DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
This action is in response to the claims filed 4/10/2025.
Claims 1-2, 4-7, 9, 11, 13-14, 16, 18-19, and 21-27 are presented for examination.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 4/10/2025 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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 4, 6, 13, 14, 18, 21-24, and 27 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as failing to set forth 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.
Claim 4 recites the limitation "the structure" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 6 recites the limitation "the door" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 13 recites the limitation "an engine intake" in line 5. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 14 recites the limitation "an engine intake" in line 3. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 18 recites the limitation "an engine intake" in line 4. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claims 21-24 each recite “the hatch liner” without proper antecedent basis. The examiner suggests changing dependence of these claims so that they depend upon claim 2.
Claim 27 recites the limitation "an access hatch" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. For sake of examination, the recitation of an access hatch in claim 27 was assumed to be the same access hatch established in claim 25.
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 and 25 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kriegl et al. in DE102019212436 (hereinafter “Kriegl”).
Regarding claim 1, Kriegl discloses discloses an aircraft engine seal apparatus 10 (Fig. 1-4) comprising an inflatable seal 20 with a front wall 12.1, a rear wall 12.2, and a side wall 12.3 forming a rim for pressing and sealing against an internal surface of an engine intake (paragraph [0029]), and an inflation port 28 (Fig. 4; paragraph [0031]-[0033]), wherein the apparatus further comprises at least one access hatch 42 (note: 42 is disclosed as a filter, but it could function as an access hatch) which is openable to allow access into a cavity behind the seal in use (Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 25, Kriegl discloses a method of sealing an aircraft engine when not in use, the method being performed with a seal apparatus comprising: an inflatable seal 20 with a front wall 12.1, a rear wall 12.2, and a side wall 12.3 forming a rim for pressing and sealing against an internal surface of an engine intake, and an inflation port 28 (Fig. 4; paragraph [0031]-[0033]), wherein the apparatus further comprises at least one access hatch 42 (disclosed as a filter, but could function as an access hatch) which is openable to allow access into a cavity behind the seal in use; wherein the method comprises a step of inflating a seal of the seal apparatus until the rim 12.3 engages and seals against an internal surface of an engine intake of the aircraft engine (Fig. 2).
Allowable Subject Matter
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter.
Claims 2, 4-7, 9, 11, 13-14, 16, 18-19, 21-24, and 26-27 would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims and overcoming any objections or 112 rejections seen above.
Regarding claims 2, 4-7, 9, 11, 13-14, 16, 18-19, 21-24, and 26-27, each of these claims recites further engine seal structure neither anticipated nor reasonably suggested in combination by the art of record. Various limitations by themselves are demonstrated by the art, such as employing desiccants on engine covers to absorb moisture (see US2015/0089879), and using blowers for drying/cleaning engine structure in combination with engine covers. The prior art of record demonstrates various different embodiments of inflatable plugs or covers for gas turbine engine inlets. None of the art of record, however, discloses a structure having each and every limitation required of these claims; further, none of the art of record provides sufficient motivation to combine different features to arrive a device that would render any of these claims obvious.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US2014/0008497 discloses a gas turbine engine cover with desiccant attached to the cover.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ELDON T BROCKMAN whose telephone number is (571)270-3263. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 9am-5pm EST.
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, Court Heinle can be reached at (571) 270-3508. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ELDON T BROCKMAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3799
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