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 .
Status of Claims
The Office Action is in response to the remarks and amendments filed on 03/31/2026. Claims 4 and 15 are cancelled. The rejections pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 112(a) have been withdrawn in light of the amendments filed. The rejections pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 112(b) have been withdrawn in light of the amendments filed. Accordingly, claims 1-3 and 5-14 are pending for consideration in this Office Action.
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.
Claims 1-3, 5-7, 9-11, and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Airbus (Airbus Deutschland GmbH, Final Technical Report, Cryoplane, Sept 2003, [retrieved on 11/24/2025]. Retrieved from Internet < https://www.fzt.haw-hamburg.de/pers/Scholz/dglr/hh/text_2004_02_26_Cryoplane.pdf>) in view of Svoboda (US20170268463A1).
Regarding Claim 1, Airbus teaches a precooling system [where before engine startup the piping system should be cooled by cold GH2, gaseous hydrogen, from a liquid reservoir; p.46, Engine Operation] for precooling a fuel supply line [piping system; p.46; where the fuel supply from the fuel tank to the APU will be driven by pumps via one single supply line; p.45, Fuel Supply] of a hydrogen aircraft [an A300-600 with a hydrogen fueled APU; p. 46, para. 1], the hydrogen aircraft including:
an engine that uses hydrogen as a fuel [a hydrogen fueled APU, which is a small, independent engine, Figure 19; p.19 and p.46, para. 1];
a fuel tank that stores the fuel [where fuel supply is fed from a LH2, liquid hydrogen, fuel tank; p.45, Fuel Supply]; and
the fuel supply line to supply the fuel from the fuel tank to the engine [piping system; p.46; where the fuel supply from the fuel tank to the APU will be driven by pumps via one single supply line; p.45, Fuel Supply].
Airbus does not teach where the fuel tank includes a cooling medium supply port,
the fuel supply line includes a cooling medium recovery port that is located downstream of the cooling medium supply port in terms of a flow of the fuel, the precooling system comprises:
a cooling medium supply line configured to supply a cooling medium to the cooling medium supply port; and
a cooling medium recovery line configured to recover the cooling medium from the cooling medium recovery port, wherein
the precooling system is configured to supply the cooling medium from the cooling medium supply line to the fuel supply line through the cooling medium supply port and recovers the cooling medium that has been supplied to the fuel supply line by the cooling medium recovery line through the cooling medium recovery port without flowing into the engine to precool the fuel supply line.
However, Svoboda teaches cooling systems for the fuel delivery components of machines fuels by cryogenically-stored fuels [0001] where the fuel tank [cryogenic reservoir 16, configured to store low boiling fuel where the reservoir may be used for fueling the engine, Figure 2;0021] includes a cooling medium supply port [where first conduits 62 of fluid circuit 60 connects to vapor 42 and liquid fuel 40 in reservoir 16, Figure 3],
the fuel supply line [a first set of fuel delivery components 32 including fluid lines or pipes, Figure 2; 0019] includes a cooling medium recovery port [where return conduit 64 of fluid circuit 60 connects to fuel delivery components 32, Figure 3] that is located downstream of the cooling medium supply port in terms of a flow of the fuel [where fluid flows from reservoir 16 to fuel delivery components 32 via conduit 62, Figure 3], the precooling system [cooling system 38; 0020] comprises:
a cooling medium supply line [conduits 62 of fluid circuit 60, Figure 3; 0024] configured to supply a cooling medium [a low boiling point fuel that is stored cryogenically; 0017] to the cooling medium supply port [where the first fluid circuit 60 may include a first conduit 62 (e.g., a pipe, etc.) through which the vapor 42 is flowed from the vapor space 44 inside the reservoir 16 to the fuel delivery components 32; 0024]; and
a cooling medium recovery line [return conduit 64 of fluid circuit 60, Figure 3; 0024] configured to recover the cooling medium from the cooling medium recovery port [where the first fluid circuit 60 may further include a return conduit 64 (e.g., a pipe, etc.) through which the vapor 42 is flowed from the fuel delivery components 32 back to the reservoir 16; 0025], wherein
the precooling system is configured to supply the cooling medium from the cooling medium supply line to the fuel supply line through the cooling medium supply port and recovers the cooling medium that has been supplied to the fuel supply line by the cooling medium recovery line through the cooling medium recovery port without flowing into the engine to precool the fuel supply line [where one or more flow-regulating devices 54, such as one or more valves 55, associated with one or more of the fuel delivery components 32 may prevent the flow of the fuel to the downstream fuel delivery components 36 and the engine 14 during the precooling mode 52; 0022] where one of ordinary skill in the art could have combined the elements as claimed by known methods and that in combination, each element would perform the same function as it did separately and one of ordinary skills would have recognized that the results of the combination were predictable i.e., reducing potentially inefficient and/or harmful two-phase fluid flow effects in the fuel delivery system [Svoboda; 0020]
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the assembly of Airbus to have where the fuel tank includes a cooling medium supply port, the fuel supply line includes a cooling medium recovery port that is located downstream of the cooling medium supply port in terms of a flow of the fuel, the precooling system comprises: a cooling medium supply line to supply a cooling medium to the cooling medium supply port; and a cooling medium recovery line to recover the cooling medium from the cooling medium recovery port, wherein the precooling system supplies the cooling medium from the cooling medium supply line to the fuel supply line through the cooling medium supply port and recovers the cooling medium that has been supplied to the fuel supply line by the cooling medium recovery line through the cooling medium recovery port to precool the fuel supply line in view of the teachings of Svoboda to have where the elements could have been combined by known methods with no change in their respective functions, and the combination would have yielded predictable results i.e., reducing potentially inefficient and/or harmful two-phase fluid flow effects in the fuel delivery system [Svoboda; 0020]
Regarding Claim 2, Airbus, as modified, teaches the invention of claim 1 and does not teach a cooling medium pump to supply the cooling medium.
However, Svoboda teaches cooling systems for the fuel delivery components of machines fuels by cryogenically-stored fuels [0001] including a cooling medium pump to supply the cooling medium [where in the liquid precooling mode of Figure 4, an optional pump 80 may be placed inside of the reservoir 16 to drive the flow of the liquid 40 through the second fluid circuit 70; 0025] where one of ordinary skill in the art could have combined the elements as claimed by known methods and that in combination, each element would perform the same function as it did separately and one of ordinary skills would have recognized that the results of the combination were predictable i.e., providing sufficient pressure to drive fluid flow for reliable precooling.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the assembly of Airbus to have a cooling medium pump to supply the cooling medium in view of the teachings of Svoboda where the elements could have been combined by known methods with no change in their respective functions, and the combination would have yielded predictable results i.e., providing sufficient pressure to drive fluid flow for reliable precooling.
Regarding Claim 3, Airbus, as modified, teaches the invention of claim 1, and does not explicitly teach where precooling equipment that is mounted with the cooling medium supply line and the cooling medium recovery line, wherein the cooling medium supply line and the cooling medium recovery line are attachable to and detachable from the fuel supply line.
However, Svoboda teaches cooling systems for the fuel delivery components of machines fuels by cryogenically-stored fuels [0001] including precooling equipment [one or more valves 67, Figure 3] that is mounted with the cooling medium supply line and the cooling medium recovery line [where valves 67 are configured to regulate a flow of the vapor 42 through the first fluid circuit 60; 0024], wherein the cooling medium supply line and the cooling medium recovery line are attachable to and detachable from the fuel supply line [where valve 67 is closed when precooling mode 52 is complete; 0028; where flow regulating device 54 opens to permit fuel in the second set of fuel delivery components when precooling mode is complete; 0028] where one of ordinary skill in the art would have been capable of applying this known technique, to a known device that was ready for improvement and the results would have been predictable to one of ordinary skill in the art, i.e., providing a path for fuel after precooling operations once the required temperature is reached [Svoboda; 0028].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the assembly of Airbus to where precooling equipment that is mounted with the cooling medium supply line and the cooling medium recovery line, wherein the cooling medium supply line and the cooling medium recovery line are attachable to and detachable from the fuel supply in view of the teachings of Svoboda where this known technique could have been applied to a known device that was ready for improvement and the results would have been predictable, i.e., providing a path for fuel after precooling operations once the required temperature is reached [Svoboda; 0028].
Regarding Claim 5, Airbus, as modified, teaches the invention of claim 1 and further teaches where the fuel stored in the fuel tank is liquid hydrogen [where fuel supply is fed from a LH2, liquid hydrogen, fuel tank; p.45, Fuel Supply];
the cooling medium is gaseous hydrogen generated by vaporization of the liquid hydrogen [where before engine startup the piping system should be cooled by cold GH2, gaseous hydrogen, from a liquid reservoir; p.46, Engine Operation];
and Airbus does not teach where the cooling medium supply port is included in the fuel supply line; and the fuel tank is connected to the cooling medium supply line, and the gaseous hydrogen is supplied to the fuel supply line through the cooling medium supply port.
However, Svoboda teaches cooling systems for the fuel delivery components of machines fuels by cryogenically-stored fuels [0001] where the cooling medium supply port [where first conduits 62 of fluid circuit 60 connects to vapor 42 and liquid fuel 40 in reservoir 16, Figure 3] is included in the fuel supply line [fuel delivery components 32 including fluid lines or pipes, Figure 3]; and the fuel tank [reservoir 16, Figure 3] is connected to the cooling medium supply line [where first conduits 62 of fluid circuit 60 connects to vapor 42 and liquid fuel 40 in reservoir 16, Figure 3], and the gaseous hydrogen is supplied to the fuel supply line through the cooling medium supply port [liquid precooling mode 56, Figure 3;0023] where one of ordinary skill in the art could have combined the elements as claimed by known methods and that in combination, each element would perform the same function as it did separately and one of ordinary skills would have recognized that the results of the combination were predictable i.e., reducing the temperature of the fuel line to prevent vaporization of liquid fuels in fuel delivery components [Svoboda;0004]
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the assembly of Airbus to have where the cooling medium supply port is included in the fuel supply line; and the fuel tank is connected to the cooling medium supply line, and the gaseous hydrogen is supplied to the fuel supply line through the cooling medium supply port in view of the teachings of Sun where the elements could have been combined by known methods with no change in their respective functions, and the combination would have yielded predictable results i.e., reducing the temperature of the fuel line to prevent vaporization of liquid fuels in fuel delivery components [Svoboda;0004]
Regarding Claim 6, Airbus, as modified, teaches the invention of claim 1 and further teaches wherein the cooling medium is hydrogen in a liquid, gaseous, or supercritical state [where before engine startup the piping system should be cooled by cold GH2, gaseous hydrogen, from a liquid reservoir; p.46, Engine Operation].
Regarding Claim 7, Airbus teaches a precooling method of precooling a fuel supply line [where before engine startup the piping system should be cooled by cold GH2, gaseous hydrogen, from a liquid reservoir; p.46, Engine Operation] of a hydrogen aircraft [an A300-600 with a hydrogen fueled APU; p. 46, para. 1], the hydrogen aircraft including:
an engine that uses hydrogen as a fuel [a hydrogen fueled APU, which is a small, independent engine, Figure 19; p.19 and p.46, para. 1];
a fuel tank that stores the fuel [where fuel supply is fed from a LH2, liquid hydrogen, fuel tank; p.45, Fuel Supply]; and
the fuel supply line to supply the fuel from the fuel tank to the engine [piping system; p.46; where the fuel supply from the fuel tank to the APU will be driven by pumps via one single supply line; p.45, Fuel Supply], and
Airbus does not explicitly teach where the precooling method comprises: connecting a cooling medium supply line to a cooling medium supply port that is included in the fuel tank or in the fuel supply line; connecting a cooling medium recovery line to a cooling medium recovery port that is included in the fuel supply line and that is located downstream of the cooling medium supply port in terms of a flow of the fuel; and supplying a cooling medium from the cooling medium supply line to the fuel supply line through the cooling medium supply port and recovering the cooling medium that has been supplied to the fuel supply line by the cooling medium recovery line through the cooling medium recovery port without flowing into the engine to precool the fuel supply line.
However, Svoboda teaches cooling systems for the fuel delivery components of machines fuels by cryogenically-stored fuels [0001] including connecting a cooling medium supply line [conduits 62 of fluid circuit 60, Figure 3; 0024] to a cooling medium supply port that is included in the fuel tank or in the fuel supply line [where first conduits 62 of fluid circuit 60 connects to vapor 42 and liquid fuel 40 in reservoir 16, Figure 3]; connecting a cooling medium recovery line [return conduit 64 of fluid circuit 60, Figure 3; 0024] to a cooling medium recovery port [where return conduit 64 of fluid circuit 60 connects to fuel delivery components 32, Figure 3] that is included in the fuel supply line and that is located downstream of the cooling medium supply port in terms of a flow of the fuel [where fluid flows from reservoir 16 to fuel delivery components 32 via conduit 62, Figure 3]; and supplying a cooling medium from the cooling medium supply line to the fuel supply line through the cooling medium supply port and recovering the cooling medium that has been supplied to the fuel supply line by the cooling medium recovery line through the cooling medium recovery port without flowing into the engine to precool the fuel supply line [where one or more flow-regulating devices 54, such as one or more valves 55, associated with one or more of the fuel delivery components 32 may prevent the flow of the fuel to the downstream fuel delivery components 36 and the engine 14 during the precooling mode 52; 0022,0024] where one of ordinary skill in the art could have combined the elements as claimed by known methods and that in combination, each element would perform the same function as it did separately and one of ordinary skills would have recognized that the results of the combination were predictable i.e., reducing potentially inefficient and/or harmful two-phase fluid flow effects in the fuel delivery system [Svoboda; 0020]
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the method of Airbus to have where the precooling method comprises: connecting a cooling medium supply line to a cooling medium supply port that is included in the fuel tank or in the fuel supply line; connecting a cooling medium recovery line to a cooling medium recovery port that is included in the fuel supply line and that is located downstream of the cooling medium supply port in terms of a flow of the fuel; and supplying a cooling medium from the cooling medium supply line to the fuel supply line through the cooling medium supply port and recovering the cooling medium that has been supplied to the fuel supply line by the cooling medium recovery line through the cooling medium recovery port without flowing into the engine to precool the fuel supply line.
in view of the teachings of Svoboda to have where the elements could have been combined by known methods with no change in their respective functions, and the combination would have yielded predictable results i.e., reducing potentially inefficient and/or harmful two-phase fluid flow effects in the fuel delivery system [Svoboda; 0020]
Regarding Claim 9, Airbus, as modified, teaches the invention of claim 7 and wherein: the fuel stored in the fuel tank is liquid hydrogen [LH2, liquid hydrogen, feed line connects to the fuel tank; p.45, Fuel Supply];
the cooling medium is gaseous hydrogen [where before engine startup the piping system should be cooled by cold GH2, gaseous hydrogen; p.46, Engine Operation] generated by vaporization of the liquid hydrogen [from a liquid reservoir; p.46, Engine Operation]; ; and the precooling method further comprises supplying the gaseous hydrogen to the fuel supply line [where before engine startup the piping system should be cooled by cold GH2, gaseous hydrogen; p.46, Engine Operation].
Airbus does not explicitly teach where the cooling medium supply port is included in the fuel supply line; the fuel tank is connected to the cooling medium supply line; such that the precooling method further comprises supplying the gaseous hydrogen to the fuel supply line through the cooling medium supply port.
However, Svoboda teaches cooling systems for the fuel delivery components of machines fuels by cryogenically-stored fuels [0001] where the cooling medium supply port [where first conduits 62 of fluid circuit 60 connects to vapor 42 and liquid fuel 40 in reservoir 16, Figure 3] is included in the fuel supply line [fuel delivery components 32 including fluid lines or pipes, Figure 3]; and the fuel tank [reservoir 16, Figure 3] is connected to the cooling medium supply line [where first conduits 62 of fluid circuit 60 connects to vapor 42 and liquid fuel 40 in reservoir 16, Figure 3], such that the precooling method further comprises supplying the gaseous hydrogen to the fuel supply line through the cooling medium supply port [liquid precooling mode 56, Figure 3;0023] where one of ordinary skill in the art could have combined the elements as claimed by known methods and that in combination, each element would perform the same function as it did separately and one of ordinary skills would have recognized that the results of the combination were predictable i.e., reducing the temperature of the fuel line to prevent vaporization of liquid fuels in fuel delivery components [Svoboda;0004]
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the assembly of Airbus to have where the cooling medium supply port is included in the fuel supply line; and the fuel tank is connected to the cooling medium supply line, such that the precooling method further comprises supplying the gaseous hydrogen to the fuel supply line through the cooling medium supply port in view of the teachings of Svoboda where the elements could have been combined by known methods with no change in their respective functions, and the combination would have yielded predictable results i.e., reducing the temperature of the fuel line to prevent vaporization of liquid fuels in fuel delivery components [Svoboda;0004]
Regarding Claim 10, Airbus, as modified, teaches the invention of claim 7 and further teaches wherein the cooling medium is hydrogen in a liquid, gaseous, or supercritical state [where before engine startup the piping system should be cooled by cold GH2, gaseous hydrogen, from a liquid reservoir; p.46, Engine Operation of Airbus; where precooling may circulate liquid 40, Figure 4; 0025 of Svoboda, refer to Svoboda as applied in claim 7].
Regarding Claim 11, Airbus teaches a hydrogen aircraft [an A300-600 with a hydrogen fueled APU; p. 46, para. 1] comprising:
an engine that uses hydrogen as a fuel [a hydrogen fueled APU, which is a small independent engine; Figure 19;p.19 and p.46, para. 1];
a fuel tank that stores the fuel [where fuel supply is fed from a LH2, liquid hydrogen, fuel tank; p.45, Fuel Supply]; and
a fuel supply line configured to supply the fuel from the fuel tank to the engine [where the fuel supply from the fuel tank to the APU will be driven by pumps via one single supply line; p.45, Fuel Supply].
Airbus does not explicitly teach where the fuel tank or the fuel supply line includes a cooling medium supply port to which a cooling medium is supplied; the fuel supply line includes a cooling medium recovery port configured to recover the cooling medium, the cooling medium recovery port being located downstream of the cooling medium supply port in terms of a flow of the fuel; and the fuel supply line is configured to be precooled by the cooling medium, which is supplied to the fuel supply line through the cooling medium supply port, flows through the fuel supply line, and is recovered from the fuel supply line through the cooling medium recovery port without flowing into the engine.
However, Svoboda teaches cooling systems for the fuel delivery components of machines fuels by cryogenically-stored fuels [0001] where the fuel tank [reservoir 16, Figure 3] or the fuel supply line [circuit 60, Figure 3] includes a cooling medium supply port to which a cooling medium is supplied [where first conduits 62 of fluid circuit 60 connects to vapor 42 and liquid fuel 40 in reservoir 16, Figure 3]; the fuel supply line includes a cooling medium recovery port configured to recover the cooling medium [where return conduit 64 of fluid circuit 60 connects to fuel delivery components 32, Figure 3], the cooling medium recovery port being located downstream of the cooling medium supply port in terms of a flow of the fuel [where fluid flows from reservoir 16 to fuel delivery components 32 via conduit 62, Figure 3]; and the fuel supply line is configured to be precooled by the cooling medium [0024], which is supplied to the fuel supply line through the cooling medium supply port, flows through the fuel supply line, and is recovered from the fuel supply line through the cooling medium recovery port without flowing into the engine [where one or more flow-regulating devices 54, such as one or more valves 55, associated with one or more of the fuel delivery components 32 may prevent the flow of the fuel to the downstream fuel delivery components 36 and the engine 14 during the precooling mode 52; 0022].
where one of ordinary skill in the art could have combined the elements as claimed by known methods and that in combination, each element would perform the same function as it did separately and one of ordinary skills would have recognized that the results of the combination were predictable i.e., reducing potentially inefficient and/or harmful two-phase fluid flow effects in the fuel delivery system [Svoboda; 0020]
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the method of Airbus to have where the fuel tank or the fuel supply line includes a cooling medium supply port to which a cooling medium is supplied; the fuel supply line includes a cooling medium recovery port configured to recover the cooling medium, the cooling medium recovery port being located downstream of the cooling medium supply port in terms of a flow of the fuel; and the fuel supply line is configured to be precooled by the cooling medium, which is supplied to the fuel supply line through the cooling medium supply port, flows through the fuel supply line, and is recovered from the fuel supply line through the cooling medium recovery port without flowing into the engine in view of the teachings of Svoboda to have where the elements could have been combined by known methods with no change in their respective functions, and the combination would have yielded predictable results i.e., reducing potentially inefficient and/or harmful two-phase fluid flow effects in the fuel delivery system [Svoboda; 0020]
Regarding Claim 14, Airbus, as modified, teaches a system comprising the hydrogen aircraft according to claim 11 [refer to the rejection of claim 11 above] and a precooling equipment for precooling the fuel supply line [where before engine startup the piping system should be cooled by cold GH2, gaseous hydrogen, from a liquid reservoir; p.46, Engine Operation] of the hydrogen aircraft [an A300-600 with a hydrogen fueled APU; p. 46, para. 1] but
Airbus does not teach where the precooling equipment comprises: a cooling medium supply line connected to the cooling medium supply port; and a cooling medium recovery line connected to the cooling medium recovery port, wherein the precooling equipment configured to supply a cooling medium from the cooling medium supply line to the fuel supply line through the cooling medium supply port and recover the cooling medium that has been supplied to the fuel supply line by the cooling medium recovery line through the cooling medium recovery port to precool the fuel supply line.
However, Svoboda teaches cooling systems for the fuel delivery components of machines fuels by cryogenically-stored fuels [0001] where the precooling equipment comprises: a cooling medium supply line [conduits 62 of fluid circuit 60, Figure 3; 0024] connected to the cooling medium supply port [where the first fluid circuit 60 may include a first conduit 62 (e.g., a pipe, etc.) through which the vapor 42 is flowed from the vapor space 44 inside the reservoir 16 to the fuel delivery components 32; 0024]; and a cooling medium recovery line [return conduit 64 of fluid circuit 60, Figure 3; 0024] connected to the cooling medium recovery port [where the first fluid circuit 60 may further include a return conduit 64 (e.g., a pipe, etc.) through which the vapor 42 is flowed from the fuel delivery components 32 back to the reservoir 16; 0025], wherein the precooling equipment configured to supply a cooling medium from the cooling medium supply line to the fuel supply line through the cooling medium supply port and recover the cooling medium that has been supplied to the fuel supply line by the cooling medium recovery line through the cooling medium recovery port to precool the fuel supply line [ where a first fluid circuit 60 of the cooling system 38 may circulate the vapor 42 of the fuel between the fuel delivery components 32 and the reservoir 16 during the vapor precooling mode 56; 0024] where one of ordinary skill in the art could have combined the elements as claimed by known methods and that in combination, each element would perform the same function as it did separately and one of ordinary skills would have recognized that the results of the combination were predictable i.e., reducing potentially inefficient and/or harmful two-phase fluid flow effects in the fuel delivery system [Svoboda; 0020].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the assembly of Airbus to have where the precooling equipment comprises: a cooling medium supply line connected to the cooling medium supply port; and a cooling medium recovery line connected to the cooling medium recovery port, wherein the precooling equipment configured to supply a cooling medium from the cooling medium supply line to the fuel supply line through the cooling medium supply port and recover the cooling medium that has been supplied to the fuel supply line by the cooling medium recovery line through the cooling medium recovery port to precool the fuel supply line in view of the teachings of Svoboda to have where the elements could have been combined by known methods with no change in their respective functions, and the combination would have yielded predictable results i.e., reducing potentially inefficient and/or harmful two-phase fluid flow effects in the fuel delivery system [Svoboda; 0020]
Claims 8, 12 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Airbus and Svoboda (US20170268463A1) and in further view of Szuch et al. (Szuch, J., et al., Investigation of the Starting Characteristics of the M-1 Rocket Engine…, Dec 1965, Lewis Research Center, [retrieved on 11/25/2025]. Retrieved from the Internet <https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/19660002857>).
Regarding Claim 8, Airbus, as modified, teaches the invention of claim 7 and does not teach wherein connecting the cooling medium supply line to the cooling medium supply port is performed after connecting the cooling medium recovery line to the cooling medium recovery port.
However, a liquid rocket propulsion system [Summary] where connecting the cooling medium supply line [where fuel flows from tank to fuel pump fluidly connecting to the fuel path to the thrust chamber, Figure 1; p.3] to the cooling medium supply port [where the start valve is opened in step 1; where the fuel pump is started when the start valve is opened, Figure 1;p.3 and Appendix F] is performed after connecting the cooling medium recovery line to the cooling medium recovery port [where the recirculation valve begins the start sequence in an open position before step 1, Figure 1; p.41, Start Sequence] where this known technique could have been applied to a known device that was ready for improvement and the results would have been predictable, i.e, preventing pressure build up before and during a precooling operation.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the assembly of the combined teachings to have where precooling equipment that is mounted with the cooling medium supply line and the cooling medium recovery line, wherein the cooling medium supply line and the cooling medium recovery line are attachable to and detachable from the fuel supply in view of the teachings of NASA where this known technique could have been applied to a known device that was ready for improvement and the results would have been predictable, i.e., preventing pressure build up before and during a precooling operation.
Regarding Claim 12, Airbus, as modified, teaches the invention of claim 11 and further teaches where the fuel supply line includes an engine pump [where fuel supply from the fuel tank to the APU will be driven by pumps via one single supply line; p.45, Fuel supply] that boosts pressure of the fuel [where fuel is driven by pumps, where one of ordinary skill in the art would understand pumps provide a pressure boost, p.45].
Airbus does not explicitly teach where the cooling medium supply port is located upstream of the engine pump; and the cooling medium recovery port is located downstream of the engine pump.
However, Szuch teaches a liquid rocket propulsion system [Summary] where the cooling medium supply port [where fuel flows from the fuel tank, Figure 1] is located upstream of the engine pump [fuel pump, Figure 1]; and the cooling medium recovery port [where fuel flows to recirculation valve to fuel tank, Figure 1] is located downstream of the engine pump [where fuel flows from the fuel pump to the recirculation valve, Figure 1] where one of ordinary skill in the art would have been capable of applying this known technique, placing the engine pump along the coolant flow path, to a known device that was ready for improvement and the results would have been predictable to one of ordinary skill in the art i.e., precooling the engine pump by placing it along the main flow path for precooling [where the recirculation valve provides prestart pump cooling, Szuch, p.3, para. 1].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the assembly of the combined teachings to have where the cooling medium supply port is located upstream of the engine pump; and the cooling medium recovery port is located downstream of the engine pump in view of the teachings of Szuch where this known technique could have been applied to a known device that was ready for improvement and the results would have been predictable i.e., precooling the engine pump by placing it along the main flow path for precooling [where the recirculation valve provides prestart pump cooling, Szuch, p.3, para. 1].
Regarding Claim 13, Airbus, as modified, teaches the invention of claim 11 and further teaches where the fuel supply line [LH2 feed line; p.45, Fuel Supply] includes a heat exchanger [where the LH2 feed line connects the LH2 fuel tank with the heat exchanger entry; p. 45, Fuel Supply] that vaporizes the fuel [where the hydrogen stored as a liquid must be evaporated; p.42, Heat Exchanger, para. 1]; and
Airbus does not explicitly teach where the cooling medium recovery port is located upstream of the heat exchanger on the fuel supply line.
However, Szuch teaches a liquid rocket propulsion system [Summary] where the cooling medium recovery port [where the fuel flows from the fuel pump to the fuel tank via the recirculation valve, Figure 1] is located upstream of the heat exchanger on the fuel supply line [gas generator, Figure 2, Block Diagram] where one of ordinary skill in the art would have been capable of applying this known technique, to a known device that was ready for improvement and the results would have been predictable to one of ordinary skill in the art i.e., providing effective heat for fluid vaporization by not precooling the heat exchanger.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the assembly of the combined teachings to have where the cooling medium recovery port is located upstream of the heat exchanger on the fuel supply line in view of the teachings of Szuch where this known technique could have been applied to a known device that was ready for improvement and the results would have been predictable i.e., providing effective heat for fluid vaporization by not precooling the heat exchanger.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments filed 03/31/2026 with respect to the 35 U.S.C. 103 rejection of claim 1 over Airbus in view of Sun have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Claim 7 and Claim 11 recite features similar to those discussed above in connection with claim 1.
Applicant does not separately argue the rejection of claims 2,3,5,6,8-10 and 12-14 except for their dependence upon claim 1, 7 and 11. Accordingly, the rejections of record are considered proper and remain.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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/KEONA LAUREN BANKS/Examiner, Art Unit 3763
/ELIZABETH J MARTIN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3763
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