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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The IDS documents submitted 10/3/2024 and 5/6/2025 are acknowledged and have been considered.
Drawings
The drawings submitted 10/3/2024 are acknowledged and acceptable.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election with traverse of Group I (claims 1-4) in the reply filed on 6/23/2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that “the reasoning is inconsistent with the claims”. This is not found persuasive because Examiner asserts that the claims of Group I are generally directed to a gas generator capable of use in any of various capacities, while the process claims (claims 5-11) explicitly require testing a pneumatic deicing system. The product of claims 1-4 can be utilized in a manner completely different than that presented with the process of claims 5-11.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Claims 6-11 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
Claim(s) 1-4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a as being anticipated by Nakamura et al. (U.S. Patent Application Publication 2023/0012473).
In regards to claim 1, Nakamura et al (henceforth referred to as Nakamura) disclose a gas generator. Nakamura describes a gas generating device as depicted in figure 1, comprising:
a propellant storage unit. The device of Nakamura shown in figure 1 constitutes a propellant unit;
a combustion chamber, wherein the combustion chamber further comprises an ignitor. The device of Nakamura includes an igniter (item 5a) including a combustion chamber where the propellant charge burns to form a gas; and a residual collector, wherein the residual collector is coupled to the combustion chamber. The device of Nakamura includes a collector that collects the propellant gas.
In regards to claim 2, Nakamura discloses that the propellant storage unit further
comprises a propellant, wherein the propellant is configured to be transferred from the propellant storage unit to the combustion chamber, wherein the ignitor is configured to contact the propellant, wherein the propellant is a sodium-based propellant. The propellant storage component of the device of Nakamura includes a propellant gas generating agent that is placed in the chamber and ignited using the propellant of the attached igniter (par. 28, item 5a). Nakamura teaches using a sodium nitrate combustion agent (par. 26).
In regards to claim 3, Nakamura discloses a power supply (energizing circuit, item 4), wherein the power supply is configured to send an electric pulse into the gas generator, wherein the ignitor is configured to supply the electric pulse to the propellant, wherein the electric pulse is configured to pass through the propellant, wherein the propellant is configured to decompose in response to the electric pulse passing through the propellant. The energizing circuit of Nakamura provides current to the propellant at least of the igniter and initiates decomposition.
In regards to claim 4, Nakamura discloses that the decomposed propellant is configured to be liberated as a high-pressure gas, wherein the gas generator is configured to expel the high pressure gas, wherein the high-pressure gas is a high pressure nitrogen gas. The system of Nakamura includes decomposition of the propellant to liberate high nitrogen-based pressure gas.
Summary/Conclusion
Claims 1-4 are rejected and claims 5-11 are withdrawn.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BENJAMIN P LEE whose telephone number is (571)272-8968. The examiner can normally be reached between the hours of 8:30am and 5:00pm on Monday through Friday.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Troy Chambers can be reached on 571-272-6874. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free).
/BENJAMIN P LEE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3641
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