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 information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 24 October 2024 and 23 April 2026 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claims 5 and 13 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Re claim 5, claim line 3: The phrase “the outer surface” lacks antecedent basis.
Re claim 13, claim line 3: The phrase “the outer surface” lacks antecedent basis.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 9-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Re claim 9, claim lines 1 and 4: The term “high-enthalpy flow” is a relative term which renders the claim indefinite. The term “high-enthalpy flow” is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention. It is unclear from the disclosure what flow is required to meet the claim language of “high-enthalpy flow” such that the metes and bounds of the term are unknown. Since this is the case, the term as well as the claim are deemed to be indefinite.
Re claim 17, claim line 2: The term “high-enthalpy flow” is a relative term which renders the claim indefinite. The term “high-enthalpy flow” is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention. It is unclear from the disclosure what flow is required to meet the claim language of “high-enthalpy flow” such that the metes and bounds of the term are unknown. Since this is the case, the term as well as the claim are deemed to be indefinite.
NOTE: Claims 10-16 are rejected because of their dependence from claim 9.
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.
Claims 1-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over “Surface Catalysis and Oxidation on Stagnation Point Heat Flux Measurements in High Enthalpy Arc Jets” (Nawaz et al.) in view of CN 113155404.
With respect to the limitations of claim 1, Nawaz et al. disclose a non-catalytic calorimeter comprising:
a conductive structure having a sensing surface (copper slug having a sensing surface – Figure 3);
a sensor secured to the conductive structure, the sensor having a sensing element that senses environment conditions adjacent to the sensing surface of the conductive structure (slug calorimeter monitor the temperature induced in a slug over time – page 4, section Slug Calorimeter); and
an electrically insulating coating applied to the sensing surface of the conductive structure (slug is sputtered with a silicon oxide coating to achieve a surface material – page 6, section Vapor Deposition: SiO2 coating of copper slugs). Nawaz et al. disclose use of a temperature sensor, but fails to disclose the specific location of the sensor; and thus, fail to expressly disclose a sensor secured to the conductive structure beneath the sensing surface.
CN 113155404 discloses a traditional plug type calorimeter (Figure 1) having a copper plug located within a recess of a holder, such that the plug is located beneath a sensing surface of the holder. Modifying the placement of the sensor to beneath the conductive surface would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing the invention as a means of measuring the temperature of the conductive surface while being protected from the air flow impacting the conductive structure.
With respect to the limitations of claims 2 and 3, the combination (Nawaz et al.) further discloses that the conductive structure is a metal plate formed of copper (a copper slug is utilized as the conductive structure – Figure 3).
With respect to the limitation of claim 4, the combination (CN 113155404) further disclose that the sensor is a thermocouple (description of Figure 1 discloses that the traditional plug type calorimeter composed of a thermocouple).
With respect to the limitation of claim 5, the combination fail to expressly disclose the thickness of the conductive structure or the depth of sensor placement below the sensing surface; however, the Examiner argues that both of these features are well within the purview of one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing the invention as a way of maximizing the sensing capabilities of the system.
With respect to the limitations of claims 6 and 7, the combination (Nawaz et al.) further discloses that the coating is a ceramic coating comprised of silicon oxide or silicon nitride (slug is sputtered with a silicon oxide coating to achieve a surface material – page 6, section Vapor Deposition: SiO2 coating of copper slugs).
With respect to the limitation of claim 8, the combination (Nawaz et al.) further discloses that the coating has a thickness of between one and one hundred microns (deposition layer is approximately 10nm thick; however, the Examiner argues that the thickness is a feature is a choice of design that is well within the purview of one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing the invention).
With respect to the limitations of claim 9, Nawaz et al. disclose a system providing a high-enthalpy flow, comprising:
a nozzle that includes a converging inlet segment having a cathode, a diverging outlet segment having an anode, and a constricted neck segment connecting with the inlet segment and the outlet segment, wherein the nozzle generates a high-enthalpy flow (a power supply is utilized to generate heat in the nozzle, wherein the nozzle comprises a converging inlet segment, a diverging outlet segment, and a constricted neck segment connecting with the inlet segment and the outlet segment between electrodes - Figure 1);
a test chamber coupled to the outlet segment (a test chamber receives the flow from the nozzle – Figure 1); and
a non-catalytic calorimeter within the test chamber, the non-catalytic calorimeter including:
a conductive structure having a sensing surface (copper slug calorimeter having a sensing surface is placed within a test chamber downstream of a nozzle – pages 1-2, section: Introduction and Motivation and Figures 1 and 3);
a sensor secured to the conductive structure, the sensor having a sensing element that senses environment conditions adjacent to the sensing surface of the conductive structure (a temperature sensor is utilized to monitor a temperature change over time); and
an electrically insulating coating applied to the sensing surface of the conductive structure (slug is sputtered with silicon oxide coating to achieve a surface material – page 6, section Vapor Deposition: SiO2 coating of copper slugs). Nawaz et al. disclose use of a temperature sensor, but fails to disclose the specific location of the sensor; and thus, fail to expressly disclose a sensor secured to the conductive structure beneath the sensing surface.
CN 113155404 discloses a traditional plug type calorimeter (Figure 1) having a copper plug located within a recess of a holder, such that the plug is located beneath a sensing surface of the holder. Modifying the placement of the sensor to beneath the conductive surface would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing the invention as a means of measuring the temperature of the conductive surface while being protected from the air flow impacting the conductive structure.
With respect to the limitations of claims 10 and 11, the combination (Nawaz et al.) further discloses that the conductive structure is a metal plate formed of copper (a copper slug is utilized as the conductive structure – Figure 3).
With respect to the limitation of claim 12, the combination (CN 113155404) further disclose that the sensor is a thermocouple (description of Figure 1 discloses that the traditional plug type calorimeter composed of a thermocouple).
With respect to the limitation of claim 13, the combination fail to expressly disclose the thickness of the conductive structure or the depth of sensor placement below the sensing surface; however, the Examiner argues that both of these features are well within the purview of one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing the invention as a way of maximizing the sensing capabilities of the system.
With respect to the limitations of claims 14 and 15, the combination (Nawaz et al.) further discloses that the coating is a ceramic coating comprised of silicon oxide or silicon nitride (slug is sputtered with a silicon oxide coating to achieve a surface material – page 6, section Vapor Deposition: SiO2 coating of copper slugs).
With respect to the limitation of claim 16, the combination (Nawaz et al.) further discloses that the coating has a thickness of between one and one hundred microns (deposition layer is approximately 10nm thick; however, the Examiner argues that the thickness is a feature is a choice of design that is well within the purview of one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing the invention).
With respect to the limitations of claim 17, Nawaz et al. disclose a method of measuring environment conditions in a test chamber that produces a high enthalpy flow, comprising:
positioning a non-catalytic calorimeter in the test chamber, downstream of a nozzle, wherein the non-catalytic calorimeter includes a conductive structure having a sensing surface (copper slug calorimeter having a sensing surface is placed within a test chamber downstream of a nozzle – pages 1-2, section: Introduction and Motivation and Figures 1 and 3);
a sensor secured to the conductive structure, the sensor having a sensing element that senses the environment conditions adjacent to the sensing surface of the conductive structure (a temperature sensor is utilized to monitor a temperature change over time); and an electrically insulating coating applied to the sensing surface of the conductive structure (slug is sputtered with silicon oxide coating to achieve a surface material – page 6, section Vapor Deposition: SiO2 coating of copper slugs);
generating heat via a heat source in the nozzle, wherein the nozzle includes a converging inlet segment, a diverging outlet segment, and a constricted neck segment connecting with the inlet segment and the outlet segment (a power supply is utilized to generate heat in the nozzle, wherein the nozzle comprises a converging inlet segment, a diverging outlet segment, and a constricted neck segment connecting with the inlet segment and the outlet segment between electrodes - Figure 1);
generating a flow by directing a gas flow into the nozzle and such that the flow receives heat generated from the heat source, and directing the flow into the test chamber (Figure 1); and
measuring the environment conditions in the test chamber with the non-catalytic calorimeter while the flow is directed into the test chamber (slug calorimeter is used to determine the heat flux by using the temperature rise in a thermally insulated slug to determine the heat transfer rate – Figures 1 and 2). Nawaz et al. disclose use of a temperature sensor, but fails to disclose the specific location of the sensor; and thus, fail to expressly disclose a sensor secured to the conductive structure beneath the sensing surface.
CN 113155404 discloses a traditional plug type calorimeter (Figure 1) having a copper plug located within a recess of a holder, such that the plug is located beneath a sensing surface of the holder. Modifying the placement of the sensor to beneath the conductive surface would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing the invention as a means of measuring the temperature of the conductive surface while being protected from the air flow impacting the conductive structure.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
The prior art disclose various calorimeters that comprise a conductive structure having a sensing surface and a sensor secured to the conductive surface.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL SEAN LARKIN whose telephone number is 571-272-2198. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:00 AM - 5:30 PM.
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, Laura Sweeney can be reached at 571-272-2160. 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.
/DANIEL S LARKIN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2855
Prosecution Insights