Office Action 2: Notice of Allowance (2024-11-06)

CLAIMS:
Amendments to the Claims:

This listing of claims will replace all prior versions, and listings, of claims in the application:

Listing of the Claims:

Dated: October 22, 2024

1\. (Currently Amended) A sound absorbing device comprising:an acoustic resonator comprising a lossy resonator with an opening and a predefined range of acoustic frequencies;
at least one fabric layer extending across the opening, the at least one fabric layer comprising actuatable liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) fibers;
a plurality of electrical wires extending across and in contact with the at least one fabric layer; and
an electrical power source in electrical contact with and configured to supply electrical current to and heat the plurality of electrical wires and thereby the actuatable LCE fibers such that an average pore size of the at least one fabric layer changes and the predefined range of acoustic frequencies of the lossy resonator is adjusted as a function of temperature.
2\. (Original) The sound absorbing device according to claim 1, wherein the opening is a slit.
3\. (Currently Amended) The sound absorbing device according to claim 1, wherein the acoustic resonator with the opening comprises a plurality of lossy resonators with a plurality of openings and the at least one fabric layer extending across the opening comprises at least one fabric layer extending across the plurality of openings.
4\. (Original) The sound absorbing device according to claim 1, wherein the actuatable LCE fibers are reversible actuatable LCE fibers.
5\. (Original) The sound absorbing device according to claim 1, wherein the actuatable LCE fibers are electrospun actuatable LCE fibers.

Dated: October 22, 2024
6\. (Original) The sound absorbing device according to claim 1, wherein the actuatable LCE fibers are direct ink write actuatable LCE fibers.
7\. (Currently Amended) The sound absorbing device according to claim 1, wherein the average pore size of the at least one fabric layer decreases with increasing temperature and decreases with increasing temperature.
8\. (Original) The sound absorbing device according to claim 1, wherein the average pore size of the at least one fabric layer ranges from about 0.1 pm to about 500 pm.
9\. (Original) The sound absorbing device according to claim 1, wherein the average pore size of the at least one fabric layer ranges from about 0.2 pm to about 200 pm.

10\. (Original) The sound absorbing device according to claim 1, wherein the average pore size of the at least one fabric layer ranges from about 0.5 pm to about 100 pm.

11\. (Canceled).

12\. (Currently Amended) The sound absorbing device according to claim \[\[11\]\] 1 further comprising a cooler configured to cool the at least one fabric layer such that the average pore size of the at least one fabric layer increases.

13\. (Currently Amended) The sound absorbing device according to claim 12 further comprising a controller configured to command the electrical power source to supply electrical current to and heat the plurality of electrical wires and thereby the actuatable LCE fibers and command the cooler to cool the at least one fabric layer.

14-15. (Canceled).

Dated: October 22, 2024

16\. (Currently Amended) A sound absorbing device comprising:an acoustic resonator comprising a lossy resonator with an opening and a predefined range of acoustic frequencies;
at least one fabric layer extending across the opening, the at least one fabric layer comprising reversible actuatable liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) fibers;
a plurality of electrical wires extending across and in contact with the at least one fabric layer; and
an electrical power source in electrical contact with and configured to supply electrical current to and heat the plurality of electrical wires and thereby the reversible actuatable LCE fibers and a cooler configured to cool the reversible actuatable LCE fibers such that an average pore size of the at least one fabric layer increases with decreasing temperature and decreases with increasing temperature.

17\. (Canceled).

18\. (Currently Amended) The sound absorbing device according to claim \[\[17\]\] 16, wherein the average pore size of the at least one fabric layer ranges from about 0.2 pm to about 200 pm.

19\. (Currently Amended) A sound absorbing device comprising:an acoustic resonator comprising a lossy resonator with an opening and a predefined range of acoustic frequencies;
at least one fabric layer extending across the opening, the at least one fabric layer comprising reversible actuatable liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) fibers such that an average pore size of the at least one fabric layer increases with decreasing temperature and decreases with increasing temperature;
a plurality of electrical wires extending across and in contact with the at least one fabric layer;
an electrical power source in electrical contact with and configured to supply electrical current to and heat the plurality of electrical wires and thereby the reversible actuatable

Dated: October 22, 2024 LCE fibers such that an average pore size of the at least one fabric layer changes and the predefined range of acoustic frequencies of the lossy resonator is adjusted as a function of temperature; and
a controller configured to command the electrical power source to supply electrical current to and heat the plurality of electrical wires and thereby the reversible actuatable LCE fibers such that an average pore size of the at least one fabric layer changes and the predefined range of acoustic frequencies of the lossy resonator is adjusted as a function of temperature .

20\. (Original) The sound absorbing device according to claim 19, wherein the average pore size of the at least one fabric layer ranges from about 0.2 pm to about 200 pm.

21\. (New) The sound absorbing device according to claim 20, wherein the average pore size of the at least one fabric layer ranges from about 0.5 pm to about 100 pm.

22\. (New) The sound absorbing device according to claim 19, wherein the reversible actuatable LCE fibers are electrospun actuatable LCE fibers.

23\. (New) The sound absorbing device according to claim 19, wherein the reversible actuatable LCE fibers are direct ink write actuatable LCE fibers.

24\. (New) The sound absorbing device according to claim 19 further comprising a cooler configured to cool the at least one fabric layer such that the average pore size of the at least one fabric layer increases.

OFFICE ACTION:
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 .
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-10,12-13,16, and 18-24 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: the prior art fails to disclose or to fairly suggest the invention as newly claimed. The prior at does not disclose or fairly suggest in combination the electrical power source in electrical contact with and configured to supply electric current to the plurality of electrical wires to actuate the LCE fibers so as to produce a pore size to adjust the range acoustical frequencies as a function of temperature within a specified predetermined range.
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
In the Office Action dated July 22, 2024, the Examiner rejects claims 1-20 under 35 U.S.C. § 103. With this Amendment, Applicants have amended claims 1, 3, 12-13, 16, and 8-19, canceled claims 11, 14-15, and 17, and added new claims 21-24. After entry of this Amendment, claims 1-10, 12-13, 16, and 18-24 remain pending in the Application. Reconsideration of the Application as amended is respectfully requested.
Rejections under 35 U.S.C. § 103
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as allegedly being unpatentable over Noxon (U.S. 10,767,365) in view of Bilton (U.S. 8,607,929) and Goektepe (US 2021/0198817). This rejection is respectfully traversed.
Independent claim 1 has been amended to recite in part:
"an acoustic resonator
comprising a lossy resonator
with an opening
and a
predefined range of acoustic fre
q
uencies;
at least one fabric layer extending across the opening, the at least one
fabric layer comprising actuatable liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) fibers;
a plurality of electrical wires extending across and in contact with the at
least one fabric la
yer;
and
an electrical power source in electrical contact with and configured to
supply electrical current to and heat the plurality of electrical wires and thereby the plurality of LCE fibers
such that an average pore size of the at least one fabric layer changes
and the predefined range of acoustic fre
q
uencies of the lossy
resonator is ad
j
usted
as a function of temperature."
Similarly, independent claim 16 has been amended to recite in part:
"an acoustic resonator
comprising a lossy resonator
with an opening
and a
predefined range of acoustic fre
q
uencies;
and
at least one fabric layer extending across the opening, the at least one
fabric layer comprising reversible actuatable liquid crystal elastomer (LCE)
fibers;
a plurality of electrical wires extending across and in contact with the at
least one fabric la
yer;
and
an electrical power source in electrical contact with and configured to
supply electrical current to and heat the plurality of electrical wires and thereby the plurality of LCE fibers and a cooler configured to cool the plurality of LCE
fibers
such that an average pore size of the at least one fabric layer increases with
decreasing temperature and decreases with increasing temperature."
And independent claim 19 has been amended to recite in part:
"an acoustic resonator
comprising a lossy resonator
with an opening
and a
predefined range of acoustic fre
q
uencies;
at least one fabric layer extending across the opening, the at least one
fabric layer comprising reversible actuatable liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) fibers such that an average pore size of the at least one fabric layer increases with
decreasing temperature and decreases with increasing temperature;
a plurality of electrical wires extending across and in contact with the at
least one fabric la
yer;
an electrical power source in electrical contact with and configured to
supply electrical current to and heat the plurality of electrical wires and thereby the plurality of LCE fibers such that an average pore size of the at least one fabric
lay
er changes and the predefined range of acoustic fre
q
uencies of the lossy
resonator is ad
j
usted as a function of temperature
;
and
a controller configured to command the
electrical power source to supply
electrical current to and heat the plurality of electrical wires and thereby the plurality of LCE fibers such that an average pore size of the at least one fabric
lay
er changes and the predefined range of acoustic fre
q
uencies of the lossy
resonator is ad
j
usted as a function of temperature."
In contrast, and while Goektepe discloses heating a smart textile to control its porosity, neither Goektepe, Noxon, nor Bilton disclose or suggest a plurality of electrical wires extending across and in contact with a fabric layer comprising actuatable LCE fibers and/or an electrical power source in electrical contact with and configured to supply electrical current to and heat the plurality of electrical wires and thereby the plurality of LCE fibers. Stated differently, neither Goektepe, Noxon, nor Bilton disclose or suggest the structure of a fabric layer with actuatable LCE fibers and a plurality of electrical wires in contact with the actuatable LCE fibers and/or heating the electrical wires in order to heat the actuatable LCE fibers and thereby change an average pore size of the fabric layer and change/modify a range of acoustic frequencies absorbed by the acoustic resonator.
Accordingly, for at least these reasons Applicant submits independent claims 1, 16, and 19 are not obvious in view of Noxon, Bilton, and Goektepe, and respectfully requests the
rejection of claims 1, 16, and 19 under 35 U.S.C. § 103 be withdrawn.
Claims 2-10 and 12-13 depend from independent claim 1, claim 18 depends from independent claim 16, and claim 20 depends from independent claim 19. For at least this reason Applicant submits claims 2-10, 12-13, 18, and 19 are not obvious in view of Noxon, Bilton, and Goektepe, and respectfully requests the rejection of claims 2-10, 12-13, 18, and 19 under 35 U.S.C. § 103 be withdrawn.
New Claims
New claims 21-24 recite the same elements as claims 10, 5, 6, and 12, respectively. No new matter is added. Also, new claims 21-24 depend from claim 19. For at least this reason Applicant submits new claims 21-24 are allowable.
Conclusion