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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the first indexing ring and second indexing ring (as claimed in claim 7 and 8) must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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.
Claims 1-4, 7-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by Tiid (US 2007/0063101).
Regarding claims 1, 17-18, Tiid discloses an adjustment device (Fig. 1) for adjusting mounting of a first aircraft part on a second aircraft part, the adjustment device (Fig. 1) comprising: a base body (6), configured to be fastened onto the first aircraft part (11); an external adjustment member (7), configured to be mounted on the base body (6) in an external angular position chosen from a plurality of predefined external angular positions around an external position adjustment axis (the position is chosen and adjusted via threaded ring element 3, threaded bushing element 7 and bushing element 8); and an internal adjustment member (4, 5), configured to be mounted on the external adjustment member (7) in an internal angular position chosen from a plurality of predefined internal angular positions around an internal position adjustment axis (the position is chosen and adjusted via threaded ring element 3, threaded bushing element 7 and bushing element 8), the internal position adjustment axis (via eccentric elements 4 and 5, Fig. 3) being decentered relative to the external position adjustment axis (via element 7, Fig. 3), the second aircraft part ([0006] cabin components, seats or a galley) being configured to be fastened onto the internal adjustment member (4, 5), wherein, for each predefined internal angular position (the position is chosen and adjusted via threaded ring element 3, threaded bushing element 7 and bushing element 8), the internal adjustment member (4, 5) is configured to be placed in an elevation position (elevation above element 11) chosen from a plurality of predefined elevation positions relative to the base body (6) along the internal position adjustment axis (via eccentric elements 4 and 5, Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 2, Tiid discloses wherein the external adjustment member (7) is mounted in the base body (6) via a helical connection (via threaded portions of element 7) along the external position adjustment axis (via element 7, Fig. 3) and/or wherein the internal adjustment member is mounted in the external adjustment member via a helical connection along the internal position adjustment axis.
Regarding claim 3, Tiid discloses wherein the external adjustment member (7) comprises a peripheral surface provided with a thread (via threaded portions of element 7), the base body (6) comprising a receiving housing (aperture in center of element 6, Fig. 1) for receiving the external adjustment member (7) provided with a complementary thread ([0020] thread in element 6) configured to cooperate with the thread (via threaded portions of element 7) on the external adjustment member (7) and form the helical connection between the external adjustment member (7) and the base body (7), and/or wherein the internal adjustment member comprises a peripheral surface provided with a thread, the external adjustment member comprising an insertion hole for the internal adjustment member provided with a complementary thread configured to cooperate with the thread on the internal adjustment member and form the helical connection between the internal adjustment member and the external adjustment member.
Regarding claim 4, Tiid discloses further comprising a reversible locking (3) mechanism for reversibly locking the external adjustment member (7), the reversible locking mechanism (3) being configured to lock the external adjustment member (7) and the internal adjustment member (4, 5) in the chosen elevation position (any chosen elevation above element 11).
Regarding claim 7, Tiid discloses further comprising a reversible locking (3) mechanism for reversibly locking the internal adjustment member (4, 5) relative to the external adjustment member (7) in the chosen angular position (any chosen elevation above element 11).
Regarding claim 8, Tiid discloses wherein the reversible locking mechanism (3) for locking the internal adjustment member (4, 5) relative to the external adjustment member (7) comprises a first indexing ring (collar portion of element 4) of the internal adjustment member (4, 5) relative to the external adjustment member (7) extending around the internal position adjustment axis (Figs. 2-3) on one of the internal adjustment member (4, 5) and the external adjustment member (7), and at least one cooperating member (top portion of element 5) for cooperating with the first indexing ring (collar portion of element 4), protruding towards the first indexing ring (collar portion of element 4) from the other of the internal adjustment member (4, 5) and the external adjustment member (7).
Regarding claim 9, Tiid discloses wherein the reversible locking mechanism (3) for reversibly locking the internal adjustment member (4, 5) relative to the external adjustment member (7) comprises a second indexing ring (collar portion of element 5) extending around the internal position adjustment axis (Figs. 2-3) on the other of the internal adjustment member (4, 5) and the external adjustment member (7), the second indexing ring (collar portion of element 5) comprising a plurality of cooperating members (bottom of collar portion of element 4, element 2) for cooperating with the first indexing ring (collar portion of element 4) protruding towards the second indexing ring (collar portion of element 5).
Regarding claim 10, Tiid discloses further comprising a system (1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11) for fastening the second aircraft part ([0006] cabin components, seats or a galley) onto the internal adjustment member (collar portion of element 4), the system (1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11) for fastening the second aircraft part ([0006] cabin components, seats or a galley) onto the internal adjustment member (collar portion of element 4) being decentered relative to the internal position adjustment axis (Figs. 2-3).
Regarding claim 11, Tiid discloses wherein the system (1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11) for fastening the second aircraft part ([0006] cabin components, seats or a galley) onto the internal adjustment member (4, 5) comprises a fastening housing (aperture within elements 4, 5) provided in the internal adjustment member (4, 5) away from the internal position adjustment axis (Figs. 2-3), and a reversible fastening member (1) of the second aircraft part ([0006] cabin components, seats or a galley), configured to be reversibly fastened in the fastening housing (aperture within elements 4, 5).
Regarding claim 12, Tiid discloses wherein the base body (6) comprises a plate (the two side plates of element 6), the adjustment device including a reversible fastening system (threaded portion within the aperture of element 11 with element 1 providing a threaded connection thereto) for reversibly fastening the plate onto the first aircraft part (11).
Regarding claim 13, Tiid discloses an aircraft cabin comprising: a first aircraft part (11); a second aircraft part ([0006] cabin components, seats or a galley); and the adjustment device according to claim 1 (Fig. 1), the adjustment device (Fig. 1) connecting the first aircraft part (11) to the second aircraft part ([0006] cabin components, seats or a galley).
Regarding claim 14, Tiid discloses wherein the first aircraft part (11) is a first trim part of the aircraft cabin (cabin floor), the second aircraft part ([0006] cabin components, seats or a galley) being a second trim part of the aircraft cabin ([0006] cabin components, seats or a galley).
Regarding claim 15, Tiid discloses wherein the first aircraft part (11) is a lateral cabin trim of the aircraft cabin ([0021] a wall fitting).
Regarding claim 16, Tiid discloses wherein the second aircraft part is a window panel ([0006] cabin components, seats or a galley).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-6 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 teach or render obvious alone or in combination the particulars of the independent claim in combination with the reversible locking mechanism for reversibly locking the external adjustment member having splines extending from the external adjustment member, the splines protruding radially relative to the internal position adjustment axis by defining intermediate spaces, and further comprising at least one locking rod mounted in the base body and received in an intermediate space between two splines. It would also not have been obvious to meet the overall claim without impermissible hindsight.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Examiner lists referenced documents on PTO-892 because the references present other/alternative or conceptual designs similar in scope that illustrate relevant features, which may demonstrate the level of novelty in comparison to Applicant’s inventive submission. The record relates to Applicant’s identified material and Examiner’s discovered references concerning Applicant’s subject matter relevant for a patentability determination.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AARON M RODZIWICZ whose telephone number is (571)272-6611. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 10 am - 6 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Joshua Michener can be reached at (571) 272-1467. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/AARON M RODZIWICZ/Examiner, Art Unit 3642 /JOSHUA J MICHENER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3642
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