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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election with traverse of in the reply filed on Species I (claims 1-7) is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that “searching the subject matter of species 1-3 does not place a serious burden on the Examiner”. This is not found persuasive because as explained in the Requirement for Restriction/Election sent on 08/29/2025, , the method of Species 1 disclose “controlling operations of the temperature regulating assembly during the moving of the deposition head and during the operating of the deposition head to deposit the additional materials in order to control temperatures of at least the base materials and the additional materials during at least the moving of the deposition head and the operating of the deposition head to deposit the additional materials, wherein the temperature regulating assembly comprises, at opposite sides of the base materials, impingement diffusers that travel with the deposition head, each of the impingement diffusers comprising an outer shell defining rows of perforations, at least two of the perforations having different orientations at the outer shell, through which impingement gas is output from the impingement diffuser in multiple directions toward at least the base materials and the additional materials”, which is not required in Species 2 and 3; the method of Species 2 discloses “locking base materials on a jig in a predefined position”, which is not required in Species 1 and 3; the method of Specie 3 discloses “wherein the heating elements comprise, at opposite sides of the base materials, induction coils that travel with the deposition head”, which is not required in Species 1 and 2. Therefore there is a serious search and/or examination burden for the patentably distinct species as set forth above because at least the following reason(s) apply: the inventions have acquired a separate status in the art in view of their different classification; the inventions have acquired a separate status in the art due to their recognized divergent subject matter; the inventions require a different field of search (for example, searching different classes/subclasses or electronic resources, or employing different search queries); the prior art applicable to one invention would not likely be applicable to another invention; the inventions are likely to raise different non-prior art issues under 35 U.S.C. 101 and/or 35 U.S.C. 112, first paragraph.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 5, the term “substantially straight” is a relative term which renders the claim indefinite. The term “substantially straight” is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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 1-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Rabinovich (US 2020/0318482).
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Regarding claim 1, Rabinovich teaches a blade repair method, comprising:
operating a deposition head (deposition head 720) to deposit additional materials onto base materials while moving the deposition head relative to the base materials (See fig.7, paras.[0058] “The deposition head 720 is movable relative to the base materials 711 and is configured to execute a repair operation. This repair operation includes, among other processes, a deposition of additional materials 721 onto the base materials 711 during movements of the deposition head 720 as part of a laser cladding process.”);
arranging a temperature regulating assembly (gas impingement assembly 730) to remain aside the base materials in a trailing position in response to activation relative to the deposition head (See fig.7, paras.[0058] “The gas impingement assembly 730 includes impingement diffusers 731, a support structure 732 to support the impingement diffusers 731 at opposite sides of the base materials 711 in a trailing position relative to the deposition head 420 and a supply system 733”); and
controlling operations of the temperature regulating assembly during the moving of the deposition head and during the operating of the deposition head to deposit the additional materials in order to control temperatures of at least the base materials and the additional materials during at least the moving of the deposition head and the operating of the deposition head to deposit the additional materials (See figs.4 and 6, paras.[0061] “During operations of the gas impingement in-process cooling system 701, the deposition head 720 first travels along a longitudinal axis of the rotor blade tip 712 and the powder dispenser 722 dispenses the additional materials 721 as powder onto the base materials 711 while the laser emitter 723 emits a laser beam to heat and liquefy the additional materials 721... The multi-directional or linear flow of the impingement gas toward the base materials 711 and the additional materials 721 serves to cool the base materials 711 and the additional materials 721 at a relatively high cooling rate and thus prevents the formation of relatively large grains therein.”),
wherein the temperature regulating assembly (gas impingement assembly 730) comprises, at opposite sides of the base materials, impingement diffusers (impingement diffusers 731) that travel with the deposition head, each of the impingement diffusers (impingement diffusers 731) comprising an outer shell (outer shell 811) defining rows of perforations (perforations 812), at least two of the perforations having different orientations at the outer shell, through which impingement gas is output from the impingement diffuser in multiple directions toward at least the base materials and the additional materials (See paras.[0058] and [0060] “The gas impingement assembly 730 includes impingement diffusers 731, a support structure 732 to support the impingement diffusers 731 at opposite sides of the base materials 711 in a trailing position relative to the deposition head 420 and a supply system 733 that supplies the impingement diffusers 731 with impingement gas.” “the impingement diffusers 731 can be provided as a first impingement diffuser 731 that faces a first or pressure side of the rotor blade tip 712 and a second impingement diffuser 731 that faces a second or suction side of the rotor blade tip 712. Each impingement diffuser 731 can be provided as an elongate tubular element 810 with an outer shell 811 that is formed to define perforations 812. The elongate tubular element 810 can be substantially straight (in some embodiments, the elongate tubular element 810 can be curved for example in a manner that matches a curvature of a blade or workpiece). The impingement gas that is supplied to the impingement diffusers 731 charges into the interior of the elongate tubular element 810 and is output through the perforations 812 in multiple directions toward the base materials 711 and the additional materials 721.”)
Regarding claim 2, Rabinovich teaches the base materials form a rotor blade tip (rotor blade tip 712).
Regarding claim 3, Rabinovich teaches the operating of the deposition head comprises controlling the moving of the deposition head and the operating of the deposition head to deposit the additional materials in order to execute a laser cladding process (See fig.7, paras.[0058] “The deposition head 720 is movable relative to the base materials 711 and is configured to execute a repair operation. This repair operation includes, among other processes, a deposition of additional materials 721 onto the base materials 711 during movements of the deposition head 720 as part of a laser cladding process.”); and
the controlling of the operations of the temperature regulating assembly cools at least the base materials and the additional materials during at least the moving of the deposition head and the operating of the deposition head to deposit the additional materials (See figs.4 and 6, paras.[0061] “During operations of the gas impingement in-process cooling system 701, the deposition head 720 first travels along a longitudinal axis of the rotor blade tip 712 and the powder dispenser 722 dispenses the additional materials 721 as powder onto the base materials 711 while the laser emitter 723 emits a laser beam to heat and liquefy the additional materials 721... The multi-directional or linear flow of the impingement gas toward the base materials 711 and the additional materials 721 serves to cool the base materials 711 and the additional materials 721 at a relatively high cooling rate and thus prevents the formation of relatively large grains therein.”).
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Regarding claim 4, Rabinovich teaches the deposition head (deposition head 720) comprises a laser emitter (laser emitter 723) and a powder dispenser (powder dispenser 722), and
each of the impingement diffusers (impingement diffusers 731) comprises a singular elongate tubular element (elongate tubular element 810), which is elongate in a direction of travel with the deposition head (deposition head 720) (see fig.8), with the outer shell (outer shell 811) defining the rows of the perforations (perforations 812) to each extend along a long axis of the singular elongate tubular element (elongate tubular element 810) (see fig.8).
Regarding claim 5, Rabinovich teaches each of the impingement diffusers is elongate and substantially straight end-to-end (see para.[0060] “The elongate tubular element 810 can be substantially straight”).
Regarding claim 6, Rabinovich teaches each of the impingement diffusers is elongate and curved end-to-end (See para.[0060] “the elongate tubular element 810 can be curved for example in a manner that matches a curvature of a blade or workpiece”).
Regarding claim 7, Rabinovich teaches the deposition head (deposition head 720) comprises a laser emitter (laser emitter 723) and a powder dispenser (powder dispenser 722), and
the temperature regulating assembly (gas impingement assembly 730) comprises, at opposite sides of the base materials, first and second sets of the impingement diffusers (impingement diffusers 731), each of which is configured to direct impingement gas toward at least the base materials and the additional materials (See para.[0061] “The multi-directional or linear flow of the impingement gas toward the base materials 711 and the additional materials 721”),
the first set of the impingement diffusers being set ahead of the deposition head (See fig.7) and deactivated for movements of the deposition head in a first direction and in a trailing position and activated for movements of the deposition head in a second direction opposite the first direction and the second set of the impingement diffusers being set ahead of the deposition head and deactivated for the movements of the deposition head in the second direction and in a trailing position and activated for the movements of the deposition head in the first direction (See para.[0069] “when the deposition head 420 travels in a first direction, the trailing impingement diffusers 731 would be supplied with impingement gas and the leading impingement diffusers 731 would be effectively deactivated whereas, when the deposition head 420 travels in a second direction, the leading (formally trailing) impingement diffusers 731 would be supplied with impingement gas and the trailing (formally leading) impingement diffusers 731 would be effectively deactivated (they could be left activated to further the temperature reduction, especially during ops where more layers are deposited).”), and
each impingement diffuser (impingement diffusers 731) comprises an elongate tubular element (elongate tubular element 810) with an outer shell (outer shell 811) defining the rows of perforations (perforations 812) to each extend along a long axis of the singular elongate tubular element (elongate tubular element 810) (see fig.8).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRIS Q LIU whose telephone number is (571)272-8241. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 9:00-6:00.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ibrahime Abraham can be reached at (571) 270-5569. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CHRIS Q LIU/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3761