CTNF 18/442,573 CTNF 97122 Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia 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 § 103 07-06 AIA 15-10-15 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. 07-20-aia AIA 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. 07-23-aia AIA The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows: 1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art. 2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue. 3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art. 4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness. 07-21-aia AIA Claim (s) 1-5 and 7-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mackin (US 10954865 B2) in view of Leigh (US 7306644 B2) . Regarding claim 1 , Mackin teaches an air pressure system for an aircraft (FIG. 1, system 200), the air pressurization system comprising: a blower compressor (FIG. 1, compressor 204) configured to be mechanically coupled to a spool of a gas turbine engine (FIG. 1) and configured to receive an inlet flow of gases from a bypass duct (FIG. 1, fan duct 216 and nacelle 214) of the gas turbine engine; a delivery line configured to convey gases received from the blower compressor to an airframe port for supply to an airframe system (FIG. 1, the ductwork downstream of the compressor 204). Mackin fails to teach a catalyst material disposed along the delivery line and configured to catalyse a reaction of volatile organic compounds within gases conveyed by the delivery line. However, Leigh teaches a catalyst material disposed along the delivery line and configured to catalyse a reaction of volatile organic compounds within gases conveyed by the delivery line (“After the air supply 13 c passes through the PRSOV 14 , it may pass via conduit 12 d as airflow 13 d to the ozone/hydrocarbon converter 16 , which may comprise a catalyst formulation effective for hydrocarbon oxidation as well as ozone decomposition, preventing the harmful effects of ozone on component materials such as those found in the ASM assembly 34 .”). At the time the invention was effectively filed, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art to have modified the teachings of Mackin by including a catalyst for ozone decomposition, as taught by Leigh, with a reasonable expectation of success of arriving at the claimed invention. At the time the invention was effectively filed, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have modified Mackin with these aforementioned teachings of Leigh with the motivation of preventing ozone damage. Regarding claim 2 , the combination of Mackin and Leigh teaches a heat exchanger (FIG. 1, heat exchanger 18), and wherein the delivery line extends through the heat exchanger; and the catalyst material is disposed within the heat exchanger or between the blower compressor and the heat exchanger (FIG. 1, the converter 16 is disposed between the blower of the airflow 13 and the heat exchanger 18). Regarding claim 3 , the combination of Mackin and Leigh teaches that the system further comprises a valve arrangement configured to switch between operation of the air pressurisation system in a baseline mode in which the valve arrangement is configured to allow compressed gases to bypass the heat exchanger, and a cooling mode in which the valve arrangement is configured to divert the compressed air within the delivery line to the heat exchanger for operation in the cooling mode (FIG. 1, heat exchanger bypass valve 20 allows the system to operate going through or around the heat exchanger 18). Regarding claim 4 , the combination of Mackin and Leigh teaches that the delivery line comprises a cooling path extending through the heat exchanger and a bypass path bypassing the heat exchanger; the valve arrangement is configured to selectively divert conditioned air within the delivery line to the heat exchanger for operation in the cooling mode by actuating a first valve to control a flow rate of conditioned air through the cooling path (FIG. 1, heat exchanger bypass valve 20 allows the system to operate going through or around the heat exchanger 18); and the catalyst material is disposed along the cooling path (see above). Regarding claim 5 , the combination of Mackin and Leigh teaches a further catalyst material disposed along the bypass path (Leigh, FIG. 1, the catalyst materials are positioned to affect both exchanged air and bypassed air). Regarding claim 7 , the combination of Mackin and Leigh teaches that the inlet flow of gases is a first inlet flow of gases, and wherein the air pressurisation system further comprises a core bleed line configured to provide a second inlet flow of gases from a compressor of the gas turbine engine to the delivery line in an augmented air supply mode of the air pressurisation system (Mackin, FIG. 1, “However, in other examples, the first air source 243 can be air from one or more other sources (e.g., ambient air, bleed air from the first compressor 224 , etc.). Thus, the first passageway 244 can be fluidly coupled to another location (e.g., a bleed air port on the gas turbine engine 210 ). ”). Regarding claim 8 , the combination of Mackin and Leigh teaches that the catalyst material is configured to catalyse a reaction of hydrocarbons within gases received from the core bleed line (Leigh, see above). Regarding claim 9 , the combination of Mackin and Leigh teaches an additional catalyst material disposed along the core bleed line and configured to catalyse a reaction of volatile organic compounds within gases conveyed by the core bleed line (Leigh, FIG. 1, the catalyst materials are positioned to affect both main air and bleed air). Regarding claims 10 and 17 , the combination of Mackin and Leigh teaches an additional heat exchanger, and wherein the core bleed line extends through the additional heat exchanger; and the additional catalyst material is disposed within the additional heat exchanger or between the additional heat exchanger and the compressor of the gas turbine engine (Leigh, FIG. 1, the bleed air may be put through the heat exchanger 18). Regarding claims 11 and 20 , the combination of Mackin and Leigh teaches a controller (FIG. 1, controller monitor 60) configured to control a control valve disposed on the core bleed line and thereby selectively operate the air pressurisation system in: the augmented air supply mode in which the control valve is open, or an unaugmented air supply mode in which the control valve is closed to prevent the second inlet flow of air to the delivery line (FIG. 1, the controller monitor 60 controls the bleed line via the valve 14). Regarding claims 12 and 18 , the combination of Mackin and Leigh teaches an air treatment apparatus including an air cycle line configured to condition gases received from the blower compressor, wherein the delivery line is configured to convey compressed gases through the air cycle line of the air treatment apparatus to the airframe port for supply to the airframe system (Mackin, FIG. 1, “The ECS 202 can include, for example, one or more ECS packs (e.g., an air cycle refrigeration system)”). Regarding claim 13 , the combination of Mackin and Leigh teaches that the delivery line includes a shut-off valve configured to prevent supply of compressed air to the airframe port at an excessive pressure and/or an excessive temperature; and the catalyst material is disposed between the blower compressor and the shut-off valve (Mackin, FIG. 1, “ Any of the example valves 245 , 248 , 250 , 263 , 264 , 272 , 273 , 285 , 287 , 292 can be implemented as a valve that operates between an open and closed state (e.g., an isolation valve) and/or performs pressure reducing functions (e.g., a pressure reducing shut-off valve, a pressure relief valve, etc.).”). Regarding claim 14 , the combination of Mackin and Leigh teaches that a temperature sensor configured to monitor a temperature of compressed air at an upstream monitoring location on the delivery line between the blower compressor and the heat exchanger, and a controller configured to control the valve arrangement to switch between operation in the baseline mode and the cooling mode based on the monitored temperature at the monitored location (Mackin, FIG. 1, the system operates to control temperature at various locations, and operates sensors and valves accordingly). Regarding claim 15 , the combination of Mackin and Leigh teaches an aircraft comprising an airframe, a gas turbine engine and the air pressurisation system according to claim 1, wherein the catalyst material is disposed within the gas turbine engine or within a pylon configured to attach the gas turbine engine to the airframe (Leigh, the catalyst 16 in the combination above is disposed within the engine). Regarding claim 16 , Mackin teaches an air pressurisation system for an aircraft (FIG. 1, system 200), the air pressurisation system comprising: a blower compressor (FIG. 1, compressor 204) configured to be mechanically coupled to a spool of a gas turbine engine (FIG. 1) and configured to receive a first inlet flow of gases from a bypass duct of the gas turbine engine (FIG. 1, fan duct 216 and nacelle 214); a delivery line configured to convey gases received from the blower compressor to an airframe port for supply to an airframe system (FIG. 1, the ductwork downstream of the compressor 204); a core bleed line configured to provide a second inlet flow of gases from a compressor of the gas turbine engine to the delivery line in an augmented air supply mode of the air pressurisation system (Mackin, FIG. 1, “However, in other examples, the first air source 243 can be air from one or more other sources (e.g., ambient air, bleed air from the first compressor 224 , etc.). Thus, the first passageway 244 can be fluidly coupled to another location (e.g., a bleed air port on the gas turbine engine 210 ). ”); and a catalyst material disposed along the core bleed line and configured to catalyse a reaction of volatile organic compounds within gases conveyed by the core bleed line. Mackin fails to teach a catalyst material disposed along the core bleed line and configured to catalyse a reaction of volatile organic compounds within gases conveyed by the core bleed line. However, Leigh teaches a catalyst material disposed along the core bleed line and configured to catalyse a reaction of volatile organic compounds within gases conveyed by the core bleed line (“After the air supply 13 c passes through the PRSOV 14 , it may pass via conduit 12 d as airflow 13 d to the ozone/hydrocarbon converter 16 , which may comprise a catalyst formulation effective for hydrocarbon oxidation as well as ozone decomposition, preventing the harmful effects of ozone on component materials such as those found in the ASM assembly 34 .”). At the time the invention was effectively filed, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art to have modified the teachings of Mackin by including a catalyst for ozone decomposition, as taught by Leigh, with a reasonable expectation of success of arriving at the claimed invention. At the time the invention was effectively filed, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have modified Mackin with these aforementioned teachings of Leigh with the motivation of preventing ozone damage. Regarding claim 19 , the combination of Mackin and Leigh teaches that the air treatment apparatus further comprises a diversion line (Leigh, the bypass line around the heat exchanger etc., FIG. 1) for receiving air from the blower compressor and configured to bypass the air cycle line; the air treatment apparatus is configured to mix air from the air cycle line with air from the diversion line to control a temperature of gases received by delivery line; and the core bleed line is further configured to: provide the second inlet flow of gases directly to the diversion line; or mix the second inlet flow of gases with gases from the blower compressor upstream of the diversion line (FIG. 1, air from difetent lines may mix to control the quality of the air) . 07-22-aia AIA Claim (s) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mackin and Leigh as applied to claim s 1-5 and 7-20 above, and further in view of Chang (US 4348360 A) . Regarding claim 6 , the combination of Mackin and Leigh fails to teach that the catalyst material includes at least one of: copper, vanadium, platinum, palladium, rhodium, cerium, iron, manganese and/or nickel. However, Chang teaches that the catalyst material includes at least one of: copper, vanadium, platinum (“ The assembled cartridge is then coated with a metal compound which can be reduced to a catalyst, such as a salt of nickel, platinum or palladium.”), palladium, rhodium, cerium, iron, manganese and/or nickel. At the time the invention was effectively filed, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art to have modified the teachings of Mackin by forming the catalyst out of platinum, as taught by Chang, with a reasonable expectation of success of arriving at the claimed invention. At the time the invention was effectively filed, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have modified Mackin with these aforementioned teachings of Chang with the motivation of using a commonly used catalyst material to make replacement and repair cheap and easy. Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WILLIAM C. WEINERT whose telephone number is (571)272-6988. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00-5:00 ET. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Helena Kosanovic can be reached at (571) 272-9059. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /WILLIAM C WEINERT/Examiner, Art Unit 3762 /Allen R. B. Schult/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3762 Application/Control Number: 18/442,573 Page 2 Art Unit: 3762 Application/Control Number: 18/442,573 Page 3 Art Unit: 3762 Application/Control Number: 18/442,573 Page 4 Art Unit: 3762 Application/Control Number: 18/442,573 Page 5 Art Unit: 3762 Application/Control Number: 18/442,573 Page 6 Art Unit: 3762 Application/Control Number: 18/442,573 Page 7 Art Unit: 3762 Application/Control Number: 18/442,573 Page 8 Art Unit: 3762
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