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 .
Notice to Applicant
Claims 1-16 have been examined in this application. This communication is the first action on the merits of these claims.
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.
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 1-9 and 12-16 are rejected under 35 USC 103 as being unpatentable over US Patent Number 4,735,841 to Sourdet in view of US Patent Application Number 2018/0218723 by Lin.
Regarding claim 1, Sourdet discloses a propulsion assembly for an aircraft, the propulsion assembly comprising:
A cowling panel (cowling 3) installed in a high temperature area of the propulsion assembly and providing a flameproof barrier, the cowling panel having a sandwich-like structure including:
A first skin (inner covering 5);
A second skin (outer covering 6); and
A central core connecting the first and second skins (honeycomb 7),
Wherein the first skin is made of a single first material, the first material having properties of mechanical resistance to high temperatures and of flameproof barrier allowing the first skin to withstand up to a temperature of 150ºC to 400ºC, and to be exposed directly to a flame without igniting or being passed through by the flame for at least 15 minutes (column 1, lines 15-18 disclose “With regard to this last point, the standard FAR 25 stipulates resistance of the cowling to a flame at a temperature of 1100º C for 15 minutes”).
Sourdet does not disclose the second skin is made of a second material which is different form the first material and is without the properties of the first material, and wherein the central core is made of one of the first and second materials or of a material different form the first and second materials. However, this limitation is taught by Lin. Lin discloses an aircraft nacelle panel 118, and paragraph 45 discloses a variety of materials for face sheet 202, back sheet 204, and core layer 200, but paragraphs 43 and 45 specifically also states that face sheet 202 can be made of materials such as additive manufacturing materials, wire mesh, and other porous materials that are unique to face sheet 202. It would be obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify Sourdet using the teachings from Lin in order to use different materials as needed to produce the desired materials properties in the different portions of the panel.
Regarding claim 2 (dependent on claim 1), Lin further teaches the cowling panel is made of metallic materials and wherein:
The first skin is a titanium or stainless steel plate (paragraph 45 lists a variety of materials including titanium and Figure 2 shows face sheet 202 being a plate);
The central core comprises at least one layer of aluminum alloy comprising regularly distributed spacers extending between the first and second skins (paragraph 45 lists a variety of materials including titanium, with first resonant cells 209 and second resonant cells 816 forming regularly distributed spacers extending between face sheet 202 and back sheet 204); and
The second skin is an aluminum alloy plate (paragraph 45 lists a variety of materials including aluminum and Figure 2 shows back sheet 204 being a plate).
Regarding claim 3 (dependent on claim 2), Sourdet as modified by Lin further teaches the first skin is able to withstand up to a temperature of 350 ºC to 400ºC. Sourdet suggests that the cowling should be able to withstand temperatures of up to 1100º C, and Lin discloses a variety of materials, such as titanium, that is able to withstand those temperatures.
Regarding claim 4 (dependent on claim 1)¸ Lin further teaches the cowling panel is made of thermoplastic materials (paragraph 45 discloses “face sheet 202, back sheet 204, and/or core layer 200 may be formed of thermoplastic materials”) and wherein:
The first skin is a composite plate made of thermoplastic material with a glass transition temperature above 140ºC (paragraph 45 discloses a variety of thermoplastic materials with a glass transition temperature above 140ºC, such as PEEK and Figure 2 shows face sheet 202 being a plate);
The central core comprises at least one layer of regularly distributed spacers extending between the first and second skins, the layer being made of a thermoplastic material having a glass transition temperature than that of the material of the first akin (first resonant cells 209 and second resonant cells 816 forming regularly distributed spacers extending between face sheet 202 and back sheet 204, and paragraph 45 discloses a variety of thermoplastic materials for core layer 200 having a glass transition temperature lower than PEEK, such as ABS); and
The second skin is a plate made from the same thermoplastic material as the central core (Figure 2 shows back sheet 204 being a plate, and paragraph 45 discloses a variety of thermoplastic materials for core 200 and back sheet 204, while paragraphs 43 and 45 suggests materials that are unique to face sheet 202, therefore providing a teaching to have face sheet 202 being a different material from core 200 and back sheet 204).
Regarding claim 5 (dependent on claim 4), Lin further teaches the first skin is made of Poly Ether Imide (paragraph 45 lists PEI as one of the thermoplastic materials) and is able to withstand a temperature of 150ºC to 210ºC (this is a material property of PEI).
Regarding claim 6 (dependent on claim 2)¸ Lin further teaches each layer of the at least one layer comprises spacers each having the general shape of a hollow pyramid with a flat truncated top and an open base whose sides are connected to the sides of the bases of the adjacent spacers by a wall of the at least one layer which is parallel to the skins and which extends between the pyramids. Figure 9 shows resonant cells 209 and second resonant cells 816 being formed by first cell walls 210 and second cell walls 818, with cells 209 having the general shape of hollow pyramids with a flat truncated top, paragraph 64 discloses that second cell walls 818 can also be formed with frustum points 705, and Figures 2-13 show that the bases are attached to the sides of bases of adjacent resonant cells that are parallel to the skins.
Regarding claim 7 (dependent on claim 6), Lin further teaches the central core comprises a single layer of spacers which is attached to the first skin by its wall and which is attached to the second skin by the flat truncated tops of its pyramids. Second cells 816 form a single layer of spacers attached to face sheet 202 by its wall 818 and attached to back sheet 204 by its tip, and paragraph 64 discloses that second cell walls 818 can also be formed with frustum points 705.
Regarding claim 8 (dependent on claim 6), Lin further teaches the central core comprises two superimposed layers, each layer being attached to a corresponding skin by its wall and the two layers being attached to each other by the flat truncated tops of their pyramids arranged head to tail. Figure 9 shows first resonant cells 209 and second resonant cells 816 forming two superimposed layers arranged head to tail, with first resonant cells 209 attached to back sheet 204 by its wall 210 and to the face sheet 202 by its flat truncated top, and second resonant cells 816 attached to face sheet 202 by its wall 818 and back sheet 204 by its tip, and paragraph 64 discloses that second cell walls 818 can also be formed with frustum points 705.
Regarding claim 9 (dependent on claim 4), Lin further teaches at least one face of each of the pyramids comprise at least one acoustic perforation. Figure 9 shows first resonant cells 209 having acoustic perforations 203 their tops and second resonant cells 816 having acoustic perforations 203 at their base.
Regarding claim 12 (dependent on claim 7), Lin further teaches a method for manufacturing a propulsion assembly, the method comprising at least one step of welding the first skin to the central core and at least one step of welding or brazing the second skin to the central core. Paragraph 45 discloses “face sheet 202 and back sheet 204 can be attached to core layer 200 by adhesive bonding, for example, by thermal, sonic, and or electric welding processes”.
Regarding claims 13 (dependent on claim 12), 14 (dependent on claim 8), 15 (dependent on claim 10), 16 (dependent on claim 11), Lin does not explicitly disclose a first step of welding the single layer of the central core to the first skin, the welding being carried out by moving a welding tool over the wall of the layer along a predetermined path between the pyramids, and a second step of brazing or gluing the second skin to the flat truncated tops of the pyramids of the single layer of the central core. However, Lin discloses adhesive bonding and electric welding as ways to attach core layer 200 to face sheet 202 and back sheet 204, with the base of resonant cells 816 attached to face sheet 202 and the tips attached to back sheet 204, and paragraph 64 discloses that second cell walls 818 can also be formed with frustum points 705. It would be obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify Lin to use known ways to weld or adhesively bond the different portions to the face sheet 202 and back sheet 204 as desired.
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 USC 103 as being unpatentable over US Patent Number 4,735,841 to Sourdet in view of US Patent Application Number 2018/0218723 by Lin, in further view of US Patent Number 4,832,999 to Sweet.
Regarding claim 10 (dependent on claim 2), Sourdet and Lin do not disclose the central core comprises a single layer of tubular grooves in the form of honeycombs, the ends of which comprise dropped edges which are connected respectively to the first and second skins. However, this limitation is taught by Sweet. Sweet discloses a honeycomb panel which comprises a single layer of tubular grooves (see Figure 2), the ends of which comprise dropped edges (flanges 19) which are connected respectively to the first and second skins (21 and 23). It would be obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify Sourdet and Lin using the teachings from Sweet as a substitution of known ways to form a honeycomb panel.
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 USC 103 as being unpatentable over US Patent Number 4,735,841 to Sourdet in view of US Patent Application Number 2018/0218723 by Lin, in further view of US Patent Number 4,594,833 to Mieyal.
Regarding claim 11 (dependent on claim 2), Sourdet and Lin do not disclose the central core comprises a single layer formed of a grid comprising an arrangement of first blades parallel to one another, and second blades parallel to one another, the second blades being substantially perpendicular to the first blades and embedded in the first blades. However, this limitation is taught by Mieyal. Mieyal discloses a honeycomb panel which comprises first blades 21 and second blades 22 substantially perpendicular to each other (see Figures 6, 10, 11), the second blades being embedded in the first blades (see Figure 4). It would be obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify Sourdet and Lin using the teachings from Sweet as a substitution of known ways to form a honeycomb panel.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL H WANG whose telephone number is (571)272-6554. The examiner can normally be reached 10-6:30.
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MICHAEL H. WANG
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3642
/MICHAEL H WANG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3642