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
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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) 1-5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 20200079497 A1 Huynh; Neal V.
Regarding claim 1, Huynh teaches, a flight control system comprising: a flight control member including a flight control surface (element 114), the flight control member being pivotally moveable about a flight control pivot axis to adjust a flight control angle of the flight control surface (figs 2B and 2C); an actuator for pivoting the flight control member about the flight control pivot axis to adjust the flight control angle of the flight control surface (elements 302 and 312); a rotation sensor integrated with the actuator for sensing rotation corresponding to the actuator (518, para 0083); and a controller that interfaces with the rotation sensor (para 0083, REU), the controller being configured to determine the flight control angle of the flight control member based on a rotational reading of the rotation sensor (para 0083).
Regarding claim 2, Huynh teaches, the flight control system of claim 1, wherein the actuator includes a screw-drive (element 514), the screw- drive including a nut assembly threadingly mounted on a threaded shaft (510).
Regarding claim 3, Huynh teaches, the flight control system of claim 2, wherein the rotation sensor senses rotation that occurs at the nut assembly as the actuator drives movement of the flight control member about the flight control pivot axis (para0083).
Regarding claim 4, Huynh teaches, the flight control system of claim 1, wherein the actuator is a rotary actuator including a drive shaft coupled to a linkage that drives rotation of the flight control member about the flight control pivot axis as the drive shaft is rotated (fig. 5, elements 406 and 516).
Regarding claim 5, Huynh teaches, the flight control system of claim 4, wherein the rotation sensor measures a rotational position corresponding to the drive shaft (para 0028).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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) 6, 8, 10-12, and 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huynh as applied to claims above, and further in view of US 8291782 B1 Shaheen; Milad A. et al.
Regarding claim 6, Huynh teaches, the flight control system of claim 1, wherein the actuator includes a threaded shaft extending along a shaft axis and a drive for rotating the threaded shaft about the shaft axis (element 514), the actuator also including a nut assembly including a nut threadingly mounted on the threaded shaft such that rotation of the threaded shaft about the shaft axis drives axial movement of the nut assembly along the shaft axis to drive pivotal movement of the flight control member about the flight control pivot axis (element 510), but fails to teach, the nut assembly also including a flight control member actuator mount for coupling the flight control member to the nut assembly, the nut assembly further including a pivot arrangement for allowing the flight control member actuator mount to pivot about a first pivot axis relative to the shaft axis as the actuator drives pivotal movement of the flight control member about the flight control pivot axis.
However, Shaheen teaches, the nut assembly also including a flight control member actuator mount for coupling the flight control member to the nut assembly, the nut assembly further including a pivot arrangement for allowing the flight control member actuator mount to pivot about a first pivot axis relative to the shaft axis as the actuator drives pivotal movement of the flight control member about the flight control pivot axis (fig. 1, col. 4, lines 1-7).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the actuator taught by Huynh with the flight control member actuator mount with a reasonable expectation of success. The motivation to combine is to attach the actuate the actuator to the flight control.
Regarding claim 8, Huynh as modified teaches, the flight control system of claim 6, wherein the first pivot axis is perpendicular with respect to the shaft axis, and wherein the pivot arrangement is also configured to allow the flight control member actuator mount to pivot about a second pivot axis with respect the shaft axis as the actuator drives pivotal movement of the flight control member about the flight control pivot axis, the second pivot axis being perpendicular with respect to the shaft axis and the first pivot axis (fig. 5).
Regarding claim 10, Huynh as modified teaches, the flight control system of claim 1, wherein the controller correlates the rotation sensor output to an angle of the flight control surface, and wherein the controller controls the movement of the flight control surface using closed-loop feedback (para 0030).
Regarding claim 11, Huynh teaches, a flight control system comprising: a flight control member including a flight control surface (element 114), the flight control member being pivotally moveable about a flight control pivot axis to adjust a flight control angle of the flight control surface (figs 2B and 2C); an actuator for pivoting the flight control member about the flight control pivot axis to adjust the flight control angle of the flight control surface (elements 302 and 312), the actuator including a threaded shaft extending along a shaft axis and a drive for rotating the threaded shaft about the shaft axis (element 514), the actuator also including a nut assembly including a nut threadingly mounted on the threaded shaft such that rotation of the threaded shaft about the shaft axis drives axial movement of the nut assembly along the shaft axis to drive pivotal movement of the flight control member about the flight control pivot axis (element 510),
but fails to teach, the nut assembly also including a flight control member actuator mount for coupling the flight control member to the nut assembly, the nut assembly further including a pivot arrangement for allowing the flight control member actuator mount to pivot about a first pivot axis relative to the shaft axis as the actuator drives pivotal movement of the flight control member about the flight control pivot axis;
However, Shaheen teaches, the nut assembly also including a flight control member actuator mount for coupling the flight control member to the nut assembly, the nut assembly further including a pivot arrangement for allowing the flight control member actuator mount to pivot about a first pivot axis relative to the shaft axis as the actuator drives pivotal movement of the flight control member about the flight control pivot axis (fig. 1, col. 4, lines 1-7);
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the actuator taught by Huynh with the flight control member actuator mount with a reasonable expectation of success. The motivation to combine is to attach the actuate the actuator to the flight control.
Regarding claim 12, Huynh as modified teaches, the flight control system of claim 11, wherein the first pivot axis is perpendicular with respect to the shaft axis, and wherein the pivot arrangement is also configured to allow the flight control member actuator mount to pivot about a second pivot axis with respect the shaft axis as the actuator drives pivotal movement of the flight control member about the flight control pivot axis, the second pivot axis being perpendicular with respect to the shaft axis and the first pivot axis (fig. 5).
Regarding claim 14, Huynh as modified teaches, the flight control system of claim 11, wherein the flight control surface is a flap of an aircraft (element 114).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7, 9, 13 and 15-20 objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: Prior art Huynh teaches a rotational sensor integrated withing the actuator for a flight control surface, Shaheen teaches the actuator to flight control surface connection, but they fail to teach, “wherein the rotation sensor is configured to sense a rotational position of the flight control member actuator mount about the first pivot axis” or “wherein a base end of the actuator includes a pivot mount for allowing the threaded shaft to pivot at the base end as the nut assembly of the actuator drives pivotal movement of the flight control member about the flight control pivot axis” or “second pivot pins aligned along the second pivot axis”.
Conclusion
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/C.M.C/
Examiner
Art Unit 3642
/JOSHUA J MICHENER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3642