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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicants’ election without traverse of claims 1-7 in the reply filed on 07/20/2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 8-11 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 07/20/2026.
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.
Claims 1-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Shen (CN-115230984-A).
Reference to the paragraphs of Shen are in regard to the provided English translation of Shen.
Claim 1: Shen discloses a system for repairing aircraft structures that includes a frame (302 of Figure 3), wherein the frame is divided into two portions (as depicted Figure 3, paragraph [0033]), and one or more straps (306 of Figure 3) that attach the two portions of the frame to each other.
Claim 2: Shen further discloses that each of the two portions of the frame is U-shaped (as depicted in Figure 2).
Claim 3: Shen further discloses that the one or more straps comprises two straps that attach two opposed ends of the two portions of the frame (as depicted in Figure 3).
Claim 4: Shen further discloses a skin insert (304 of Figure 3) attached to the frame and to the one or more straps.
Claim 5: Shen further discloses that the skin insert is placed in a skin cutout (paragraph [0031]-[0033], the size is consistent with the notch shape and if fitted into the notch).
Claim 6: Shen further discloses that the frame, or the skin insert, or both is attached to the one or more straps by blind fasteners (paragraph [0049] and [0056].
Claim 7: Shen further discloses that the blind fasteners are placed in rows (as depicted in Figure 6, paragraph [0063]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 10,124,913 B2 discloses a two-part frame 100 that is held together by straps 136. US 11,312,507 B2 discloses a repair that includes two frame portions 24 that are held together by a fastener 30. US 5,956,834 discloses two portions of a frame 12 that are attached by a strap 14. US 6,317,952 discloses two frame portions 1 and 9 that are held together by a strap 5.
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/JASON L VAUGHAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3726
