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 § 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.
Claim(s) 1-6,9-14,16, and 19-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Deng (”Reduction of Bloch-Floquet bending waves via annular acoustic black holes in periodically supported cylindrical shell structures”).
With respect to claim 1 Deng discloses (see figure 1a-1) an acoustic black hole comprising:
In a first axis, a taper from a first thickness to a second thickness, along a line; and
In a second axis perpendicular to the first axis, and away from the line, one or more regions of different spatial property relative to a spatial property of the ABH at the line (see firgue 1c).
With respect t claim 2 Deng further discloses wherein the one or more regions are region of different thickness relative to a thickness of the ABH at the line (see figure 1c).
With respect to claim 3 Deng discloses wherein the one or more regions are one or more regions of increased thickness relative to a thickness of the ABH at the line (see again figure 1c).
With respect to claims 4 and 5 Deng further discloses wherein each of the one or more reginos of increased thickness has a thickness that differs from the first thickness the increase or decease of the thickness will depend upon the axis chosen for the comparison, the structure itself is disclosed, see again figure 1c.
With respect to claim 6 Deng further discloses wherein the one or more regions are one or more regions of different shape relative to a shape of the ABH at the line (the shape differs due to the thickness differing, see again figure 1c).
With respect to claim 9 Deng further discloses wherein the line is a center line of the acoustic black hole (see again figure 1c).
With respect to claim 10 Deng further discloses the acoustic black hole structure of claim and a primary structure (abstract).
With respect to claim 11 Deng further discloses wherein the primary structure is a beam or a plate (namely the plate steel wrapped into a cylinder to form the simplified hull as seen in figure 15).
With respect to claim 12 Deng further discloses (figure 15) wherein the primary structure includes in the first axis curvature, and in the second axis at least a region of concave or convex curvature or the primary structure includes in the first axis, zero curvature and in the second axis at least a region of concave or convex curvature,
Wherein the ABH is provided as only a portion of the structurally damped structure in the second axis; or
The primary structure comprises : in the first axis a region of concave or convex curvature, and in the second axis at least a region of concave or convex curvature.
With respect to claim 13 Deng further discloses (see again figure 1c) wherein the second axis is perpendicular to the first axis.
With respect to claim 14 Deng further discloses (see figure 1 viscoelastic layer) a damping material provided on at least a region of the ABH.
With respect to claim 16 Deng further discloses (figure 15) wherein the one or more regions of different shape relative to the shape of the ABH at the line include regions of different curvature relative to a curvature of the ABH at the line.
With respect to claim 19 Deng further discloses wherein the second axis is perpendicular to the first axis (see again figure 1 the axes are so defined).
With respect to claim 20 Deng further discloses a damping material (viscoelastic material see figure 1c) provided on at least a region of the acoustic black hole.
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.
2. Claims 7-8, and 17-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Deng (”Reduction of Bloch-Floquet bending waves via annular acoustic black holes in periodically supported cylindrical shell structures”).
With respect to claim 7 Deng discloses the invention as claimed except expressly the tuning of the system to the claimed mathematical relationship. It would have been an obvious smatter to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the time of the effective filing to determine the optimal structure based upon routine testing.
Further it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or working ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233.
With respect to claims 8, 17 and 18 Deng as modified discloses the invention as claimed except expressly wherein the respective values are chosen. It would have been an obvious matter to one of ordinary skill in thew art before the time of the effective filing to select such values as it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or working ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233.
3.Claim 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Deng (”Reduction of Bloch-Floquet bending waves via annular acoustic black holes in periodically supported cylindrical shell structures”) in view of BAE (EP3716263).
With respect to claim 15 Deng discloses a primary structure (see figure 15), the structure damper comprising:
An acoustic black hole according to claim 1.
Deng does not expressly disclose at least one sensor;
An actuator configured to apply an actuating force to the primary structure or the acoustic black hole; and a controller configured to control the actuator in dependence on a signal from the at least one sensor so as to provide structural dampen of the primary source.
BAE discloses at least one sensor (110, see para 113);
An actuator (para 85-113) configured to apply an actuating force to the primary structure or the acoustic black hole; and a controller configured to control the actuator in dependence on a signal from the at least one sensor so as to provide structural dampen of the primary source.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the time of the effective filing to combine the teachings of BAE to use such a system to test the structure so as to tune the structure with the device of Deng so as to provide the physical data to optimize the structure use in the practical environment.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Cheer (US20250292755) discloses an acoustic black hole structure; Cheer (US20250292753) discloses n acoustic black hole structure; Jodet (US202103458559) discloses a method for forming an acoustic treatment for nacelle; and Busnel (US3997020) discloses a sound absorber for building a double shell sound attenuation wall.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to FORREST M PHILLIPS whose telephone number is (571)272-9020. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday from 9:00-5:00.
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/FORREST M PHILLIPS/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837
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