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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election with traverse of Group I in the reply filed on 1/14/26 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that there would not be a serious search burden in examining both inventions, but this is not found persuasive. As set forth in the restriction requirement dated 12/5/25, the inventions require different classification searches, as well as different search strategies and/or queries. The reply also does not set forth arguments directed to the differences between the apparatus and the method claims, and does not state that the inventions are patentably indistinct or obvious variants of each other. An undue search burden is presented in examination of both inventions in the same application in view of their different classifications and the different search strategies required to address the mutually exclusive characteristics of each invention. The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Claims 16-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Applicant timely traversed the restriction (election) requirement in the reply filed on 1/14/26.
Claim Objections
Claim 3 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 3 recites “engaged to the track 40” in lines 6-7. The inclusion of the reference number 40 appears to be a minor typographical error. The reference number should either be deleted or separated using parentheses.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 1-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Swain (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0123571) in view of Conley (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0251885).
Regarding claim 1, Swain discloses a barrier door system [FIG. 2] to control movement of persons through an opening (opening in the wall 16 that is closed by the barrier door 18) within a cabin area [FIG. 1] of an aircraft (100), the barrier door system comprising:
a track (42) with an elongated shape comprising a first end configured to be located away from the opening and a second end configured to be located in proximity to the opening (as shown in Figures 7-10, a first end of track 42 is positioned away from the opening and adjacent to wall 21, and a second end is positioned in the proximity of the opening);
a barrier door (18) comprising:
a plurality of panels that are pivotally connected together (panels of the door 18 connected by hinges 38);
wherein the plurality of panels are configured to pivot together in a folded configuration at a stowed position [FIGS. 5, 10]; and
wherein the plurality of panels are configured to pivot outward away from the track in an extended configuration to extend across the opening at a deployed position [FIG. 3].
Swain further discloses that the barrier door engages the track via a “roller, slider, glider, spring loaded post or the like” (paragraph 0053) does not explicitly disclose one or more pins that extend outward from a top edge of the barrier door and configured to engage with the track.
Nonetheless, Conley discloses a barrier door (102a) comprising one or more pins (106a, 108a) that extend outward from a top edge of the barrier door [FIG. 2] and are configured to engage with a track (114; the engagement between the pins and the track is shown in at least Figures 3d and 3e).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the barrier door of Swain to include the pin and track configuration taught by Conley, in order to provide reliable guidance for the sliding movement of the barrier door that also controls the pivoting of the barrier door such that it can only move to the folded out position from a specific location along the track so as to prevent the door from impacting adjacent walls or other structures.
Regarding claim 2, Swain discloses the barrier door system and the plurality of panels, but does not disclose the pins.
Nonetheless, Conley discloses one or more pins (106a, 108a) extending outward from a single panel (102a). As set forth with respect to claim 1 above, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the barrier door of Swain to include the one or more pins taught by Conley, in order to provide reliable and consistent guidance for the sliding movement and pivoting location of the door.
Regarding claims 3 and 4, Swain discloses the track, but does not disclose the top and lateral sides, or an opening or a notch in the track.
Nonetheless, Conley discloses a track (114) comprising a top side a first lateral side and a second lateral side that are spaced apart and extend from the top side; an opening formed between distal ends of the first lateral side and the second lateral side [FIG. 3c] (see annotated drawing below); and wherein the opening comprises a first width and the one or more pins comprise a second width with the second width being greater than the first width (as shown in Figures 3d and 3e, the width of the pins 103, 108 at the wheels 136 or 142 is greater than the width of the opening) to maintain the one or more pins engaged to the track when moving between the stowed position and the deployed position [FIGS. 3d, 3e]; and further comprising a notch (104) positioned in the firs lateral side of the track and in closer proximity to a second end (at 120) than to a first end (at 122), the notch having a width that is greater than the second width for one of the pins to move through when moving the barrier door from the folded configuration to the extended configuration [FIGS. 1b-1h] (paragraph 0071).
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As set forth with respect to claim 1 above, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the barrier door of Swain to include the one or more pins taught by Conley, in order to provide reliable and consistent guidance for the sliding movement and pivoting location of the door.
Regarding claim 5, Swain discloses that the plurality of panels are aligned parallel to one another in the folded configuration [FIG. 5].
Regarding claim 6, Swain discloses a lock (36) positioned on a forward side of the barrier door and away from a rear side of the barrier door [FIG. 2], the lock configured to maintain the barrier door in the extended configuration (paragraph 0051).
Regarding claim 7, Swain discloses the barrier door and further discloses a roller wheel guide mounted to the barrier door (paragraph 0068), but does not explicitly disclose wheels that extend outward from a bottom edge of the barrier door.
Nonetheless, Conley discloses wheels (110; paragraph 0076 discloses multiple horizontally-oriented wheels) extending outward from a bottom edge of the barrier door [FIG. 2].
Thus, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the barrier door of Swain to include multiple wheels extending from the bottom of the door, as taught by Conley, in order to ensure that the door is easily openable and operates smoothly along the guide track.
Regarding claim 8, Swain discloses a barrier door system [FIG. 2] to control movement of persons through an opening within a cabin area of an aircraft (100) [FIG. 1], the barrier door system comprising:
a track (42); and
a barrier door (18) mounted to the track (via post 40), the barrier door comprising:
a first panel (first hinged panel of the door 18);
one or more additional panels connected to the first panel (adjacent hinged panel of the door 18; the panels are shown in at least Figure 4);
the barrier door is configured to move along the track (the movement of the barrier door 18 along the track 42 is shown in at least Figures 8-10) and configurable between a folded configuration [FIGS. 5, 10] and an extended configuration [FIG. 3];
wherein the folded configuration comprises the first panel and the one or more additional panels folded together [FIG. 5]; and
wherein the extended configuration comprises the barrier door pivoted relative to the track and with the first panel and the one or more additional panels being unfolded to extend across the opening [FIG. 2].
Swain does not explicitly disclose an interior space of the track or first and second pins of the barrier door).
Nonetheless, Conley discloses a barrier door system including a first panel (102a) comprising a first pin (108a) and a second pin (106a) that extend outward from a top edge of the first panel [FIG. 2] and are sized to fit within an interior space of a track (114; the engagement between the pins and the interior spaced of the track is shown in at least Figures 3d and 3e), wherein in a folded configuration both the first pin and the second pin are positioned within the interior space [FIG. 1b], and in an extended configuration the first pin is positioned within the interior space and the second pin is positioned out of the interior space and away from the track [FIG. 1c].
Thus, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the barrier door of Swain to include the pins and track configuration taught by Conley, in order to provide reliable guidance for the sliding movement of the barrier door that also controls the pivoting of the barrier door such that it can only move to the folded out position from a specific location along the track so as to prevent the door from impacting adjacent walls or other structures.
Regarding claim 9, Swain discloses the barrier door system, but does not disclose the first and second pins.
Nonetheless, Conley discloses that the first pin (108a) has a greater length than the second pin (106a) and extends outward from the top edge of the first panel a greater distance than the second pin [FIGS. 2, 3d, 3e]. As set forth with respect to claim 8 above, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the barrier door of Swain to include the one or more pins taught by Conley, in order to provide reliable and consistent guidance for the sliding movement and pivoting location of the door.
Regarding claim 10, Swain discloses that the first panel and the one or more additional panels are pivotally connected together (via hinge 38) and are in an overlapping arrangement in the folded configuration [FIG. 5] and are in an end-to-end arrangement in the extended configuration [FIG. 2].
Regarding claims 11-13, Swain discloses the barrier door system and the folded and extended configurations of the barrier door, but does not disclose a notch in the track, first and second pins, or a specific configuration of the body of the track.
Nonetheless, Conley discloses a notch (104) that extends through the body of the track [FIG. 1g], the notch comprising a greater width than the second pin for the second pin to move through the notch when moving the barrier door from a first configuration to an extended configuration [FIGS. 1b-1c] (paragraph 0071); wherein the body of the track comprises a top side; a first lateral side and a second lateral side that are spaced apart and that extend from the top side; an opening formed between distal ends of the first lateral side and the second lateral side [FIG. 3c] (see annotated drawing above); and wherein the notch extends through the first lateral side [FIG. 1c]; wherein the first pin and the second pin each comprise a neck (lower hubs 148 and 150) that extends outward from the top edge of the first panel and a head (wheels 142 and 136) positioned at an end of the neck with the head comprising a greater width than the neck [FIGS. 3d, 3e]. As set forth with respect to claim 8 above, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the barrier door of Swain to include the one or more pins taught by Conley, in order to provide reliable and consistent guidance for the sliding movement and pivoting location of the door.
Regarding claim 14, Swain discloses the barrier door and further discloses a roller wheel guide positioned along a bottom of the barrier door (paragraph 0068), but does not explicitly disclose wheels that extend outward from a bottom edge of the barrier door.
Nonetheless, Conley discloses wheels (110; paragraph 0076 discloses multiple horizontally-oriented wheels) positioned along a bottom edge of the barrier door [FIG. 2].
Thus, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the barrier door of Swain to include multiple wheels extending from the bottom of the door, as taught by Conley, in order to ensure that the door is easily openable and operates smoothly along the guide track.
Regarding claim 15, Swain discloses a lock (36) positioned on the barrier door [FIG. 2] the lock being exposed just on a front side of the barrier door [FIG. 2].
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ABE L MASSAD whose telephone number is (571)272-6292. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30-4:00.
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/ABE MASSAD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3634