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.
Claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kawachi et al., U.S. 8,857,800.
Regarding claim 1, Kawachi et al. discloses an assembly for an aircraft (col. 1. lines 14-16; functional assembly for a vehicular fuel tank) having a first mount (fig 1, support portion 18, divided rubber cylinders 14a, 14b; col. 4, lines 41-53) with a first mount aperture (bore of the divided rubber cylinders 14a, 14b),
a second mount (fig 1, mounting piece 16; col. 4, lines 46-53) with a second mount aperture (col. 7, lines 45-48, hole in mounting piece 16 for a bolt),
and a mounting assembly (fig 1, tank rubber cushion 10) connecting the first mount (support 18, rubber cylinders 14a, 14b) to the second mount (mounting piece 16 of a vehicle) along an axis while providing controlled intercomponent movement between the first mount and the second mount to reduce internal stress and/or wear (col. 2, lines 13-22),
the mounting assembly including an outer bushing (fig 1, inner axial member 12), an inner bushing (fig 1, cylinder portion 26; col. 5, lines 3-14) and a fastener (un-numbered bolt, fig 1, col. 7, lines 45-48),
the outer bushing bore (bore of member 12 surrounding cylinders 32, 34) projecting partially axially into the first mount aperture (bore of cylinders 14a, 14b) and located radially next to the first mount (member 12 is radially within the bore of the cylinders 14a, 14b),
the inner bushing including an inner bushing bore (bore of cylinder 26), an inner bushing base (cylinder 32, 34) and an inner bushing rim (flange 28) that projects radially out from the inner bushing base (32, 34), the inner bushing base (cylinders 32, 34) projecting axially through the outer bushing bore (bore of member 22) to axially engage the second mount (mount 16 to distal end of 32; 5, lines 10-14), the inner bushing base (cylinders 32, 34) radially between and next to the fastener (bolt not shown) and the outer bushing (member 12), and the inner bushing rim (flange 28) axially next to the first mount (fig 1, flange 28 next to 14a) with the first mount axially between the inner bushing rim (flange 28) and the second mount (body 16);
the fastener or bolt as noted above projecting axially through the second mount aperture and the inner bushing bore;
and a fluid reservoir structure (a fuel tank) being one of the first or second mounts.
Re: claim 2, the reference discloses the second mount (vehicle body 16) is axially between and contacts the inner bushing base (at distal end of 32) and a head of the fastener (bolt or fastener shown in figure 1).
Re: claim 3, the reference discloses the second mount (vehicle body 16) is clamped (via a bolt) axially between the inner bushing base (32) and a head of the fastener. Official Notice is taken that bolts have heads for fastening engagement.
Re: claim 4, the reference discloses the outer bushing (member 12) base (fig 1, connection cylinder 36; col. 5, lines 20-26) and an outer bushing rim (flange 38) that projects radially out from the outer bushing base (36), the outer bushing base projects partially axially into the first mount aperture (bore of 14b) towards the inner bushing rim (flange 28), and the outer bushing rim (flange 38) is axially next to the first mount (fig 1, 16 at 38) and the second mount (fig 1, 16 at 14b).
Re: claim 6, the reference discloses the outer bushing base (cylinder 36) is fixed to the first mount (col. 6, lines 10-25; fixed by compression fit including the radial direction) through a radial interference fit.
Re: claim 8, the reference discloses the fastener (bolt shown in figure 1) includes a head (at body 16); and a shank (at vertical centerline through figure 1) projecting axially out from the head and sequentially through the second mount (16) aperture and the inner bushing bore (bore of cylindrical portion 26).
Re: claim 9, the reference discloses the shank (shank of un-numbered bolt within 26) is radially next to (at distal end 32 of the inner bushing 26) the second mount (16).
Re: claim 10, the reference discloses the shank includes a threaded section (at nut below) and a shoulder section (below bolt head below) projecting axially through the second mount aperture (aperture at 16 and the inner bushing bore from the head to the threaded section (section at nut below) and the mounting assembly further includes a nut (nut shown below) threaded onto the threaded section (section at nut identified below) with the inner bushing (26) clamped axially between the nut and the first mount.
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Re: claim 11, the reference discloses the mounting assembly (10) further includes a washer (flat areas below bolts and nuts above) clamped axially between the nut and the inner bushing.
Re: claim 13, the reference discloses the washer and official notice is taken that washers are well known to have a uniform axial thickness extending radially from an inner side of the washer to an outer side of the washer. See cited reference U.S. Dickson et al., U.S. 7,261,365, fig 3, washer 46; col. 4, lines 13-18.
Re: claim 14, the reference discloses a housing structure (a fuel tank functionally for an air borne vehicle) for an aircraft engine of a first or second mount.
Regarding claim 15, Kawachi et al. discloses an aircraft or vehicle assembly for providing controlled intercomponent movement to reduce internal stress and/or wear as noted above having;
a first mount (14a-b, 18), a second mount (16) having apertures (apertures for the shank of the bolt),
an outer bushing (member 12) having an outer bushing bore (bore of extension 36) into the first mount aperture (aperture of 14a-b and 18),
an inner bushing (cylinder portion 26) including an inner bushing bore (bore for the shank of the bolt), an inner bushing base (cylinders 32, 34) and an inner bushing rim (flange 28) that projects radially out from the inner bushing base the inner bushing base projecting axially along the axis through the outer bushing bore (bore of member 12 and cylinder 36),
the inner bushing rim (flange 28) axially next to the first mount (fig 1 fore and aft of gap 52) with the first mount (14a-b, 18) axially between the inner bushing rim (28) and the second mount (16),
a fastener or bolt including a head (head of the bolt) and a shank (noted above) projecting axially along the axis out from the head and sequentially through the second mount aperture and the inner bushing bore to a distal end of the fastener; a washer (noted above) mounted on the shank; and a nut (see above depiction) threaded onto the shank to clamp the washer, the inner bushing and the second mount in a stack between the nut and the head.
Re: claim 16, the reference discloses the inner bushing (cylinder 26) extends axially along the axis from an inner bushing first end to an inner bushing second end; the inner bushing rim (flange 28) is located at the inner bushing first end; and an axial distance from the inner bushing rim (28) to the inner bushing second end is larger than an axial thickness (the axial length of member 12) of the outer bushing (member 12 is axially shorter than cylinder 26).
Re: claim 17, the reference discloses the shank (see picture above) includes a threaded section (section for the nut on the bolt) and a shoulder section (section at bolt head adjacent 16) connected axially between the threaded section and the head; the second mount (16) and the inner bushing (26) are mounted on the shoulder section (section at bolt head adjacent 16), the nut is threaded onto the threaded section, and an axial length of the shoulder section is smaller than a sum of an axial thickness of the second mount and an axial thickness of the inner bushing (the axial length of the area of the bolt head appears smaller than the axial length of 16 and 26).
Re: claim 18, the reference discloses a fluid reservoir structure (a fuel tank) comprising the first mount (14a-b, 18; col. 1, lines 14-16).
Re: claim 19, the reference discloses housing structure for an aircraft engine (a fuel tank functionally for an air borne vehicle) including the second mount (body 16).
Regarding claim 20, Kawachi et al. discloses an aircraft or air borne vehicle assembly for providing controlled intercomponent movement to reduce internal stress and/or wear (col. 2, lines 13-22),
a shoulder bolt (the bolt having a head and shoulder) including a head (top of the bolt), a threaded section (at the nut) and a shoulder section (the shank of the bolt) extending axially along an axis from the head to the threaded section; an inner bushing (cylinder 26) including an inner bushing base (cylinders 32, 34) and an inner bushing rim (flange 28) that projects radially out from the inner bushing base,
the inner bushing base mounted on the shoulder section (the cylinders are mounted between the bolt head and threaded nut), the inner bushing base (32, 34) extending axially along the axis from an inner bushing first end (at 14a) to an inner bushing second end (at 14b), the inner bushing second end (at 14b) located closer axially to the head (top of the bolt) than the inner bushing first end (end at 14a), and the inner bushing rim (flange 28) disposed at the inner bushing first end,
an outer bushing (12) including an outer bushing base (36) and an outer bushing rim (38) that projects radially out from the outer bushing base (36), the outer bushing base (36) mounted on the inner bushing base (32, 34), the outer bushing base (36) extending axially along the axis from an outer bushing first end (at step 30, fig 1) to an outer bushing second end (at 24, fig 1),
the outer bushing first end (at step 30, fig 1) located closer axially to the inner bushing rim (flange 28) than the outer bushing second end (at 24, fig 1), the outer bushing second end axially recessed (recessed area at metal fitting 22 between 36 and 38) along the inner bushing base from the inner bushing second end (at 24), and the outer bushing rim (38) disposed at the outer bushing second end,
a nut (shown above) threaded on the threaded section; and a washer (shown above) mounted on the shoulder bolt, the washer axially between and contacting the nut and the inner bushing (the figure above shows the nut substantially adjacent the flange 28).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5, 7 and 12 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KENNETH L THOMPSON whose telephone number is (571)272-7037. The examiner can normally be reached Weekdays; 9:00-5:00, est.
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9 June 2026
/KENNETH L THOMPSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3676
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