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 Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: Line 6 recites the limitation “the controller configured is configured”. The first instance of the word configured should be deleted. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
(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.
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)(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.
Claims 1-25 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hemmelgam (US 8418967 B2).
Regarding Claims 1 and 25 Hemmelgam discloses
25. an aircraft (“types of aircraft and helicopter rotors”; Col 13 Line 27)
1. An aircraft morphable aerodynamic surface structure (“wing skin”; Col 18 Line 50), comprising:
an elastomeric material (“shape memory polymer (SMP)”; Col 18 Line 50) having a glass transition temperature (“the glass transition temperature”; Col 20 Line 12), and
a controller (“microcontrollers”; Col 25 Line 49) configured to control a temperature management system (“numerous ways to activate SMP, including heat or thermal energy provided by resistive heating”; Col 27 Line 4) that is configured to change a temperature of the elastomeric material,
wherein the controller configured is configured to control the temperature management system based on a command (as required by “sensing”; Col 17 Line 65) received at the controller.
Regarding Claims 2-13 Hemmelgam discloses:
2. The aircraft morphable aerodynamic surface structure according to claim 1 further, comprising the temperature management system (“Active Morphing System”; Col 27 Line 1).
3. The aircraft morphable aerodynamic surface structure according to claim 2, wherein the temperature management system comprises:
a heating system (“heating grid”; Col 27 Line 1) for heating the elastomeric material, and/or
a cooling system for cooling the elastomeric material.
4. The aircraft morphable aerodynamic surface structure according to claim 3, wherein the heating system comprises a heatable material (“nickel nanostrands”; Col 27 Line 18) and is configured to cause heating of the heatable material to cause heat to be transferred from the heatable material to the elastomeric material.
5. The aircraft morphable aerodynamic surface structure according to claim 4, wherein the heatable material is located within (“ncorporating the nickel nanostrands into the toughened SMP system”; Col 27 Line 20) the elastomeric material.
6. The aircraft morphable aerodynamic surface structure according to claim 4, wherein the heatable material is electrically conductive (“electrically conductive HSFR”; Col 28 Line 40) and the heating system is configured to pass an electric current (“power source”; Col 28 Line 48) through the heatable material to resistively heat the heatable material.
7. The aircraft morphable aerodynamic surface structure according to claim 4, wherein the heatable material comprises particles (“chopped fibers”; Col 27 Line 28) dispersed in the elastomeric material.
8. The aircraft morphable aerodynamic surface structure according to claim 7, wherein the particles comprise nanoparticles (“Carbon nanofiber”; Col 27 Line 8).
9. The aircraft morphable aerodynamic surface structure according to claim 8, wherein the nanoparticles are carbon nanotubes (“Carbon nanofiber”; Col 27 Line 8).
10. The aircraft morphable aerodynamic surface structure according to claim 1, comprising an actuator (340, or “Faulhaber 1224 Coreless DC motors”; Col 25 Line 37) for actuating a shape change of the aircraft morphable aerodynamic surface structure.
11. The aircraft morphable aerodynamic surface structure according to claim 10, wherein the actuator is for actuating the shape change of the aircraft morphable aerodynamic surface structure under control of the controller (“MCDC 2805 microcontrollers”; Col 25 Line 49).
12. The aircraft morphable aerodynamic surface structure according to claim 1, further comprising a temperature sensor for monitoring a temperature of the elastomeric material, wherein the controller is configured to control the temperature management system on the basis of an output of the temperature sensor (as required by “sensing, actuation,” Col 17 Line 65).
13. The aircraft morphable aerodynamic surface structure according to claim 1, wherein the temperature management system is for changing a temperature of respective portions of the elastomeric material independently of each other, and wherein the controller is configured to control the temperature management system to change the temperature of the respective portions of the elastomeric material independently (“move independently of the other”; Col 29 Line 61) of each other.
Regarding Claims 14-24, Hemmelgam discloses the apparatus as described above and so is able to perform the method steps. All of the elements as applied above are applicable to the steps of Claims 14-24.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. the other prior art shows very similar types of morphing wing structures. They use slightly different types of materials however they share similar morphing concepts using elastomeric materials.
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/BRIAN M O'HARA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3642