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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1- 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
The term “highly flexible” in claims 1-12 and 14 is a relative term which renders the claim indefinite. The term “highly flexible” is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention. For the purposes of the present examination, any flexibility is considered to fulfill the limitation.
Claim 13 recites the limitation "covert heat". It is unclear how heat is coverted. Correction/clarification is required.
Claim 14 recites the limitation “said highly flexible thermoelectric composite”. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this claim.
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.
Claims 1-8, 10-15, and 17-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by U.S. Patent Pub. 2024/0166358 (“Zuzelski”).
Claim 1
Zuzelski discloses an aircraft assembly on an aircraft, the aircraft assembly comprising: an aircraft assembly surface (Fig. 3, aircraft surface 110); at least one highly flexible thermoelectric composite device (paragraph [0039], thermoelectric generator 130 on flexible decal), said at least one highly flexible thermoelectric composite device comprising at least one electrical lead in communication with an electrical circuit (paragraph [0039], wiring 160); and wherein the at least one highly flexible thermoelectric composite device is positioned adjacent to the aircraft assembly surface (Figs. 3 and 8).
Claim 2
Zuzelski discloses the aircraft assembly of Claim 1, wherein the at least one highly flexible thermoelectric composite device is positioned directly in contact with the aircraft assembly surface (Fig. 3).
Claim 3
Zuzelski discloses the aircraft assembly of Claim 1, wherein the at least one highly flexible thermoelectric composite device is configured to generate electrical energy in a presence of a thermal gradient (paragraph [0035], thermal gradient maintained).
Claim 4
Zuzelski discloses the aircraft assembly of Claim 1, wherein the aircraft assembly surface is configured to emit heat when in operation (paragraph [0036], thermal waste heated).
Claim 5
Zuzelski discloses the aircraft assembly of Claim 1, wherein the aircraft assembly surface comprises at least one of an aircraft engine surface, an auxiliary power unit surface, an electrical bay surface, a cargo bay surface, and combinations thereof (paragraph [0029], power distribution unit).
Claim 6
Zuzelski discloses an aircraft comprising the aircraft assembly of Claim 1 (aircraft 100).
Claim 7
Zuzelski discloses a temperature sensor for an aircraft component, said temperature sensor comprising: at least one highly flexible thermoelectric composite device comprising at least one electrical lead, said at least one electrical lead in communication with an electrical circuit (paragraph [0039], thermoelectric generator 130 on flexible decal); and wherein said at least one highly flexible thermoelectric composite device is positioned adjacent to an aircraft assembly surface of an aircraft assembly (Figs. 3 and 8); and wherein said at least one highly flexible thermoelectric composite device is configured to generate an electrical charge in a presence of a thermal gradient (paragraph [0035], thermal gradient maintained), said at least one highly flexible thermoelectric composite device further configured to deliver the electrical charge to power the temperature sensor (paragraph [0039], wiring 160 with thermoelectric device 130).
Claim 8
Zuzelski discloses the temperature sensor of Claim 7, wherein the at least one highly flexible thermoelectric composite device is positioned in direct contact with the aircraft assembly surface of the aircraft assembly (Fig. 3).
Claim 10
Zuzelski discloses the temperature sensor of Claim 7, wherein said electrical circuit is in communication with a rechargeable storage battery (paragraph [0030]).
Claim 11
Zuzelski discloses an aircraft assembly comprising the temperature sensor of Claim 7 (Fig. 3).
Claim 12
Zuzelski discloses an aircraft comprising the temperature sensor of Claim 7 (aircraft 100).
Claim 13
Zuzelski discloses a power source for an aircraft component, said power source comprising: at least one flexible thermoelectric composite device positioned adjacent to an aircraft assembly surface of an aircraft assembly on an aircraft (paragraph [0039], thermoelectric generator 130 on flexible decal), said at least one flexible thermoelectric composite device configured to sustain a temperature gradient when said aircraft is in operation (paragraph [0035], thermal gradient maintained), said at least one flexible thermoelectric composite device comprising at least one electrical lead in communication with an electrical circuit (paragraph [0039], wiring 160), said at least one flexible thermoelectric composite device configured to covert heat from a thermal gradient into electrical energy (paragraph [0035]).
Claim 14
Zuzelski discloses the power source of Claim 13, wherein said highly flexible thermoelectric composite device is in direct contact with the aircraft assembly surface of the aircraft assembly (Fig. 3).
Claim 15
Zuzelski discloses the power source of Claim 13, wherein the power source is an auxiliary power source (paragraph [0029], power distribution unit).
Claim 17
Zuzelski discloses the power source of Claim 13, further comprising a storage battery in communication with the electrical circuit, said storage battery configured to receive an electrical charge from the electrical circuit, said storage battery further configured to direct the electrical charge from the storage battery to the electrical circuit (paragraph [0029], power distribution unit).
Claim 18
Zuzelski discloses the power source of Claim 13, wherein the electrical circuit is an auxiliary electrical circuit.
Claim 19
Zuzelski discloses an aircraft assembly comprising the power source of Claim 13 (Fig. 3).
Claim 20
Zuzelski discloses an aircraft comprising the power source of Claim 13 (aircraft 100).
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 9 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Patent Pub. 2024/0166358 (“Zuzelski”) in view of U.S. Patent Pub. 2012/0181971 (“Birkeland”).
Claim 9
Zuzelski discloses the temperature sensor of Claim 7.
Zuzelski does not appear to explicitly disclose wherein said at least one highly flexible thermoelectric composite device is in communication with an indicator, said indicator configured to indicate the generation of an electrical charge.
Birkeland discloses a thermoelectric generator including an indicator for charging status (paragraph [0024]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have incorporated said at least one highly flexible thermoelectric composite device is in communication with an indicator, said indicator configured to indicate the generation of an electrical charge, as disclosed by Birkeland, into the device of Zuzelski, for the purpose of providing visual indicator of optimum heat and preventing damages (Birkeland, paragraph [0024]).
Claim 16
Zuzelski discloses the power source of Claim 13.
Zuzelski does not appear to explicitly disclose wherein said power source is configured to exclusively power a temperature sensor, said temperature sensor in communication with the electrical circuit.
Birkeland discloses the thermoelectric element providing temperature measurement (paragraph [0024]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have incorporated wherein said power source is configured to exclusively power a temperature sensor, said temperature sensor in communication with the electrical circuit, as disclosed by Birkeland, into the device of Zuzelski, for the purpose of preventing damage to the device (Birkeland, paragraph [0024]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ERICA S Y LIN whose telephone number is (571)270-7911. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8-4, TW M,W.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Douglas X Rodriguez can be reached at (571) 431-0716. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ERICA S LIN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853
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