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 .
Status of Claims
In the response dated 07/01/2026, the status of the claims are as follows:
Claims 1 and 17-20 have been amended.
Claims 1-20 are pending.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, filed 07/01/2026, with respect to the double patenting rejections have been fully considered and are persuasive in view of the amendments to the claims. The double patenting rejections have been withdrawn.
Applicant’s arguments, filed 07/01/2026, with respect to the 35 USC § 102 rejections have been fully considered and are persuasive in view of the amendments to the claims. Therefore, the 35 USC § 102 rejections have been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made over Zagrodnik (US20220407135A1) in view of Houchin (US20130207617A1).
Claim Interpretation
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(f):
(f) Element in Claim for a Combination. – An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The claims in this application are given their broadest reasonable interpretation using the plain meaning of the claim language in light of the specification as it would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. The broadest reasonable interpretation of a claim element (also commonly referred to as a claim limitation) is limited by the description in the specification when 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is invoked.
As explained in MPEP § 2181, subsection I, claim limitations that meet the following three-prong test will be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
(A) the claim limitation uses the term “means” or “step” or a term used as a substitute for “means” that is a generic placeholder (also called a nonce term or a non-structural term having no specific structural meaning) for performing the claimed function;
(B) the term “means” or “step” or the generic placeholder is modified by functional language, typically, but not always linked by the transition word “for” (e.g., “means for”) or another linking word or phrase, such as “configured to” or “so that”; and
(C) the term “means” or “step” or the generic placeholder is not modified by sufficient structure, material, or acts for performing the claimed function.
Use of the word “means” (or “step”) in a claim with functional language creates a rebuttable presumption that the claim limitation is to be treated in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph. The presumption that the claim limitation is interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is rebutted when the claim limitation recites sufficient structure, material, or acts to entirely perform the recited function.
Absence of the word “means” (or “step”) in a claim creates a rebuttable presumption that the claim limitation is not to be treated in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph. The presumption that the claim limitation is not interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is rebutted when the claim limitation recites function without reciting sufficient structure, material or acts to entirely perform the recited function.
Claim limitations in this application that use the word “means” (or “step”) are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, except as otherwise indicated in an Office action. Conversely, claim limitations in this application that do not use the word “means” (or “step”) are not being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, except as otherwise indicated in an Office action.
This application includes one or more claim limitations that do not use the word “means,” but are nonetheless being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, because the claim limitation(s) uses a generic placeholder that is coupled with functional language without reciting sufficient structure to perform the recited function and the generic placeholder is not preceded by a structural modifier. Such claim limitation(s) is/are:
Claim 18: “an aircraft sub-system operated using bleed air received from the compressed air bleed”
Because this/these claim limitation(s) is/are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, it/they is/are being interpreted to cover the corresponding structure described in the specification as performing the claimed function, and equivalents thereof.
With regards to the aircraft sub-system of claim 18, the corresponding structure described in the subsequent claims is one of an “environmental control system” (claim 19), “anti-icing system” (claim 20), or a “pneumatic system comprising a pneumatic actuator” (claim 20).
If applicant does not intend to have this/these limitation(s) interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, applicant may: (1) amend the claim limitation(s) to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph (e.g., by reciting sufficient structure to perform the claimed function); or (2) present a sufficient showing that the claim limitation(s) recite(s) sufficient structure to perform the claimed function so as to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claims 18-20 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention. Amended claim 18 recites “a plurality of aircraft sub-systems operated using bleed air received from the compressed air bleed; and a flow circuit fluidly coupling respective outlets of the plurality of aircraft sub-systems to an inlet of the battery compartment, the flow circuit comprising a multi-way valve configured to selectively direct air exhausted from each of the plurality of aircraft sub-systems into the battery compartment through the inlet”. However, while [0005-0007] and [0044] of applicant’s 11/20/2023 specification describe an aircraft sub-system operated using bleed air received from the compressed air bleed, a flow circuit fluidly coupling an outlet of the aircraft sub-system to an inlet of the battery compartment, and the aircraft sub-system configured as or otherwise include an environmental control system, an anti-icing system or a pneumatic system, the specification does not describe distributing bleed air to a plurality of aircraft sub-systems simultaneously, followed by selectively directing air exhausted from each of the plurality of aircraft sub-systems into the battery compartment through the inlet. As further shown on the 11/20/2023 drawings, the air bleed 82 is only distributed to one aircraft sub-system at a time (84, 88, or 96) in a given configuration. Therefore, the amendment to claim 18 are regarded as new matter.
Claims 19-20 are rejected based on their dependence to claim 18.
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) 1-8, 11 and 14-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zagrodnik (US20220407135A1) in view of Houchin (US20130207617A1).
Regarding claim 1, Zagrodnik teaches
a system for an aircraft (aircraft 10), comprising:
an aircraft structure comprising an internal compartment (housing portion 22a, fig. 5A);
an electrical power storage housed within the internal compartment (battery pack 20, fig. 2 and 5A); and
an air system (fig. 2, 9A, 10) configured to direct pressurized air into the internal compartment (“The battery pack 20 includes an integral air channel 21 which passes through the battery pack. One end of the channel 21 is fluidly coupled to an aircraft air inlet 16 , and the other end of the channel 21 is fluidly coupled to an aircraft air outlet 17 . During flight, the direction of which is illustrated by the arrow ‘D’ in FIG. 2 , ambient air enters the air inlet 16 , flows through the channel 21 and flows out of the air outlet 17” [0051]), the air system including a plurality of air sources (fig. 10 shows air inlet 16 and an additional on-board airflow device 40 coupled to air channel 21)
Zagrodnik does not teach
a flow regulator disposed between the plurality of air sources and the internal compartment, wherein the flow regulator comprises a multi-way valve configured to selectively fluidly couple each of the plurality of air sources to the internal compartment
Houchin teaches
a flow regulator (inlet valve 240) disposed between the plurality of air sources and the internal compartment (between cabin air inlet/external air inlet and housing 223, fig. 6), wherein the flow regulator comprises a multi-way valve configured to selectively fluidly couple each of the plurality of air sources to the internal compartment (as described in [0048])
Zagrodnik teaches air inlet 16 and an additional on-board airflow device 40 as a plurality of air sources in the system. However, Zagrodnik does not teach does not further describe a flow regulator disposed between the plurality of air sources. Houchin teaches alternatively using cabin air or external airflow to provide airflow to heat or cool a battery system, and wherein the airflow is selected based on preferred air temperatures (if cooling is desired, the cooler of the two sources is selected, as described in [0048]). Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the arrangement of inlet valve 240 of Houchin at the junction of air inlet 16 and on-board airflow device 40 of fig. 10 of Zagrodnik, in order to effectively select the more efficient air source at the time, thus improving the efficiency of the system.
Regarding claim 2, Zagrodnik, as modified, teaches the system of claim 1,
wherein the electrical power storage comprises a battery (battery pack 20)
Regarding claim 3, Zagrodnik, as modified, teaches the system of claim 2,
wherein the air system is configured to direct the pressurized air into the internal compartment to flush off-gassing from the battery out of the internal compartment (“If present, the additional channels 51 are preferably arranged so that, during their intended use (e.g. during horizontal flight or on the ground), they form an angle with horizontal to assist with degassing”) [0125 of Zagrodnik]
Regarding claim 4, Zagrodnik, as modified, teaches the system of claim 1,
wherein the air system is configured to direct the pressurized air into the internal compartment to condition an environment surrounding the electrical power storage (“allows the rate of the airflow through the channel 21 to be regulated in accordance with the cooling or heating requirements of the pack 20”) [0055 of Zagrodnik]
Regarding claim 5, Zagrodnik, as modified, teaches the system of claim 1,
wherein the plurality of air sources include a first air source and a second air source (air inlet 16 and on-board airflow device 40 of fig. 10 of Zagrodnik);
the flow regulator is configured to concurrently fluidly couple the first air source and the second air source to the internal compartment (as shown on fig. 6 of Houchin, inlet valve 240 is configured to be disposed at a midpoint between closing cabin air inlet and closing external air inlet, thus configured to concurrently fluidly couple the first air source and the second air source to the internal compartment)
Regarding claim 6, Zagrodnik, as modified, teaches the system of claim 1,
wherein the plurality of air sources include a first air source and a second air source (air inlet 16 and on-board airflow device 40 of fig. 10 of Zagrodnik);
the flow regulator is configured to fluidly couple the first air source to the internal compartment during a first mode (“if the battery system 220 requires cooling and the air inside the cabin of the vehicle is cooler than the air outside of the vehicle, a control valve (e.g., inlet valve 240 ) is positioned so that the cool air from the cabin enters the housing 223 of the battery system 220 to cool the cells 224 of the battery module 222”) [0048 of Houchin]; and
the flow regulator is configured to fluidly couple the second air source to the internal compartment during a second mode (“if the air outside of the vehicle is cooler than the air inside of the cabin (e.g., after the car has been sitting in the hot sun so that the temperature inside of the car is hotter than the temperature outside of the car), the inlet valve 240 is positioned so that the cooler external air enters the battery system 220 in order to cool the cells 224”) [0048 of Houchin]
Regarding claim 7, Zagrodnik, as modified, teaches the system of claim 6,
wherein at least one of the flow regulator is configured to fluidly decouple the second air source from the internal compartment during the first mode (as described in [0048] of Houchin above and shown on fig. 6 of Houchin); or the flow regulator is configured to fluidly decouple the first air source from the internal compartment during the second mode (as described in [0048] of Houchin above and shown on fig. 6 of Houchin)
Regarding claim 8, Zagrodnik, as modified, teaches the system of claim 1,
wherein the aircraft structure includes an outlet to an ambient external environment fluidly coupled to the internal compartment (air outlet 17)
Regarding claim 11, Zagrodnik teaches the system of claim 1, further comprising:
an aircraft cabin (“the aircraft includes a fuselage 11 , which incorporates a cabin for occupants”) [0045 of Zagrodnik];
Zagrodnik does not teach
one of the plurality of air sources comprising an outlet from the aircraft cabin
Houchin teaches
one of the plurality of air sources comprising an outlet from the cabin (“The thermal management system 121 is configured to utilize air from inside a cabin of a vehicle (e.g., vehicle 10 , 10 A) to either heat or cool a battery system 120”) [0041 of Houchin]; further shown on fig. 6)
Zagrodnik teaches an on-board airflow device 40, but does not further describe the source of the on-board air. Houchin teaches providing air from a vehicle cabin interior to cool the battery module 222. Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the on-board airflow system of Zagrodnik as a conditioned cabin air as taught in Houchin, in order to effectively utilize an airflow source that has already been conditioned, thus improving the efficiency of the system.
The combination teaches
one of the plurality of air sources comprising an outlet from the aircraft cabin (while Houchin does not explicitly describe the vehicle as an aircraft, the vehicle of Zagrodnik comprises an aircraft and thus when applying airflow to the battery system from a cabin of the vehicle as taught in Houchin to the system of Zagrodnik, the air will be provided from a cabin of the aircraft of Zagrodnik)
Regarding claim 14, Zagrodnik, as modified, teaches the system of claim 1, further comprising:
a propulsor rotor (propulsors 12); and
an electric motor configured to drive rotation of the propulsor rotor, the electric motor electrically coupled to the electric power storage (“Purely electric propulsion systems completely dispense with internal combustion engines and use only batteries or, in some instances, fuel cells, as an energy source for their propulsors” [0003]; “rotor propulsors 12 driven by rotary electric machines”) [0045]
Regarding claim 15, Zagrodnik, as modified, teaches the system of claim 1, further comprising:
an aircraft airframe (fuselage 11);
the aircraft structure configured as part of and/or housed within the aircraft airframe (battery pack 20 housed within fuselage 11, fig. 3)
Regarding claim 16, Zagrodnik, as modified, teaches the system of claim 1, further comprising:
an aircraft propulsion system (propulsor 12);
the aircraft structure configured as part of and/or housed within the aircraft propulsion system (“FIG. 4 illustrates how the battery pack 20 of FIG. 2 may be located within a propulsor 12 of an aircraft 10” [0062]
Regarding claim 17, Zagrodnik teaches
a system for an aircraft (aircraft 10), comprising:
an aircraft airframe (fuselage 11) including an aircraft cabin (“a fuselage 11 , which incorporates a cabin for occupants”) [0045] and a battery compartment located outside of the aircraft cabin (“the battery pack 20 is located aft of the cabin” [0058]; fig. 3);
a battery housed within the battery compartment (battery cells 200, fig. 5B); and
an air system configured to direct air from within at least one of an anti-icing system and a pneumatic system, into the battery compartment (fig. 9A; “an external, ground-based supply of air 30 is connected to an air inlet 16 of the aircraft. For example, a fan or other source of pressurized air is connected to the inlet using a flexible tube or other conduit so that the air supply 30 can force air through the tube into the air inlet 16” [0105]; thus pressurized air 30 reads on “pneumatic” system)
Zagrodnik does not teach
an air system comprising a multi-way valve configured to selectively direct air from within the aircraft cabin and from within at least one of an anti-icing system and a pneumatic system, into the battery compartment
Houchin teaches
an air system comprising a multi-way valve (inlet valve 240) configured to selectively direct air from within the cabin (as described in [0048]), into the battery compartment (housing 223, fig. 6, including battery module 222)
Zagrodnik teaches “the use of a battery cooling system which leverages the ambient air flow present during flight may reduce or eliminate the weight, complexity and maintenance associated with liquid cooling systems, but may leave the aircraft without an on-board cooling system usable on the ground where there is no or limited ambient airflow. In this case, an external air supply can replace or replicate the ambient airflow without the need for additional on-board equipment. Alternatively, the external air supply may supplement an on-board system to reduce turnaround times between flights” [0008]. As shown on fig. 10, the on-board airflow device 40 comprises a junction with air inlet 16 prior to the battery pack 20. However, Zagrodnik does not further describe the on-board system for providing airflow, or describe a flow regulator disposed between the plurality of air sources. Houchin teaches alternatively using cabin air or external airflow to provide airflow to heat or cool a battery system, and wherein the airflow is selected based on preferred air temperatures (if cooling is desired, the cooler of the two sources is selected, as described in [0048]). Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the arrangement of inlet valve 240 of Houchin at the junction of air inlet 16 and on-board airflow device 40 of fig. 10 of Zagrodnik, in order to effectively select the more efficient air source at the time, thus improving the efficiency of the system. It also would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the on-board airflow system of Zagrodnik as a conditioned cabin air as taught in Houchin, in order to effectively utilize an airflow source that has already been conditioned, thus further improving the efficiency of the system.
The combination teaches
an air system comprising a multi-way valve (inlet valve 240 of Houchin) configured to selectively direct air from within the aircraft cabin (cabin air inlet, fig. 6 of Houchin; while Houchin does not explicitly describe the vehicle as an aircraft, the vehicle of Zagrodnik comprises an aircraft and thus when applying airflow to the battery system from a cabin of the vehicle as taught in Houchin to the system of Zagrodnik, the air will be provided from a cabin of the aircraft of Zagrodnik) and from within at least one of an anti-icing system and a pneumatic system (pressurized air 30 as described in Zagrodnik above), into the battery compartment (battery pack 20 of Zagrodnik)
Claim(s) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zagrodnik (US20220407135A1) in view of Houchin (US20130207617A1), in further view of Cheong (US20130175001A1).
Regarding claim 9, Zagrodnik, as modified, teaches the system of claim 1, further comprising:
an internal combustion engine (“Whilst the illustrated aircraft 10 is an electric VTOL (eVTOL) aircraft, it will be appreciated that UAM platforms could also be of the STOL type and could also be hybrid electric aircraft that include both internal combustion engines and batteries”) [0049];
Zagrodnik does not teach
one of the plurality of air sources comprising a bleed from the internal combustion engine
Cheong teaches
one of the plurality of air sources comprising a bleed from the internal combustion engine (“Cooled core bleed air 126 exits first outlet 84 of heat exchanger 78 and travels through third duct 92 to aircraft system 112 . Aircraft system 122 is an environmental control system, wing anti-ice system, or other aircraft system that utilizes cooled core air 124”) [0019]
Zagrodnik teaches an on-board airflow device 40, but does not further describe the source of the on-board air. Cheong teaches providing cooled bleed air for an aircraft system that can utilize the cooled core air. Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the on-board airflow system of Zagrodnik as the core bleed air system of Cheong, in order to effectively utilize airflow already flowing through an aircraft intake, thus improving the efficiency of the system.
Claim(s) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zagrodnik (US20220407135A1) in view of Houchin (US20130207617A1), in further view of Niederhut (DE102019201155A1), referring to the English translation dated 03/27/2026.
Regarding claim 10, Zagrodnik, as modified, does not teach the system of claim 1, further comprising:
an environmental control system for a cabin of the aircraft (“air conditioning system for the cabin of the vehicle”) [0042 of Houchin];
one of the plurality of air sources comprising an outlet from the environmental control system (Zagrodnik, as modified by Houchin, teaches airflow from a cabin air inlet source. However, Zagrodnik, as modified, teaches this inlet source as air already distributed to the cabin and not a direct outlet from the environmental control system)
Niederhut teaches
an environmental control system for a cabin (air conditioner 11);
one of the plurality of air sources comprising an outlet from the environmental control system (fig. 2, showing battery 2 within housing 4; “The first air inlet 5a is connected to a first air source 10a, namely an air conditioner 11, which can supply air to the housing 4” [0045])
Zagrodnik teaches an on-board airflow device 40, but does not further describe the source of the on-board air. Niederhut further teaches providing air directly from a vehicle air conditioner to cool the vehicle battery. Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the on-board airflow system of Zagrodnik as directly from the air conditioner system as taught in Niederhut, in order to effectively utilize a system that is already providing conditioned airflow, thus improving the efficiency of the system.
The combination teaches
an environmental control system for a cabin of the aircraft (while Niederhut does not explicitly describe the vehicle as an aircraft, the vehicle of Zagrodnik comprises an aircraft and thus when applying airflow to the battery system from an air conditioner of the vehicle as taught in Niederhut to the system of Zagrodnik, the air will be provided from an air conditioner of the aircraft of Zagrodnik)
Claim(s) 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zagrodnik (US20220407135A1) in view of Houchin (US20130207617A1 in further view of Lohe (US11728532B1).
Regarding claim 12, Zagrodnik does not teach the system of claim 1, further comprising:
an anti-icing system;
one of the plurality of air sources comprising an outlet from the anti-icing system
Lohe teaches
an anti-icing system (de-icing system 116);
one of the plurality of air sources comprising an outlet from the anti-icing system (“A “battery pack temperature control system” as used in this disclosure is a structure configured to manage thermal energy of one or more battery packs. Battery pack temperature control system 124 may include one or more thermal conduits. A “thermal conduit” as used in this disclosure is a structure that conducts thermal energy. A thermal conduit may include, but is not limited to, pipes, vents, fans, heat sinks, and the like. In some embodiments, battery pack temperature control system 124 may be in thermal communication with consumable coolant reservoir 108 and/or de-icing system 116 . “Thermal communication” as used in this disclosure is a form of connection between objects through thermal energy. Thermal connection may be achieved through thermal conduits or other heat exchanging devices”) [0028]
Zagrodnik teaches an on-board airflow device 40, but does not further describe the source of the on-board air. Lohe teaches a de-icing system as thermally connected with a battery pack temperature control system for heat exchange between the components via pipes, vents, fans, etc. Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the on-board airflow system of Zagrodnik as a de-icing system as taught in Lohe, in order to effectively utilize a system that already comprises the cooling necessary to maintain the desired performance temperature of the battery unit, thus improving the efficiency of the system.
Claim(s) 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zagrodnik (US20220407135A1) in view of Houchin (US20130207617A1), in further view of Khattar (US20230242011A1).
Regarding claim 13, Zagrodnik teaches the system of claim 1, further comprising:
a pneumatic system (fig. 9A; “an external, ground-based supply of air 30 is connected to an air inlet 16 of the aircraft. For example, a fan or other source of pressurized air is connected to the inlet using a flexible tube or other conduit so that the air supply 30 can force air through the tube into the air inlet 16” [0105]; thus pressurized air 30 reads on “pneumatic” system);
Zagrodnik does not teach
a pneumatic system comprising a pneumatic actuator;
one of the plurality of air sources comprising an outlet from the pneumatic system
Khattar teaches
a pneumatic system comprising a pneumatic actuator (“the door actuators 1014 , 1016 are or include solenoids, pneumatic actuators…” [0115];
one of the plurality of air sources comprising an outlet from the pneumatic system (as shown on fig. 10A-10B, door 1006 is opened and closed by door actuator 1014 to allow airflow through battery 902; thus, air is sourced on outlet side of door actuator 1014)
Zagrodnik teaches “The adjustable airflow regulator 18 , which can take any suitable form such as vanes, an iris or a butterfly valve, any of which may be electrically or mechanically actuated, allows the rate of the airflow through the channel 21 to be regulated in accordance with the cooling or heating requirements of the pack 20” [0055], however does not further describe the operation of adjustable airflow regulator 18. Khattar teaches a similar system for providing airflow for cooling a battery of an aircraft, which comprises a door actuator 1014 for opening and closing door 1006. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide this door system of Khattar, including the pneumatic actuator of door actuator 1014, to the adjustable airflow regulator 18 of Zagrodnik, in order to provide an actuating system that can provide a simple design with high reliability to the system to ensure consistent performance.
Claim(s) 18-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zagrodnik (US20220407135A1) in view of Cheong (US20130175001A1), Houchin (US20130207617A1) and Niederhut (DE102019201155A1), referring to the English translation dated 03/27/2026.
Regarding claim 18, Zagrodnik teaches
a system for an aircraft (aircraft 10), comprising:
an aircraft structure comprising a battery compartment (housing portion 22a, fig. 5A);
a battery housed within the battery compartment (battery pack 20, fig. 2, 5A, and 10);
an internal combustion engine (“Whilst the illustrated aircraft 10 is an electric VTOL (eVTOL) aircraft, it will be appreciated that UAM platforms could also be of the STOL type and could also be hybrid electric aircraft that include both internal combustion engines and batteries”) [0049];
Zagrodnik does not teach
an internal combustion engine comprising a compressed air bleed;
a plurality of aircraft sub-systems operated using bleed air received from the compressed air bleed; and
a flow circuit fluidly coupling respective outlets of the plurality of aircraft sub-systems to an inlet of the battery compartment, the flow circuit comprising a multi-way valve configured to selectively direct air exhausted from each of the plurality of aircraft sub-systems into the battery compartment through the inlet
Cheong teaches
an internal combustion engine comprising a compressed air bleed; a plurality of aircraft sub-systems operated using bleed air received from the compressed air bleed (“Cooled core bleed air 126 exits first outlet 84 of heat exchanger 78 and travels through third duct 92 to aircraft system 112 . Aircraft system 122 is an environmental control system, wing anti-ice system, or other aircraft system that utilizes cooled core air 124” [0019]; wherein the “environmental control system” and “other aircraft system that utilizes cooled core air” read on the plurality of sub-systems)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to supply bleed air to the environmental control system of Zagrodnik, as taught in Cheong, in order to utilize air that is already pressurized from the engine to perform the functions of the environmental control system, thus eliminating the need for additional pressurization of ambient air. It also would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the bleed air system of Cheong as the inlet air for air inlet 16 of Zagrodnik, directed through airflow regulator 18, in order to allow for the use of air that has already been compressed by the engine to feed to battery pack 20, thus not requiring the aircraft to be in motion to cool the battery system.
Niederhut teaches
a flow circuit fluidly coupling an outlet of the sub-system (air conditioner 11) to an inlet of the battery compartment (fig. 2, showing battery 2 within housing 4; “The first air inlet 5a is connected to a first air source 10a, namely an air conditioner 11, which can supply air to the housing 4” [0045]), the flow circuit configured to direct air exhausted from the sub-system into the battery compartment through the inlet (as shown on fig. 2)
Zagrodnik teaches an on-board airflow device 40, but does not further describe the source of the on-board air. Niederhut teaches providing air directly from a vehicle air conditioner to cool the vehicle battery. Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the on-board airflow system of Zagrodnik as directly from the air conditioner system as taught in Niederhut, in order to effectively utilize a system that is already providing conditioned airflow, thus improving the efficiency of the system.
Houchin teaches
the flow circuit comprising a multi-way valve (inlet valve 240) configured to selectively direct air exhausted from each of the plurality of sub-systems into the battery compartment through the inlet (as described in [0048])
Zagrodnik teaches air inlet 16 and an additional on-board airflow device 40 as a plurality of air sources in the system. However, Zagrodnik does not teach does not further describe a flow regulator disposed between the plurality of air sources. Houchin teaches alternatively using cabin air or external airflow to provide airflow to heat or cool a battery system, and wherein the airflow is selected based on preferred air temperatures (if cooling is desired, the cooler of the two sources is selected, as described in [0048]). Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the arrangement of inlet valve 240 of Houchin at the junction of air inlet 16 and on-board airflow device 40 of fig. 10 of Zagrodnik, in order to effectively select the more efficient air source at the time, thus improving the efficiency of the system.
The combination teaches
a flow circuit fluidly coupling respective outlets of the plurality of aircraft sub-systems to an inlet of the battery compartment (as shown on fig. 10 of Zagrodnik, both the air inlet 16 and the on-board airflow device 40 are fluidly coupled to an inlet side of battery pack 20), the flow circuit comprising a multi-way valve (inlet valve 240 of Houchin, as applied to Zagrodnik) configured to selectively direct air exhausted from each of the plurality of aircraft sub-systems (exhausted from outlet side of on-board airflow device 40 (modified by Niederhut to comprise environmental control system) and airflow regulator 18) into the battery compartment through the inlet (inlet side of battery pack 20 of Zagrodnik)
Regarding claim 19, Zagrodnik, as modified, teaches the system of claim 18,
wherein one of the plurality of aircraft sub-systems comprises an environmental control system for a cabin of the aircraft (“Aircraft system 122 is an environmental control system, wing anti-ice system, or other aircraft system that utilizes cooled core air 124” [0019 of Cheong]
Claim(s) 18 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zagrodnik (US20220407135A1) in view of Cheong (US20130175001A1), Houchin (US20130207617A1) and Lohe (US11728532B1), referring to the English translation dated 03/27/2026.
Regarding claim 18, Zagrodnik teaches
a system for an aircraft (aircraft 10), comprising:
an aircraft structure comprising a battery compartment (housing portion 22a, fig. 5A);
a battery housed within the battery compartment (battery pack 20, fig. 2, 5A, and 10);
an internal combustion engine (“Whilst the illustrated aircraft 10 is an electric VTOL (eVTOL) aircraft, it will be appreciated that UAM platforms could also be of the STOL type and could also be hybrid electric aircraft that include both internal combustion engines and batteries”) [0049];
Zagrodnik does not teach
an internal combustion engine comprising a compressed air bleed;
a plurality of aircraft sub-systems operated using bleed air received from the compressed air bleed; and
a flow circuit fluidly coupling respective outlets of the plurality of aircraft sub-systems to an inlet of the battery compartment, the flow circuit comprising a multi-way valve configured to selectively direct air exhausted from each of the plurality of aircraft sub-systems into the battery compartment through the inlet
Cheong teaches
an internal combustion engine comprising a compressed air bleed; a plurality of aircraft sub-systems operated using bleed air received from the compressed air bleed (“Cooled core bleed air 126 exits first outlet 84 of heat exchanger 78 and travels through third duct 92 to aircraft system 112 . Aircraft system 122 is an environmental control system, wing anti-ice system, or other aircraft system that utilizes cooled core air 124” [0019]; wherein the “wing anti-ice system” and “other aircraft system that utilizes cooled core air” read on the plurality of sub-systems)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to supply bleed air to a wing anti-ice system of Zagrodnik, as taught in Cheong, in order to utilize air that is already pressurized from the engine to perform the functions of the anti-ice system, thus eliminating the need for additional heating of ambient air. It also would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the bleed air system of Cheong as the inlet air for air inlet 16 of Zagrodnik, directed through airflow regulator 18, in order to allow for the use of air that has already been compressed by the engine to feed to battery pack 20, thus not requiring the aircraft to be in motion to cool the battery system.
Lohe teaches
a flow circuit fluidly coupling an outlet of the aircraft sub-system (de-icing system 116) to an inlet of the battery compartment (“A “battery pack temperature control system” as used in this disclosure is a structure configured to manage thermal energy of one or more battery packs. Battery pack temperature control system 124 may include one or more thermal conduits. A “thermal conduit” as used in this disclosure is a structure that conducts thermal energy. A thermal conduit may include, but is not limited to, pipes, vents, fans, heat sinks, and the like. In some embodiments, battery pack temperature control system 124 may be in thermal communication with consumable coolant reservoir 108 and/or de-icing system 116 . “Thermal communication” as used in this disclosure is a form of connection between objects through thermal energy. Thermal connection may be achieved through thermal conduits or other heat exchanging devices”) [0028], the flow circuit configured to direct air exhausted from the aircraft sub-system through the outlet into the battery compartment through the inlet (as shown on fig. 1)
Zagrodnik teaches an on-board airflow device 40, but does not further describe the source of the on-board air. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to source air from the outlet from the anti-icing system, as taught in Lohe, in order to effectively utilize a system that already comprises the cooling necessary to maintain the desired performance temperature of the battery unit, thus improving the efficiency of the system.
Houchin teaches
the flow circuit comprising a multi-way valve (inlet valve 240) configured to selectively direct air exhausted from each of the plurality of sub-systems into the battery compartment through the inlet (as described in [0048])
Zagrodnik teaches air inlet 16 and an additional on-board airflow device 40 as a plurality of air sources in the system. However, Zagrodnik does not teach does not further describe a flow regulator disposed between the plurality of air sources. Houchin teaches alternatively using cabin air or external airflow to provide airflow to heat or cool a battery system, and wherein the airflow is selected based on preferred air temperatures (if cooling is desired, the cooler of the two sources is selected, as described in [0048]). Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the arrangement of inlet valve 240 of Houchin at the junction of air inlet 16 and on-board airflow device 40 of fig. 10 of Zagrodnik, in order to effectively select the more efficient air source at the time, thus improving the efficiency of the system.
The combination teaches
a flow circuit fluidly coupling respective outlets of the plurality of aircraft sub-systems to an inlet of the battery compartment (as shown on fig. 10 of Zagrodnik, both the air inlet 16 and the on-board airflow device 40 are fluidly coupled to an inlet side of battery pack 20), the flow circuit comprising a multi-way valve (inlet valve 240 of Houchin, as applied to Zagrodnik) configured to selectively direct air exhausted from each of the plurality of aircraft sub-systems (exhausted from outlet side of on-board airflow device 40 (modified by Lohe to comprise anti-icing system) and airflow regulator 18) into the battery compartment through the inlet (inlet side of battery pack 20 of Zagrodnik)
Regarding claim 20, Zagrodnik, as modified, teaches the system of claim 18,
wherein one of the plurality of aircraft sub-systems comprises one of an anti-icing system or a pneumatic system comprising a pneumatic actuator (“Aircraft system 122 is an environmental control system, wing anti-ice system, or other aircraft system that utilizes cooled core air 124” [0019 of Cheong]
Conclusion
The prior art of record not relied upon includes:
Schmidt (US9837647B2), Zhu (US8047318B2), and Evjen (US4468440A), which teach similar systems for an aircraft as claimed
Becker (US20210031934A1), which teaches a similar air system configured to direct pressurized air from the cabin into a battery compartment as claimed
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 BRETT P. MALLON whose telephone number is (571)272-4749. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday from 8am to 5pm.
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/BRETT P. MALLON/Examiner, Art Unit 3762 /MICHAEL G HOANG/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3762
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