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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Invention I, claims 1-11 and Species B Figs. 3-8 in the reply filed on 2/18/2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 12-19 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 2/18/2026.
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.
Claims 1-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ranjan et al. (US Publication No.: 2019/0285368 hereinafter “Ranjan”).
With respect to claim 1, Ranjan discloses a component for use in an environmental control system (Fig. 2a) comprising: an inlet portion having a longitudinal axis (Fig. 2a, inlet portion 116 has longitudinal axis through 124); an inlet formed at the inlet portion (Fig. 2a, inlet 112); an outlet portion (Fig. 2b, outlet portion 120) including a front side and a back side (Fig. 2b, front side at 122 and back side opposite of 122), the front side being arranged closer to the inlet portion than the back side (Fig. 2b, 122 is closer to 116 than the back side); an outlet formed at the outlet portion (Fig. 2b, outlet 114), the outlet being arranged at a non-parallel angle relative to the inlet (Fig. 2b, outlet 114 is perpendicular to 116); and an intermediate portion extending between and fluidly coupling the inlet portion and the outlet portion (Fig. 2b, intermediate portion 118 couples 116 to 120), wherein the intermediate portion includes a reservoir, the reservoir being spaced laterally from the back side of the outlet portion and offset from the longitudinal axis of the inlet portion (Fig. 2b, reservoir between walls 128).
With respect to claim 2, Ranjan discloses the component of claim 1 as discussed above. Ranjan also discloses wherein the intermediate portion at the back side is spaced from the longitudinal axis (Fig. 2b, the back side of 118 is spaced from longitudinal axis along 2D).
With respect to claim 3, Ranjan discloses the component of claim 1 as discussed above. Ranjan also discloses wherein the inlet portion is offset from the outlet portion in a plurality of axes (Fig. 2b, inlet portion 116 is offset from 120 by a plurality of parallel axes to line 2D).
With respect to claim 4, Ranjan discloses the component of claim 1 as discussed above. Ranjan also discloses wherein a flow path extends between the inlet and the outlet and the reservoir is offset from the inlet portion such that the flow path includes a turn from a downstream end of the inlet portion toward the reservoir.
With respect to claim 5, Ranjan discloses the component of claim 1 as discussed above. Ranjan also discloses wherein a flow path extends between the inlet and the outlet and the reservoir is offset from the outlet portion such that the flow path includes a turn from the reservoir toward the outlet portion (Fig. 2B, turn at 132a toward outlet 120).
With respect to claim 6, Ranjan discloses the component of claim 1 as discussed above. Ranjan also discloses wherein the reservoir extends over only a portion of an axial length of the outlet portion between the front side and the back side (Fig. 2b, 118 extends over a portion of an axial length of 120).
With respect to claim 7, Ranjan discloses the component of claim 1 as discussed above. Ranjan also discloses wherein the intermediate portion further comprises a plurality of sidewalls and the plurality of sidewalls define the reservoir (Fig. 2b, sidewalls 128).
With respect to claim 8, Ranjan discloses the component of claim 7 as discussed above. Ranjan also discloses wherein an interface between adjacent sidewalls of the plurality of sidewalls are curved (Fig. 2a, 118 is curved between sidewalls).
With respect to claim 9, Ranjan discloses the component of claim 7 as discussed above. Ranjan also discloses wherein at least one of the plurality of sidewalls is contoured such that a cross-sectional area of the component gradually increases between the reservoir and the outlet portion (Fig. 2a-2b, cross-sectional area of 118 gradually increased towards 120).
With respect to claim 10, Ranjan discloses the component of claim 7 as discussed above. Ranjan also discloses wherein the plurality of sidewalls includes a back sidewall extending between the reservoir and the back side of the outlet portion, the back sidewall having a concave curvature (Fig. 2a-2b, back sidewall on 118 is concave).
With respect to claim 11, Ranjan discloses the component of claim 1 as discussed above. Ranjan also discloses wherein the outlet is perpendicular to the inlet (Fig. 2b, outlet 114 is perpendicular to 112).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CLAIRE E ROJOHN III whose telephone number is (571)270-5431. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00-5:00 M-F.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Len Tran can be reached at (571)272-1184. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CLAIRE E ROJOHN III/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3763
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