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 . Claims 1-10 of the amended claim set received 5/15/2025 are pending.
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.
Claims 1, 3-6, and 9-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Porte (US 2018/0105281).
Regarding Claim 1, Porte discloses in Figs. 6-7, an air inlet 50 intended to be connected to a fan casing 68 of a turbine engine by a flange-type assembly 78+90, the air inlet comprising an annular structure of longitudinal axis comprising an inner shroud 60 and an outer shroud (better shown in Fig. 1 at 18),
the inner shroud 60 at least partially delimiting a radially outer wall 62 of a flow path 52 of an airflow through the air inlet in a substantially longitudinal direction, the air inlet comprising a flange 108 having a bearing face (lower face of 108 as shown in the figures) of a clamping member 80, the air inlet 50 being arranged such that the bearing face is accessible from the flow path via an access port 92.
Regarding Claim 3, Porte discloses in Figs. 6-7, wherein the flange 108 comprises a first clamping connection surface (surface of 108 in contact with the shroud portion 66) with the inner shroud 60 and/or, the air inlet comprising a rear partition substantially transversely connecting the inner shroud and the outer shroud, the flange comprises a second clamping connection surface with the rear partition.
Regarding Claim 4, Porte discloses in Figs. 6-7, wherein the first clamping connection surface (surface of 108 in contact with the shroud portion 66) extends circumferentially about the longitudinal axis (the figures show sections of annular structure) and/or the second clamping connection surface extends in a direction substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal axis.
Regarding Claim 5, Porte discloses in Figs. 6-7, wherein the flange 108 is in material continuity with the inner shroud 60 (the components are in direct contact as shown and therefore have material continuity).
Regarding Claim 6, Porte discloses in Figs. 6-7, a removable covering 94 for sealing the access port 92.
Regarding Claim 9, Porte discloses in Figs. 6-7, a propulsion assembly comprising a turbine engine 56 (shown radially interior of flow paths 52 and 54 and labeled 56 in Fig. 3A) equipped with an air inlet according to claim 1, the turbine engine comprising a fan casing 68 provided with an upstream flange 78 connected to the flange 108 of the air inlet 50.
Regarding Claim 10, Porte discloses in Figs. 6-7, a propulsion assembly comprising a turbine engine 56 (shown radially interior of flow paths 52 and 54 and labeled 56 in Fig. 3A) equipped with an air inlet according to claim 1, the turbine engine comprising a fan casing 68 provided with an upstream flange 78 connected to the flange 108 of the air inlet, and wherein the fan casing 68 is arranged to accommodate an acoustic panel 94 which comprises the covering 94 (the acoustic panel/covering 94 is positioned radially within the upstream flange 78 of the fan casing).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2, 7, and 8 are 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: the prior art does not disclose or form a reasonable combination teaching the following in combination with the base and intervening claim limitations -
Regarding Claim 2, “wherein the flange comprises a core extending substantially longitudinally, the flange also comprising a first portion projecting substantially radially inward from the core, the first portion bearing the bearing face.”
Regarding Claim 7, “wherein means for attaching the removable covering comprise a first inner wing extending at least partially circumferentially about the longitudinal axis.”
Regarding Claim 8, “wherein means for attaching the removable covering comprise a second inner wing extending at least partially circumferentially about the longitudinal axis and located downstream of the first inner wing.”
Pertinent Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure can be found in the attached Notice of References Cited.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RENE D FORD whose telephone number is (571)272-8140. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 9am-5pm.
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, Phutthiwat Wongwian can be reached on (571) 270-5426. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/R.D.F/Examiner, Art Unit 3741
/PHUTTHIWAT WONGWIAN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3741
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