and TrademarkOffice
`Address: COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
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`www .uspto.gov
`
`APPLICATION NO.
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`
`
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` FILING DATE
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`FIRST NAMED INVENTOR
`
`ATTORNEY DOCKETNO.
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`CONFIRMATIONNO.
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`14/005,869
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`09/18/2013
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`Katsuji Taniguchi
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`WASHB-51604
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`7759
`
`1801 EAST 9TH STREET
`SUITE 1200
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`THOMPSON,JASON N
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`3744
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`05/11/2016
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`ELECTRONIC
`
`Please find below and/or attached an Office communication concerning this application or proceeding.
`
`The time period for reply, if any, is set in the attached communication.
`
`Notice of the Office communication was sent electronically on above-indicated "Notification Date" to the
`following e-mail address(es):
`patdocket@ peame.com
`jcholley @pearne.com
`
`PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07)
`
`

`

`
`
`Status
`1) Responsive to communication(s) filed on 09/18/2013.
`LJ A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/werefiledon__
`2a)L] This action is FINAL.
`2b) This action is non-final.
`3)L] Anelection was made bythe applicant in responsetoarestriction requirementset forth during the interview on
`
`
`; the restriction requirement and election have been incorporatedinto this action.
`4)[] Since this application is in condition for allowance exceptfor formal matters, prosecution as to the merits is
`closed in accordance with the practice under Ex parte Quayle, 1935 C.D. 11, 453 O.G. 213.
`
`Disposition of Claims*
`5)KX] Claim(s) 1-3 is/are pending in the application.
`
`5a) Of the above claim(s)
`is/are withdrawn from consideration.
`
`6)L] Claim(s)
`is/are allowed.
`7) Claim(s) 1-3 is/are rejected.
`8)L] Claim(s)____is/are objectedto.
`
`9)L] Claim(s)
`are subject to restriction and/or election requirement.
`* If any claims have been determined allowable, you may be eligible to benefit from the Patent Prosecution Highway program at a
`participating intellectual property office for the corresponding application. For more information, please see
`or send an inquiry to PPHieedback@uspto.qoy.
`
`Application Papers
`10)L] The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
`11)] The drawing(s)filed on 09/18/2013 is/are: a)X] accepted or b)_] objected to by the Examiner.
`Applicant may not request that any objection to the drawing(s) be held in abeyance. See 37 CFR 1.85(a).
`Replacement drawing sheet(s) including the correction is required if the drawing(s) is objected to. See 37 CFR 1.121(d).
`
`Priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119
`12)X] Acknowledgment is made of a claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d) or (f).
`Certified copies:
`a)X] All
`)[_] Some** c)] None ofthe:
`1..] Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
`2.L] Certified copies of the priority documents have been received in Application No.
`3.) Copies of the certified copies of the priority documents have been receivedin this National Stage
`application from the International Bureau (PCT Rule 17.2(a)).
`““ See the attached detailed Office action for a list of the certified copies not received.
`
`
`
`Applicant(s)
`Application No.
` 14/005,869 TANIGUCHI ET AL.
`
`Examiner
`Art Unit
`AIA (First Inventorto File)
`Office Action Summary
`
`JASON THOMPSON Na 3744
`
`-- The MAILING DATEof this communication appears on the cover sheet with the correspondence address --
`Period for Reply
`
`A SHORTENED STATUTORY PERIOD FOR REPLYIS SET TO EXPIRE 3 MONTHS FROM THE MAILING DATE OF
`THIS COMMUNICATION.
`Extensions of time may be available underthe provisions of 37 CFR 1.136(a).
`after SIX (6) MONTHS from the mailing date of this communication.
`If NO period for reply is specified above, the maximum statutory period will apply and will expire SIX (6) MONTHS from the mailing date of this communication.
`-
`- Failure to reply within the set or extended period for reply will, by statute, cause the application to become ABANDONED (35 U.S.C. § 133).
`Anyreply received by the Office later than three months after the mailing date of this communication, evenif timely filed, may reduce any
`earned patent term adjustment. See 37 CFR 1.704(b).
`
`In no event, however, may a reply betimely filed
`
`Attachment(s)
`3) CT] Interview Summary (PTO-413)
`1) X Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date.
`:
`.
`4 Ol Other:
`2) X Information Disclosure Statement(s) (PTO/SB/08a and/or PTO/SB/08b)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date
`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
`PTOL-326 (Rev. 11-13)
`
`Office Action Summary
`
`Part of Paper No./Mail Date 20160426
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 14/005,869
`Art Unit: 3744
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`Page 2
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`DETAILED ACTION
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`Notice of Pre-AlA or AIA Status
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`1.
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`The present application is being examined underthe pre-AlA first to invent
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`provisions.
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`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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`2.
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`The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) which forms the basis
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`for all obviousnessrejections set forth in this Office action:
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`(a) A patent may not be obtained though the invention is not identically disclosed or described
`as set forth in section 102 of thistitle, if the differences between the subject matter sought to
`be patented and the prior art are such that the subject matter as a whole would have been
`obvious at the time the invention was made to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which
`said subject matter pertains. Patentability shall not be negatived by the manner in which the
`invention was made.
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`3.
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`Claims 1 and 3 are rejected underpre-AlA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being
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`unpatentable over Yamaoka (US 2005/0230096), and furtherin view of lritani et al. (US
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`6,430,951), and Bruss (US 6,584,795).
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`Regarding claim 1, Yamaokadiscloses a vehicle air conditioning apparatus
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`comprising:
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`An outside air inlet (119a) through whichoutside air is introduced from outside of
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`a passenger compartment (Figure 10 and Paragraph 7),
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`Aninside air inlet (118a) through whichinside air is introduced from inside of the
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`passenger compartment (Figure 10 and Paragraph 18),
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`A heat exchanger (120) that exchanges heat between inside air introduced
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`through the inside air inlet and outside air introduced through the outside air inlet
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`(Figure 10 and Paragraph 10),
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 14/005,869
`Art Unit: 3744
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`Page 3
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`A blowerfan (101) that blows outside air introduced through the outsideair inlet
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`(Figure 10 and Paragraphs 3, 7),
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`An evaporator (105) that coots outside air or inside air blown by the blowerfan
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`(Figure 10 and paragraph 4).
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`While Yamaokadiscloses a heater core (106) that heats the outside air cooled by
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`the evaporator and sendsthe heated outsideair toward the inside of the passenger
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`compartment (Figure 10 and Paragraphs 3-6: Air from 119a passes evaporator 105 and
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`heater core 6 before entering the compartmentvia 104), Yamaokais silent with respect
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`to the heater core as comprising a condenser.
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`lritani teaches a vehicle air conditioning apparatus comprising: a blower (132), an
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`evaporator (207), and a heater core (203), where the heater core heats outside air
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`cooled by the evaporator and sends heated outside air toward an inside of a passenger
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`compartment(Figure 1), and where the heater core is defined by a condenser(Figure 1
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`and Col. 14, lines 42-50: Part of an existing loop including elements 201, 202, 203,
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`207). As aresult it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the
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`time the invention was madeto configure the heater core as disclosed by Yamaoka as a
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`condenseras taughtbyIritani to improve system efficiency by utilizing a readily
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`available source of heat(i.e. utilizing heat available in an existing vapor-compression
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`heat exchange loop).
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`Yamaokafurther disclosesa first flow passage is formed through which outside
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`air flows in the order of the blower fan, the evaporator, the condenser, and the inside of
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`the passenger compartment (Annotated figure 10),
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 14/005,869
`Art Unit: 3744
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`Page 4
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`A second flow passage is formed which is separated from the first flow passage,
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`and through whichinside air flows in the orderof the inside air inlet, the heat exchanger,
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`and the outside of the passenger compartment, and
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`Wherethe heat exchanger exchanges heat between outside air introduced
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`through the outside air inlet by suction powerof the blower fan (Figure 10: Suction force
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`against points upstream of the blower), and inside air introduced into the second
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`passage after passing through thefirst passage and the inside of the passenger
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`compartmentby a blowing force of the blowerfan (Figure 10: Blowing force against
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`points downstream of the blower), and discharges inside air which has been subjected
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`to heat exchange to the outside of the passenger compartment by using a drain hose
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`(122) (Figure 10). However, Yamaokais silent with respect to the drain hose as
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`discharging drain waterto the outside of the passenger compartment, the drain water
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`being generated when outside air is cooled by the evaporator.
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`Bruss teachesa vehicle air conditioning apparatus (14) comprising: conventional
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`heating and cooling units (Col. 1, lines 60-67), where the vehicle air conditioning
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`apparatus generates condensatein the process of cooling air (Col. 1, lines 8-10), where
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`a drain hose (40) discharges inside air which has been subjected to heat exchange to
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`the outside of the passenger compartment (Figure 1 and Col. 2, lines 1-12), and where
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`the drain hose is provided for discharging drain water to the outside of the passenger
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`compartment(Figure 1 and Col. 2, lines 1-12). As a result it would have been obvious
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`to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was madeto configure the
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`drain hose as disclosed by Yamaokato discharge condensate as taught by Brussto
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 14/005,869
`Art Unit: 3744
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`Page 5
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`reduce incidenceof drain hose clogging and system damage by configuring the drain
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`hose with positive air pressure (Bruss: Col. 1, lines 30-51: Positive air pressure forces
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`condensatefrom collecting in the drain hose).
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`and Sow passage
`.
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`i
`
`nap
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`|
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`wnwoanag,FIG. 10
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`i
`
`ee
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`‘
`
`:
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`20
`
`
`
`Uy,
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`j”
`
`Wet4,
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`or
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`,
`
`
`
`
`
`’
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`pascangercompariment ~
`nS 707
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`
`
`106
`
`\
`ia
`ie 9a
`
`ga
`|
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`Regarding claim 3, Yamaokadiscloses a vehicle air conditioning apparatus as
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`discussed above, further comprising: a vehicle comprising the vehicle air conditioning
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`apparatus according to claim | (Col. 1, lines 30-35: The system is configured for use in
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`combination with a vehicle).
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`4.
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`Claim 2 is rejected under pre-AlA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over
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`Yamaoka (US 2005/0230096), Iritani et al. (US 6,430,951), and Bruss (US 6,584,795),
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`and further in view of Lee et al. (US 2005/0252647).
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 14/005,869
`Art Unit: 3744
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`Page 6
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`Regarding claim 2, Yamaokadiscloses a vehicle air conditioning apparatus as
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`discussed above. However, Yamaokais silent with respect to the heat exchanger as
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`comprising a sensible heat exchanger.
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`Lee et al. teaches a heat exchanger (200), where the heat exchanger comprises
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`a sensible heat exchanger (i.e. conducts sensible heat, rather than latent heat)
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`(Paragraph 45: The heat exchangeris formed from all aluminum). As a result it would
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`have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was
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`made to configure the heat exchanger as disclosed by Yamaoka from materials
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`conducting sensible heat exchanger as taught by Leeetal. to improve “absolute”(i.e.
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`sensible) heat transfer efficiency by utilizing materials having relatively high thermal
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`conductivity.
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`Conclusion
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`5.
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`The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to
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`applicant's disclosure:
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`US 4,604,873 discloses a vehicle air-conditioning system.
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`US 4,412,425 discloses a vehicle air conditioning and ventilation system.
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`US 2006/0242984 discloses a condensate drainage system.
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`Anyinquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
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`examiner should be directed to JASON THOMPSON whosetelephone numberis
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`(571)270-1852. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Thursday.
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 14/005,869
`Art Unit: 3744
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`Page 7
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`If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's
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`supervisor, Judy Swann can be reached on 571-272-7075. The fax phone numberfor
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`the organization wherethis application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
`
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`
`/JASON THOMPSON/
`Examiner, Art Unit 3744
`
`/ALLEN FLANIGAN/
`Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3744
`(571) 272-4910
`
`