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 .
This is in response to the above application filed on 12 November 2024. Claims 1-10 are examined.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
P. 2, l. 28, “and opening into an internal storage space” is believed to be in error for – and open into an internal storage space –.
P. 4 ll. 28-29, “free ends of the U pivotingly mounted” is believed to be in error for – free ends of the U-shape pivotingly mounted –.
P. 5, l. 2, “length of the U formed by the mobile frame” is believed to be in error for – length of the U-shape formed by the mobile frame –.
P. 11, ll. 12-14, “two branches 60B of the U have a substantially axial orientation, here being arranged upstream of the base of the U 60A. The two free ends present on the two branches 60B of the U are pivotingly mounted” is believed to be in error for – two branches 60B of the U-shape have a substantially axial orientation, here being arranged upstream of the base 60A of the U-shape. The two free ends present on the two branches 60B of the U-shape are pivotingly mounted –.
P. 11, l. 17, “the entire length of the U formed by the mobile frame 60” is believed to be in error for – the entire length of the U-shape formed by the mobile frame 60 –.
P. 13, ll. 7-8, “since the base of the U 60A is upstream of the branches of the U 60B,” is believed to be in error for – since the base 60A of the U-shape is upstream of the branches 60B of the U-shape, –.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Objections
Claims 1-5 and 7-10 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Regarding Claim 1:
The recitation “the reverser” (ll. 2, 4, 6, 8, & 16) is believed to be in error for – the thrust reverser –.
The recitation “the propulsion unit” (l. 3) is believed to be in error for – the aircraft propulsion unit –.
The recitation “the cascade vane” (l. 11) is believed to be in error for – the at least one cascade vane –.
The recitation “the obturator membrane” (l. 14) is believed to be in error for – the at least one obturator membrane –.
The recitation “the membrane” (l. 2) is believed to be in error for – the at least one obturator membrane –.
The pronoun “it” (l. 18) is objected and should be replaced with the proper noun to which it refers. The “it” is believed to be in error for – the mobile frame –.
The recitation “of the reverser mobile cowl” (l. 21) is believed to be in error for – of the at least one reverser mobile cowl –.
The recitation “deploy the obturator membrane in the secondary flow duct and opening into an internal storage space of the reverser mobile cowl, wherein the membrane is located when the mobile structure adopts the forward direct-thrust position thereof.” (ll. 22-24) is believed to be in error for – deploy the at least one obturator membrane in the secondary flow duct and opens into an internal storage space of the at least one reverser mobile cowl where the at least one obturator membrane is located when the mobile structure adopts the forward direct-thrust position thereof. –.
Regarding Claim 2:
The recitation “the obturator membrane” (l. 3) is believed to be in error for – the at least one obturator membrane –.
Regarding Claim 3:
The recitation “the mechanical rotary control member” (l. 2) is believed to be in error for – the at least one mechanical rotary control member –.
The recitation “on the fixed wall” (l. 3) is believed to be in error for – on the wall of the fixed structure –.
The recitation “the obturator membrane, the mechanical control member” (l. 5) is believed to be in error for – the at least one obturator membrane, the at least one mechanical rotary control member –.
Regarding Claim 4:
The recitation “the obturator membrane” (l. 2) is believed to be in error for – the at least one obturator membrane –.
The recitation “the reverser” (l. 2) is believed to be in error for – the thrust reverser –.
The recitation “the membrane” (l. 2) is believed to be in error for – the at least one obturator membrane –.
The pronoun “it” (ll. 3 & 5) is objected and should be replaced with the proper noun to which it refers. The “it” is believed to be in error for – the at least one obturator membrane –.
Regarding Claim 5:
The pronoun “it” (l. 5) is objected and should be replaced with the proper noun to which it refers. The “it” is believed to be in error for – the mobile frame –.
Regarding Claim 7:
The recitation “free ends of the U pivotingly mounted” (l. 3) is believed to be in error for – free ends of the U-shape pivotingly mounted –.
Regarding Claim 8:
The recitation “the U formed by the mobile frame” (l. 3) is believed to be in error for – the U-shape formed by the mobile frame –.
Regarding Claim 9:
The recitation “a thrust reverser” (l. 2) is believed to be in error for – the thrust reverser –.
Regarding Claim 10:
The recitation “a nacelle” (l. 2) is believed to be in error for – the nacelle –.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
Claims 1-3 and 9-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by . [no name listed in publication] 2020/0392923 (“Wilson” per application 16441859 of publication 2020/0392923; no name is listed in the publication only “., 2020/0392923”).
Regarding Claim 1, Wilson teaches a thrust reverser 12 for an aircraft propulsion unit 10 ,
the reverser 12 comprising equipped with a wall [a] internally radially delimiting a secondary flow duct 18 of the propulsion unit 10 intended to be passed through by a secondary flow (seen as arrows in Fig. 1A), the reverser 12 also comprising a mobile structure 20 (seen in Figs. 1A-B) comprising at least one reverser mobile cowl 20 equipped with a reverser-cowl radially internal wall [b] delimiting the secondary flow duct 18 radially outwardly, the reverser 12 also comprising at least one cascade vane 22, the mobile structure 20 being translationally movable in relation to the fixed structure [c] along a longitudinal central axis [d] of the reverser 12, between a forward direct-thrust position (stowed position, seen in Fig. 1A) and a retreated reverse-thrust position (deployed position, seen in Fig. 1B), the thrust reverser 12 also comprising at least one obturator membrane 24 designed to deflect at least some of the secondary flow towards the cascade vane 22 (“at least some of the flow of bypass air in bypass duct 18 to exit bypass duct 18 via cascade 22”, seen as arrows in Fig. 1B) when the mobile structure 20 is in the retreated reverse-thrust position (deployed position, seen in Fig. 1B) ([0092, 0094]; Annotated Figs. 1A-B, below),
the thrust reverser 12 also includes a mobile frame 26 for deploying the obturator membrane 24, a radially internal edge [e] of the membrane 24 being fixed on this said mobile frame 26 pivotingly (at location [g], seen in annotated Fig. 1B, below) mounted on the mobile structure 20 of the reverser 12, the mobile frame 26 being designed to be moved between a retracted position (seen in Fig. 1A) occupied when the mobile structure 20 adopts the forward direct-thrust position (stowed position, seen in Fig. 1A) thereof, and a position (seen in Fig. 1B) in which it is deployed in the secondary flow duct 18, occupied when the mobile structure 20 adopts the retreated reverse-thrust position (deployed position, seen in Fig. 1B) thereof ([0092, 0094]; Annotated Figs. 1A-B, below),
and in the retracted position (seen in Fig. 1A) of the mobile frame 26, the latter seals an opening [h] (inherent from “a stowed position (see FIG. 1A) where cascade 22 does not interact with the flow of bypass air flowing through bypass duct 18” that the mobile structure 20 seals an opening) through the radially internal wall [a] of the reverser cowl 20, said opening [h] (seen in annotated Fig. 1B, below) being used to deploy the obturator membrane 24 in the secondary flow duct 18 and opening into an internal storage space [m] (seen in annotated Figs. 1A-B, below) of the reverser mobile cowl 20, the membrane 24 is located when the mobile structure 20 adopts the forward direct-thrust position (stowed position, seen in Fig. 1A) thereof ([0094]; Annotated Figs. 1A-B, below).
PNG
media_image1.png
500
793
media_image1.png
Greyscale
Figure A: Annotated Fig. 1A of Wilson (U.S. 2020/0392923 )
PNG
media_image2.png
531
827
media_image2.png
Greyscale
Figure B: Annotated Fig. 1B of Wilson (U.S. 2020/0392923 )
Regarding Claim 2, Wilson teaches the invention as claimed and as discussed above for claim 1, and Wilson further teaches
the thrust reverser 12 comprises at least one mechanical rotary control member 26 (link 26) of the mobile frame 26 for deploying the obturator membrane 24 ([0094]; Figs. 1A-B).
Regarding Claim 3, Wilson teaches the invention as claimed and as discussed above for claim 2, and Wilson further teaches
the mechanical rotary control member 26 includes a first end [n] articulated on the fixed wall [k] internally radially delimiting the secondary flow duct 18, as well as a second end [p], opposite the first [n], articulated on the mobile frame 26 for deploying the obturator membrane 24, the mechanical control member 26 preferably being a connecting rod 26 (link 26) ([0094], Annotated Fig. 1B, below).
PNG
media_image2.png
531
827
media_image2.png
Greyscale
Figure B: Annotated Fig. 1B of Wilson (U.S. 2020/0392923 )
Regarding Claim 9, Wilson teaches the invention as claimed and as discussed above for claim 1, and Wilson further teaches
A nacelle 16 for an aircraft propulsion unit 10, comprising at least one fan cowl (inherent from “a fan (not shown)”), as well as a thrust reverser 12 according to claim 1 (see rejection of claim 1 above) ([0092]; Figs. 1A-B).
Regarding Claim 10, Wilson teaches the invention as claimed and as discussed above for claim 9, and Wilson further teaches
A propulsion unit 10 for an aircraft (aircraft), comprising a turbomachine 10 and a nacelle 16 according to claim 9 (see rejection of claim 9 above) ([0092]; Figs. 1A-B).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4 and 7 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Claims 5-6 and 8 are objected to as being dependent upon the objected claims 4 and 7, respectively.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Prior art does not teach or fairly suggest, either by itself or in combination with other prior art, and in combination with the other limitations of the dependent claim 4, recitation “the membrane adopts a deflated configuration when it is fitted into the internal storage space of the reverser mobile cowl … and an inflated configuration when it is deployed in the secondary flow duct with the mobile structure.” disclosed in the specification, p. 14, ll. 10-19 and Figs. 2, 4, & 15-16.
Prior art does not teach or fairly suggest, either by itself or in combination with other prior art, and in combination with the other limitations of the dependent claim 7, recitation “the mobile frame has a general U-shape, with the two free ends of the U pivotingly mounted on the reverser mobile cowl.” disclosed in the specification, p. 11, ll. 6-15 and Fig. 3.
18.
Closest prior art of Aten 20150107222, Song 20210108594, Byrne 20150308381, Howarth 20170321632, Presz 6311928, and Gonidec 6151884 all teach similar thrust reversers with movable reverse cowl.
However, Aten, Song, Byrne, Howarth, Presz, and Gonidec does not teach or fairly suggest, either by itself or in combination with other prior art, and in combination with the other limitations of the dependent claims 4 and 7, the recitations cited above.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JACEK LISOWSKI whose telephone number is (408) 918-7635. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday - Friday 10 am - 6 pm PST.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Phutthiwat Wongwian can be reached on (571) 270-5426. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov.
Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free).
If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/JACEK LISOWSKI/Examiner, Art Unit 3741
Prosecution Insights