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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 04/02/2026 has been entered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claims 1 – 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the enablement requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to enable one skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and/or use the invention.
Claims 1, 2, 11, 12, 16, 17, and 18 recite a port capable of electrical, communication, and fluid transfer functionality. The specification fails to disclose the mechanical and electrical architecture of a connector that can integrate power transfer, communication/data lines, as well as fluid couplings within a single port. A person having ordinary skill in the art would not be able to ascertain the structural details for the interface of the port without undue experimentation.
Claims 4 and 6 recite a “removable dividing wall”. The specification discloses an insulated dividing wall between the left sub-compartment and the right sub-compartment, wherein the temperature of both sub-compartments can be set individually. The specification, however, fails to adequately describe the material specifications, thickness, or sealing mechanism of this dividing wall. A person having ordinary skill in the art would not be able to construct a removable dividing wall that would effectively prevent heat transfer between the two sub-compartments without undue experimentation, especially given that each sub-compartment is set two varying temperature zones (refrigerator and oven).
Claim 8 recites a Peltier element for adjusting the temperature in the galley system. The specification discloses oven-grade temperatures (typically 160 - 200°C). The specification lacks disclosure of specialized high-temperature thermoelectric materials required to reach and sustain such high temperature without failure of the solder joints in the Peltier element. A person having ordinary skill in the art would be required to engage in significant experimentation to identify a thermoelectric device that could function reliably at the disclosed thermal requirements for an oven-grade sub-compartment.
Claim 13 recites heating a galley floor using waste heat. While the specification describes routing waste heat from the galley system to a galley floor via a hot line (9), it fails to disclose the necessary structure that would enable one of ordinary skill in the art to implement this galley floor heating system without undue experimentation.
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.
Claim(s) 1 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Trumper et al. (US 11,111,021).
Regarding claims 1 and 15, Trumper et al. discloses an aircraft galley compartment (104, 106), comprising: at least one port (32) accessible from an inside of the aircraft galley compartment and configured to connect to at least one compartment temperature adjusting unit (200), wherein the at least one port is configured to provide a connection to a temperature adjusting loop in which a heat exchanger fluid flows therethrough.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1 – 19 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to VALENTINA XAVIER whose telephone number is (571)272-9853. The examiner can normally be reached 10 am - 6:30 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, Joshua Huson can be reached at (571) 270-5301. 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.
/VALENTINA XAVIER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3642
