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 § 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 12 and 13 are 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.
Claim 12 recites the limitation "the wing tip device fitting" in line 1. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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.
Claim(s) 1 – 5 and 8 – 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Brakes (GB 2565812).
Regarding claim 1, Brakes discloses a wing hinge assembly (Figs. 11 and 12) comprising a wing tip fitting (102) pivotally mounted to a fixed wing fitting (100), the wing tip fitting being rotatable about a hinge axis with respect to the fixed wing fitting (rotation arrow shown in Fig. 11); wherein one of the wing tip fitting and the fixed wing fitting comprises a pair of opposing walls that define a locking channel (34) therebetween; the other of the wing tip fitting and the fixed wing fitting comprises a locking member (32) having a length extending along a locking member axis (the axis parallel to the axes of the pivot points 40 and 42 of the latches 36 and 38); the wing hinge assembly is configurable to a locked configuration in which the locking member is received in the locking channel and in which the wing tip fitting is prevented from rotating with respect to the fixed wing fitting by a wall of the locking channel abutting with the locking member (when the pin 32 is inserted into socket 34, it abuts against its walls); and the wing hinge assembly is configurable to the locked configuration by moving the locking member into the locking channel in a direction perpendicular to the locking member axis (axis X).
Regarding claim 2, Brakes discloses that the locking member (32) comprises a first planar abutment surface (top surface shown in Fig. 7) that abuts with the wall of the locking channel (34) to prevent rotation of the wing tip fitting with respect to the fixed wing fitting when the aircraft wing assembly is in the locked configuration.
Regarding claim 3, Brakes discloses that the locking member (32) comprises a second planar abutment surface (bottom surface shown in Fig. 7), the first and second planar abutment surfaces extending along the locking member (32) on opposing sides of the locking member axis; and the first and second planar abutment surfaces of the locking member abut with respective opposing walls of the locking channel (34) to prevent rotation of the wing tip fitting with respect to the fixed wing fitting when the aircraft wing assembly is in the locked configuration.
Regarding claim 4, Brakes discloses that the opposing walls that define the locking channel are oriented parallel with a plane defined by the hinge axis and a pitch axis that intercepts the hinge axis (Fig. 8).
Regarding claim 5, Brakes discloses that the aircraft wing assembly is configurable to the locked configuration by moving the locking member along the plane defined by the hinge axis and the pitch axis into the locking channel (paragraph [0043]).
Regarding claim 8, Brakes discloses that the opposing walls of the locking channel define an opening into which the locking member is moved (Fig. 7) and a rear wall (58) extends between the opposing surfaces, opposite the opening.
Regarding claim 9, Brakes discloses that the wing hinge assembly is configurable to the locked configuration by moving the locking member towards the hinge axis (Figs. 5 and 6).
Regarding claim 10, Brakes discloses that the locking member axis is oriented parallel with the hinge axis (Figs. 11 and 12).
Regarding claim 11, Brakes discloses that the wing hinge assembly is configurable to the locked configuration by moving the locking member in a spanwise direction of the hinge assembly into the locking channel (Figs. 5 and 6).
Regarding claim 12, Brakes discloses that the wing tip device fitting (102) is rotatable about the hinge axis with respect to the fixed wing between a flight configuration for use during flight and a ground configuration for use in ground-based operations (Abstract); and wherein the wing hinge assembly is configurable to the locked configuration when the wing tip device fitting is in the flight configuration to thereby prevent the wing tip device fitting being moved out of the flight configuration in use (claim 1 of Brakes).
Regarding claim 13, Brakes discloses wing hinge assembly (Figs. 11 and 12), wherein the wing tip device fitting (102) comprises at least one locking lug (36 and 38) which provides the locking channel (34); the locking member (32) is positioned in a body portion of the fixed wing fitting; in the flight configuration the locking lug is located inside the body portion of the fixed wing fitting such that the locking member can be moved into the locking channel; and in the ground configuration the locking lug is rotated to a position in which the locking member cannot be moved into the locking channel (claim 1 of Brakes).
Regarding claim 14, Brakes discloses that the wing hinge assembly comprises a locking member actuator (paragraph [0045]) configured to move the locking member into and out of the locking channel to thereby configure the wing hinge assembly between the locked configuration and an unlocked configuration.
Regarding claim 15, Brakes discloses that the locking member actuator is positioned within a body portion of the fixed wing fitting or a body portion of the wing tip fitting (the actuator is positioned within 34 which is a part of the body portion of the fixed wing fitting, paragraph [0045]).
Regarding claim 16 – 18, the discussion of claims above is relied upon.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6 and 7 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Fox et al. (US 9,469,392) – Wing fold system rotating latch
Lorenz (US 11,370,526) – Latching device for a wing arrangement for an aircraft
Lorenz (US 11,440,638) – Wing for an aircraft
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/VALENTINA XAVIER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3642
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