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 office action is in response to applicants election without traverse on June 16, 2005. As a result of that election, the application was transferred to Art Unit 3746. The Examiner in AU 3746 has chosen to withdraw the restriction and examine all pending claims since the search for such claims is substantially coextensive.
Claim Objections
Claim 8 is objected to because of the following informalities:
-In claim 1, line 1, “the hose” should be changed to ---the house---. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-4, 6-13, and 15-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Adamson et al. (Adamson) (Patent/Publication Number US 2020/0386249).
Regarding claims 1-2 and 10-13, Adamson discloses a hydraulic a method and system (102, 108, 200, 400) for an aircraft (100) configured to supply and drain hydraulic operating liquid from hydraulically operated components within the aircraft (100) (e.g. See Paragraphs [0031] FIG. 2 is a block diagram depicting the layout and operation of an airplane hydraulic system in which illustrative embodiments can be implemented. Airplane hydraulic system 200 is an example of hydraulic system 102 depicted in FIG. 1. In this example, the hydraulic system 200 comprises two self-contained subsystems/circuits: hydraulic subsystem A 202 and hydraulic subsystem B 222. Hydraulic subsystem A 202 and hydraulic subsystem B 222 are examples of hydraulic circuits 104 in FIG. 1.) (e.g. See Paragraphs [0024-0025; 0031-0032; 0037]), the hydraulic system including: an inlet port (112, 216, 236) within the aircraft configured to connect to an inlet hose coupled to a source of the hydraulic operating liquid external to the aircraft (e.g. See Paragraphs [0030-0032, 0046-0048]); a pump (210, 230) within the aircraft fluidically coupled to the inlet port and configured to pump the hydraulic operating liquid to the hydraulically operated components (e.g. See Paragraphs [0037, 0039, 0047-0048]); an outlet port (214, 234) within the aircraft fluidically coupled to the hydraulically operated components and configured to receive the hydraulic operating liquid from the hydraulically operated components, wherein the outlet port is configured to connect to a receiver of the hydraulic operating liquid external to the aircraft (e.g. See Paragraphs [0037] As shown in FIG. 3, when PEOC 300 is connected to airplane hydraulic system 200, fluid lines 212, 232 are removed, and the hydraulic fluid is instead routed through PEOC heat exchangers 310, 320 between the reservoirs 208, 228 and pumps 210, 230. Hoses 314, 314 of heat exchanger A 310 are connected to the same quick disconnects 214, 216 to which fluid line 212 is normally connected. Similarly, hoses 322, 324 of heat exchanger B 320 are connected to quick disconnects 234, 236 in place of fluid line 232.), and a control system (408, 104, 114, 134) within the aircraft configured control the pump to adjust a pressure or flow rate of the hydraulic operating liquid flowing to the aircraft components (e.g. See Paragraphs [0030] The pressure switch 132 is built in to the PEOC 122 to protect the EMDP 108 from insufficient head pressure at the return side suction port 112. Insufficient pressure may lead to pump damage from cavitation. The airplane hydraulic reservoirs 120 typically must be pressurized with air to at least 20 psig (pounds per square inch gauge). If reservoir air pressure drops below 20 psig, the audio/visual alarm indicator 136 is activated by control logic 134 to alert the operators.) (e.g. See Paragraphs [0025, 0028-0030, 0042, 0051]).
Regarding claim 3, Adamson further discloses a controlling system configured to control the pressure and/or the flow rate in the hydraulic system using the system pumping device in a test mode (e.g. See Paragraphs [0020-0021, 0048]).
Regarding claim 4, Adamson further discloses a system deaeration device (122) configured to release gas from the operating fluid in the hydraulic system (e.g. See Paragraphs [0027] The portable external oil cooler (PEOC) 122 provides cooling for the hydraulic fluid when the hydraulic system 102 has to be operated under conditions of empty fuel tanks such as HSFTs performed during manufacture or maintenance. PEOC 122 connects to the hydraulic system 102 via hoses 124 and draws hydraulic fluid from the reservoir 120 and cools it with air-cooled heat exchangers 126 before sending the fluid to the return side 112 of EMDP 108.) (e.g. See Paragraphs [0023, 0026-0027, 0038, 0047]).
Regarding claim 6, Adamson further discloses wherein the operating fluid is pumped to a system outlet of the hydraulic system and discarded from the hydraulic system through the system outlet (e.g. See Paragraphs [0035-0039]).
Regarding claim 7, Adamson further discloses a house (400, 408) configured to conduct the operating fluid and is connected to the system inlet and/or a system outlet of the hydraulic system (e.g. See Paragraphs [0037] As shown in FIG. 3, when PEOC 300 is connected to airplane hydraulic system 200, fluid lines 212, 232 are removed, and the hydraulic fluid is instead routed through PEOC heat exchangers 310, 320 between the reservoirs 208, 228 and pumps 210, 230. Hoses 314, 314 of heat exchanger A 310 are connected to the same quick disconnects 214, 216 to which fluid line 212 is normally connected. Similarly, hoses 322, 324 of heat exchanger B 320 are connected to quick disconnects 234, 236 in place of fluid line 232.) (e.g. See Paragraphs [0037-0045]).
Regarding claim 8, Adamson further discloses wherein the house includes a hose pumping device (312, 314, 322, 324, 404, 406) configured to pump the operating fluid to the system pumping device when the hose is connected to the system inlet (e.g. See Paragraphs [0037] As shown in FIG. 3, when PEOC 300 is connected to airplane hydraulic system 200, fluid lines 212, 232 are removed, and the hydraulic fluid is instead routed through PEOC heat exchangers 310, 320 between the reservoirs 208, 228 and pumps 210, 230. Hoses 314, 314 of heat exchanger A 310 are connected to the same quick disconnects 214, 216 to which fluid line 212 is normally connected. Similarly, hoses 322, 324 of heat exchanger B 320 are connected to quick disconnects 234, 236 in place of fluid line 232.) (e.g. See Paragraphs [0037-0039, 0042]).
Regarding claim 9, Adamson further discloses a mobile reservoir (208, 228, 310, 320) configured for the operating fluid, wherein the hose is configured to fluidly connect the mobile reservoir with the system inlet and/or a system outlet of the hydraulic system (e.g. See Paragraphs [0037-0039, 0047-0048]).
Regarding claim 15, Adamson further discloses a sensor monitoring a pressure (132, 414) or a flow rate of the hydraulic operating liquid flowing from one or more of the hydraulically operated components to the outlet port, wherein the control system controls the pump to adjust the pressure or the flow rate of the hydraulically operating liquid flowing from the pump to the hydraulically operated components (e.g. See Paragraphs [0051] Monitoring 630 also comprises monitoring (step 622), by the pressure sensor 132 in the external cooling system, an air pressure in the hydraulic fluid reservoir and activating (step 624) the alarm if the air pressure is below a specified threshold of 20 psig. If the pressure does not fall below the specified threshold the system continues to monitor the pressure (step 622).) (e.g. See Paragraphs [0028-0030, 0042, 0049, 0051]).
Regarding claim 16, Adamson further discloses wherein the hydraulically operated components are all of the hydraulically operated components in the aircraft (e.g. See Paragraphs [0023-0025]).
Regarding claim 17, Adamson further discloses wherein the inlet port and an outlet port are configured for connection to the inlet hose and the outlet hose, respectively, which both extend from the aircraft to an on-ground mobile cart including the source of the hydraulic operating liquid and the receiver of the hydraulic operating liquid (e.g. See Paragraphs [0037-0039, 0042]).
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 5 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Adamson et al. (Adamson) (Patent/Publication Number US 2020/0386249) in view of Pepper et al. (Pepper) (Patent/Publication Number US 2022/0169367).
Regarding claims 5 and14, Adamson discloses all the claimed limitation as discussed above except a fluid filtering device configured to filter the operating fluid in the hydraulic system.
Pepper teaches that it is conventional in the art, to use a fluid filtering device (124, 126) configured to filter the operating fluid in a hydraulic system (100, 110, 170) (e.g. See Paragraphs [0044] FIG. 5 illustrates the result of a failure in the first hydraulic power pack 110A of FIG. 1. In the example shown, the failure occurs at the pump 120 or motor 122 of the first power pack 110A. In other examples, the failure could occur at the high pressure filter module 124 or elsewhere along the high pressure line. .....) (e.g. See Paragraphs [0021, 0025, 0027, 0044]).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made, to use a fluid filtering device configured to filter the operating fluid in the hydraulic system Adamson, as taught by Pepper for the purpose of trapping the particle matters in the fluid supplying system, and preventing failure in the fluid pumping system, and further improve the performance and the efficiency of the fluid pumping system, since the use thereof would have been routinely practiced by those with ordinary skill in the art to maintain high purification efficiency of a hydraulic supplying system.
Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure and consists of seven patents:
Celest et al. (Pat./Pub. No. US 11365004), Krane et al. (Pat./Pub. No. US 2022/0228609), Fox et al. (Pat./Pub. No. US 2021/0276695), Doten et al. (Pat./Pub. No. US 10195471), Huynh et al. (Pat./Pub. No. US 2018/0022441), Ramage et al. (Pat./Pub. No. US 6874734), and Wise et al. (Pat./Pub. No. US 6688402), all discloses a hydraulic system in an aircraft fluid supplying system.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Primary Examiner Binh Tran whose telephone number is (571) 272-4865. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisors, Mark Laurenzi, can be reach on (571) 270-7878. The fax phone numbers for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned are (571) 273-8300 for regular communications and for After Final communications.
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Binh Q. Tran
/BINH Q TRAN/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3748
August 23, 2025