Appeal 2006-1849
Application 10/387,139
INTRODUCTION
The claims are directed to an air generation unit having two air cycle
machines suitable for use on an aircraft wherein each air cycle machine
preferably has two turbines (Specification ¶ [0001]). Claim 1 is illustrative:
1. An air generation unit comprising:
a pressurized air source providing air;
first and second air cycle machines fluidly connected to said
pressurized air source for receiving the air, said first and second air cycle
machines including a compressor compressing the air to provide compressed
air, and at least one of said air cycle machines including first and second
turbines with said first turbine expanding the compressed air to a first
conditioned air having a first temperature, and said second turbine
expanding the first conditioned air to a second conditioned air having a
second temperature lower than said first temperature; and
a heat exchanger interconnecting said first an second air cycle
machines, said heat exchanger cooling the air and the compressed air
respectively from said pressurized air source and said compressor of both of
said first and second air cycle machines.
The Examiner relies on the following prior art references as evidence
of unpatentability:
Christians US 5,704,218 Jan. 6, 1998
Hipsky US 6,257,003 B1 Jul. 10, 2001
The rejection as presented by the Examiner is as follows:
1. Claims 1, 4, 9 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103(a) as being
unpatentable over Christians in view of Hipsky.
2
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