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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the spacer element of claims 3, 7, and 8 must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-6 and 9-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Umlauft et al. (US 2013/0105638 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Umlauft discloses an individual air supply duct (Umlauft 12) for connecting a main air supply duct (Umlauft [0054]) to a passenger service unit (Umlauft 14) of an aircraft (Umlauft [0001]), wherein the individual air supply duct has a quadrangular cross section (Umlauft [0044]) that is capable of being formed via extrusion with a longitudinal extension direction (see Umlauft figure 1).
Regarding claim 2, Umlauft as applied to claim 1 further discloses the individual air supply duct (Umlauft 12) comprises an outer rail structure (Umlauft 24, and 26) extending along the longitudinal direction (see Umlauft figure 1).
Regarding claim 3, Umlauft as applied to claim 1 further discloses the individual air supply duct (Umlauft 12) comprises an edge (Umlauft 22) for attachment of a passenger service unit (Umlauft [0048]). Examiner notes that the passenger service unit and spacer element are recited in the alternative and only one is needed for prior art to read upon the claim.
Regarding claim 4, Umlauft as applied to claim 1 further discloses the individual air supply duct (Umlauft 12) comprises individual connection ports (Umlauft 16), being located on an outer surface of the individual air supply duct (see Umlauft figure 1) and at equal intervals along the individual air supply duct.
Regarding claim 5, Umlauft discloses an individual air supply assembly (Umlauft 10) comprising:
The individual air supply duct (Umlauft 12) of claim 1, and
A passenger service unit (Umlauft 14) configured to be mounted thereto (see Umlauft figure 33),
Wherein the individual air supply duct comprises individual connection ports (Umlauft 16), being located on an outer surface of the individual air supply duct (see Umlauft figure 1) and at equal intervals along the individual air supply duct (see Umlauft figure 1),
Wherein the passenger service unit comprises a port (Umlauft 14c), being located on an outer surface of the passenger supply unit (see figures 2a and 2b), and
Wherein, when the passenger service unit is mounted to the individual air supply duct, the port is brought into alignment with a corresponding connection port (Umlauft [0047]).
Regarding claim 6, Umlauft as applied to claim 5 further discloses the individual connection port (Umlauft 16) and the edge (Umlauft 22) form a socket and the port (Umlauft 14c) and the connecting lip (Umlauft 28) form a plug to function as a plug and socket connection. Examiner notes this is consistent with applicant’s specification where the plug and socket connection as shown in applicant’s figure 8.
Regarding claim 9, Umlauft as applied to claim 5 further discloses the individual air supply duct encloses an electrical cable (Umlauft 160, [0059]). Examiner notes the claim only requires at least one of the recited ducts/cables and therefore Umlauft’s teaching of an electrical cable is sufficient to read upon the claim.
Regarding claim 10, Umlauft as applied to claim 5 discloses the passenger service unit is pivotably attached to the individual air supply duct by a connecting lip (Umlauft 28) and the passenger service is pivotable between an unmounted state (see Umlauft figure 1), in which the passenger service unit is configured to freely pivot relative to the individual air supply duct, and a mounted state (see Umlauft figure 4) in which the passenger service unit is in a fixed position relative to the individual air supply duct.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 7-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Umlauft et al. (US 2013/0105638 A1) as applied to claim 5 above, and further in view of Grosse-Plankerman et al. (US 2012/0129438 A1).
Regarding claim 7, Umlauft as applied to claim 5 is silent regarding pivotably mounted spacer elements.
However, Grosse-Plankerman teaches an individual air supply system (Grosse-Plankerman 10) comprising an individual air supply duct (Grosse-Plankerman 12) having spacer elements (Grosse-Plankerman 46) configured to seal unused connection ports (Grosse-Plankerman 14). The spacer elements are screw plugs (Grosses-Plankerman [0040]) that are pivotable about their own central axis to secure to threads on the air supply duct.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to modify Umlauft’s individual air supply assembly to utilize Grosse-Plankerman’s teaching of screw plugs utilized as spacer element to seal unused connection ports to produce a predictable result of allowing the use of the same individual air supply system for different aircraft cabin arrangements without a need for modifying the placement of the connection ports.
Regarding claim 8, Umlauft and Grosse-Plankerman as applied to claim 7 teach the spacer element is a screw plug (Grosse-Plankerman 46) and therefore it is pivotable about its own axis between the unmounted state, in which the plug is freely pivotable relative to the individual air supply duct, and a mounted state where it has been screwed into threads on the individual air supply duct and is in a fixed position relative to the individual air supply duct.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHARLES R BRAWNER whose telephone number is (571)272-0228. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Helena Kosanovic can be reached at (571) 272-9059. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CHARLES R BRAWNER/Examiner, Art Unit 3762
/Allen R. B. Schult/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3762
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