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 .
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 2/26/2026 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) 1-4 and 6-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen (US Patent #4521925) in view of Gonnsen (US Patent #7931047).
For Claim 1, the figures of Chen ‘925 disclose an aircraft comprising: an aircraft cabin; consumer equipment (10); a potable water tank (inherent); a potable water system configured to feed potable water from the potable water tank to the consumer equipment and a plurality of potable water interfaces that are in a floor section of the aircraft cabin and a fluidically connected to the potable water tank; and wherein the floor section (209) of the aircraft cabin comprises at least one opening of a plurality of openings configured to establish a fluid connection to the consumer equipment; and wherein at least one potable water interface of the plurality of potable water interfaces is accessible through the at least one opening of the plurality of openings; wherein each opening of the plurality of openings is spaced apart by a distance from a nearest adjacent opening.
While Chen ‘925 discloses providing potable water to consumer equipment (10) it is silent about the consumer equipment being in a monument having a floor section with an opening. However, figures 4A and 4B of Gonnsen ‘047 teach monuments with consumer equipment that is attached to the floor (12) with the monument and the floor having openings, the floor having a water interface (6’) and the monument having a water interface (8) and figure 1 of Gonnsen ‘047 teaches that it is known to space openings (4-4E) in a pitch direction by which rows of passenger seats are spaced apart from each other along a longitudinal axis of the aircraft cabin. Therefore it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify Chen ‘925 with the monument housing consumer equipment of Gonnsen ‘047. The motivation to do so would be to provide privacy for the consumer.
For Claim 2, the figures of Chen ‘925 disclose that each floor section of the aircraft cabin comprises, in a monument cabin location of the aircraft cabin, at least one potable water interfaces.
For Claim 3, the figures of Chen ‘925 disclose that some of the openings have a circular chape for the circular pipes.
For Claim 4, while Chen ‘925 discloses an opening for a round pipe, it is silent about the opening being elongated. However, the Examiner holds that it is well known in the art to have an elongated opening so as to provide clearance for connections. Therefore it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify Chen ‘925 with a known opening shape. The motivation to do so would be to provide clearance to make connections easier.
For Claim 6, while Chen ‘925 is silent about the specific distance of the openings, figure 1 of Gonnsen ‘047 teaches openings (4-4E) that are spaced apart from a nearest adjacent opening of the plurality of openings is a same distance as a minimum adjustment distance of the passenger seats along a seat rail (2) that secures the passenger seat in position within the aircraft cabin. Therefore it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify Chen ‘925 with opening spacing of Gonnsen ‘047. The motivation to do so would be to provide the ability to have different configurations.
For Claim 7, the figures of Chen ‘925 disclose that the plurality of potable water interfaces are located in an axial row.
For Claim 8, while Chen ‘925 is silent about using plugs to cap unused openings, column 2, lines 23-25 of Gonnsen ‘047 teaches using caps or plugs to close openings. Therefore it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify Chen ‘925 with the caps of Gonnsen ‘047. The motivation would be to close unused openings.
Claim(s) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen (US Patent #4521925) in view of Gonnsen (US Patent #7931047) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Eligoth (US Patent #5305792).
For Claim 9, the figures of Chen ‘925 disclose a main water line; a plurality of potable water branch lines (40, 54, 58); wherein that at least one potable water main line and the potable water branch lines are configured to feed potable water stored in the potable water tank to the plurality of potable water interfaces; wherein the at least one potable water branch lines extend from the main line to selected potable water interface of the plurality of potable water interfaces. While Chen ‘925 discloses the main line is positioned in a warm area of the aircraft below a flow of the aircraft cabin, it is silent about it routed in a longitudinal direction from the tank. However, figure 1 of Eligoth ‘792 teaches potable water tanks (2) connected to main lines routed in a longitudinal direction an connected to branch lines (4). Therefore it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify Chen ‘925 with the tank and line locations of Eligoth ‘792. The motivation to do so would be to provide potable water along the longitudinal length of the aircraft.
Claim(s) 10-11, 14-15, and 18-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen (US Patent #4521925) in view of Gonnsen (US Patent #7931047) and Le Polotec (US PgPub #2020/0300398).
For Claim 10, the figures of Chen ‘925 disclose a method of installing a potable water system in an aircraft to feed potable water from a potable water tank (inherent) to consumer equipment of a monument in an aircraft cabin, the method comprising: installing a plurality of potable water interfaces at defined locations in a floor section of the aircraft cabin; connecting the consumer equipment to the potable water interfaces of the plurality of potable water interfaces that are accessible through the openings via a potable water monument line; and installing the monument in the aircraft cabin, connecting needed potable water interfaces of the plurality of potable water interfaces to a potable water main line.
While Chen ‘925 discloses providing potable water to consumer equipment (10) it is silent about the consumer equipment being in a monument having a floor section with an opening. However, figures 4A and 4B of Gonnsen ‘047 teach installing monuments with consumer equipment that is attached to the floor (12) with the monument and the floor having openings. The floor having a water interface (6’) and the monument having a water interface (8). Therefore it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify Chen ‘925 with the monument housing consumer equipment of Gonnsen ‘047. The motivation to do so would be to provide privacy for the consumer.
While Chen ‘925 is not specific about installing the water interfaces before the monument is installed. However, paragraph [0006] of Le Polotec ‘398 teaches that the monument is installed after the connecting the various water pipes to the water tank. Therefore it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify Chen ‘925 with the installation method of Le Polotec ‘398. The motivation to do so would be to install the aircraft water infrastructure before connecting monument units to it.
For Claim 11, the figures of Chen ‘925 disclose a method for installing a potable water system in an aircraft to feed potable water from a potable water tank to a consumer equipment in an aircraft cabin, the method comprising: installing a plurality of potable water interfaces at defined locations in a floor section of the monument; providing openings in a floor section of the aircraft cabin to establish a fluid connection to the consumer equipment of the monument; connecting the consumer equipment to the potable water interfaces of the plurality of potable water interfaces that are accessible through the openings via a potable water monument lint; and connecting needed potable water interfaces of the of the plurality of potable water interfaces to a potable water main line.
While Chen ‘925 discloses providing potable water to consumer equipment (10) it is silent about the consumer equipment being in a monument having a floor section with an opening. However, figures 4A and 4B of Gonnsen ‘047 teach installing monuments with consumer equipment that is attached to the floor (12) with the monument and the floor having openings. The floor having a water interface (6’) and the monument having a water interface (8). Therefore it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify Chen ‘925 with the monument housing consumer equipment of Gonnsen ‘047. The motivation to do so would be to provide privacy for the consumer.
While Chen ‘925 is not specific about installing the water interfaces before the monument is installed. However, paragraph [0006] of Le Polotec ‘398 teaches that the monument is installed after the connecting the various water pipes to the water tank. Therefore it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify Chen ‘925 with the installation method of Le Polotec ‘398. The motivation to do so would be to install the aircraft water infrastructure before connecting monument units to it.
For Claims 14-15 and 18-19, while Chen ‘925 discloses the openings spaced apart it is silent about them being spaced apart along the pitch direction. However, figure 1 of Gonnsen ‘047 teaches openings (4-4E) in a pitch direction by which rows of passenger seats are spaced apart from each other along a longitudinal axis of the aircraft cabin and are spaced apart from a nearest adjacent opening of the plurality of openings is a same distance as a minimum adjustment distance of the passenger seats along a seat rail (2) that secures the passenger seat in position within the aircraft cabin. Therefore it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify Chen ‘925 with opening spacing of Gonnsen ‘047. The motivation to do so would be to provide the ability to have different configurations.
Claim(s) 12-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen (US Patent #4521925) in view of Gonnsen (US Patent #7931047) as applied to claims 1 and 6 above, and further in view of Grendahl (US Patent #4047689).
For Claims 12-13, while Chen ‘925 in view of Gonnsen ‘047 disclose openings spaced from one another, it is silent about the spacing being an inch apart. However, column 3, lines 14-22 of Grendhal ‘689 teach that it is well known to have rail spacing of one inch. Therefore it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify Chen ‘925 in view of Gonnsen ‘047 with the one inch spacing as taught by Grendhal ‘689. The motivation to have one inch spacing would be to coincide with the one inch rail connection spacing so that the monument can be moved with a seat so as to reduce wasted space on the aircraft.
Claim(s) 16-17 and 20-21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen (US Patent #4521925) in view of Gonnsen (US Patent #7931047) and Le Polotec (US PgPub #2020/0300398) as applied to claims 14-15 and 18-19 above, and further in view of Grendahl (US Patent #4047689).
For Claims 16-17 and 20-21, while Chen ‘925 in view of Gonnsen ‘047 disclose openings spaced from one another, it is silent about the spacing being an inch apart. However, column 3, lines 14-22 of Grendhal ‘689 teach that it is well known to have rail spacing of one inch. Therefore it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify Chen ‘925 in view of Gonnsen ‘047 with the one inch spacing as taught by Grendhal ‘689. The motivation to have one inch spacing would be to coincide with the one inch rail connection spacing so that the monument can be moved with a seat so as to reduce wasted space on the aircraft.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see pages 7-17, filed 2/17/2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1, 10, and 11 under 102 and 103 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Gonnsen ‘047 in view of the amendments.
Conclusion
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/PHILIP J BONZELL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3642 3/17/2026
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