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 § 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 20-21 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.
Regarding claim 20, the limitation “an axial extending line of the inlet cone ” makes the claim indefinite because the scope of this limitation is not clear from the claim language (i.e. where does this line extend from and to?), because the figures do not point out this line and because the specification does not further describe the manner in which this line extends beyond a reiteration of the claim language. As such one of ordinary skill in the art would not understand to scope of this claim as written.
Claim 21 is rejected for depending on rejected claim 20.
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.
(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.
Claim(s) 12-16, 18, 20, and 22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Asselin (US 4863354 A).
Regarding claim 12, Asselin (US 4863354 A) discloses an inlet cone (Asselin, figure 1, item 14), comprising a main body (Asselin, figure 1, item 9) and a nose cone portion (Asselin, figure 1, item 15),
wherein the main body comprises an outer wall (Asselin, figure 1, item 2, see callout below); the nose cone portion is connected to an end portion of the outer wall (Asselin, figures 1-2, item 38); and an outer side surface of the nose cone portion has a first outer profile line (Asselin, figure 1, item 15, see callout below, outer side of nose cone creates an outer profile line), and an outer side surface of the outer wall has a second outer profile line (Asselin, figure 1, item 9, see callout below, outer side of hub outer wall defines a second outer profile), the second outer profile line being curved and drawn down towards an axis of the main body in a direction away from the first outer profile line (Asselin, figure 1, items 9 and 15, see callout below, main body extends is curved downstream aftwards of the 1st outer profile line).
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Regarding claim 13, Asselin discloses the inlet cone according to claim 12, wherein the second outer profile line is smoothly joined with and tangent to the first outer profile line (Asselin, figures 1-2, items 9 and 15, see callout above, smooth joining between profiles).
Regarding claim 14, Asselin discloses the inlet cone according to claim 12, wherein the main body further comprises an inner wall (Asselin, figure 1, item 21, see callout above, inner cone) arranged at the end portion of the outer wall, and a through hole is formed in the inner wall (Asselin, figure 1, item 36, see callout above, through holes); and the nose cone portion is sleeved on an outer side of the inner wall in a clearance-fit manner to form an airflow channel (Asselin, figure 1, item 37), and an air hole is formed in the nose cone portion (Asselin, figure 1, item 38).
Regarding claim 15, Asselin discloses the inlet cone according to claim 14, wherein the inner wall is cone-shaped (Asselin, figure 1, item 21, inner wall has a cone shape) and has a cone tip facing the nose cone portion (Asselin, figure 1, items 24 and 15, housing at tip of inner wall facing the nose cone), and the through hole is arranged at a conical tip portion of the inner wall (Asselin, figure 1, items 36, through holes at a conical tip portion of the inner wall).
Regarding claim 16, Asselin discloses the inlet cone according to claim 15, wherein two or more through holes are provided (Asselin, figure 1, items 36, col 5 lines 29-33, plural openings provided).
Regarding claim 18, Asselin discloses the inlet cone according to claim 14, wherein the air hole is arranged at an end portion of the nose cone portion close to the outer wall (Asselin, figure 1, items 38, through holes at aft end of nose cone portion near outer wall).
Regarding claim 20, Asselin discloses the inlet cone according to claim 18, wherein the main body further comprises a transition section (Asselin, figure 2, items 9 and 11), the inner wall is connected to the outer wall via the transition section (Asselin, figure 2, items 9 and 11, inner wall and outer wall connections are shown), and an angle between the transition section and an axial extending line of the inlet cone is an acute angle (Asselin, figure 2, items 9 and 11, indefinite; as best understood the angle between the transition section and a line extending from a point on the central axis of the cone and the transition section could be an acute angle).
Regarding claim 22, Asselin discloses an aero-engine, comprising an inlet cone according to claim 12 (Asselin, abstract, nose cowl for a turbojet engine).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Asselin (US 4863354 A) as applied to claim 16 above, and further in view of Xu (CN 112855347 A).
Regarding claim 17, Asselin discloses the inlet cone according to claim 16, except:
wherein the plurality of through holes are evenly arranged and equally spaced at the conical tip portion of the inner wall.
Xu (CN 112855347 A) teaches a plurality of through holes are evenly arranged and equally spaced at the conical tip portion of the wall (Xu, figure 1, item 10).
Asselin and Xu are both considered analogous art as they are both in the same field of aircraft inlet de-icing systems. It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the application for one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the arrangement of through holes of Asselin with the evenly arranged and equally spaced through holes of Xu with a reasonable expectation of success in order to provide a consistent/even airflow, thereby reducing hot or cold stops on the nose cone surface.
Claim(s) 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Asselin (US 4863354 A) as applied to claim 18 above, and further in view of Xu (CN 112855347 A).
Regarding claim 19, Asselin discloses the inlet cone according to claim 18, wherein a plurality of air holes are provided (Asselin, figure 1, items 38, col 5 lines 35-38) except:
wherein the air holes are evenly arranged in a circumferential direction of the nose cone portion.
Xu (CN 112855347 A) teaches a plurality air holes which are evenly arranged in a circumferential direction of the nose cone portion (Xu, figure 1, item 10).
Asselin and Xu are both considered analogous art as they are both in the same field of aircraft inlet de-icing systems. It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the application for one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the arrangement of air holes of Asselin with the air holes evenly arranged around a circumference of Xu with a reasonable expectation of success in order to provide a consistent/even airflow, thereby reducing hot or cold stops on the nose cone surface.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
CN 110529255 A teaches inner and outer cone with inner cone injecting air into cavities between cones
CN 112855348 A/ CN 113090391 A teach inner and outer cone arrangements
CN 113882952 A teaches inner cone and outer cone with interface between the two after the ejection area on outer cone
US 2503451 A teaches inner and outer cone for de-icing, but no ejection out of cone
US 4546604 A teaches inner and outer cones, where inner cone has a hole to to another inner cavity
US 7658077 B2 teaches an outer and inner cone forming a cavity with hot air inserted injected into cavity through inner cone at its tip; air is ejected at a base of the outer cone
US 10968827 B2 teaches a nose with ejection of air at an angle matching contour of nose, but no clear transition section
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RYAN ANDREW YANKEY whose telephone number is (571)272-9979. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 8:30 - 5:00.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Joshua Michener can be reached at (571) 272-1467. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/RYAN ANDREW YANKEY/Examiner, Art Unit 3642 /JOSHUA J MICHENER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3642
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