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 .
Drawings
Figures 1-2 should be designated by a legend such as --Prior Art-- because only that which is old is illustrated. See MPEP § 608.02(g). Corrected drawings in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. The replacement sheet(s) should be labeled “Replacement Sheet” in the page header (as per 37 CFR 1.84(c)) so as not to obstruct any portion of the drawing figures. If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: it states “a first part attached to…” while “a second part configured to be attached to…”. The phases are inconsistent but don’t appear to have different meanings.
Appropriate correction is required.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: Paragraph 0018, Line 6 states “including an inner layer 601 and an outer layer 602” where the drawing points to a radially inner and outer direction from the centerline of the wheel. However, Paragraph 0018, Line 9 then states, “Here, the term ‘inner layer’ is used for the layer of the heat shield panel closest to the tube well and ‘outer layer’ is the layer of the heat shield panel furthest from the tube well.” Since, according to Figure 1, item 1 the “Tube Well” is radially outside of the brake assembly, from the centerline of the wheel, the specification appears to contradict itself, so is unclear.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 1, 2 and 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being Anticipated by Aguirre (US Patent Application No US 20100294520A1) herein after Aguirre.
Regarding Claim 1, Aguirre teaches: “a fire shield (heat shield), (Paragraph 0049, Line 13): A flap 849 of fire-resistant fabric (flexible heat shield material), overlays the joint between the attached tubular columns (structure) and is likewise connected to the columns (attached to a structure) by means of Velcro® (hook and loop) fasteners, as shown.”
Regarding Claim 2, Aguirre teaches: “A flap 849 of fire-resistant fabric” (flexible heat shield material is fabric), (Paragraph 0049, Line 15).
Regarding Claim 5, Aguirre teaches: “connected to the columns (attached to a structure) by means of Velcro®” (Paragraph 0049, Line 14).
Claims 6-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being Anticipated by Thorp et al. (US Patent Application No US 20030102710A1) herein after Thorp.
Regarding Claim 6, Thorp teaches: “A plurality of circumferentially arranged heat shield sections and a plurality of carriers for removably attaching the heat shield sections to the wheel.” (Claim 2, Line 2).
Regarding Claim 7, Thorp teaches: “A wheel and brake assembly comprising
a wheel having an axis of rotation and including a tube well having an inboard end and outboard end” and, “a heat shield concentric with and disposed radially inwardly of the tube well, the heat shield having an inboard end attached to the tube well,” (Claim 1, Line 1).
Regarding Claim 8, Thorp teaches: “a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart torque bars attached to the tube well for transferring torque from the wheel to brake components located radially inwardly of the tube well, the torque bars extending generally parallel to the axis of rotation of the wheel and being spaced radially inwardly from the tube well; a plurality of heat shield sections extending circumferentially between relatively adjacent pairs of the torque bars; and a plurality of axially extending heat shield carriers attached to the torque bars and between which the heat shield sections are retained” (Claim 21, Line 4).
Regarding Claim 9, Thorp teaches: “A heat shield assembly for a wheel and brake assembly, comprising: a circumferential arrangement of axially extending heat shield carriers, each carrier having an edge portion defining a capture slot opening circumferentially toward the opposite edge of the carrier, and at least one aperture in the edge portion; and a plurality of heat shield sections circumferentially extending between relatively adjacent carriers, each heat shield section including at one side thereof a first tab portion circumferentially inserted in the capture slot and at an opposite side thereof a second tab portion engaged in said aperture.” (Claim 17, Line 1).
Regarding Claim 10, Thorp teaches: “A heat shield assembly for a wheel and brake assembly, comprising: a circumferential arrangement of axially extending heat shield carriers, each carrier having an edge portion defining a capture slot opening circumferentially toward the opposite edge of the carrier, and at least one aperture in the edge portion; and a plurality of heat shield sections circumferentially extending between relatively adjacent carriers, each heat shield section including at one side thereof a first tab portion circumferentially inserted in the capture slot and at an opposite side thereof a second tab portion engaged in said aperture.” (Claim 17, Line 1).
Regarding Claim 11, Thorp teaches: “a plurality of heat shield sections circumferentially extending between relatively adjacent carriers,” (Claim 17, Line 9).
Regarding Claim 12, Thorp teaches: “The invention herein described relates to aircraft wheel and brake assemblies and, more particularly, to improvements in heat shields and heat shield support structures.” (Paragraph 0002, Line 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.
Claims 3, and 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Aguirre (US Patent Application No US 20100294520A1) in view of Hoang Viet Bui (DE102015202474A1, assignee BMW) Herein after BMW.
Regarding Claim 3, Aguirre teaches: “a fire shield (heat shield), (Paragraph 0049, Line 13): A flap 849 of fire-resistant fabric (flexible heat shield material), overlays the joint between the attached tubular columns (structure) and is likewise connected to (attached to a structure) the columns by means of Velcro® (hook and loop) fasteners, as shown.”
Aguirre fails to teach a metal hook and loop fastener.
However, BMW teaches a steel hook and loop fastener, “Mounting or joining parts of a motor vehicle, such as a heat shield” (paragraph 3, line 1). “The first connection element and the second connection element can be produced, for example, from a metal or a metal compound, such as chromium-nickel (stainless) steel,”.
It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, and with a reasonable expectation of success, to have modified Aguirre to incorporate the teachings of BMW and use a steel hook and loop fastener to secure a heat shield, dependent upon the desired chemical and physical properties of the hook and loop fastener, for the purpose of not failing during use.
Regarding Claim 4, Aguirre teaches: “a fire shield (heat shield), (Paragraph 0049, Line 13): A flap 849 of fire-resistant fabric (flexible heat shield material), overlays the joint between the attached tubular columns (structure) and is likewise connected to (attached to a structure) the columns by means of Velcro® (hook and loop) fasteners, as shown.”
Aguirre fails to teach a stainless-steel metal hook and loop fastener.
However, BMW teaches a Stainless-steel hook and loop fastener, “The first connection element and the second connection element can be produced, for example, from a metal or a metal compound, such as chromium-nickel (stainless) steel,” (paragraph 17, line 4).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
“Metaklett, a steely hook and loop fastener”, phy.org 09/3/2009 teaches steel hook and loop fasteners.
KR 102321957 B1 teaches heat shield fastened with heat resistant Velcro®.
US 20230294646 A1, teaches a heat shield assembly for a braked aircraft wheel.
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/HOWARD PATRICK BINNS/Examiner, Art Unit 3615
/JASON R BELLINGER/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3615