Office Action 2: Notice of Allowance (2025-04-30)

CLAIMS:
Page 3THE CLAIMS

1\. (Currently amended) An emergency evacuation system comprising:
a first floatation device;
an inflator operably coupled to the first floatation device; and
a second floatation device coupled to the first floatation device,
wherein the inflator is configured to inflate the first floatation device to deploy the emergency evacuation system outside of a compartment,and
wherein the first floatation device in an inflated state is configured to dispose an open inflation system above water.

2\. (Canceled)

3\. (Original) The emergency evacuation system of claim 1, wherein the compartment is proximate to an exit door of a vehicle.

4\. (Original) The emergency evacuation system of claim 3, wherein the vehicle is an aircraft.

5\. (Original) The emergency evacuation system of claim 1, wherein the emergency evacuation system is stored within the compartment behind a retaining door.

6\. (Original) The emergency evacuation system of claim 1, wherein the inflator comprises a reservoir of compressed gas.
7\. (Currently amended) The emergency evacuation system of claim 1, wherein the second floatation device comprises \[\[an\]\] the open inflation system.

8\. (Original) The emergency evacuation system of claim 7, wherein the open inflation system comprises one or more air-entrainment devices.

9\. (Original) The emergency evacuation system of claim 1, wherein all inflation gas for the inflator is within the first floatation device.

10\. (Original) The emergency evacuation system of claim 1, wherein the inflator does not use ambient air to inflate the first floatation device.

11\. (Original) The emergency evacuation system of claim 1, wherein the second floatation device in an inflated state provides one or both of a slide or raft.

12\. (Original) The emergency evacuation system of claim 1, further comprising a regulation device configured to sequentially direct gas to the first floatation device and the second floatation device.

13\. (Original) The emergency evacuation system of claim 12, wherein the regulation device is configured to direct the gas to the second floatation device after the first floatation device is fully inflated.

14\. (Original) The emergency evacuation system of claim 13, wherein the regulation device is configured to prevent the gas from flowing to the second floatation device before the first floatation device is fully inflated.

15\. (Original) The emergency evacuation system of claim 14, wherein the regulation device is configured to prevent the gas from flowing to the first floatation device in response to the first floatation device being fully inflated.

16\. (Original) The emergency evacuation system of claim 12, wherein the regulation device is configured to direct the gas to the second floatation device in response to the regulation device detecting a back pressure from the first floatation device.

17\. (Original) The emergency evacuation system of claim 12, wherein the inflator is configured to supply the gas to the regulation device.

18\. (Original) The emergency evacuation system of claim 12, wherein one or both of the regulation device or the inflator are within the compartment.

Amendment Under 37 C.F.R. § 1.111 Page 5

19\. (Original) The emergency evacuation system of claim 12, wherein the regulation device comprises a flow control director configured to sequentially direct the gas to the first floatation device and the second floatation device.

20\. (Original) The emergency evacuation system of claim 19, wherein the flow control director comprises one or more valves that selectively open and close in response to one or more pressure differentials.

21\. (Original) The emergency evacuation system of claim 12, wherein the regulation device comprises:
a first regulator;
a second regulator; and
a flow control device in fluid communication with the first regulator and the second regulator.

22\. (Currently amended) A method of forming an emergency evacuation system, comprising:
operably coupling an inflator to a first floatation device; and
coupling a second floatation device to the first floatation device,
wherein the inflator is configured to inflate the first floatation device to deploy the emergency evacuation system outside of a compartment,and
wherein the first floatation device in an inflated state is configured to dispose an open inflation system above water.

23\. (Original) The method of claim 22, further comprising storing the emergency evacuation system in the compartment.

24\. (Original) The method of claim 23, further comprising providing the compartment proximate to an exit door of a vehicle.

Page 6

25\. (Original) The method of claim 24, wherein said providing the compartment proximate to the exit door of the vehicle comprises providing the compartment below the exit door of the vehicle.

26\. (Currently amended) An aircraft comprising:
a fuselage having an exit door; and
an emergency evacuation system configured to be stored in a compartment proximate to the exit door, the emergency evacuation system comprising:a first floatation device;
an inflator operably coupled to the first floatation device; and
a second floatation device coupled to the first floatation device,
wherein the inflator is configured to inflate the first floatation device to deploy the emergency evacuation system outside of the compartment,and
wherein the first floatation device in an inflated state is configured to dispose an open inflation system above water.

27\. (New) The aircraft of claim 26, wherein the second floatation device comprises the open inflation system.

OFFICE ACTION:
ALLOWANCE
Notice of Pre-AIA  or AIA  Status
This action is in response to amendments filed 9 April 2025 for the application filed 6 May 2024 which is a Continuation in Part of applications 17/951 ,397 and 17/872,094, now US Patents 12,172,761 and 11,999,494 respectively, filed 23 September 2022 and 25 July 2022 respectively. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see pages 7-8, filed 9 April 2025, with respect to claims 1 and 3-27 have been fully considered and are persuasive in view of the amendments presented.  The previous rejections of claims 1 and 3-27 have been withdrawn.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1 and 3-27 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Regarding Claim 1, the prior art of record fails to disclose or teach “a first floatation device; an inflator operably coupled to the first floatation device; and a second floatation device coupled to the first floatation device, wherein the inflator is configured to inflate the first floatation device to deploy the emergency evacuation system outside of a compartment, and wherein the first floatation device in an inflated state is configured to dispose an open inflation system above water” in combination with the rest of the limitations in the claim.  This limitation, in the apparatus as claimed in claim 1 is neither anticipated nor made obvious by the prior art of record.  Claims 3-21 depend from claim 1 and are therefore also found allowable.
Regarding Claim 22, the prior art of record fails to disclose or teach “operably coupling an inflator to a first floatation device; and coupling a second floatation device to the first floatation device, wherein the inflator is configured to inflate the first floatation device to deploy the emergency evacuation system outside of a compartment, and wherein the first floatation device in an inflated state is configured to dispose an open inflation system above water” in combination with the rest of the limitations in the claim.  This limitation, in the method as claimed in claim 22 is neither anticipated nor made obvious by the prior art of record.  Claims 23-25 depend from claim 22 and are therefore also found allowable.
Regarding Claim 26, the prior art of record fails to disclose or teach “a fuselage having an exit door; and an emergency evacuation system configured to be stored in a compartment proximate to the exit door, the emergency evacuation system comprising: a first floatation device; an inflator operably coupled to the first floatation device; and a second floatation device coupled to the first floatation device, wherein the inflator is configured to inflate the first floatation device to deploy the emergency evacuation system outside of the compartment, and wherein the first floatation device in an inflated state is configured to dispose an open inflation system above water” in combination with the rest of the limitations in the claim.  This limitation, in the apparatus as claimed in claim 26 is neither anticipated nor made obvious by the prior art of record.  Claim 27 depends from claim 26 and is therefore also found allowable.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee.  Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion

APPLICANT REBUTTAL: REMARKS
The present application included claims 1-26. Claims 1, 7, 22, and 26 have been amended. Claim 2 was canceled without prejudice or disclaimer. New claim 27 has been added.1
Claims 1-21 and 26 were rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-3 and 5-11 of U.S. Patent No. 11,999,494, and claims 1-10 of U.S. Patent No. 12,172,761 (the "reference patents"). The Applicant is concurrently filing terminal disclaimers with respect to the reference patents to render these rejections moot.
Claims 1 and 22-26 were rejected as being anticipated by U.S. 2017/0050737 ("Hartman").  Claims 1 and 3-11 were rejected as being anticipated by U.S. 3,679,025 ("Rummel"). Claims 1 and 12-21 were rejected as being anticipated by U.S. 3,866,734 ("Elkins").
In order to expedite prosecution toward allowance, claim 1 has been amended to recite the limitations of previously pending claim 2, which was objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form. See April 2, 2025 Office Action at page 2. Claims 22 and 26 have been similarly amended. Accordingly, claims 1, 22, 26, and any claims depending therefrom are in condition for allowance.
The claim amendments are not to be interpreted as an acknowledgement of the propriety of the claim rejections. Instead, as noted above, the claims have been amended to expedite prosecution toward allowance. The Applicant reserves the right to pursue the subject matter of the claims, as previously recited, in a continuation application.
In general, the Office Action makes various statements regarding the pending claims and the cited references that are now moot in light of the above. Thus, the Applicant will not address such statements at the present time. However, the Applicant expressly reserves the right to challenge such statements in the future should the need arise (e.g., if such statements should become relevant by appearing in a rejection of any current or future claim).
1 No fee is due with respect to new claim 27, as it replaces canceled claim 2.
The Applicant respectfully requests reconsideration of the claim rejections for at least the reasons discussed above. If the Examiner has any questions or the Applicant can be of any assistance, the Examiner is invited to contact the undersigned attorney.
Respectfully Submitted, Date: April 9, 2025
/Joseph M. Butscher/
Joseph M. Butscher Reg. No 48,326THE SMALL PATENT LAW GROUP, LLC 1423 Strassner Dr. Suite 100
Brentwood, MO 63144 (314)584-4083
jbutscher@splglaw.com