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 § 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 1-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Mischereit (WO 2009037008 A1). Mischereit discloses:
1. A pressurization bulkhead for an aircraft (100), comprising:
a membrane (300) having a plane main surface (106/316) and at least one articulation (304 and 310) for connecting the membrane to the fuselage of the aircraft.
2. The pressurization bulkhead according to claim 1, wherein said at least one articulation is a pivot (310).
3. The pressurization bulkhead according to claim 2, further comprising a flexible liner (114) rigidly attached to said at least one articulation and extending between the membrane and said at least one articulation.
4. The pressurization bulkhead according to claim 3, wherein the membrane has a circular contour, the bulkhead including at least two articulations (see multiple 310 in Fig. 4) regularly distributed around said circular contour.
5. The pressurization bulkhead according to claim 4 further comprising eight articulations (Compare Figs. 1 and 4, 310 is in at least 8 locations) regularly distributed around said circular contour.
6. The pressurization bulkhead according to claim 5 further comprising at least one radial reinforcement (118).
7. The pressurization bulkhead according to claim 6 further comprising at least one radial reinforcement associated with each articulation (see distribution of 118 in Fig. 1).
8. The pressurization bulkhead according to claim 7, wherein each radial reinforcement is a metal or composite material bar (“core composite component (314, 316) has a core (314) with a honeycomb structure”; Claim 17).
9. The pressurization bulkhead according to claim 8, wherein the membrane includes a stack of layers (314+316) comprising at least one layer of honeycomb cardboard and/or of foam and at least one layer of composite material.
10. The pressurization bulkhead according to claim 9 further comprising at least one clip (116) for retaining the liner disposed between the articulation and the membrane.
11. The pressurization bulkhead according to claim 10, wherein the articulation includes a mobile part (304) an axis of which in a rest position is in a plane of the main surface of the membrane.
12. The pressurization bulkhead according to claim 1 conformed to be positioned radially (see position in Fig. 1) with a pivot connection to a fuselage of the aircraft.
13. An aircraft including a pressurization bulkhead as claimed in claim 1, said at least one articulation being fixed to the fuselage (as defined by 108+120) of the aircraft.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BRIAN M O'HARA whose telephone number is (571)270-5224. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 9AM - 5PM eastern.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Joshua Huson can be reached at 571-270-5301. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/BRIAN M O'HARA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3642
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