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.
Claim 5 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.
Regarding claim 5, the limitation “each articulation comprises a rotation about an axis perpendicular to the vertical median plane” is indefinite because it is not clear whether this ‘articulation’ is relating to the earlier introduced ‘mount[ing] in an articulated manner’ introduced in claim 1 or a separate articulation not introduced with proper antecedent basis.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-4 and 6-9 are allowed
Claim 5 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include 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:
Regarding claim 1, Gueneau (US 20220106048 A1) teaches an assembly for an aircraft comprising a wing with a structure (Gueneau, figures 2-3, item 216, lower part of wing), the assembly having a vertical direction and a vertical median plane and comprising:
an engine pylon having a primary structure forming a box (Gueneau, figures 2-3, item 202) and comprising a starboard lateral panel, a portside lateral panel, an upper longitudinal member, and a lower longitudinal member (Gueneau, figures 2-3, item 202, pylon has a box construction with four panel members);
a starboard fork end and a portside fork end arranged on either side of the vertical median plane (Gueneau, figures 2-3, item 250, front fastening system including includes fork structures on opposite sides of the vertical median plane of the pylon), each configured to be fixed to the structure of the wing (Gueneau, ¶25, front fastening system fastens pylon to the wing) and each mounted in an articulated manner on a lateral panel which is on a same side (Gueneau, figures 2-3, item 250, pin and clevis type connection mounted on left and right lateral panels);
a rear link arranged in the vertical median plane (Gueneau, figures 2-3, item 282), an upstream end thereof mounted in an articulated manner on the lower longitudinal member (Gueneau, figures 2-3, item 286) and a downstream end thereof configured to be mounted in an articulated manner on the structure of the wing (Gueneau, figures 2-3, item 284);
a stud (Gueneau, figures 2-3, item 256) having an axis parallel to the vertical direction and having a proximal end integral with the upper longitudinal member (Gueneau, figures 2-3, item 204, stud integrated into upper surface of the pylon consistent with applicant’s disclosure in figures 4-6) except:
a distal end mounted in an aperture of the additional bracket via an annular linear connection (Gueneau, figures 2-3, item 216, stud mounted in an aperture of the wing panel).
Iiopolous (US 10295970 B2) teaches an additional bracket configured to be fixed to a structure of a wing (Iiopolous, figure 3, item 52);
a front link arranged in the vertical median plane (Iiopolous, figure 3, item 62), an upstream end thereof mounted in an articulated manner on the upper longitudinal member (Iiopolous, figure 3, item 58) and a downstream end thereof mounted in an articulated manner on the additional bracket (Iiopolous, figure 3, item 52).
The prior art fails to teach the distal end of the stud being mounted in an aperture of the additional bracket via an annular linear connection. Thus, the prior art fails to teach the claimed matter alone and it would not have been obvious to meet the claims either without undue hindsight based on the applicant' s disclosure.
Regarding claim 3, Gueneau and Iiopolous teach an assembly similar to claim 2, except:
further comprising:
a ring which has a spherical external surface and which is fitted over the distal end of the stud; and,
a nut which has a spherical internal surface in which the ring is housed,
wherein, on either side of the nut, an external surface of the nut has a rib parallel to the longitudinal direction,
wherein, on edges of an aperture, the additional bracket has, for each rib, a recess extending parallel to the longitudinal direction in which said rib is guided in translation.
Alstad (US 20190217964 A1) teaches a mount system with a ring (Alsatd, figure 4, item 100 which is fitted over the distal end of the stud (Alsatd, figure 4, item 50); and,
a nut (Alsatd, figure 4, item 98) which has an internal surface in which the ring is housed, but not:
wherein, on either side of the nut, an external surface of the nut has a rib parallel to the longitudinal direction,
wherein, on edges of an aperture, the additional bracket has, for each rib, a recess extending parallel to the longitudinal direction in which said rib is guided in translation.
Thus, the prior art fails to teach the claimed matter alone and it would not have been obvious to meet the claims either without undue hindsight based on the applicant' s disclosure.
Regarding claim 4, Gueneau and Iiopolous teach an assembly similar to claim 1, except:
wherein the stud comprises two half-cylinders which are contiguous along a plane, and
wherein a proximal end of each half-cylinder is fixed to the upper longitudinal member.
Thus, the prior art fails to teach the claimed matter alone and it would not have been obvious to meet the claims either without undue hindsight based on the applicant' s disclosure.
Claims 2-9 are allowed for being dependent on an allowable claim.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Regarding the pylon with front/rear links:
US 8342444 B2 teaches front link (fig 4, item 414, rear link (fig 4, item 416), and forks (fig 4, item 420)
US 20050274485 A1 teaches a truss pylons with front link, rear link, and forks (see figs 1 and 3)
US 20220017229 A1 teaches front and rear links
Regarding the forks:
US 20050082423 A1 teaches left and right ‘forks’ extending from an upper longitudinal member
US 20190202572 A1 teaches left and right ‘forks’ attached to lateral panels
US 20210101689 A1 teaches left and right ‘forks’ attached to lateral panels and to wing bracket in articulated manner
Regarding the studs:
US 5806792 A teaches a stud for attaching a pylon to the wing
US 7438262 B2 teaches a ‘stud’ for attaching an engine to a pylon
US 7963479 B2 teaches a ‘stud’ protruding from a wing surface fitting into an intermediate attachment of the pylon
US 8342444 B2 teaches a thrust puck arranged in a similar manner to ‘stud’ extending from wing into a recess of the pylon
US 8814079 B2 teaches connection fitting through a stud-like interface (fig 5a, item 31) mounted to bracket; includes ring to allow joint to slide longitudinally; stud appears to extend from wing and received by pylon
US 9046041 B2 teaches a ‘stud’ allowing longitudinal translation for an engine gearbox, but lacks ring/nut structure of this claim
US 10486819 B2 teaches pins and screws for attaching a bracket
US 11319081 B2 teaches a shear pin protruding from a pylon surface into a wing box
US 11655766 B2 teaches a stud with a surrounding bearing connecting to intermediate structure on an engine
US 11821329 B2 teaches a stud with a surrounding wall connecting to intermediate structure on an engine and incorporates a fuse structure
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RYAN ANDREW YANKEY whose telephone number is (571)272-9979. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 8:30 - 5:00.
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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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/RYAN ANDREW YANKEY/Examiner, Art Unit 3642 /JOSHUA J MICHENER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3642
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