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 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.
Claim 14 is 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.
The recitation of “…the first portion of the medium in location another mode of operation…” (claim 14, line 10) is unclear. The recitation renders the claim indefinite because it is unclear if the term “in location” is used in order to refer to the location of the second portion of the medium, or if it’s a typo. For examination purposes, the recitation has been examined as --…the first portion of the medium in another mode of operation…--.
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.
Claim(s) 1-3, 5-7, 10, 12 and 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Mackin (US 2022/0340287).
Regarding claim 1, Mackin discloses a method of operating an environmental control system pack of a vehicle (refer to fig. 2) further comprises:
providing a thermodynamic device including a compressor (212) and a plurality of turbines including a first turbine (214) and a second turbine (216) mounted to a shaft (218) and a plurality of valves (260, 266, 262, 264) fluidly coupled to the thermodynamic device;
operating at least one of the plurality of valves (262, 264) to supply a medium to the first turbine and the second turbine in series during a mode of operation (with bypass valves 262 and 264 in a closed state);
operating at least one of the plurality of valves (262, 264) to supply a first portion of the medium to the first turbine (214) and to supply a second portion of the medium to the second turbine (216) independently from the first portion of the medium in another mode of operation (refer to par. 43, wherein valve controller 286 controls the states of the valves 260, 262, 264, 266, therefore allowing for the independent control of the first portion and the second portion of the medium); and
operating at least one of the plurality of valves (refer to first turbine bypass valve 262 and second turbine bypass valve 264) to supply the medium to only the first turbine (214) during yet another mode of operation (in the instant case, medium flowing through 252 will only flow through the first turbine when valve 262 is in a closed state, therefore, the medium flowing through the first turbine 214 instead of the bypass conduit as in fig. 2), the medium from the first turbine (214) being provided directly (in the instant case, the term “directly” has been considered as without changing direction or stopping) to an outlet (outlet 258 when bypass valve 264 is in an opened state) of the environmental control system pack, via a system bypass conduit (254), having an inlet (refer to fig. 2 below) arranged directly downstream from an outlet of the first turbine (214).
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Regarding claim 2, Mackin meets the claim limitations as disclosed above in the
rejection of claim 1. Further, Mackin discloses wherein operating at least one of the plurality of valves to supply the first portion of the medium to the first turbine and to supply the second portion of the medium to the second turbine independently from the first portion of the medium in the another mode of operation further comprises supplying the medium from the first turbine directly to an outlet of the environmental control system pack (refer to outlet 258, wherein the medium from the first turbine is supplied through 254 and opened bypass valve 264 to reach outlet 258; the term “directly” has been considered as without changing direction or stopping).
Regarding claim 3, Mackin meets the claim limitations as disclosed above in the rejection of claim 1. Further, Mackin discloses wherein operating at least one of the plurality of valves to supply the first portion of the medium to the first turbine (214) and to supply the second portion of the medium to the second turbine (216) independently from the first portion of the medium in the another mode of operation further comprises mixing the first portion of the medium from a first turbine outlet with the second portion of the medium from a second turbine outlet at a position upstream from an outlet of the environmental control system pack (with valve 264 at an opened state at outlet 258 of the environmental control system pack).
Regarding claim 5, Mackin meets the claim limitations as disclosed above in the rejection of claim 1. Further, Mackin discloses wherein operating at least one of the plurality of valves to supply the medium to only one of the first turbine and the second turbine during the yet another mode of operation further comprises supplying the medium to only the second turbine (by opening the first turbine bypass valve 262 in order to bypass the first turbine 214).
Regarding claim 6, Mackin meets the claim limitations as disclosed above in the rejection of claim 5. Further, Mackin discloses wherein supplying the medium to only the second turbine (216) further comprises operating a valve (262) associated with a first turbine bypass conduit (refer to fig. 2) arranged in parallel with the first turbine (214).
Regarding claim 7, Mackin meets the claim limitations as disclosed above in the rejection of claim 5. Further, Mackin discloses wherein supplying the medium to only the second turbine (bypass valve 262 in an opened state) further comprises operating a valve (valve 266 being in an opened state) associated with a dehumidification bypass conduit arranged in parallel with a dehumidification system (refer to passageway 250
which is arranged in parallel with a dehumidification system including reheater 240 and
condenser 242).
Regarding claim 10, Mackin meets the claim limitations as disclosed above in
the rejection of claim 1. Further, Mackin discloses wherein supplying the medium to only
the first turbine (214) further comprises operating a valve (262) associated with the system bypass conduit (254).
Regarding claim 12, Mackin meets the claim limitations as disclosed above in
the rejection of claim 1. Further, Mackin discloses selecting one of the first turbine and
the second turbine based on at least one of a demand of one or more loads connected
to the environmental control system pack and a flow requirement of the environmental
control system pack (refer to par. 42, wherein control system 280 is communicatively
coupled with sensors that measure parameters, e.g., temperature, pressure, drive shaft
speed, etc. of the air throughout the system and/or components of the system; the
sensor can include temperature sensors, pressure sensors, flow sensors, humidity
sensors, speed sensors, etc. to measure the temperature, pressure, flow rate, water
content, and/or any other parameters of the cabin supply air and cabin exhaust air at
various points in the system) and operating at least one of the plurality of valves to
supply the medium to the selected first turbine or second turbine (refer to par. 43,
wherein control system 280 compares the measured values of the parameters from the
sensors and based on whether the parameters satisfy the thresholds or threshold
ranges, a valve controller 286 can control the state of the valves).
Regarding claim 14, Mackin discloses a method of operating an environmental control system pack of a vehicle (refer to fig. 2) further comprises:
providing a thermodynamic device including a compressor (212) and a plurality of turbines including a first turbine (214) and a second turbine (216) mounted to a shaft (218) and a plurality of valves (260, 266, 262, 264) fluidly coupled to the thermodynamic device;
operating at least one of the plurality of valves (262, 264) to supply a medium to the first turbine and the second turbine in series during a mode of operation (with bypass valves 262 and 264 in a closed state);
operating at least one of the plurality of valves (262, 264) to supply a first portion of the medium to the first turbine (214) and to supply a second portion of the medium to the second turbine (216) independently from the first portion of the medium in another mode of operation (refer to par. 43, wherein valve controller 286 controls the states of the valves 260, 262, 264, 266, therefore allowing for the independent control of the first portion and the second portion of the medium); and
wherein operating at least one of the plurality of valves (refer to first turbine bypass valve 262 and second turbine bypass valve 264) to supply the first portion of the medium to the first turbine (214) and to supply the second portion of the medium to the second turbine independently from the first portion of the medium in the another mode of operation further comprises supplying the medium from the first turbine (214) directly (in the instant case, the term “directly” has been considered as without changing direction or stopping) to an outlet (outlet 258 when bypass valve 264 is in an opened state) of the environmental control system pack.
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.
Claim(s) 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mackin (US 2022/0340287) in view of Bruno (US 10,745,136).
Regarding claim 13, Mackin meets the claim limitations as disclosed above in the rejection of claim 1. Further, Mackin discloses a ram heat exchanger (236), and further comprising bypassing the compressor (by opening valve 260) during operation in at least one mode of operation, but fails to explicitly disclose bypassing the ram heat exchanger.
However, Bruno teaches an environmental control system, including a compressing device (refer to fig. 2), comprising bypassing a compressor (220) and a ram heat exchanger (210) during operation in at least one mode of operation (by controlling flow valve 204), in order to itemize the credentials of the bleed-air at that point in the cabin air conditioning system, e.g., the change in flow-rate, pressure, and temperature (refer to col. 4, lines 43-50).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Mackin by providing bypassing the ram heat exchanger in view of the teachings by Bruno, in order to itemize the credentials of the inlet air.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 11 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed on 07/11/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues in pages 6-7 of the remarks that Mackin fails to teach a bypass that extends from directly downstream of the first turbine to the outlet, rather, in Mackin the flow passes through the condenser C before being output from the system. This argument has been considered but is not persuasive.
Absent a special definition, the words of the claims have been afforded their broadest reasonable interpretation in accordance with the MPEP. In the instant case, the term “directly” has been considered by the examiner as without changing direction or stopping. As can be seen from figure 2, Mackin discloses the medium from the first turbine being provided without changing direction or stopping, to an outlet 258 of the environmental control system pack, via bypass conduit 254, when bypass valve 264 is in an opened state. The medium passing through condenser C does not change the direction of the medium, or stops said medium, allowing it to flow directly from the outlet of the first turbine 214 to the outlet 258 of the system. For at least the reasons disclosed above, claims 1-3, 5-7, 10 and 12-14 remain rejected.
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 ANA M VAZQUEZ whose telephone number is (571)272-0611. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7-4.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Len Tran can be reached at 571-272-1184. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ANA M VAZQUEZ/Examiner, Art Unit 3763
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