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 Objections
Claim 3 is objected to because of the following informalities: the limitation “a flow of engine oil” should be “a flow of the engine oil”. Claim 11 contains the same defect. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 11, “the system” should be “the hybrid electric propulsion system” to avoid confusion with the engine oil system.
Claims 9-15, the limitation “the system of claim” should be “the hybrid electric propulsion system” to avoid confusion as stated in claim 11.
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 1- 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 1, the limitation “while the propeller is solely driving the electric motor” renders the claim indefinite because its unclear how the propeller drives the electric motor. The electric motor is a power output device when paired to an energy source while the propeller is a power input device. It appears the limitation should be “driven by” instead of “driving”.
Regarding claim 3, the limitation “driven solely by the electric motor” lacks antecedent basis and is in conflict with the previously limitation claimed in claim 1. The limitation in claim 1 appears to be a typographical error; however, should the Applicant insist on the accuracy of claim 1, claim 3 would also be subject to Section 112(d).
Regarding claim 8, the limitation “during a start sequence” renders the claim indefinite because its unclear how the following steps are drawn to a start sequence when the remaining steps are to control the electric motor and the propulsion unit to shut down after the engine oil utilized in the propulsion unit…” Its unclear how the actions are during a start sequence because the engine is being shut down.
Claims 12-13 further compound the issue since it unclear whether the power is being supplied during the shutdown phase or only the part where the system is started.
Claims dependent thereon are rejected for the same reasons.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-15 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: the prior art does not teach or fairly suggest the steps of and the controller programmed to transition the propeller blades from an unfeathered mode to a feather mode while the propeller is solely driven by the electric motor, control the propulsion unit to drive the propeller in the feathered mode for a period of time sufficient to permit engine oil utilized in the propulsion unit to be scavenged out of the propulsion unit, and control the electric motor and the propulsion unit to shut down… in combination with all the limitations of claim 8 and claim 1 correspondingly. The prior art is aware of parallel hybrid propulsion systems with variable pitch propulsors. See Sennoun US 2017/0211474 having an electric motor 82 and a thermal engine 16 connected to a gearbox 84 with variable pitch fan 38; Mark US 2022/0009615 having a thermal engine 102 and electric motor 106 in parallel with a gearbox 108 to a variable pitch propeller 104. Thus, the structure of the apparatus is not novel. The prior art is aware of feathering the propeller blades for various conditions. See Beach US10,450,080, col. 8, lines 41-57, teaching feathering of the propeller to allow decreased electric load of the motor to decrease the torque required to maintain the propulsor speed at the desired level to allow for reacquisition of the propulsion; McCaffrey US 2013/0000314 stating that propeller blades are typically feathered when the engines are shut off to stop windmilling, see para. [0060], and that the pitch is typically flat pitch at engine start. Additionally, it is known to feather fan pitch in order to account for ground equipment. See Des Roches US 2023/0250766 para. [0004]. However, these references do not discuss the features discussed above.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GERALD LUTHER SUNG whose telephone number is (571)270-3765. The examiner can normally be reached 9-5 PST.
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/GERALD L SUNG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3741
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