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 .
Claim Interpretation
Regarding the new limitations of claims 1 and 26 requiring intentionally forming in real time a non-uniform seamless cell wall thickness to form a varying wall thickness along the length of one or more of the plurality of seamless cell walls, it is noted that Applicant appears to attribute the “real time” tailoring/manufacturing to the use of an additive manufacturing machine or 3D-printer that is controlled by some kind of programable controller (See Specification [00180]). Because it is well known in the art that an additive manufacturing machine or 3D-printer must be connected to some kind of computer/hardware/software controller, the “real-time” nature of the manufacturing process is inherent to any device which can be formed by additive manufacturing/3D-printing, in the same way as Applicant’s, and as is well known in the art. Applicant’s disclosure does not include any novel method or process associated with the “real time” tailoring or manufacturing beyond that described in [00180], which is merely describing what is commonly known in the art in terms of additive manufacturing machines or 3D-printing being controlled by a programable controller that inherently has the capability of real time adjustments.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1, 4-8, 11-20 and 23-28 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lin (2022/0389882).
With respect to claim 1, Lin teaches an apparatus (Figures 1, 15B-18 and 21A-D, #100) for attenuating sound in an aircraft assembly (140/102), the apparatus comprising: a seamless unitary acoustic panel assembly (100) comprising: a seamless, integral first facesheet (one of #202/204 - note some Figures point to top face #216 of acoustic screen #202); a seamless, integral second facesheet (other of #202/204), at least one of said seamless, integral first facesheet (202/204) and said seamless, integral second facesheet (202/204) comprising a plurality of perforations (clearly seen in the Figures, also see [0069]) extending through said at least one of said seamless, integral first facesheet and said seamless, integral second facesheet; and a seamless, integral cellular-core section (200) seamlessly interposed between said seamless, integral first facesheet (202/204) and said seamless, integral second facesheet (202/204), said seamless, integral cellular-core section (200) comprising a plurality of seamless cells (defined by H-shaped ones of cell #206 as seen in Figures 16A-C, 17A/C and 21D), said plurality of seamless cells each comprising a plurality of seamless cell walls (300), at least one of said plurality of seamless cell walls comprising a cell wall length, said at least one of said seamless cell walls comprising a manufactured varying cell wall thickness along the cell wall (varying wall thickness clearly seen in H-shaped cells of Figures 17A/C and 21D) length to intentionally form in real time a non-uniform seamless cell wall thickness along the cell wall length of the at least one of the plurality of seamless cell walls (“intentional real-time formation of varying cell walls” and “volume tailoring” are inherent to the computer design and additive manufacturing/3D printing processes used by Lin [0177]-[0194] to form the panel assembly in the same way as Applicant’s, and as described in the claim interpretation section above), said plurality of said plurality of seamless cell walls (300) defining a seamless cell chamber (defined by upper/lower resonant spaces #602/604, or converging/diverging cells #1306/1308) in each of said plurality of seamless cells (206), said seamless cell chamber (602/604 or 1306/1308) comprising a selected seamless cell-chamber contour, said selected chamber contour comprising a curving irregular geometry (curving irregular geometry contour of H-shaped cells clearly seen in Figures #17A/C and 21D), said seamless cell chamber comprising a selected and tailored seamless cell-chamber volume (defined volume of each of individual upper/lower resonant spaces #602/604, or converging/diverging cell volumes #1306/1308).
With respect to claim 4, Lin teaches wherein at least one of said plurality of seamless cells (206) comprises a seamless septum (402), said seamless septum (402) positioned seamlessly within the at least one of said plurality of seamless cells (206), said seamless septum (402) positioned seamlessly at a first selected depth within the seamless cell chamber of at least one of said plurality of seamless cells (206), said seamless septum (402) integrally formed with the plurality of seamless cell walls (300 - clearly seen in each of Figures 15B-D, 17A, 17C and 21D).
With respect to claim 5, Lin teaches wherein said first seamless cell (Figure 17D, defined by of middle one of cells #206) comprises a seamless septum (402) positioned seamlessly at a first selected depth within a first seamless cell chamber, said second seamless cell (Figure 17D, defined by of right-most one of cells #206) comprises a seamless septum (402) positioned seamlessly at a second selected depth within a second seamless cell chamber, wherein the first selected depth differs from the second selected depth (clearly seen in Figure 17D), said seamless septum (402) integrally formed with the seamless cell wall (300).
With respect to claim 6, Lin teaches wherein said seamless cell wall comprises a seamless cell-wall first section (See annotated view of Figure 21D, provided below, defined by one of wall sections #PWS or #NPWS) and a seamless cell-wall second section (defined by other of wall sections #PWS or #NPWS), and wherein at least one of said seamless cell-wall first section, said seamless cell- wall second section, and said seamless cell chamber is configured to be non-perpendicular (defined by wall sections #NPWS) to at least one of said seamless, integral first facesheet (202/204) and said seamless, integral second facesheet (202/204) along the length of the at least one of said seamless cell-wall first section, said seamless cell-wall second section, and said seamless cell chamber (clearly seen in annotated view of Figure 21 D, also see Figures 16B/17D).
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With respect to claim 7, Lin teaches wherein more than one of said at least one of the plurality of seamless cell walls (300) comprises a selected non-uniform thickness along its length (clearly seen in the annotated view of Figure 21D above).
With respect to claim 8, Lin teaches wherein the at least one of said seamless cell-wall first section and said seamless cell-wall second section (See annotated view of Figure 21D, provided above, defined by one of/other of wall sections #PWS or #NPWS) has a selected seamless cell-wall thickness that is non-uniform along its length.
With respect to claim 11, Lin teaches an object (140/102) comprising the apparatus (100) of Claim 1.
With respect to claim 12, Lin teaches an aircraft-engine assembly (102) comprising the apparatus (100) of Claim 1.
With respect to claim 13, Lin teaches an aircraft (140) comprising the apparatus (100) of Claim 1.
With respect to claim 14, Lin teaches wherein said seamless, integral cellular-core section (200 ) comprises: a seamless first cellular-core region (Figure 21D, defined by one of cell groups #1200), said seamless first cellular-core region comprising a plurality of seamless first cells (1306/1308) comprising a plurality of seamless first cell walls (300) defining a seamless first cell chamber (defined by chamber of cells 1306/1308), said seamless first cell chamber having a selected seamless first cell-chamber volume (defined by chamber volume of cells 1306/1308), at least one of said plurality of seamless first cell walls (300) comprising a selected seamless first cell-wall thickness, said at least one of said plurality of seamless first cell walls further comprising a selected first cell-wall density (cell walls #300 inherently have a density); and a seamless second cellular core region (Figure 21D, defined by other of cell groups #1200), said seamless second cellular-core region comprising a plurality of seamless second cells (1306/1008) comprising a plurality of seamless second cell walls (300) defining a seamless second cell chamber (defined by chamber of cells 1306/1308) having a selected seamless second cell-chamber volume (defined by chamber volume of cells 1306/1308), at least one of the plurality of seamless second cell walls (300) comprising a selected seamless second cell-wall thickness, said at least one of said plurality of seamless second cell walls further comprising a selected second cell-wall density (cell walls #300 inherently have a density), said seamless second cellular-core region positioned adjacent the seamless first cellular-core region (note one of cell groups #1200 and other of cell groups #1200 can include adjacent ones of cell groups #1200).
With respect to claim 15, Lin teaches wherein at least a portion of the at least one of said plurality of seamless first cell walls (300 – note right-most wall #300 labeled PWS in the annotated view of Figure 21D above is perpendicular as claimed) is oriented perpendicular to at least one of the seamless, integral first facesheet (one of #202/204) and the seamless, integral second facesheet (other of #202/204).
With respect to claim 16, Lin teaches wherein at least a portion of the at least one of said plurality of seamless second cell walls (300 – note right-most wall #300 labeled PWS in the annotated view of Figure 21D above is perpendicular as claimed) is oriented perpendicular to at least one of the seamless, integral first facesheet (one of #202/204) and the seamless, integral second facesheet (other of #202/204).
With respect to claim 17, Lin teaches wherein at least a portion of the at least one of the plurality of seamless first cell walls (300 – note at least portions of walls labeled as #PWS in the annotated view of Figure 21D above non-perpendicular as claimed) is oriented non-perpendicular to at least one of the seamless, integral first facesheet (one of #202/204) and the seamless, integral second facesheet (other of #202/204).
With respect to claim 18, Lin teaches wherein at least a portion of the at least one of said plurality of seamless second cell walls (300 – note at least portions of walls labeled as #PWS in the annotated view of Figure 21D above non-perpendicular as claimed) is oriented non-perpendicular to at least one of the seamless, integral first facesheet section (one of #202/204) and the seamless, integral second facesheet (other of #202/204).
With respect to claim 19, Lin teaches wherein the selected seamless first cell-chamber volume (defined by volume of one of cells #1306) differs from the selected seamless second cell-chamber volume (defined by volume of one of cells #1308).
With respect to claim 20, Lin teaches wherein the selected seamless first cell-wall thickness differs from the selected seamless second cell-wall thickness (note different wall thicknesses for cells #1306 and 1308 in Figure 21D).
With respect to claim 23, Lin teaches an object (140/102) comprising the apparatus (100) of Claim 14.
With respect to claim 24, Lin teaches an aircraft-engine assembly (102) comprising the apparatus (100) of Claim 14.
With respect to claim 25, Lin teaches an aircraft (140) comprising the apparatus (100) of Claim 14.
With respect to claim 26, Lin teaches method for attenuating sound (method necessitated by product structure of apparatus of Figures 1, 15B-18 and 21A-D, #100) in an aircraft assembly (140/102), the method comprising: providing an aircraft assembly (140/102); integrating into the aircraft assembly a seamless, unitary acoustic panel (100), said seamless, unitary acoustic panel comprising: a seamless, integral first facesheet (one of #202/204 - note some Figures point to top face #216 of acoustic screen #202); a seamless, integral second facesheet (other of #202/204), at least one of said seamless, integral first facesheet (202/204) and said seamless, integral second facesheet (202/204) comprising a plurality of perforations (clearly seen in the Figures, also see [0069]) extending through said at least one of said seamless, integral first facesheet and said seamless, integral second facesheet; and a seamless, integral cellular-core section (200) seamlessly interposed between said seamless, integral first facesheet (202/204) and said seamless, integral second facesheet (202/204), said seamless, integral cellular-core (200) comprising a plurality of seamless cells (defined by H-shaped ones of cell #206 as seen in Figures 16A-C, 17A/C and 21D), said plurality of seamless cells comprising a plurality of seamless cell walls (300), each of said plurality of seamless cell walls comprising a cell wall length, said plurality of seamless cell walls defining a seamless cell chamber (defined by upper/lower resonant spaces #602/604, or converging/diverging cells #1306/1308) in each of said plurality of seamless cells, said seamless cell chamber comprising a selected chamber contour, said selected chamber contour comprising a curving irregular geometry (curving irregular geometry contour of H-shaped cells clearly seen in Figures #17A/C and 21D), said seamless cell chamber comprising a selected and tailored seamless cell-chamber volume (defined volume of each of individual upper/lower resonant spaces #602/604, or converging/diverging cell volumes #1306/1308); wherein at least one of the plurality of seamless cells further comprises differing cell properties from at least one of a remainder of the plurality of seamless cells, said differing cell properties comprising at least one of differing cell-wall volume (note differing volumes of cells #602/604 and cells #1306/1308), differing cell-wall thickness (note differing cell wall #300 thickness of cells #1306 and 1308, best seen in Figure 21D), differing cell-wall density, and differing cell sound-attenuation ranges ([0119], [0128]); and wherein the at least one of the plurality of cell walls is manufactured in real time to form a varying cell wall thickness along the length of more than one of the plurality of seamless cell walls (varying wall thickness clearly seen in H-shaped cells of Figures 17A/C and 21D, and “intentional real-time formation of varying cell walls” and “volume tailoring” are inherent to the computer design and additive manufacturing/3D printing processes used by Lin [0177]-[0194] to form the panel assembly in the same way as Applicant’s, and as described in the claim interpretation section above).
With respect to claim 27, Lin teaches wherein at least one of said plurality of seamless cells (206) comprises a seamless septum (402), said seamless septum (402) positioned seamlessly within the at least one of said plurality of seamless cells (206), said seamless septum (402) positioned seamlessly at a first selected depth within the seamless cell chamber of at least one of said plurality of seamless cells (206), said seamless septum (402) integrally formed with the plurality of seamless cell walls (300 - clearly seen in each of Figures 15B-D, 17A, 17C and 21D).
With respect to claim 28, Lin teaches wherein the aircraft assembly (140) is at least one of an aircraft-engine assembly (102), an aircraft-fuselage assembly, and an aircraft assembly (102) in communication with an airflow.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
Claims 10 and 21-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin (2022/0389882).
With respect to claim 10, Lin is relied upon for the reason and disclosures set forth above. Lin further teaches wherein at least one of the seamless, integral first facesheet (202/204) and the seamless, integral second facesheet (202/204) comprises an inherent, but unspecified density along its area. Lin further teaches that “the acoustic core 200, the acoustic screen 202, and/or the back sheet 204 may be formed using an additive manufacturing technology, which may allow for acoustic liners 100 with novel configuration, geometries, and/or features that provide certain improvements and/or avoid certain shortcomings as compared with previous acoustic liners ([0073]).”
Lin fails to teach anything about the density, including whether it includes a uniform or a non-uniform density along its area.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide wherein at least one of the seamless, integral first facesheet (202/204) and the seamless, integral second facesheet (202/204) comprises a non-uniform density along its area, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or working range involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233. In this case, providing a non-uniform, or range of density would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to tune the device. Further, as noted above, Lin teaches that using an additive manufacturing to form the device, including the facesheets, allows for novel configuration, geometries, and/or features that provide certain improvements and/or avoid certain shortcomings as compared with previous acoustic liners. Altering or varying the density of a component is well known in the art to acoustically tune or increase/decrease strength of a component and would be one of many parameters that one of ordinary skill might adjust to achieve a desired acoustical performance or an increase/decrease in strength of a component, which as noted by Lin, would be easily achievable when using an additive manufacturing process for forming the device.
With respect to claims 21 and 22, Lin is relied upon for the reason and disclosures set forth above. Lin further teaches wherein a selected first cell-wall density (defined by density of one of cells #1306) and a selected seamless second cell-density (defined by density of one of cells #1308), wherein it is inherent, but unspecified that the selected first cell-wall density is either substantially equivalent, or differs from the selected second cell-wall density. Lin further teaches that “the acoustic core 200, the acoustic screen 202, and/or the back sheet 204 may be formed using an additive manufacturing technology, which may allow for acoustic liners 100 with novel configuration, geometries, and/or features that provide certain improvements and/or avoid certain shortcomings as compared with previous acoustic liners ([0073]).”
Lin fails to teach anything about the density, including whether the first cell-wall density is either substantially equivalent, or differs from the selected second cell-wall density.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide wherein the first cell-wall density is either substantially equivalent, or differs from the selected second cell-wall density, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or working range involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233. In this case, providing first cell-wall density that is substantially equivalent, or differing from the selected second cell-wall density would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to tune the device. Further, as noted above, Lin teaches that using an additive manufacturing process to form the device, including the core, allows for novel configuration, geometries, and/or features that provide certain improvements and/or avoid certain shortcomings as compared with previous acoustic liners. Altering or varying the density of two components to be substantially similar or differ from one another is well known in the art to acoustically tune or increase/decrease strength of a component and would be one of many parameters that one of ordinary skill might adjust to achieve a desired acoustical performance or an increase/decrease in strength of a component, which as noted by Lin, would be easily achievable when using an additive manufacturing process for forming the device.
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin (2022/0389882) in view of Morin (2020/0347785).
With respect to claim 9, Lin teaches the apparatus of claim 1 including a seamless, integral first facesheet (one of #202/204 - note some Figures point to top face #216 of acoustic screen #202); a seamless, integral second facesheet (other of #202/204).
Lin fails to teach wherein at least one of said seamless, integral first facesheet and said seamless, integral second facesheet comprises a selected non-uniform thickness along its area.
With respect to claim 9, Morin teaches a similar apparatus (Figures 1 and 7, #38/42 – [0041]-[0042]) for attenuating sound in an aircraft assembly (20), the apparatus comprising: a seamless unitary acoustic panel (42) comprising: a seamless, integral first facesheet (one of 44/46); a seamless, integral second facesheet (other of #44/46), wherein at least one of said seamless, integral first facesheet (44/46) and said seamless, integral second facesheet (44/46) comprises a selected non-uniform thickness along its area (clearly seen in facesheet #46 – [0049]), so as to improve impact resistance by including a variable thickness of a facesheet, which functions to improve its capability to withstand impact from ice that may shed from the fan.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the apparatus of Lin, with the apparatus of Morin so as to improve impact resistance of the facesheet.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 10/28/25 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. The Examiner considers Lin and the obvious combination with Morin to teach all of the limitations as claimed by Applicant.
Regarding claims 10 and 21-22, and Applicant’s argument against the Examiner’s position that providing a facesheet having a non-uniform density or walls with a substantially equivalent or different density is obvious over Lin, the Examiner notes that Applicant has not established any criticality to these limitations. They are merely listed in the disclosure as being one of many different characteristics that the additively manufactured acoustic panel assembly can have. As noted above, Lin teaches that using an additive manufacturing process to form the device, including the core, allows for novel configuration, geometries, and/or features that provide certain improvements and/or avoid certain shortcomings as compared with previous acoustic liners. Altering or varying the density of the facesheet to be non-uniform, or for two components to be substantially similar or differ from one another is well known in the art to acoustically tune or increase/decrease strength of a component and would be one of many parameters that one of ordinary skill might adjust to achieve a desired acoustical performance or an increase/decrease in strength of a component, which as noted by Lin, would be easily achievable when using an additive manufacturing process for forming the device. Because Applicant has not established any criticality to these “density” limitations, and because altering the density of components is generally known in the art and the additive manufacturing process of Lin allows for the non-uniform or similar different densities as claimed, the Examiner considers the rejection to be proper.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JEREMY AUSTIN LUKS whose telephone number is (571)272-2707. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday (9:00-5:00).
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Dedei Hammond can be reached at (571) 270-7938. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JEREMY A LUKS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837