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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on March 26, 2026 has been entered.
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I and Species A (figure 2A) in the reply filed on August 15, 2022 is acknowledged.
Claims 8, 22-27, 35 and 36 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention/species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on August 15, 2022.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
Claims 1, 3, 5 and 11-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
Claim 1 recites the limitation “wherein each valve is configured to selectively permit or restrict flow exclusively to the zone conduit corresponding to the respective one of the plurality of cargo zones” in lines 17-19. At least of elected Species A (figure 2A), the valve 124 permits or restricts the flow to the zone conduit and the distributors corresponding to the respective cargo zone. The disclosure, as originally filed, does not disclose the valve 124 permitting or restricting flow exclusively to the zone conduit corresponding to the respective cargo zone.
Claim 11 recites the limitation “the at least one fire suppression controller is further configured to receive the remaining amount of the fire suppressant material” in lines 8-9. The disclosure, as originally filed, does not appear to disclose that the control actually receives the remaining amount of the fire suppressant material.
Claims 1, 3, 5 and 11-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "temperature" in line 6. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 1 recites the limitation “each valve” in line 17. It appears to be a double inclusion of the “valve” recited in line 14.
Claim 5 recites the limitation "the multiple zone distribution components" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 5 recites the limitation “the zone conduit” in line 3. It is uncertain which zone conduit is being referenced.
Claim 5 recites the limitation “the zone conduit” in line 5. It is uncertain which zone conduit is being referenced.
Claim 14 recites the limitation “the valve” in line 6. It is uncertain which of the valves is being referenced.
Claim 16 recites the limitation “the valve” in line 3. It is uncertain which of the valves is being referenced.
Claim 17 recites the limitation “the valve” in line 5. It is uncertain which of the valves is being referenced.
Claim 18 recites the limitation “the valve” in line 4. It is uncertain which of the valves is being referenced.
Applicant is required to review and amend the withdrawn claims to ensure full compliance with 35 U.S.C. 112(a) and (b) for possible rejoinder purposes.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1, 3, 5 and 11-18 have been considered but are moot based on the new grounds of rejections.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRISTOPHER S KIM whose telephone number is (571)272-4905. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30-3:30.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Arthur O Hall can be reached at (571) 270-1814. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CHRISTOPHER S KIM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3752 CHRISTOPHER S. KIM
Examiner
Art Unit 3752
CK
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