Aug.26.20l9
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`6:49PM
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`HSML,
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`PC
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`No.5635
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`IN THE UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
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`Inventorship: MATSUMOTO
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`Examiner:
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`ARANT
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`Serial No.:
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`14/232162
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`Group Art Unit:
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`3763
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`Filed:
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`Title:
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`Ianuary 10, 2014
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`Docket No.:
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`14434.0537USWO
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`OUTDOOR HEAT EXCHANGER, AND AIR. CONDITIONING DEVICE
`FOR VEHICLE
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`INTERVIEW AGENDA — FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY
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`BY FAX 571.273.1105 '
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`4 pages
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`Examiner Arant,
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`We provide the following comments to assist your preparation for the telephone
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`interview scheduled on July 27, 2019 at 10:30 EDT. We will call you at 571.272.1105.
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`With respect to the rejection for indefiniteness due to “the plurality of louvers ... being
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`substantially continuous with each other in the first direction" in claim 1, paragraph [0078] of the
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`published specification US2014/0137592 provides guidance for the intended meaning.
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`The anticipation and obviousness rejections rely on US 6,2711 84 (Nishisbita) as the
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`primary reference. The anticipation rejection relies on the depiction in Fig. 4 of Nishishita for
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`the features concerning the louver structures with extension potions required by claim 1.
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`Applicant submits that the reference does not provide the teaching necessary to support the
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`rejection.
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`Nishishita is focused on a structure for a parallel integrated heat exchanger having a
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`plurality cflieat exchangers next to each other in the airflow direction, and in particular seeks to
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`solve issues concerning heat transfer between the heat exchangers. As seen in Figs. 4 and 6—10,
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`Nishishita is concerned with the relationship between the tubes for the radiator and the condenser
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`and the arrangement of groups oflouvers.
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`Nisbishita teaches at column 2, lines 13 to 17 that the performanceuimproving louvers are
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`formed in the areas between the tubes of the individual heat exchangers to promote the exchange
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`of heat through enhanced exposure to the passing air and may be constituted as a single group or
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`1
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`Aug.26.20l9
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`6:50PM
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`No.5635
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`a plurality of groups of continuous louvers. In describing the embodiment of Fig. 4, column 7,
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`lines 7 to 21 teach that the second louver group 32 includes both performance-improving louvers
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`32a that extend between the tubes 7 of the radiator 9, and heat transfer prevention louvers 32b
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`located between the tubes 3 of the condenser 5 and the tubes 7 of the radiator 9 relative to the
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`airflow direction. In the first louver group 31, all the louvers are positioned between the tubes 3
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`of the condenser 5 and are performance—improving louvers 3 l a. Column 7, lines 54—57 further
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`explain that because the performance-improving louvers 3 la and 3 lb are formed between the
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`tubes of the individual heat exchangers, the fluid flowing through the tubes undergoes heat
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`exchange with the air passing between the fins with a high degree of efficiency. Column 7, lines
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`64457 emphasize that the heat transfer prevention louvers 32b are positioned at the space
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`between the tubes 3 of the condenser 5 and the tubes 7 of the radiator 9.
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`It can be seen that Nishishita’s written teachings distinguish carefully between areas
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`within the boundary of a tubes and areas outside the boundary of the tubes. Nishishita teaches in
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`this regard that all the Iouvers in the windward louver group 31 are perfonnance—improving and
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`formed in the areas between the tubes. Nishishita does not discuss any relationship between the
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`windward boundary of the tube and the foremost of the louvers 31, does not specifically identify
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`a front flat extension portion, much less provide any information concerning its dimensions or
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`indicate that that there is a louver in the extension portion, and does not provide any examples
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`with specific dimensions for any of the aspects of its louver structure. Thus, Nishishita does not
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`describe that its structure meets the requirements of “a foremost louver that is located on the
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`most windward side anmng the plurality of louvers is disposed entirely within the extension
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`portion”, “the hunt flat portion has an area larger than half of that of the extension portion”, “the
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`entire foremost louver is disposed leeWard of a center of the extension portion in the first
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`direction”, and “a leeward end of the foremost louver is located windward of the end position of
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`the joining region in the first direction” as recited in claim I.
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`The rejection contends that Nishishita’s Fig. 4 inherently possesses these features of
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`claim 1, and provides an annotated versiOn of the figure. However, it is well—Settled that patent
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`drawings generally are not to scale, and it is inappropriate to draw conclusions about specific
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`proportions from the drawings themselves in the absence of a supporting description in the
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`written teachings. See MPEP 2125 . Given the care with which Nishishita captains the
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`difference between the areas corresponding to tubes and areas not corresponding to tubes, a
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`Aug.26.20i9
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`6:50PM
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`HSML,
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`PC
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`No.5635
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`P.
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`3
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`description concerning the relationship betWeen the windward end of the tubes and the foremost
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`louver clearly would have been provided if that relationship were considered significant. Since
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`Nishishita is completely silent about features relating to the fi‘ont flat portion, FIG. 4 alone
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`cannot be considered to disclose the specific requirement of “the front flat portion has an area
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`larger than half of that of the extension portion” in claim 1. Likewise, Nishishita is completely
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`silent about the relationship between the leeward end of the foremost lower and the end position
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`of the joining region in the first direction, and Fig. 4 also cannot be considered to disclose the
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`specific requirement of “a leeward end of the foremost louver is located windward of the end
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`position of the joining region in the first direction" in claim 1.
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`Further, as discussed above, Nishishita is concerned with structures integrating multiple
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`heat exchangers. Thus, Nishishita provides performance—improving louvers between the tubes of
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`the individual heat exchangers, and heat transfer prevention louvers formed continuously along
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`an area Spanning a distance between the tubes of adjacent heat exchangers. The heat transfer
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`prevention louvers reduce the thermal effects of the adjacent heat exchangers on each other (see
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`column 2, lines 45 to 51). In particular, Nishishita seeks reduce the transfer from the radiator to
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`the condenser during a cooling operation.
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`In contrast, as discussed in paragraphs [0011] and [0061] of the published application, the
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`configuration of claim 1 reduces heat transfer from the windward end of the plate, which
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`suppresses excessive frost formation on the windward end of the fin. This helps to maintain heat
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`exchange capability during the heating operation for an outdoor heat exchanger. As a. result, if
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`the configuration of “a leeward end of the foremost louVer is located windward of the end
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`position of the joining region in the first direction” of claim 1 were applied to the Nishishita heat
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`exchanger, the performance of the condenser would be expected to drop, which is contrary to the
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`purposes ofNishishita.
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`Therefore, Applicant believes that Nishishita does not disclose or suggest the iflVention of
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`claim 1.
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`The rejection of claim 10 relies on US 2011/0036550 (Jtang) to supplement Nishishita for
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`the claim 10’s requirement of “the louver that is adjacent to the foremost louver comprises a part
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`that is disposed within the extension portion and a residual part that is disposed outside the
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`extension portion”. Specifically, the rejection relies on Fig. 2 of Jtang. HoweVer, Applicant
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`013052019
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`6:50PM
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`HSML,
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`PC
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`No.5635
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`P.
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`4
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`helieVes that the louver adjacent to the foremost louver is entirely in the extension portion, as
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`seen in the annotated version of Fig. 2 below.
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`
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`Fig? '
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`Therefore, Applicant belieVes that Nishishita and Jiang do not suggest the invention of
`claim 10.
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`I hope these cumin-rents are helpful. Please contact rne if there was any problem in the
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`tranamissmn of this paper.
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`Sincerely,
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`ldpmueller/
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`Douglas P. Mueller
`Reg. No. 30,300
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`DPM
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