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 .
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
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.
(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.
Claim(s) 7-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and (a)(2) as being anticipated by US 7,755,551 B2 to Lindackers et al.
Regarding claim 7: Lindackers teaches a housing for externally-mounted aircraft components (), the housing comprising:
a radome (80/180) having an interior surface and an exterior surface (figs. 2, 14: interior surface below, exterior surface above); and
a ground plane (chassis 12/112) having an inner surface and an outer surface (figs. 1, 13: inner surface on top, outer surface on bottom),
wherein the radome is attached to the ground plane so that the interior surface of the radome and the inner surface of the ground plane form an inner chamber (c. 5, ℓ. 39-58: the radome is installed over the base assembly 10, see figs. 1-2, 13-14; radome shown fully assembled in fig. 4),
wherein the inner surface of the ground plane has a PCB channel wall defining a center well (figs. 1, 13: pocket 32/132 is shown to be defined within planar body 30/130 of the chassis 12/112 by a perimeter wall) facing the inner chamber and configured to receive a printed circuit board (PCB) (figs. 1, 13, c. 4, ℓ. 46-47: “PC board 40 is dimensioned to be received within the pocket 32 on the chassis 12”).
Regarding claim 8: Lindackers teaches the housing of claim 7, wherein the PCB channel wall blocks flow of liquids along the inner surface of the ground plane so as to prevent the liquids from entering the center well (figs. 1, 13: the perimeter wall surrounding pocket 32/132 is continuous and uninterrupted and would block the flow of liquids along the inner surface of chassis 12/112, such as within groove 38/138, if liquids were present).
Regarding claim 9: Lindackers teaches the housing of claim 7, wherein the PCB channel wall is continuous around the center well (as shown in figs. 1, 13; see also fig. 5).
Regarding claim 10: Lindackers teaches the housing of claim 7, wherein in the ground plane further comprises a plurality of additional channel walls (such as the outer walls of groove 38, shown in fig. 1), which along with the PCB channel wall form a plurality of channels on the inner surface to direct flow of the liquids along the inner surface of the ground plane (fig. 1: the outer walls of groove 38, along with the inner wall, which is the perimeter wall around pocket 32, form a plurality of channels along groove 38, separated by openings at receivers 39, which would act to direct flow of liquids).
Regarding claim 11: Lindackers teaches the housing of claim 10, wherein the PCB channel wall is continuous around the center well (as shown in figs. 1, 13; see also fig. 5).
Regarding claim 12: Lindackers teaches the housing of claim 11, wherein the PCB channel wall blocks the flow of the liquids along the inner surface of the ground plane so as to prevent the liquids from entering the center well (figs. 1, 13: the perimeter wall surrounding pocket 32/132 is continuous and uninterrupted and would block the flow of liquids along the inner surface of chassis 12/112, such as within groove 38/138, if liquids were present).
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(s) 1-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 7,385,560 B1 to Maloratsky et al. in view of US 7,755,551 B2 to Lindackers et al.
Regarding claims 1 and 7: Maloratsky teaches a traffic collision avoidance system (TCAS) device (c. 7, ℓ. 49-61; c. 4, ℓ. 12-59) comprising:
a housing (fig. 3) having:
a radome (305) having an interior surface and an exterior surface (fig. 3: interior surface facing upwards, exterior surface facing downwards, hidden by the interior surface); and
a ground plane (ground plate 301) having an inner surface and an outer surface (fig. 3: outer surface visible and facing upwards, inner surface facing downwards and hidden by the outer surface),
wherein the radome is attached to the ground plane (c. 6, ℓ. 11) so that the interior surface of the radome and the inner surface of the ground plane form an inner chamber (see fig. 3),
wherein the inner surface of the ground plane has a PCB channel wall defining a center well facing the inner chamber and configured to receive a printed circuit board (PCB) (center well — recessed pocket 406 formed in ground plate 301, shown in fig. 4; PCB channel wall — the raised portion of ground plate 301 surrounding recessed pocket 406; PCB — first printed circuit board 304, c. 4, ℓ. 60-64; recessed pocket 406 is configured to receive the second printed circuit board, SBFN card assembly 306, c. 6, ℓ. 27-44, see also figs. 3-4), and
wherein the ground plane defines at least one aperture within the center well (bosses 313), the aperture extending from the inner surface to the outer surface (c. 6, ℓ. 1-7);
an antenna assembly (fig. 3: SBFN card assembly 306; fig. 7: SBFN 700) contained within the inner chamber of the housing (see fig. 3, c. 6, ℓ. 27-44),
having at least one antenna (SBFN assembly 306 comprises at least one antenna, fig. 7, c. 5, ℓ. 15-67),
the printed circuit board operatively connected to the antenna (c. 4, ℓ. 60–c. 5, ℓ. 14); and
at least one connector (electrical connectors 307) positioned within the at least one aperture so that the connectors can transmit hard-wired signals between the antenna assembly within the housing and outside the housing (c. 6, ℓ. 1-7).
Maloratsky teaches a printed circuit board (PCB) received within the inner chamber (fig. 3) and connected to the ground plane at a recessed pocket (c. 6, ℓ. 27-44, fig. 4: pocket 406), where the recessed pocket is defined by the surrounding raised portion of the ground plane (shown in fig. 4), but Maloratsky does not clearly teach that the PCB is positioned in the recessed pocket.
Lindackers teaches an antenna device suitable for use in vehicles, including aircraft (c. 9, ℓ. 4-13), comprising:
a housing having:
a radome (80/180) having an interior surface and an exterior surface (figs. 2, 14: interior surface below, exterior surface above); and
a ground plane (chassis 12/112) having an inner surface and an outer surface (figs. 1, 13: inner surface on top, outer surface on bottom),
wherein the radome is attached to the ground plane so that the interior surface of the radome and the inner surface of the ground plane form an inner chamber (c. 5, ℓ. 39-58: the radome is installed over the base assembly 10, see figs. 1-2, 13-14; radome shown fully assembled in fig. 4),
wherein the inner surface of the ground plane has a PCB channel wall defining a center well (figs. 1, 13: pocket 32/132 is shown to be defined within planar body 30/130 of the chassis 12/112 by a perimeter wall) facing the inner chamber and configured to receive a printed circuit board (PCB) (figs. 1, 13, c. 4, ℓ. 46-47: “PC board 40 is dimensioned to be received within the pocket 32 on the chassis 12”), and
wherein the ground plane defines at least one aperture (36/136) within the center well (see fig. 1), the aperture extending from the inner surface to the outer surface (c. 4, ℓ. 34-36);
an antenna assembly (10/110) contained within the inner chamber of the housing (c. 5, ℓ. 8-11),
having at least one antenna (figs. 2, 14: antenna 70/170 | figs. 1, 13: antenna elements 42a/142a, 42b/142b),
the printed circuit board operatively connected to the antenna (c. 4, ℓ. 40-50);
wherein the printed circuit board is positioned in the center well (c. 4, ℓ. 46-47); and
at least one connector positioned within the at least one aperture so that the connectors can transmit hard-wired signals between the antenna assembly within the housing and outside the housing (c. 4, ℓ. 47-50: electrical wires and/or leads).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to have modified the traffic collision avoidance system (TCAS) device or housing for externally-mounted aircraft components of Maloratsky such that the inner surface of the ground plane has a PCB channel wall defining a center well facing the inner chamber and the printed circuit board is positioned in the center well, such as taught by Lindackers, for the purpose of securely housing the printed circuit board.
Regarding claims 2, 6, 8 and 12: Maloratsky, as modified, provides the TCAS device of claim 1 and the housing of claim 7, wherein the PCB channel wall blocks flow of liquids along the inner surface of the ground plane so as to prevent the liquids from entering the center well (Lindackers figs. 1, 13: the perimeter wall surrounding pocket 32/132 is continuous and uninterrupted and would block the flow of liquids along the inner surface of chassis 12/112, such as within groove 38/138, if liquids were present).
Regarding claims 3, 5, 9 and 11: Maloratsky, as modified, provides the TCAS device of claim 1 and the housing of claim 7, wherein the PCB channel wall is continuous around the center well (as shown in Lindackers figs. 1, 13; see also fig. 5).
Regarding claims 4 and 10: Maloratsky, as modified, provides the TCAS device of claim 1 and the housing of claim 7, wherein the ground plane further comprises a plurality of additional channel walls (such as the outer walls of groove 38, shown in Lindackers fig. 1), which along with the PCB channel wall form a plurality of channels on the inner surface to direct flow of liquids along the inner surface of the ground plane (Lindackers fig. 1: the outer walls of groove 38, along with the inner wall, which is the perimeter wall around pocket 32, form a plurality of channels along groove 38, separated by openings at receivers 39, which would act to direct flow of liquids).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 9,428,261 B2 and US 8,828,163 B2, both to Hill, teach TCAS devices designed to reduce or prevent the infiltration of water into the interior of the device. US 12,261,353 B2 to Kondo et al. teaches a vehicle antenna device designed to drain water which has infiltrated into the device.
WO 2016/039066 A1 to Miyazawa teaches an antenna housing with channels directing liquid around a central well.
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/Richard Green/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3647