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 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) 16 and 18-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Sheridan et al. (US 10,309,307 B2). Sheridan discloses a method of operating a lubrication system (fig. 2 and fig. 8) of an aircraft engine, the method comprising:
Re claim 16, during a first flight condition of an aircraft where a downward force acting on oil in an oil tank (63) of the aircraft engine is greater than an upward force acting on the oil (first flight condition shown in fig. 2), using an oil pump (66) to deliver oil from the oil tank to a lubrication load (52); following the first flight condition and during a second flight condition of the aircraft where the upward force acting on the oil in the oil tank of the aircraft engine is greater than the downward force acting on the oil (second flight condition shown in fig. 8 where oil in 64 raised upward): allowing the oil in the oil tank to exit the oil tank via a vent opening (fig. 8: interface between 64 and upstream end of 340) of the oil tank and to drain to a cavity (cavity defined inside 52) enclosing the lubrication load; starving the oil pump of the oil and ceasing to use the oil pump to deliver the oil from the oil tank to the lubrication load (when oil in 64 is raised to the top, the pump would not pump any oil to the lubrication load); and preventing a lubrication recovery quantity of oil (the quantity is defined by the amount trapped in the chamber of 176 in fig. 8; the pressure valve 176 would remain closed under a predetermined pressure range therefore would retain the oil therein) in the oil tank from exiting the oil tank via the vent opening of the oil tank (fig. 8); and following the second flight condition and during a third flight condition of the aircraft where the downward force acting on the oil in the oil tank of the aircraft engine is greater than the upward force acting on the oil (third flight condition shown in fig. 2): using the lubrication recovery quantity of oil in the oil tank to prime the oil pump (the oil from the chamber of 176 would fall down and into the line of pump 66); resuming to use the oil pump to deliver the oil from the oil tank to the lubrication load (with the oil at the bottom of 64, operating 66 would suction the oil and deliver it to 52); and returning the oil allowed to exit the oil tank via the vent opening of the oil tank back to the oil tank using a scavenge pump (67).
Re claim 18, wherein preventing the lubrication recovery quantity of oil in the oil tank from exiting the oil tank via the vent opening of the oil tank includes retaining the lubrication recovery quantity of oil in one or more auxiliary chambers of the oil tank (auxiliary chamber of 176; the pressure valve 176 would remain closed under a predetermined pressure range therefore would retain the oil therein).
Re claim 19, wherein preventing the lubrication recovery quantity of oil in the oil tank from exiting the oil tank via the vent opening of the oil tank includes retaining the lubrication recovery quantity of oil in a region of the oil tank higher than the vent opening of the oil tank relative to an upright orientation of the oil tank (fig. 8 shows the chamber of 176 is higher than the vent to line 340).
Re claim 20, comprising using only the lubrication recovery quantity of oil in the oil tank to initiate priming of the oil pump (all of the oil of 64, except for the oil retained in the chamber of 176, will escape via vent of 340, the remaining retained oil will fall to the bottom and flow into the line of 66).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 16 and 18-20 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
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MINH D TRUONG whose telephone number is (571)270-3014. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-5 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, Robert Hodge can be reached at (571) 272-2097. 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.
/Minh Truong/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3654
Prosecution Insights