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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election of Group I in the reply filed on October 10, 2025 is acknowledged. Because applicant did not distinctly and specifically point out the supposed errors in the restriction requirement, the election has been treated as an election without traverse (MPEP § 818.01(a)).
Claims 14-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on October 10, 2025.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement filed April 18, 2023 fails to comply with 37 CFR 1.98(a)(2), which requires a legible copy of each cited foreign patent document; each non-patent literature publication or that portion which caused it to be listed; and all other information or that portion which caused it to be listed. It has been placed in the application file, but the information referred to therein has not been considered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-13 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 "fire, detonation and/or liquefaction" in lines 4-5. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 1 recites the limitation “a fused opening” in line 8. Yet, the claim fails to recite a fuse. It is uncertain whether the recitation “fuse opening” requires a fuse.
Claim 1 recites the limitation “a fuse opening having a closed configuration…an open configuration…the fused opening being reconfigurable from the closed configuration to the open configuration in response to a pressure in the closed volume equalling or exceeding a threshold pressure” in lines 9-15. The claim fails to recite any structure to accomplish the function of: a closed configuration in which the closed volume is sealed; an open configuration in which the closed volume is open to the external atmosphere; and the fused opening being reconfigurable from the closed configuration to the open configuration in response to a pressure in the closed volume equalling or exceeding a threshold pressure. The structure recited in the claim is not commensurate in scope with the function recited in the claim.
Claim 6 recites the limitation “to increase ventilation” in lines 2-3. The claim fails to define a reference to determine “increase.”
Claim 7 recites the limitation “inwardly” in line 2. The claim fails to define a reference to determine “inwardly.”
Claim 8 recites the limitation “a fused panel” in line 2. Yet, the claim fails to recite a fuse. It is uncertain whether the recitation “fuse panel” requires a fuse.
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)(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.
Claim(s) 1 and 11-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Gatsonides et al. (8,813,858).
Gatsonides et al. disclose a vehicle comprising:
a fuel system including a fuel tank (inherent in an aircraft; aircraft disclosed in col. 2, ll. 65-66) and one or more fuel system components (e.g., fuel lines, fuel pump, electrical lines, etc.) outside of the fuel tank, and
a protected space (space of the aircraft) for protecting the vehicle from fire, detonation and/or liquefaction wherein the protected space includes:
an enclosure (fuselage) defining a closed volume (volume within the fuselage) containing the one or more fuel system components; and
a fused opening 34, 36 in fluid communication with the closed volume and an external atmosphere, the fused opening having a closed configuration (closed configuration of valve 36) in which the closed volume is sealed and an open configuration (open configuration of valve 36) in which the closed volume is open to the external atmosphere, the fused opening being reconfigurable (ability to be configured) from the closed configuration to the open configuration in response to a pressure in the closed volume equalling or exceeding a threshold pressure (pressure at which valve 36 is opened);
including one or more electrical drives (aircraft engine) for the one or more fuel system components, the one or more electrical drives being mounted outside the closed volume;
wherein the one or more fuel system components contains, or is configured to contain (the piping of the fuel system has the capability to contain cryogenic fuel), and the enclosure provides a sealed closed volume in the closed configuration;
wherein the vehicle is an aircraft.
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.
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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