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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election with traverse of Species II drawn to Fig. 4 in view of claims 1, 3-6, 10-14, 17, & 19-21 in the reply filed on 05/15/2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that the Examiner gave no serious search burden. This is not found persuasive because the serious search burden was outlined on Page 3 of the Requirement for Restriction/Election filed 03/17/2026.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
As a result of the Species election, claims 17 & 19-21 are withdrawn from consideration as pertaining to a non-elected species of Species I, as while claims 1 and similarly 10 recite a statement of the field of intended use in the preamble of components within a fixed piping system, however, claim 17 positively claims a fixed piping system 104 implemented within the structure 102 in line 3 of claim 17, and as seen in Fig. 1. Indeed, the Applicant themselves acknowledge this, as claims containing such positively recited claim limitations pertaining to the fixed piping system, those in claims 9, 16, & 23 have been withdrawn by the Applicant.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1 & 3-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Siebert (US 2003/0183300).
Regarding claim 1, Siebert (US 2003/0183300) shows a method of a safety system of a structure having a fixed piping system implemented therein to supply breathable air from a source across the safety system, comprising:
providing a block subassembly (30/32, Fig. 1/2 - the Merriam-Websters Dictionary defines Block “a compact usually solid piece of substantial material especially when worked or altered to serve a particular purpose”; the Examiner is using the broadest reasonable interpretation to understand the identified components of the block subassembly are compact pieces of material that are worked or altered to serve a particular purpose, that of transferring pressurized air) comprising at least one input port (see Annotated Figure 2) and at least one output port (see Annotated Figure 2) on a main frame (30, Fig. 2) thereof coupled to a component of the safety system (32, Fig. 1); and
routing the breathable air via the at least one input port to the at least one output port on the main frame of the block subassembly (¶0023 – breathable air is routed via the at least one input port, to the at least one output port, and then into the component of the safety system 32, as element 32 is a quick disconnect for the air hose 34) and then into the component of the safety system (Fig. 2).
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Annotated Figure 2
Regarding claim 3, Siebert shows further comprising:
providing perpendicular elements intersecting one another to form a T shape as the main frame of the block subassembly (Fig. 2, see Annotated Figure 2 – the main frame 30 of the block subassembly 30/32 comprises of perpendicular elements intersecting one another to form a T shape as the main frame); and
providing the at least one input port and the at least one output port on at least one of the perpendicular elements (see Annotated Figure 2).
Regarding claim 4, Siebert shows comprising:
providing an input port of the at least one input port (see Annotated Figure 2) on a first element of the perpendicular elements (Fig. 2 – element 30 is the first element); and
providing an output port of the at least one output port (see Annotated Figure 2) on a second element (Fig. 2 – element 32 is the second element) perpendicular to the first element of the perpendicular elements (see Annotated Figure 2).
Regarding claim 5, Siebert shows further comprising:
providing another input port (see Annotated Figure 2) on the main frame of the block subassembly (see Annotated Figure 2 – as the main frame comprises of at least one output port within the structure, where the path of flow diverges from the input port, and that comprises of the T part of the T shape that moves upward in Annotated Figure 2, as does the main frame provide another input port, as indicated on Annotated Figure 2, as the connection between elements 30 and 32 is a quick disconnect input port for an external hose, whether the hose is connected or not); and
routing at least one of: an electrical connection and communication within the safety system from the another input port (see Annotated Figure 2) into the component of the safety system (¶0023 – an electrical connection is routed from the another input port of the main frame 30 into the component of the safety system 32 when elements 30 and 32 are connected).
Regarding claim 6, Siebert shows comprising the main frame (30, Fig. 2) of the block subassembly being made of at least one of: a metal (¶0029), a metal alloy and a composite material.
Claims 10-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Nelson (US 5,396,885).
Regarding claim 10, Nelson (US 5,396,885) shows a component of a safety system of a structure, the component (36, Fig. 4) configured to receive breathable air from a source within the safety system via a fixed piping system implemented therein, comprising:
a surface comprising an inlet port (see Annotated Figure 1); and
a block subassembly (Fig. 1/4/ see Annotated Figure 1 – the Merriam-Websters Dictionary defines Block “a compact usually solid piece of substantial material especially when worked or altered to serve a particular purpose”; the Examiner is using the broadest reasonable interpretation to understand the identified components of the block subassembly are compact pieces of material that are worked or altered to serve a particular purpose, that of transferring pressurized air) comprising a main frame coupled to the surface (see Annotated Figure 1), the main frame comprising at least one input port and at least one output port provided thereon (see Annotated Figure 1),
wherein the breathable air from the source (6, Fig. 4) is routed through the at least one input port to the at least one output port (see Annotated Figure 1), and from the at least one output port into the inlet port of the surface (see Annotated Figure 1).
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Annotated Figure 1
Regarding claim 11, Nelson shows wherein:
the main frame of the block subassembly comprises perpendicular elements intersecting one another to form a T shape (see Annotated Figure 1), and
the at least one input port and the at least one output port are provided on at least one of the perpendicular elements of the main frame (see Annotated Figure 1).
Regarding claim 12, Nelson shows wherein:
an input port of the at least one input port is provided on a first element of the perpendicular elements of the main frame (see Annotated Figure 1), and
an output port of the at least one output port is provided on a second element perpendicular to the first element of the perpendicular elements of the main frame (see Annotated Figure 1).
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.
Claim 13-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nelson (US 5,396,885) in view of Ludwick et al (US 8,196,479), hereinafter referred to as Ludwick.
Regarding claim 13, Nelson (US 5,396,885) shows further comprising another input port (see Annotated Figure 1) on the main frame of the block subassembly (see Annotated Figure 1).
However, Nelson lacks showing wherein at least one of: an electrical connection and communication within the safety system is routed from the another input port into the component of the safety system.
Ludwick (US 8,195,479), and airflow regulation device, is in the same field of endeavor as Nelson which is an airflow regulation device.
Ludwick teaches wherein at least one of: an electrical connection and communication within the safety system (134, Col. 15, Lines 47-64 – the device routes at least one of a communication via the device 10 and the external analytical instrument 134, with the connection via element 24 for analyzing breathable air quality) is routed from the another input port (24, Fig. 8A) into the component of the safety system (Col. 15, Lines 47-64).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the component of the safety system of Nelson to incorporate the teachings of the component of the safety system of Ludwick, which would provide a lightweight means to remotely collect and analyze sample data from the air flowing within the system (Col. 2, Lines 43-46).
Regarding claim 14, Nelson shows elements of the claimed invention as stated above in claim 10 including the main frame of the block subassembly.
However, Nelson lack showing the main frame of the block subassembly is made of at least one of: a metal, a metal alloy and a composite material.
Ludwick teaches wherein the main frame of the block subassembly is made of at least one of: a metal, a metal alloy and a composite material (Col. 17, Lines 20-23 – the main frame of the block sub assembly 30/32 is made of stainless steel, or metal).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the main frame of Nelson to incorporate the teachings of the main frame of Ludwick, which would provide a metal component under pressure that has the structural integrity to withstand the applied pressures while staying within structural tolerance ranges and dimensions.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure.
The following prior art teaches related breathing systems and their components:
US 5,095,899 – Green discloses an air delivery system comprising of block assemblies with air and electrical connections
US 4,905,684 – Heffer discloses an emergency air delivery system
US 2002/0083736 – Kotliar discloses block assemblies with air and electrical connections
US 5,570,685 – Turiello discloses a breathing system with block assemblies for transferring air
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RYAN L FAULKNER whose telephone number is (469)295-9209. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 9-7, Every other F: Flex.
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/RYAN L FAULKNER/Examiner, Art Unit 3762 /MICHAEL G HOANG/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3762
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