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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 6/25/26 has been entered.
Claim Status
Claims 1, 3-5 and 8-14 are pending. Examiner acknowledges Applicant’s amendments to claims 1, 3, 10 and 12, canceled claims 2, 6 and 7 and new claim 14.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1, 3-5 and 8-14 have been considered but are moot because of the new ground of rejection set forth below.
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 and 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Powell U.S. Patent No. 1,616,390.
With regard to claim 1, and as shown in Fig 4, Powell discloses a fuel stringer duct connector for connecting a fluid flow duct to a fuel stringer duct, the fuel stringer duct connector comprising (as shown in Fig 4 below):
a body, the body comprising
a first opening on a first face,
a second opening on a second face, the second face configured for connection with the fluid flow duct,
an internal channel for fluid passage between the first opening and the second opening, and
a flange that surrounds the first opening on the first face, the flange configured for insertion into a hole formed in a wall of the fuel stringer duct (where the flange is capable of being configured to be inserted into a hole in a wall of a fuel stringer duct), wherein an outer surface of the flange is provided with a first sealing member that surrounds the flange, the first sealing member configured to form a seal between the outer surface of the flange and an internal surface of the hole formed in the wall of the fuel stringer duct (wherein the seal is capable of being configured to form a seal between internal and external surfaces),
wherein the first sealing member is spaced apart from the first face of the body (where the first sealing member is spaced axially apart from the first face of the body as shown in Fig 4), and
wherein the fuel stringer duct connector comprises bridging members that extend from the body at opposing sides of the first opening, the bridging members configured to bridge over the fuel stringer duct at either side of the fuel stringer duct, wherein the bridging members comprise a foot for securing the fuel stringer duct connector to a surface at either side of the fuel stringer duct.
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With regard to claim 14, and as shown in Fig 4, Powell discloses a fuel stringer duct connector for connecting a fluid flow duct to a fuel stringer duct, the fuel stringer duct connector comprising (as shown in Fig 4 below):
a body, the body comprising
a first opening on a first face,
a second opening on a second face, the second face configured for connection with the fluid flow duct,
an internal channel for fluid passage between the first opening and the second opening, and
a flange that surrounds the first opening on the first face, the flange configured for insertion into a hole formed in a wall of the fuel stringer duct (where the flange is capable of being configured to be inserted into a hole in a wall of a fuel stringer duct), wherein an outer surface of the flange is provided with a first sealing member that surrounds the flange, the first sealing member configured to form a seal between the outer surface of the flange and an internal surface of the hole formed in the wall of the fuel stringer duct,
wherein the first sealing member is spaced apart from the first face of the body (where the first sealing member is spaced axially apart from the first face of the body as shown in Fig 4), and
wherein the fuel stringer duct connector is provided with holes for fastening the fuel stringer duct connector to the fuel stringer duct.
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Claim(s) 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Vogl U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2019/0017643 A1.
With regard to claim 14, and as shown in Fig 10, Powell discloses a fuel stringer duct connector for connecting a fluid flow duct to a fuel stringer duct, the fuel stringer duct connector comprising (as shown in Fig 10 below):
a body, the body comprising
a first opening on a first face,
a second opening on a second face, the second face configured for connection with the fluid flow duct,
an internal channel for fluid passage between the first opening and the second opening, and
a flange that surrounds the first opening on the first face, the flange configured for insertion into a hole formed in a wall of the fuel stringer duct, wherein an outer surface of the flange is provided with a first sealing member that surrounds the flange, the first sealing member configured to form a seal between the outer surface of the flange and an internal surface of the hole formed in the wall of the fuel stringer duct,
wherein the first sealing member is spaced apart from the first face of the body (as shown in Fig 10), and
wherein the fuel stringer duct connector is provided with holes for fastening the fuel stringer duct connector to the fuel stringer duct.
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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.
Claim(s) 3-5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Powell.
With regard to claim 3, Powell discloses the claimed invention but does not disclose that the first sealing member is spaced apart from the first face of the body by between approximately 2 and 6 millimeters.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the first sealing member be spaced apart from the first face of the body by between approximately 2 and 6 millimeters with a reasonable expectation of success to allow for a more secure connection and because a change in the size of a prior art device is a design consideration within the skill of the art. In re Rose, 220 F.2d 459, 105 USPQ 237 (CCPA 1955).
With regard to claim 4, Powell discloses the claimed invention but does not disclose that the first sealing member is an o-ring.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the first sealing member be an o-ring with a reasonable expectation as o-rings provide good sealing protection, are readily available and because it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to select a known element for use on the basis of its suitability for the intended use as a matter of obvious design choice.
With regard to claim 5, Powell discloses the claimed invention but does not disclose that the outer surface of the flange is formed with a groove which extends around a circumference of the flange and the o-ring is situated within the groove.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the outer surface of the flange be formed with a groove which extends around a circumference of the flange and to have the o-ring be situated within the groove with a reasonable expectation to engage the o-ring securely and because a change in the shape of a prior art device is a design consideration within the level of skill of one skilled in the art. In re Dailey, 357 F.2d 669, 149 USPQ 47 (CCPA 1966).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8-13 are allowed. Claims 12 and 13 were previously allowed.
With regard to claim 8, the prior art of record does not teach an aircraft structure comprising a fuel stringer duct and the fuel stringer duct connector according to claim 1 wherein the flange of the fuel stringer duct connector is positioned within the hole, and the first sealing member forms a seal between the outer surface of the flange and an internal surface of the hole, the first sealing member being positioned between opposing surfaces of the wall.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to FANNIE KEE whose telephone number is (571)272-1820. The examiner can normally be reached 8am-5pm.
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/F.K./Examiner, Art Unit 3679
/Matthew Troutman/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3679
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