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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 8/25/2026 has been entered.
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, 6, 8, 11, 21-41 are is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mielnik (WO2007/102798) in view of Kashar (3643941).
Mielnik discloses a system for filling a portion of an interior of an enclosure, the system comprising: a bladder(80) that is flexible, the bladder defining an interior(22) that is configured to retain a fluid, the bladder comprising an inlet(70 or 116) that is configured to fluidly connect the interior of the bladder to an external environment surrounding the bladder, wherein the bladder is configured to be inflated, within the interior of the enclosure, by the fluid from a deflated configuration to an inflated configuration to fill the portion of the interior of the enclosure.
Mielnik does not show an enclosure, the bladder positioned in the interior of the enclosure.
Kashar discloses an enclosure (11), a chamber (14) positioned within the interior of the enclosure.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Mielnik’s disclosure to show an enclosure, the bladder positioned in the interior of the enclosure with a reasonable expectation of success since having the chamber within another enclosure as taught by Kashar would enable the utilization of chamber in an enclosed controlled environment as needed.
Per claim 6, Mielnik as modified further discloses a pump(60) fluidly connected to the inlet(70), the pump is configured to pump the fluid from the external environment and through the inlet of the bladder to inflate the interior of the bladder, a controller (144) operatively connected to the pump, the controller being configured to control the pump to fill the bladder with the fluid(par. 38, …inflation gas temperature and flow rate…power to the heater..), a temperature regulator(the thing that controls heating/cooling air) that is fluidly connected to the pump and that is configured to at least one of heat or cool the fluid pumped by the pump, a sensor(part of controller that sense the one of the parameters including inflation gas temperature) that is configured to sense a temperature within the interior of the bladder, wherein: the controller is operatively connected to the sensor and to the temperature regulator(it is one system and the controller uses the information to control the temperature of the inflation gas, par. 38), and the controller is configured to automatically control the temperature regulator to maintain a predetermined temperature within the interior of the bladder based upon temperature feedback sensed by the sensor(par. 38).
Per claim 8, Mielnik as modified further discloses the system comprising the enclosure, the portion of the interior of the enclosure defines a first shape and a first size, the bladder in the inflated configuration defines a second shape and a second size, and the second shape substantially corresponds to the first shape and the second size is smaller than the first size, the bladder fills at least 40% of the interior of the enclosure when the bladder is inflated to the inflated configuration within the enclosure (inherently so as it needs to be inflated to the needed level to fully expand the enclosure).
Per claim 11, Mielnik further discloses the enclosure is configured to contain livestock(able to function as claimed).
Per claim 21, Mielnik as modified shows all the claimed structural limitations except for the bladder fills at least 40% of the interior of the enclosure when the bladder is inflated to the inflated configuration within the enclosure.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Mielnik’s modified disclosure to show the bladder fills at least 40% of the interior of the enclosure when the bladder is inflated to the inflated configuration within the enclosure in order to create a large chamber within an enclosure proportionally.
Per claim 22, Mielnik as modified further shows the bladder fills between 40% and 60%, inclusive, of the enclosure when the bladder is inflated to the inflated configuration within the enclosure.
Per claim 23, Mielnik as modified further shows a pump(60) fluidly connected to the inlet, the pump being configured to pump the fluid from the external environment and through the inlet of the bladder to inflate the interior of the bladder.
Per claim 24, Mielnik as modified further shows a controller operatively connected to the pump, the controller (144) being configured to control the pump(par. 38, see above also for similar designation) to fill the bladder with the fluid; and a pressure sensor(par. 38) configured to sense a pressure within the interior of the bladder, wherein the controller is operatively connected to the pressure sensor and is configured to automatically control the pump to maintain a predetermined pressure within the interior of the bladder based upon pressure feedback sensed by the pressure sensor(par. 38).
Per claim 24, Mielnik as modified further shows a temperature regulator(the switch) that is fluidly connected to the pump, and the temperature regulator is configured to at least one of heat or cool the fluid pumped by the pump.
Per claim 25, Mielnik as modified further shows the system further comprises a temperature sensor(par. 38) that is configured to sense a temperature within the interior of the bladder, the controller is operatively connected to the temperature sensor and to the temperature regulator, and the controller is configured to automatically control the temperature regulator to maintain a predetermined temperature within the interior of the bladder based upon temperature feedback sensed by the temperature sensor.
Per claim 26, Mielnik as modified further shows the bladder is substantially fluid-tight to resist leaking of the fluid from the interior of the bladder.
Per claim 27, Mielnik as modified further shows the fluid is air(pump 60).
Per claim 28, Mielnik as modified further shows the fluid comprises a gas(air) that is different than a gas(gases by 100) that fills the interior of the enclosure surrounding the bladder.
Per claim 29, Mielnik as modified further shows the bladder comprises at least one of nylon, fiberglass polyester, or silicon.
Per claim 30, Mielnik as modified further shows the bladder comprises a coating, and the coating comprises at least one of polyester, PVC, or vinyl.
Per claim 31, Mielnik as modified further shows a system comprising: an enclosure defining an enclosure interior, the enclosure interior comprising a portion having a first shape and a first size; and a bladder that is flexible, wherein: the bladder is configured to be inflated from a deflated configuration to an inflated configuration to fill the portion of the enclosure interior, the bladder in the inflated configuration defines a second shape and a second size, and the second shape substantially corresponds to the first shape and the second size is smaller than the first size(inherently so as the volume is smaller).
Per claim 32, Mielnik as modified further shows the enclosure comprises a vent(88) that is configured to vent a gas from the enclosure interior.
Per claim 34, Mielnik as modified further shows the enclosure is configured to contain Livestock(able to function as claimed).
Per claim 35, Mielnik as modified further shows a surface of the bladder faces a floor (26 or 30) of the enclosure, and the surface, when the bladder is in the inflated configuration within the enclosure interior, comprises first contours and second contours(figure 4).
Per claim 36, Mielnik as modified further shows the first contours(the layer at 90) are spaced from the floor by a first distance when the bladder is in the inflated configuration within the enclosure interior, the second contours(the layer at 92) are spaced from the floor by a second distance when the bladder is in the inflated configuration within the enclosure interior, and the second distance is greater than the first distance.
Per claim 37, Mielnik as modified further shows a system for reducing conditioned air volume within a pre-existing enclosed structure(taught by Kashar), the system comprising: an inflatable bladder positioned inside the pre-existing enclosed structure, the inflatable bladder being configured to occupy a portion of an interior of the pre-existing enclosed structure; and an inflation system configured to selectively inflate and deflate the inflatable bladder to vary a displaced air volume within the pre-existing enclosed structure, wherein: the inflatable bladder is arranged above an occupied zone of the pre-existing enclosed structure to reduce an effective ceiling height of the pre-existing enclosed structure, and the inflatable bladder operates in coordination with an existing environmental control system of the pre-existing enclosed structure to reduce heating, cooling, or ventilation energy demand.
Per claim 38, Mielnik as modified further shows the pre-existing enclosed structure is a livestock housing facility and the inflatable bladder is positioned above an animal-occupied zone to improve thermal uniformity and reduce energy consumption associated with environmental control.
Per claim 39, Mielnik as modified further shows the pre-existing enclosed structure is a poultry house and the inflatable bladder is configured to reduce conditioned air volume above a bird-occupied floor area.
Per claim 40, Mielnik as modified further shows the inflatable bladder is configured to reduce at least one of heating, cooling, or ventilation demand of the existing environmental control system.
Per claim 41, Mielnik as modified further shows the inflatable bladder is configured to be selectively inflated or deflated based on at least one of occupancy, animal growth stage, or environmental conditions.
Claim(s) 33 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mielnik (WO2007/102798) in view of Kashar (3643941).
Mielnik as modified further shows all the claimed limitations except for a fan configured to actively vent the gas from the enclosure interior through the vent.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Mielnik’s modified structure with a reasonable expectation of success to show a fan configured to actively vent the gas from the enclosure interior through the vent since having a fan as part of the valve would enable the controlled rate of release of the gas pressure as needed and thus provides extra safety measure for the pressured enclosure.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1, 6, 8, 11, 21-41, have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on the combination of references applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Kashar discloses a chamber within an enclosure. The combination of Mielnik and Kashar shows the claimed enclosure.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The prior art shows different inflatable structures.
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/PHI D A/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3633
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