DETAILED ACTION
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
The following title is suggested: Aircraft Hydraulic Brakes with Secondary Circuit Using a Piezoelectric Pump.
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) 1-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Williams (U.S. Pub. No. 2004/0239173) in view of Inagaki (U.S. Pat. No. 4,738,493).
Regarding claim 1, Williams discloses an aircraft braking system, comprising:
a braking actuator (28);
a primary hydraulic fluid supply circuit (10 with power source 30 and line 44) configured to supply pressurized hydraulic fluid to the braking actuator; and
a secondary hydraulic fluid supply circuit (80) comprising a power source (substitute limitation) configured to supply pressurized hydraulic fluid to the braking actuator.
Williams does not disclose a piezoelectric pump.
Inagaki, which deals in hydraulic brakes, teaches a piezoelectric pump (Abstract).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to have modified Williams with the pump of Inagaki because it is fast acting for pumping the brakes (abstract).
Regarding claim 2 which depends from claim 1, Williams discloses further comprising an accumulator (47) arranged to store pressurized hydraulic fluid returned from the braking actuator (end of paragraph 16), wherein the piezoelectric pump is arranged to draw hydraulic fluid from the accumulator.
Regarding claim 3 which depends from claim 1, Inagaki discloses wherein the piezoelectric pump is configured to draw exclusively from hydraulic fluid contained within one or more hydraulic lines downstream of the braking actuator (the pump only has one input line as per fig.1).
Regarding claim 4 which depends from claim 1, Williams discloses wherein the primary and secondary hydraulic fluid supply circuits are in fluid communication with the braking actuator via a brake control valve arranged to control the movement of hydraulic fluid into and out of the braking actuator (control valve 48).
Regarding claim 5 which depends from claim 4, Williams discloses wherein: the brake control valve is connected to a supply line (44r) of the primary hydraulic circuit and to an outlet (86) of the piezoelectric pump via a first shared (shown in fig. 1 the valve is connected to a shared line to the piezoelectric pump and to a shared line 32 of the primary hydraulic circuit) hydraulic line;
the brake control valve is connected to a return line of the primary hydraulic circuit and to an inlet of the piezoelectric pump via a second shared hydraulic line (shown in Inagaki is the hydraulic fluid working in a loop); and
the brake control valve is arranged to selectively connect the braking actuator to the first shared hydraulic line or to the second shared hydraulic line (Williams shows that the valve has different options).
Regarding claim 6 which depends from claim 5, Williams discloses wherein:
the supply line of the primary hydraulic fluid supply circuit is connected to the first shared hydraulic line via a first non-return valve (34) arranged to control an incoming flow of hydraulic fluid from primary hydraulic circuit; and/or
the return line of the primary hydraulic fluid supply circuit is connected to the second shared hydraulic line via a second non-return valve arranged to control an outgoing flow of hydraulic fluid returned to the primary hydraulic circuit (first option addressed).
Regarding claim 7 which depends from claim 1, Williams discloses wherein the secondary hydraulic fluid supply circuit comprises: a third non-return valve (84) arranged to control an incoming flow of hydraulic fluid into an inlet of the piezoelectric pump; and a fourth non-return valve (30) arranged to control an outgoing flow of hydraulic fluid from an outlet of the piezoelectric pump.
Regarding claim 8 which depends from claim 1, Williams discloses wherein the secondary hydraulic fluid supply circuit is an emergency hydraulic fluid supply circuit configured to supply pressurized hydraulic braking fluid to the braking actuator when the primary hydraulic fluid supply circuit is inoperative (80).
Regarding claim 9 which depends from claim 1, Williams discloses wherein the braking actuator is configured to apply a parking brake (46 is a parking valve), and wherein the secondary hydraulic fluid supply circuit is configured to supply pressurized hydraulic fluid to the braking actuator to maintain a braking force.
Regarding claim 10 which depends from claim 1, Williams discloses wherein the primary hydraulic fluid supply circuit comprises, or is coupled to, a central hydraulic system (shown in the figures).
Regarding claim 11 which depends from claim 1, Williams discloses further comprising a brake control valve (48), wherein the brake control valve is configured to control a hydraulic pressure applied to the braking actuator from the primary and secondary hydraulic fluid supply circuits.
Regarding claim 12 which depends from claim 1, Williams discloses wherein the primary and secondary hydraulic fluid supply circuits are configured to supply pressurized hydraulic fluid to two or more braking actuators (valve 48 controls two actuators 28).
Regarding claim 13, Williams discloses an aircraft landing gear assembly comprising an aircraft braking system, the aircraft braking system comprising: a braking actuator; a primary hydraulic fluid supply circuit configured to supply pressurized hydraulic fluid to the braking actuator; and a secondary hydraulic fluid supply circuit comprising a piezoelectric pump configured to supply pressurized hydraulic fluid to the braking actuator (the limitations of this claim have been addressed above in claim 1).
Regarding claim 14, Williams discloses an aircraft comprising an aircraft landing gear assembly, the aircraft landing gear assembly comprising an aircraft braking system, the aircraft braking system comprising: a braking actuator; a primary hydraulic fluid supply circuit configured to supply pressurized hydraulic fluid to the braking actuator; and a secondary hydraulic fluid supply circuit comprising a piezoelectric pump configured to supply pressurized hydraulic fluid to the braking actuator (the limitations of this claim have been addressed above in claim 1).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GONZALO LAGUARDA whose telephone number is (571)272-5920. The examiner can normally be reached 8-5 M-Th Alt. F.
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, Logan Kraft can be reached at (571) 270-5065. 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.
GONZALO LAGUARDA
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3747 email: gonzalo.laguarda@uspto.gov
/GONZALO LAGUARDA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3747
Prosecution Insights