DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Information Disclosure Statement
2. The information disclosure statement (IDS) filled on 04/02/2025 is being considered in the examination of this application.
Specification
3. The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
The following title is suggested: Fairing with air inlet device and stiffener element for an aircraft, method of making same, and aircraft.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
4. 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.
5. Claim 6 is 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.
6. Claim 6, lines 1-2, recites the limitation “wherein a position of the air inlet device in the stiffener element is selected depending on required locations of components in an interior of the fairing which are cooled by an airflow” which renders the intended scope of the claim unascertainable, since it is unclear as to exactly how a position of the inlet device is claimed as being a function of components within the fairing that are not required per the claimed invention or at least not being positively claimed. Furthermore, what exactly is considered to be the “required locations of components”? The term “required locations” is a relative which renders the claim indefinite as the disclosure provides no standard regarding such term. Further clarification and appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
7. 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.
(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.
8. Claim(s) 1-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Shepherd et al. (US 12515784 B1), hereinafter “Shepherd”.
9. Regarding Claim 1, Shepherd discloses a fairing for an aircraft (Abstract and col. 4, ll. 58-62; fairing 100 attached to aircraft 101 as seen in FIG. 1), comprising:
a wall element comprising an inner surface and an outer surface, wherein the outer surface is exposed to a free air flow outside the fairing (col. 5, ll. 26-32; sidewalls 112 with inner and outer surfaces, the outer surface by definition being exposed to a free air flow outside the fairing as seen in FIGS. 1-3),
at least one stiffener element attached to the inner surface of the wall element, to keep the fairing in shape under dynamic pressure loads (col. 6, ll. 21-27; a stiffener element attached and protruding from the inner surface of sidewall 112 which accommodates inlet 117 as seen in FIG. 6a and annotated FIG. 6a below), and
at least one air inlet device comprising an inlet opening (117) to allow a part of the free air flow outside the fairing to pass through the wall element and to enter the interior of the fairing (col. 6, ll. 21-27),
wherein the air inlet device is at least partially integrated into the stiffener element and extends into or through the stiffener element (inlet 117 is integrated into the stiffener element and extends through the stiffener element as seen in FIG. 6A).
10. Regarding Claim 2, Shepherd discloses the fairing according to claim 1, wherein
a) the stiffener element and the air inlet device are integrally formed as one single component (the stiffener element, the inlet 117 and the side wall 112 are clearly integrally formed as a single component as seen in FIGS. 3 and 6a),
or b) the stiffener element, the air inlet device and the wall element are integrally formed as one single component (the stiffener element, the inlet 117 and the side wall 112 are clearly integrally formed as a single component as seen in FIGS. 3 and 6A).
11. Regarding Claim 3, Shepherd discloses the fairing according to claim 1, wherein the air inlet device is formed as a NACA duct, or the stiffener element is formed as a stringer, or both (col. 6, ll. 22-25; inlet 117 formed as a NACA inlet which by definition is a NACA duct).
12. Regarding Claim 4, Shepherd discloses the fairing according to claim 1, wherein the inlet opening of the air inlet device is formed in the stiffener element (inlet 117 is formed in the stiffener element as seen in FIG. 6A),
or wherein the inlet opening of the air inlet device is exactly positioned in a surface of the stiffener element, or is positioned in a plane of a surface of the stiffener element, or both, or a combination thereof (FIG. 6A).
13. Regarding Claim 5, Shepherd discloses the fairing according to claim 1, wherein the air inlet device comprises a front end and an aft end (NACA inlets by definition include front and aft ends as seen in FIGS. 3 and 6A), and
wherein the aft end is located within the stiffener element (FIG. 6A), or the front end and the aft end are located on opposite sides of the stiffener element, or the front end is located within the stiffener element (FIG. 6A).
14. Regarding Claim 6, Shepherd discloses the fairing according to claim 1, wherein a position of the air inlet device in the stiffener element is selected depending on required locations of components in an interior of the fairing which are cooled by an airflow (the selected position of inlet 117 with respect to the stiffener element as seen in FIG. 6A).
15. Regarding Claim 7, Shepherd discloses the fairing according to claim 1, wherein the air inlet device extends in a longitudinal direction perpendicular into or through the stiffener element (inlet 117 extending longitudinally through the stiffener element as seen in FIGS. 3 and 6A).
16. Regarding Claim 8, Shepherd discloses a method of making a fairing (Abstract and col. 4, ll. 58-62; fairing 100 attached to aircraft 101 as seen in FIG. 1), comprising:
providing a wall element comprising an inner surface and an outer surface (col. 5, ll. 26-32; sidewalls 112 with inner and outer surfaces, the outer surface by definition being exposed to a free air flow outside the fairing as seen in FIGS. 1-3);
providing at least one stiffener element to keep the fairing in shape under dynamic pressure loads (col. 6, ll. 21-27; a stiffener element attached and protruding from the inner surface of sidewall 112 which accommodates inlet 117 as seen in FIG. 6a and annotated FIG. 6a below); and
providing at least one air inlet device (117) comprising an inlet opening to allow a part of a free air flow outside the fairing to pass through the wall element and to enter the interior of the fairing (col. 6, ll. 21-27),
wherein the air inlet device is at least partially integrated into the stiffener element, so that the air inlet device extends into or through the stiffener element (inlet 117 is integrated into the stiffener element and extends through the stiffener element as seen in FIG. 6A).
17. Regarding Claim 9, Shepherd discloses the method according to claim 8, wherein the inlet opening of the air inlet device is formed in the stiffener element (FIG. 6A).
18. Regarding Claim 10, Shepherd discloses the method according to claim 8, wherein the air inlet device, or the stiffener element, or the wall element, or any combination thereof are manufactured as one single, integrally formed component (the stiffener element, the inlet 117 and the side wall 112 are clearly manufactured and integrally formed as a single component as seen in FIGS. 3 and 6A).
19. Regarding Claim 11, Shepherd discloses an aircraft (101) comprising:
The fairing according to claim 1 (fairing 100 as discussed above, regarding claim 1).
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FIG. 6A
Prior Art
The prior art made of record not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure:
Tsai et al. (US 12024287 B2) and Maple (US 11312499 B2) individually disclose a fairing comprising a wall element and an air inlet device.
Daandels et al. (US 12043397 B2) discloses a fairing including a wall element.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this or any earlier communication from the examiner should be directed to Examiner Arfan Sinaki, whose telephone number is 571-272-7185. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Joshua J. Michener can be reached at 571-272-1467. The fax number for the organization to which this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ARFAN Y. SINAKI/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3642