this post was submitted on 19 Nov 2023
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I can't help but feel like most of the elements involved here are much more functional, which I feel shouldn't be patentable.
If the argument is that the daisychaining is in the body, it feels a bit like... d'uh? Where else would it go? And the placement is also... d'uh? That's the place not occupied by the fan.
Any numbskull can figure out how to do it, given the assigned task of doing it, and there doesn't seem to be any unique value in the various ways of doing it showcased here. (Personally, I'd prefer a very short cable to allow for mechanical tolerances in fan mounting positions and long-term reliable wiping electrical contact.)
I hope the court focuses on the questions 1) is the idea that it's something you'd want to do itself patentable?, and 2) is the patent written in a way to cover that?
I mean making fans daisy-chain through the body is, as a high level concept, novel. Moves away from having extra cables, etc.
But while the solution is on a high level novel, imo, I think the more specific you get the less novel it becomes, and the more it gets eaten by the functional requirements of it remaining a pretty standard fan design.