DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
This is in response to Applicant’s arguments and amendments filed on 01/22/2026 amending Claim 1. Claim 1 is are examined.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Suciu et al. (2016/0024958A1) hereinafter “Suciu’958” in view of Becker, Jr. et al. (2017/0051680A1) as evidenced by Merry et al. (9,938,898) hereinafter “Merry’898” in view of Suciu et al. (9,869,248) hereinafter “Suciu’248”.
Regarding Claim 1, Suciu’958 teaches, in Figs. 1A - 3, the invention as claimed, including a gas turbine engine (10 – Fig. 1A) comprising: a fan section (20) including a fan with fan blades (34), wherein said fan section (20) drives air along a bypass flow path in a bypass duct [airflow area defined between fan case (F) and core case (C)]; a gear reduction (25) in driving engagement with the fan (Para. [0048]), wherein the gear reduction (25) is a planetary gear system (Para. [0050]); a low spool (14) including a low pressure turbine (18) having a plurality of stages (Para. [0052] teaches 3 to 6 low pressure turbine stages) driving a low pressure compressor (16) and driving the gear reduction (25) to drive the fan (20, 34) at a speed slower than (Para. [0050] teaches a gear reduction greater than about 2.3) the low pressure turbine (18), the fan blades (34) also delivering air into the low pressure compressor (16 – Para. [0051]); a high spool (24) including a high pressure turbine (28) driving a high pressure compressor (26); a first low spool support bearing (62 – Para. [0059]); and a second low spool support bearing (62 – Para. [0059]) located axially between the low pressure compressor stages [As shown in Fig. 1A, second low spool support bearing (62) was located axially between the last low pressure compressor stage (16D) and the first high pressure compressor stage (26A).] and the high pressure compressor (26); wherein the low pressure compressor (16) said plurality of stages includes at least 4 stages [Fig. 1A shows and Paras. [0007] and [0055] teaches that the low pressure compressor had 4 stages.] and no more than 7 stages and the high pressure compressor (26) includes more stages than the low pressure compressor [Fig. 1A shows and Paras. [0008] and [0055] teaches that the high pressure compressor (26) had 8 stages which was more stages than the low pressure compressor’s 4 stages.].
Suciu’958 is silent on said first low spool support bearing being located axially between the low pressure compressor stages and the gear reduction; there being an attachment between the low spool and the low pressure compressor with the first low spool support bearing being axially forward of the attachment, and axially forward of the low pressure compressor stages, and the second low spool support bearing being axially aft of the attachment and the low pressure compressor stages; and wherein the attachment includes two distinct attachments between the low spool and the low pressure compressor with the first low spool support bearing locating axially forward of a forward one of the two distinct attachments and the second low spool support bearing located axially aft of an aft one of the two distinct attachments, the forward one of the two distinct attachments extending forwardly to provide a drive input into the gear reduction.
Becker teaches, in Figs. 1 - 7, a similar gas turbine engine having a ‘straddle mounted’ low pressure compressor (22) with a first low spool support bearing (labeled in Fig. 2 marked-up below, Para. [0037] teaches “A plurality of bearings 92 are provided to facilitate the rotation of these various components.”) being located axially between the low pressure compressor stages (in trapezoid shape 22) and a gear reduction [46 – Fig. 1, Para. [0029] teaches “The fan blades 40, disk 42, and actuation member 44 are together rotatable about the longitudinal axis 12 by LP shaft 36 across a power gear box 46. The power gear box 46 includes a plurality of gears for stepping down the rotational speed of the LP shaft 36 to a more efficient rotational fan speed.” Para. [0028] teaches “A low pressure (LP) shaft or spool 36 drivingly connects the LP turbine 30 to the LP compressor 22.” Para. [0035] teaches “In certain embodiments, aspects of the core 16 of the exemplary turbofan engine 10 depicted in FIG. 2 may be configured in a similar manner as the exemplary turbofan engine 10 described above with reference to FIG. 1. Accordingly, the same numbering refers to the same or similar component.” It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, that the core engine (16) embodiment shown in Fig. 2 configured similar to the turbofan engine (10) shown in Fig. 1 would have had the forward distinct attachment extending forwardly to provide a drive input to the gear reduction (46).] there being an attachment (labeled “forward distinct attachment” and “aft distinct attachment”) between the low spool (36) and the low pressure compressor (trapezoid shape 22 that was radially offset from the low spool shaft 36) with the first low spool support bearing (labeled “first low spool support bearing”) being axially forward of the attachment (labeled “forward distinct attachment”), and axially forward of the low pressure compressor stages (in trapezoid shape 22, shown in Fig. 2) and the second low spool support bearing (labeled “second low spool support bearing”) being axially aft of the attachment (labeled “aft distinct attachment”) and the low pressure compressor stages (in trapezoid shape 22, shown in Fig. 2), the second low spool support bearing (labeled “second low spool support bearing”) located axially between the low pressure compressor stages (in trapezoid shape 22) and the high pressure compressor (24 shown in Fig. 2, Para. [0028] teaches “The outer casing 18 encases, in serial flow relationship, a compressor section including a booster or low pressure (LP) compressor 22 and a high pressure (HP) compressor 24; a combustion section 26; a turbine section including a high pressure (HP) turbine 28 and a low pressure (LP) turbine 30; and a jet exhaust nozzle section 32.”); and wherein the attachment includes two distinct attachments (labeled “forward distinct attachment” and “aft distinct attachment”) between the low spool (36) and the low pressure compressor (22) with the first low spool support bearing (labeled “first low spool support bearing”) locating axially forward of a forward one (labeled “forward distinct attachment”) of the two distinct attachments and the second low spool support bearing (labeled “second low spool support bearing”) located axially aft of an aft one (labeled “aft distinct attachment”) of the two distinct attachments, the forward one of the two distinct attachments (labeled “forward distinct attachment”) extending forwardly to provide a drive input (Para. [0029] teaches “The fan blades 40, disk 42, and actuation member 44 are together rotatable about the longitudinal axis 12 by LP shaft 36 across a power gear box 46.”) into the gear reduction (46).
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Becker - Figs. 2 – 7 do not show the individual stages of the low pressure compressor (22) because the compressors are represented by a trapezoid on its side which was a conventional geometric shape used in the gas turbine art to represent an axial compressor.
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As evidenced by Merry’898 in Figs. 1 – 3, a similar ‘straddle mounted’ low pressure compressor (22) had seven (7) axial stages where a ‘stage’ was a row of rotating compressor blades adjacent to a row of non-rotating stator vanes. As shown in Fig. 1 marked-up below, the seven (7) axial stage low pressure compressor (22) of Merry’898 had a first low spool support bearing (labeled “first low spool support bearing”) locating axially forward of a forward distinct attachment (labeled “forward distinct attachment”) and a second low spool support bearing (labeled “second low spool support bearing”) located axially aft of an aft distinct attachments (labeled “aft distinct attachment”) to the spool shaft (34) driven by turbine (30). Merry’898 also showed, in Figs. 1 – 3, a similar ‘straddle mounted’ high pressure compressor (24) that had six (6) axial stages with a first high spool support bearing (58) locating axially forward of a forward distinct attachment (best seen in Fig. 3) and a second high spool support bearing (60) located axially aft of an aft distinct attachments (36 - best seen in Fig. 3) to the spool shaft (36) driven by turbine (26). Therefore, ‘straddle mounted’ axial compressors having a plurality of stages were known in the gas turbine art.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Suciu’958 by locating the first low spool support bearing axially between the low pressure compressor stages and the gear reduction; there being an attachment between the low spool and the low pressure compressor with the first low spool support bearing being axially forward of the attachment, and axially forward of the low pressure compressor stages, and the second low spool support bearing being axially aft of the attachment and the low pressure compressor stages; and wherein the attachment includes two distinct attachments between the low spool and the low pressure compressor with the first low spool support bearing locating axially forward of a forward one of the two distinct attachments and the second low spool support bearing located axially aft of an aft one of the two distinct attachments, the forward one of the two distinct attachments extending forwardly to provide a drive input into the gear reduction arrangement, taught by Becker because Suciu’248 teaches, in Col. 5, ll. 15 – 21, that ‘straddle mounting’ the low pressure compressor improved control over blade shift clearances and further improves engine efficiency. As shown in Suciu’248 – Fig. 4 and taught in Col. 4, ll. 60 – 67 and Col. 5, ll. 15 – 21, ‘straddle mounting’ the low pressure compressor (30) meant locating a first low spool support bearing (221) axially forward of the low pressure compressor (30) stages and locating a second low spool support bearing (223) axially aft of the low pressure compressor (30) stages to maintain the very small radial air gap, i.e., clearance, between the compressor casing and the tips of the rotating compressor blades of each stage by prevent said rotating compressor blades from radially deflecting away from the rotational axis due to vibrational modes from high speed rotations.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, that in the combination of Suciu’958, i.v., Becker, a.e., Merry’898, i.v., Suciu’248, a forward attachment adjacent to and axially aft of the first low spool support bearing would have been required to connect the axially forward stage of the low pressure compressor to the low spool shaft to facilitate improving engine efficiency by improving control over blade shift clearances of the axially forward stages of the low pressure compressor. Similarly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, that that in the combination of Suciu’958, i.v., Becker, a.e., Merry’898, i.v., Suciu’248, an aft attachment adjacent to and axially forward of the second low spool support bearing would have been required to connect the axially aft stage of the low pressure compressor to the low spool shaft to facilitate improving engine efficiency by improving control over blade shift clearances of the axially aft stages of the low pressure compressor.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 01/22/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. To the extent possible they have been addressed in the rejections above at the appropriate locations, and furthermore they were found not persuasive for the following reasons.
Applicant argues on Pg. 3, fourth paragraph, that Merry’898’s forward attachment does not extend on to drive the gear reduction (the new amended limitations). This argument is irrelevant because Merry’898 wasn’t used to teach that limitations. As discussed above, Merry’898 was used as evidence that Becker’s trapezoidal geometric shape conventional symbol for a gas turbine compressor actually had a plurality of axial stages located aft/downstream of a first low spool support bearing located axially forward of a forward distinct attachment to the first compressor stage and a second low spool support bearing located axially aft/downstream of an aft distinct attachments to the last compressor stage. Therefore, Merry was not used to teach the argued new limitations. The rejections are maintained.
Applicant argues on Pg. 3, fifth paragraph, continuing on to Pg. 4 that the rationale for the proposed combination with Merry’898 and Becker is conclusory. Applicant’s arguments regarding Merry’898 are addressed immediately above. Applicant’s arguments against Becker are refuted by Becker. Becker teaches, in Para. [0037] teaches “A plurality of bearings 92 are provided to facilitate the rotation of these various components.” Becker teaches, in Para. [0029] teaches “The fan blades 40, disk 42, and actuation member 44 are together rotatable about the longitudinal axis 12 by LP shaft 36 across a power gear box 46. The power gear box 46 includes a plurality of gears for stepping down the rotational speed of the LP shaft 36 to a more efficient rotational fan speed.” Becker teaches, in Para. [0028] teaches “A low pressure (LP) shaft or spool 36 drivingly connects the LP turbine 30 to the LP compressor 22.” Becker teaches, in Para. [0035] teaches “In certain embodiments, aspects of the core 16 of the exemplary turbofan engine 10 depicted in FIG. 2 may be configured in a similar manner as the exemplary turbofan engine 10 described above with reference to FIG. 1. Accordingly, the same numbering refers to the same or similar component.” Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, that the core engine (16) embodiment shown in Fig. 2 configured similar to the turbofan engine (10) shown in Fig. 1 would have had the forward distinct attachment extending forwardly to provide a drive input to the gear reduction (46) so that the rotational speed of the LP shaft 36 would have been stepped down, i.e., reduced to a slower rotational speed, to a more efficient rotational fan speed. The rejections are maintained.
Correspondence
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/LORNE E MEADE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3741