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 § 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) 1, 5-6, 9-12 and 15-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and (a)(2) as being anticipated by US 7,530,529 B2 to Bock.
Regarding claim 1: Bock teaches a vehicle cabin partition assembly (figs. 1-2: lateral separation wall 2 and movable leaf 32) located beneath a section of vehicle cabin storage bin assembly (fig. 2: beneath baggage bin 20) comprising:
a movable first partition section (movable leaf 32);
a second partition section (lateral separation wall 2), said second partition section comprising a second partition section cavity (housing 30), said second partition section cavity comprising a second partition section cavity dimension, said second partition section cavity dimension at least partially bounded by a second partition section cavity wall (c. 3, ℓ. 20-24: housing 30 defined between front and rear surfaces 26, 28 of lateral separation wall 2);
wherein the movable first partition section (32) comprises a movable first partition dimension, said movable first partition section dimension configured to be received substantially completely into and nested within the second partition section cavity in a movable first partition section stowed position within the second partition section cavity (c. 3, ℓ. 56–c. 4, ℓ. 2: “the movable leaf, in its retracted position, would be housed entirely in its housing 30”);
wherein the movable first partition section is configured to move vertically within the second partition cavity (as shown in fig. 1),
said movable first partition section further configured to move within the second partition cavity between a movable first partition section deployed position (opened out position; as shown on the left side of fig. 1) and the movable first partition section stowed position (retracted position; as shown on the right side of fig. 1 or as described in c. 3, ℓ. 56–c. 4, ℓ. 2: housed entirely in housing 30),
wherein said movable first partition section is exposed in a movable first partition section deployed position (c. 3, ℓ. 56-60, fig. 2: movable leaf 32 is exposed in the opened out position of the movable leaf); and
wherein said vehicle cabin partition assembly is located beneath and in communication with the section of vehicle cabin storage bin assembly (figs. 1-2: beneath baggage bin 20, with stop 38 on the bin 20 sliding on the upper edge of movable leaf 32, see c. 3, ℓ. 48-56), said vehicle cabin partition assembly further positioned in a substantially fixed location (c. 3, ℓ. 18-24: “the base 24 and the front 26 and rear 28 surfaces considered as being fixed”) substantially perpendicular to and in communication with a vehicle cabin outboard wall (c. 2, ℓ. 32-40, c. 3, ℓ. 1-4, fig. 2: lateral cabin wall 16).
Regarding claim 5: Bock teaches the vehicle cabin partition assembly of Claim 1, further comprising:
a drive assembly (fig. 1: spring 36), said drive assembly in communication with the movable first partition section, said drive assembly configured to move the movable first partition section between a movable first partition section deployed position and a movable first partition section stowed position (c. 3, ℓ. 41-47: spring 36 attached on the one hand to the movable leaf 32 and on the other hand to a fixed point, for example the base 24 of the lateral separation wall 2, as represented on FIG. 1”), said drive assembly at least partially housed within the second partition section cavity (as shown in fig. 1).
Regarding claim 6: Bock teaches the vehicle cabin partition assembly of Claim 5, wherein the drive assembly comprises a drive mechanism, said drive mechanism comprising at least one of a spring-driven mechanism, a screw-driven mechanism, an electrically-driven drive mechanism, a pneumatic- driven mechanism, and a hydraulic-driven mechanism (c. 3, ℓ. 41-47: “In the embodiment represented, these means comprise a spring 36”).
Regarding claim 9: Bock teaches a vehicle cabin comprising the vehicle cabin partition assembly of Claim 1 (as shown in fig. 2).
Regarding claim 10: Bock teaches an aircraft cabin comprising the vehicle cabin partition assembly of Claim 1 (as shown in fig. 2; c. 2, ℓ. 22-23, 32-40).
Regarding claim 11: Bock teaches an aircraft comprising the vehicle cabin partition assembly of Claim 1 (as shown in fig. 2; c. 2, ℓ. 22-23, 32-40).
Regarding claim 12: Bock teaches an apparatus for separating vehicle cabin sections (figs. 1-2: lateral separation wall 2 and movable leaf 32), the apparatus comprising:
a movable first partition section (movable leaf 32) comprising a movable first partition section upper edge contour (upper edge 40);
a pocketed second partition section (lateral separation wall 2), said pocketed second partition section comprising a pocketed second partition section cavity (housing 30) dimensioned to substantially completely receive the movable first partition section into the pocketed second partition section cavity (c. 3, ℓ. 56–c. 4, ℓ. 2: “the movable leaf, in its retracted position, would be housed entirely in its housing 30”);
a vehicle cabin overhead storage bin assembly comprising a vehicle cabin overhead storage bin door comprising a vehicle cabin overhead storage bin door surface contour (fig. 2: of baggage bin 40);
wherein the movable first partition section is configured to move between a movable first partition section deployed position (fig. 1: shown with the left partition wall 2) and a movable first partition section stowed position (fig. 1: shown in solid lines with the right partition wall 2); and
wherein the movable first partition section upper edge contour is configured to contact the vehicle cabin overhead storage bin door surface contour in the movable first partition section deployed position (c. 3, ℓ. 53-56: upper edge 40 of movable leaf 32 contacts the stop 38 on the lower surface of the baggage bin 20); and
wherein said vehicle cabin partition assembly is located beneath, is perpendicular to, and is in communication with a section of vehicle cabin storage bin assembly (figs. 1-2: beneath baggage bin 20, with stop 38 on the bin 20 sliding on the upper edge of movable leaf 32, see c. 3, ℓ. 48-56),
said vehicle cabin partition assembly further positioned in a substantially fixed location (c. 3, ℓ. 18-24: “the base 24 and the front 26 and rear 28 surfaces considered as being fixed) substantially perpendicular to and in communication with a vehicle cabin outboard wall (c. 2, ℓ. 32-40, c. 3, ℓ. 1-4, fig. 2: lateral cabin wall 16).
Regarding claim 15: Bock teaches an aircraft comprising the apparatus of Claim 12 (as shown in fig. 2; c. 2, ℓ. 22-23, 32-40).
Regarding claim 16: Bock teaches a method for altering vehicle cabin partition height during vehicle cabin storage bin access (shown on the left in fig. 1), the method comprising:
positioning a multi-section vehicle cabin partition assembly (figs. 1-2: lateral separation wall 2 and movable leaf 32) beneath a vehicle cabin overhead storage bin door of a vehicle cabin overhead storage bin (fig. 2: beneath baggage bin 20), said vehicle cabin overhead storage bin comprising a vehicle cabin overhead storage bin door contour (),
said multi-section cabin partition comprising:
a movable first partition section (movable leaf 32), said movable first partition section comprising a movable first partition dimension, said movable first partition section configured to move between a movable first partition section deployed position (opened out position; as shown on the left side of fig. 1) and a movable first partition section stowed position (retracted position; as shown on the right side of fig. 1 or as described in c. 3, ℓ. 56–c. 4, ℓ. 2: housed entirely in housing 30);
a second partition section (lateral separation wall 2), said second partition section comprises a second partition section cavity (housing 30), said second partition section cavity comprising a second partition section cavity dimension, said second partition section cavity dimension at least partially bounded by a second partition section cavity wall (c. 3, ℓ. 20-24: housing 30 defined between front and rear surfaces 26, 28 of lateral separation wall 2), said movable first partition section dimension configured to be received substantially completely into and nested within the second partition section cavity in a movable first partition section stowed position within the second partition section cavity (c. 3, ℓ. 56–c. 4, ℓ. 2: “the movable leaf, in its retracted position, would be housed entirely in its housing 30”);
moving the movable first partition section between a movable first partition section deployed position and a movable first partition section stowed position (movable leaf 32 disclosed as moving between an opened out position and a retracted position in c. 3, ℓ. 25-56);
altering the vehicle cabin partition height during vehicle cabin storage bin access (c. 3, ℓ. 25–c. 4, ℓ. 2; fig. 1: partition height changing as leaf 32 extends and retracts from the fixed portion of lateral separation wall 2); and
wherein said vehicle cabin partition assembly is located beneath and in communication with a section of vehicle cabin storage bin assembly (figs. 1-2: beneath baggage bin 20, with stop 38 on the bin 20 sliding on the upper edge of movable leaf 32, see c. 3, ℓ. 48-56).
Regarding claim 17: Bock teaches the method of Claim 16, said movable first partition section dimension further comprising a movable first partition section upper edge contour (upper edge 40), the method further comprising;
maintaining contact between the vehicle cabin overhead storage bin door contour and the movable first partition section upper edge contour (through stop 38, which “provides the connection between the latter and the movable leaf 32”, c. 3, ℓ. 50-56) in the movable first partition section deployed position and in the movable first partition section stowed position (c. 3, ℓ. 25-32: “movable leaf 32 comes to fill the opening remaining between the front 26 and rear 28 surfaces of the lateral separation wall 2 and the baggage bin 20, whether the latter is in closed or open position”; c. 3, ℓ. 50-56: “When the baggage bin 20 is opened, the stop 38 comes to slide on the upper edge 40 of the movable leaf 32”).
Regarding claim 18: Bock teaches the method of Claim 16, further comprising:
attaching the vehicle cabin overhead storage bin door of the vehicle cabin overhead storage bin to the movable first partition section (c. 3, ℓ. 50-56: “A stop 38 set underneath the baggage bin provides the connection between the latter and the movable leaf 32”).
Regarding claim 19: Bock teaches the method of Claim 17, further comprising:
impeding passage of light between the vehicle cabin overhead storage bin door contour and the first partition section upper edge contour in the movable first partition section deployed position and in the movable first partition section stowed position (c. 4, ℓ. 3-15: visual isolation of the compartments just as well when the bins are in the open position as when they are in the closed position).
Regarding claim 20: Bock teaches the method of Claim 17, further comprising:
activating a drive mechanism (spring 36 — c. 3, ℓ. 41-47: pre-stressing movable leaf 32 in its raised position; see also fig. 1) positioned within the second partition section cavity (as shown in fig. 1), said drive mechanism configured to raise and lower the movable first partition section relative to the second partition section (c. 3, ℓ. 41-47).
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) 2-4, 7 and 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 7,530,529 B2 to Bock in view of US 8,814,089 B2 to Chandler.
Regarding claim 2: Bock teaches the vehicle cabin partition assembly of Claim 1,
said overhead storage bin assembly comprising an overhead storage bin door (c. 4, ℓ. 63-64: “the door of the baggage bin moving from a closed position to an open position”), said overhead storage bin door comprising an overhead storage bin door surface contour (c. 3, ℓ. 52-54: “the contour of the lower surface of the baggage bin 20”).
Bock teaches that the movable leaf 32 is pivotably mounted (c. 3, ℓ. 25-40), being adapted to the movement of the associated baggage bin (c. 4, ℓ. 36-39), and discloses that the movement of the movable leaf may be different to adapt to baggage bins which open in different manners (c. 4, ℓ. 36-43).
Bock discloses that the stop may provide a connection such that the stop slides on the upper edge of the movable leaf when the baggage bin is opened (c. 3, ℓ. 50-56). Bock does not specifically disclose that the stop may be a linkage assembly comprising first and second ends in respective communication with the movable overhead storage bin door and the movable first partition section.
Chandler teaches a vehicle cabin partition assembly (figs. 7-9) comprising a linkage assembly (fig. 7: outboard attachment location 82, which comprises a four bar linkage) comprising a linkage assembly first end (at upper attachment location 94) in communication with a movable overhead storage bin door of an overhead storage bin assembly (fig. 7, c. 4, ℓ. 43-61: first or inboard link arm 92 may be attached to the compartment 42 at upper attachment location 94),
said overhead storage bin assembly comprising an overhead storage bin door (bucket 72), said overhead storage bin door comprising an overhead storage bin door surface contour (face 52),
said linkage assembly further comprising a linkage assembly second end (at lower attachment location 96) in communication with the movable first partition section (fig. 7, c. 4, ℓ. 43-61: first or inboard link arm 92 may be attached to the compartment 42 at upper attachment location 94 and to view block 54a at lower attachment location 96).
said linkage assembly further comprising a linkage assembly arm (fig. 7: first or inboard link arm 92), said linkage assembly arm extending from and in communication with the linkage assembly first end, said linkage assembly arm further extending to and in communication with the linkage assembly second end (c. 4, ℓ. 12-20: first or inboard link arm 92 may be attached to the compartment 42 at upper attachment location 94 and to view block 54a at lower attachment location 96).
Advantageously, this linkage provides the movable partition section with a movement similar to the rotational movement of the storage bin about its pivot (c. 4, ℓ. 43-59) such that there is very little relative motion between the movable partition and the surface contour of the storage bin (c. 4, ℓ. 55-61).
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 vehicle cabin partition assembly or apparatus of Bock to further comprise a linkage assembly comprising a linkage assembly first end in communication with a movable overhead storage bin door of an overhead storage bin assembly, said overhead storage bin assembly comprising an overhead storage bin door, said overhead storage bin door comprising an overhead storage bin door surface contour, said linkage assembly further comprising a linkage assembly second end in communication with the movable first partition section, said linkage assembly further comprising a linkage assembly arm, said linkage assembly arm extending from and in communication with the linkage assembly first end, said linkage assembly arm further extending to and in communication with the linkage assembly second end, using the teachings of Chandler, for the purpose of providing the movable partition section with an effective pivot radius similar to that of the storage bin, such that there is very little relative motion between the movable partition section and the surface contour of the storage bin (Chandler c. 4, ℓ. 55-61).
Regarding claim 4: Bock teaches the vehicle cabin partition assembly of Claim 1. Bock does not specifically teach an upper edge contour seal disposed along a length of the movable first partition section upper edge contour, said upper edge contour seal configured to substantially completely contact the vehicle cabin overhead storage bin door surface contour when the movable first partition section is in the movable first partition section deployed configuration.
Chandler teaches a vehicle cabin partition assembly (figs. 1-2) comprising a locking mechanism (c. 3, ℓ. 37-38: compartment latch 62) configured to lock into place a stowage bin door in a retracted stowage bin position, which is also a movable first partition section deployed position (of view block 54, which moves with the movable portion of the stowage bin compartment, see figs. 2-3 or figs. 7-8),
said locking mechanism further configured to release the stowage bin door from the retracted stowage bin door position to a deployed stowage bin door position, which is also a movable first partition section stowed position (when latch 62 releases the compartment from the compartment stowed position to the compartment deployed position, view block 54 is also released from the partition deployed position to the partition stowed position).
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 vehicle cabin partition assembly of Bock to further comprise a locking mechanism, using the teachings of Chandler, for the purpose of retaining the stowage bin doors closed during flight to prevent stored luggage from falling out.
Since the movable first partition section of Bock is connected to and moves with the stowage bin door (Bock c. 3, ℓ. 50-52, c. 4, ℓ. 59-64), the movable partition section is locked into place and released whenever the stowage bin is locked into place or released. As a result, the locking mechanism would also be configured to lock into place the movable first partition section in the movable first partition section deployed position, and to release said movable first partition section from the movable first partition section deployed position to the movable first partition section stowed position.
Regarding claim 7: Bock, as modified, provides the vehicle cabin partition assembly of Claim 2, wherein the movable first partition section comprises a movable first partition section upper edge contour (upper edge 40) dimensioned to substantially match the overhead storage bin door surface contour (shown in fig. 2; c. 3, ℓ. 48-56: “the movable leaf has an upper edge 40 picking up the contour of the lower surface of the baggage bin 20”).
Claim(s) 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 7,530,529 B2 to Bock in view of US 10,029,778 B2 to Telmos, as applied to claim 7 above, and further in view of US 10,029,778 B2 to Telmos.
Regarding claim 8: Bock, as modified, provides the vehicle cabin partition assembly of Claim 7.
Bock does not specifically teach an upper edge contour seal disposed along a length of the movable first partition section upper edge contour, said upper edge contour seal configured to substantially completely contact the vehicle cabin overhead storage bin door surface contour when the movable first partition section is in the movable first partition section deployed configuration.
Telmos teaches a vehicle cabin partition assembly (slidable bulkhead door system 300) having a movable partition section (slidable door panel 304) which extends from a cavity within a stationary partition section (bulkhead 302) in a retracted position (c. 3, ℓ. 16-21) to a deployed position in which the sliding door closes one area from an adjacent area for privacy or to reduce noise (c. 3, ℓ. 6-15).
Telmos teaches that although cabin dividers may use slidable doors to separate cabin areas for privacy, “due to stresses applied to the fuselage during flight, it is possible for gaps to appear between the slidable door and the aircraft ceiling or headliner” (c. 1, ℓ. 14-20) and that these gaps “may permit light penetration or a private conversation to be heard in the adjoining compartment” (c. 1, ℓ. 20-22). To prevent the formation of such gaps, Telmos provides a compressible header (400) disposed along the length of the slidable door (see for example fig. 6) and biased towards the ceiling or headliner and configured to be compressed against and maintain contact with the headliner during flight while the door is in the deployed or closed position (c. 3, ℓ. 22-53).
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 vehicle cabin partition assembly of Burrows, as modified, to have an upper edge contour seal disposed along a length of the movable first partition section upper edge contour, said upper edge contour seal configured to substantially completely contact the vehicle cabin overhead storage bin door surface contour when the movable first partition section is in the movable first partition section deployed configuration, such as taught by Telmos, for the purpose of preventing or reducing the light and sound penetration resulting from the formation of gaps due to stresses applied to the fuselage during flight.
Claim(s) 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 7,530,529 B2 to Bock in view of US 10,029,778 B2 to Telmos.
Regarding claim 14: Bock teaches the apparatus of Claim 12. Bock does not specifically teach an upper edge contour seal configured to cover the movable first partition section upper edge contour.
Telmos teaches a vehicle cabin partition assembly (slidable bulkhead door system 300) having a movable partition section (slidable door panel 304) which extends from a cavity within a stationary partition section (bulkhead 302) in a retracted position (c. 3, ℓ. 16-21) to a deployed position in which the sliding door closes one area from an adjacent area for privacy or to reduce noise (c. 3, ℓ. 6-15).
Telmos teaches that although cabin dividers may use slidable doors to separate cabin areas for privacy, “due to stresses applied to the fuselage during flight, it is possible for gaps to appear between the slidable door and the aircraft ceiling or headliner” (c. 1, ℓ. 14-20) and that these gaps “may permit light penetration or a private conversation to be heard in the adjoining compartment” (c. 1, ℓ. 20-22). To prevent the formation of such gaps, Telmos provides a compressible header (400) disposed along the length of the slidable door (see for example fig. 6) and biased towards the ceiling or headliner and configured to be compressed against and maintain contact with the headliner during flight while the door is in the deployed or closed position (c. 3, ℓ. 22-53).
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 vehicle cabin partition assembly of Burrows to have an upper edge contour seal configured to cover the movable first partition section upper edge contour, such as taught by Telmos, for the purpose of preventing or reducing the light and sound penetration resulting from the formation of gaps due to stresses applied to the fuselage during flight.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-20 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
To address concerns raised by Applicant (Remarks, pages 13-14) and for clarity of the record, the rejection in the previous Office action did not rely on curtain 50 of Burrows or a space defined by curtain 50 for the claimed second partition section cavity, but gap 60. While Burrows does teach that “view block 54 may be adjacent either the longitudinally forward side 56 or longitudinally rearward side 58 of the support arm 40” (Burrows c. 3, ℓ. 31-33), Burrows also teaches an embodiment which “employs a gap 60 in the lower edge 46 of the support arm 40” (Burrows c. 3, ℓ. 33-46, emphasis added). This embodiment is described in contrast with that in the view block is either forward or behind the support arm.
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 Richard Green whose telephone number is (571)270-5380. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Friday, 11:00 to 7:00.
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/Richard Green/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3647