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
Claims 5-7 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 03/03/2026.
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.
(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) 1-4 and 8-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Heltsch (US 20190127040 A1).
Regarding Claim 1, Heltsch teaches a bulkhead (Fig. 6 element 1) for an aircraft comprising: an exterior shell having a planar main portion and an inclined portion arranged at a circumference of the planar main portion and extending from the planar main portion (Fig. 6 element 3); a stiffening structure comprising concentrically arranged elements, which are connected to and extend at an angle from the planar main portion of the exterior shell (Fig. 6 elements 4); and an interior shell having an outer circumferential edge connected to the exterior shell (Fig. 6 element 2), wherein the interior shell has an opening forming an inner circumferential edge, wherein the stiffening structure forms an outer rim that is spaced apart from the planar main portion of the exterior shell, and wherein the interior shell is connected to the outer rim (Shown in Fig. 6).
Regarding Claim 2, Heltsch teaches the limitations set forth in Claim 1 and further discloses the exterior shell comprises an outer flange extending from the inclined portion, wherein the interior shell comprises an outer flange at the outer circumferential edge, and wherein the interior shell and the exterior shell are connected to one another at the respective outer flanges (Fig. 5 shows connection between interior/exterior shells at element 12 via flanges).
Regarding Claim 3, Heltsch teaches the limitations set forth in Claim 1 and further discloses the exterior shell is a one- piece element, and wherein the inclined portion of the exterior shell comprises a plurality of inclined portions and a plurality of folds between adjacent inclined portions (Shown in Fig. 5).
Regarding Claim 4, Heltsch teaches the limitations set forth in Claim 1 and further discloses the inclined portion comprises through holes having an axis intersecting with the outer rim, or wherein the interior shell comprises a cover area spanning from the outer rim to a rim disposed closer to a center of the bulkhead, and the cover area has a shape bent towards the exterior shell, or both (Fig. 6 shows interior shell 2 having an incline towards the center).
Regarding Claim 8, Heltsch teaches the limitations set forth in Claim 1 and further discloses the stiffening structure comprises at least one inclined portion (Fig. 5 elements 6’) and at least one crown element arranged substantially perpendicular to the planar main portion of the exterior shell (Fig. 5 elements 9’), and wherein the at least one inclined portion has an inner circumferential region that is connected to the planar main portion of the exterior shell and an outer circumferential region that is connected to one of the at least one crown element in a region spaced apart from the exterior shell (Shown in Fig. 6).
Regarding Claim 9, Heltsch teaches the limitations set forth in Claim 1 and further discloses the exterior shell comprises one or more openings configured to receive a sealing bush, or wherein the stiffening structure comprises one or more openings configured to receive a sealing bush, or wherein the interior shell comprises one or more openings configured to receive a sealing bush, or any combination of the foregoing (“Through-holes 21 for feeding through system lines are provided on the second wall 3 and on the oblique fins 6. The system lines are fed through the first wall 2 in an air-tight manner, for which purpose a seal 22 that is easy to install is provided. This may for example be in the form of an air-tight screw connection, cable bushing, collar or the like” Par. [0086] lines 1-7).
Regarding Claim 10, Heltsch teaches the limitations set forth in Claim 1 and further discloses an aircraft, comprising: the bulkhead of claim 1 (Shown in Fig. 14).
Regarding Claim 11, Heltsch teaches the limitations set forth in Claim 10 and further discloses a primary structure, wherein the exterior shell is connected to the primary structure, wherein the primary structure is an outer skin of the aircraft, a stringer of the aircraft, a frame of the aircraft, or any combination thereof (Fig. 14 element 10).
Claim(s) 12 and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Heltsch (US 20190127040 A1).
Regarding Claim 12, Heltsch teaches a method of manufacturing a bulkhead, the method comprising: forming an exterior shell (Fig. 6 element 3); connecting a stiffening structure (Fig. 6 elements 4)to a planar main portion of the exterior shell; covering at least a portion of the exterior shell with an interior shell (Fig. 6 element 2); and connecting the interior shell to the exterior shell and a portion of the stiffening structure, wherein the interior shell has an opening forming an inner circumferential edge, wherein the stiffening structure forms an outer rim that is spaced apart from the planar main portion of the exterior shell, and wherein the interior shell is connected to the outer rim (Shown in 6).
Regarding Claim 15, Heltsch teaches the limitations set forth in Claim 12 and further discloses connecting comprises welding through the opening in the interior shell (“attachment 19 are in this case replaced with welded connections 32 between the walls 2, 3, oblique fins 6 and axial coupling elements 9” Par. [0089] lines 3-5).
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.
Claim(s) 13-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Heltsch (US 20190127040 A1) in view of Periyasamy et al. (US 20200307756 A1).
Regarding Claim 13, Heltsch teaches the limitations set forth in claim 12.
Heltsch fails to explicitly teach forming the interior shell, or forming the stiffening structure, or both, and wherein forming the exterior shell comprises press forming a material of the exterior shell, or wherein forming the stiffening structure comprises press forming a material of the stiffening structure, or wherein forming the interior shell comprises press forming a material of the interior shell, or any combination thereof.
However, Periyasamy teaches forming the interior shell, or forming the stiffening structure, or both, and wherein forming the exterior shell comprises press forming a material of the exterior shell, or wherein forming the stiffening structure comprises press forming a material of the stiffening structure, or wherein forming the interior shell comprises press forming a material of the interior shell, or any combination thereof (“The first material sheet 4 is created through a pressing process. Thus, a planar base sheet as a starting point is formed through a pressing tool to not only provide a slight curvature as visible in FIG. 1, but also a plurality of bulges 10. While the cutouts 16 may be formed by pressing, too, they may also be machined after or before the press-forming” Par. [0039] lines 1-6).
Heltsch and Periyasamy are considered analogous to the claimed invention as they are in the same field of aircraft structures. It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the bulkhead structures of Heltsch to be formed by press forming as disclosed by Periyasamy. Doing so would allow for a simplified and faster manufacturing process. Press forming aircraft structures is known in the art and is not considered novel.
Regarding Claim 14, Heltsch and Periyasamy teach the limitations set forth in Claim 13.
Periyasamy further discloses forming the exterior shell, or the stiffening structure, or the interior shell, or any combination thereof comprises a flat layup of fibers, or a prepreg material, or both and press forming the fibers and the prepreg material (“All materials may optionally comprise embedded reinforcement fibers, wherein short fibers may particularly be more suitable for press-forming than long fibers” Par. [0008] lines 14-16).
Conclusion
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/E.A./Examiner, Art Unit 3644
/Nicholas McFall/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3644
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