This is a Final office action for serial number 18/496,422.
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
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.
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) 1-4, 10, 12, and 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)as being anticipated by Smith 4,436,278. In regards to claim 12, the applicant is reminded that the aircraft engine door is not positively claimed therefore the prior art only need to be capable of performing the functions related to the aircraft engine door.
Smith discloses claims:
1. A nut for use in an actuator assembly having a rotatable screw (191) , the nut comprising: an outer nut portion (150); an inner nut portion (190) removably coupled to the outer nut portion, the inner nut portion (190) being rotatably couplable to the rotatable screw; and at least one anti-rotation pin (200) positionable between the outer nut portion (150) and the inner nut portion (190) to restrict rotation of the inner nut portion relative to the outer nut portion, the at least one anti-rotation pin (200) extending parallel to a longitudinal axis of the inner nut portion (190).
2. The nut of claim 1, wherein the nut is fixedly mounted within the actuator assembly (60) such that the rotatable screw (191) is movable relative to the nut (150/190).
3. The nut of claim 1, wherein the nut (150/190) is translatable along an axis relative to the rotatable screw.
4. The nut of claim 1, wherein the outer nut portion (150) has a flange arranged at an exterior surface thereof, the flange (near flange near ring 160) being connectable to a component (driven sprocket 140) to be moved by the actuator assembly.
10. The nut of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of threads arranged at an inner surface of the inner nut portion (190), the plurality of threads being couplable to the rotatable screw (191).
12. An actuator assembly for controlling movement of an aircraft engine door comprising: a screw (191) rotatable about an axis; a nut rotatably engaged with the screw, the nut further comprising: an outer nut portion (150); and an inner nut portion (190) removably (since not fixedly coupled) coupled to the outer nut portion (150), the inner nut (190) portion being rotatably fixed to the outer nut portion (150); and at least one anti-rotation pin (200) oriented parallel to the axis and positioned between the outer nut portion (150) and the inner nut portion (190) to restrict rotation of the inner nut portion relative to the outer nut portion.
17. The system of claim 12, further comprising a plurality of threads arranged at an inner surface of the inner nut portion (190), the plurality of threads being couplable the screw (191).
[AltContent: textbox (Threads of inner surface of inner nut portion)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Threads on screw)][AltContent: arrow]
PNG
media_image1.png
336
722
media_image1.png
Greyscale
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
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) 5-7 and 14-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Smith 4,436,278 in view of Ohm 20180257624.
Smith discloses all of the limitations of the claimed invention except for wherein the outer nut portion and the inner nut portion are formed different materials inner nut portion is formed from a polymer or the outer nut portion is formed from a metal.
Ohm teaches it is known to have claims:
5. The nut of claim 1, wherein the outer nut portion and the inner nut portion are formed different materials.
6. The nut of claim 5, wherein the inner nut portion is formed from a polymer.
7. The nut of claim 5, wherein the outer nut portion is formed from a metal.
14. The system of claim 12, wherein the outer nut portion and the inner nut portion are formed different materials.
15. The system of claim 14, wherein the inner nut portion is formed from a polymer.
16. The system of claim 14, wherein the outer nut portion is formed from a metal.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention with reasonable expectation of success to have modified Smith to have wherein the outer nut portion and the inner nut portion are formed different materials inner nut portion is formed from a polymer or the outer nut portion is formed from a metal as taught by Ohm for the purpose of providing hard strength materials well known for safety-relevant areas external area and, in the tribologically relevant internal area for use in difficult tasks such as actuators.
. Claim(s) 8, 9, 11, 17, 18, and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Smith 4,436,278 in view of Yiwu CN112923035.
Smith discloses all of the limitations of the claimed invention except for a first plurality of threads arranged at an outer surface of the inner nut portion and a second plurality of threads arranged at an inner surface of the outer nut portion; wherein the first plurality of threads and the second plurality of threads are microthreads; further comprising another plurality of threads arranged at an outer surface of the inner nut portion, wherein the plurality of threads has a first threads per inch and the another plurality of threads has a second threads per inch, the second threads per inch being greater than the first threads per inch; and further comprising a plurality of threads arranged at an inner surface of the inner nut portion, the plurality of threads being couplable the screw.
Yiwu teaches that it is known to have claims:
8. The nut of claim 1, further comprising a first plurality of threads arranged at an outer surface of the inner nut portion (2) and a second plurality of threads arranged at an inner surface of the outer nut portion (1).
9. The nut of claim 8, wherein the first plurality of threads and the second plurality of threads are microthreads (see figure below).
11. The nut of claim 10, further comprising another plurality of threads arranged at an outer surface of the inner nut portion (outer threads of 2), wherein the plurality of threads (inner threads of 2) per inch off the plurality of threads is greater than the threads per inch of the another pluroaity of threads.
17. The system of claim 12, further comprising a plurality of threads arranged at an inner surface of the inner nut portion (2), the plurality of threads being couplable the screw.
18. The system of claim 12, further comprising a first plurality of threads arranged at an outer surface of the inner nut portion (2) and a second plurality of threads arranged at an inner surface of the outer nut portion (1).
19. The system of claim 18, wherein the first plurality of threads (outer threads of 2) and the second plurality of threads (inner threads of 1) are microthreads.
PNG
media_image2.png
400
304
media_image2.png
Greyscale
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention with reasonable expectation of success to have modified Smith to have a first plurality of threads arranged at an outer surface of the inner nut portion and a second plurality of threads arranged at an inner surface of the outer nut portion; wherein the first plurality of threads and the second plurality of threads are microthreads; further comprising another plurality of threads arranged at an outer surface of the inner nut portion, wherein the plurality of threads has a first threads per inch and the another plurality of threads has a second threads per inch, the second threads per inch being greater than the first threads per inch; and further comprising a plurality of threads arranged at an inner surface of the inner nut portion, the plurality of threads being couplable the screw as taught by Yiwu for the purpose of controlling movement of the inner and outer members to allow for adjustments of the parts for incremental positioning for stability and firm attachment and/or being removably connected.
Claim(s) 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over in Smith 4,436,278 in view of Ohm 20180257624 in view of Pandian 2023/0078972.
Smith in view of Ohm discloses all of the limitations of the claimed invention except for the cowl door and outer nut portion has a flange arranged at an exterior surface.
Pandian teaches it is known to have claims:
20. The system of claim 14, wherein the nut is coupled to a cowl door (102), the actuator assembly being operable to move the aircraft engine door between an open position and a closed position.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention with reasonable expectation of success to have modified Johnson to have included wherein the nut is coupled to a cowl door, the actuator assembly being operable to move the aircraft engine door between an open position and a closed position as taught by Pandian for the purpose of providing a better mechanical actuator assembly preventing failure and instability when positioning the engine door.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 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.
In response to applicant's arguments against the references individually, one cannot show nonobviousness by attacking references individually where the rejections are based on combinations of references. See In re Keller, 642 F.2d 413, 208 USPQ 871 (CCPA 1981); In re Merck & Co., 800 F.2d 1091, 231 USPQ 375 (Fed. Cir. 1986).
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 KIMBERLY T WOOD whose telephone number is (571)272-6826. The examiner can normally be reached M-Thur 9:00am-5:30pm flexible schedule.
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, Jonathan Liu can be reached at (571) 272-8227. 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.
/KIMBERLY T WOOD/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3631
Prosecution Insights