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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on March 9th, 2026 has been entered.
Response to Amendment
The amendment filed March 9th, 2026 has been entered. Claims 1, 3-11, and 13-20 remain pending in the application. Claims 2 and 12 have been cancelled by the Applicant.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments, filed March 9th, 2026, have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues that Cui (CN113324669A) fails to disclose the component wall of amended claims 1 and 11, stating on page 8 of the present Remarks that “[…] a component wall having a hole therethrough, the component wall having a cold side and a hot side […].”
As cited in the previous Office Action and restated below, Cui teaches in figures 1-3 and at least paragraphs [n004], [n0038]-[n0039], and [n0043] substrate 1 having reserved hole through which first compensation wire 5 and second compensation wire 6 are passed and that the base slope side of substrate 1 has hot junction area 8. As stated in the previous Action, the hot junction 8, as taught by Cui, inherently has a “hot side” and an opposing “cold side” as is standard in the art for a heat junction.
In response to applicant argument on page 8 of the Remarks that Cui “ […] does not teach […] wherein the component wall is a wall of an aero turbine engine component; and wherein the cold side is an internal cooling air cavity side of the aero turbine engine component, and the hot side is an external gas path side of the aero turbine engine component”, Subramanian (US 20110222582 A1) is cited to rejected the limitations regarding the aero turbine engine component as stated in lines 15-18 of amended claims 1 and 11.
As cited in the previous Office Action and restated below, Subramanian teaches in at least figures 1 and paragraphs 19-21 an analogous thin film temperature sensor wherein a component wall is a wall of turbine blade 10 of gas turbine 11 and, explicitly, the a hot side of the thin film assembly is exposed directly to the hot combustion gas path environment. As stated in the previous Action, the “hot side”, as taught by Subramanian to be directly exposed to the hot combustion gas path environment, will have an opposing “cold side” proximal to an internal air cooling cavity as is standard in the art for a turbine engine.
The words of the claims are given their plain meaning under the broadest reasonable interpretation as would be understood by a person having ordinary skill in the art (MPEP 2111.01(I)). In the present instance, one of ordinary skill in the art would understand that Cui’s component wall with hot junction 8 and Subramanian’s device directly exposed to the hot gas combustion path both, by nature, comprise a cold side opposing their respective hot sides. Furthermore, one of ordinary skill would understand that Subramanian’s cool side is an internal cooling air cavity as is required by the aero turbine engine component with a standard hot gas combustion path as disclosed.
In response to applicant’s argument that there is no teaching, suggestion, or motivation to combine the references, the examiner recognizes that obviousness may be established by combining or modifying the teachings of the prior art to produce the claimed invention where there is some teaching, suggestion, or motivation to do so found either in the references themselves or in the knowledge generally available to one of ordinary skill in the art. See In re Fine, 837 F.2d 1071, 5 USPQ2d 1596 (Fed. Cir. 1988), In re Jones, 958 F.2d 347, 21 USPQ2d 1941 (Fed. Cir. 1992), and KSR International Co. v. Teleflex, Inc., 550 U.S. 398, 82 USPQ2d 1385 (2007). In this case, said references are combined to teach a thin film temperature sensor device, as taught by Cui to comprise a component wall having a hole, a cold side, and a hot side, included in the context of a standard aero turbine engine component with a gas path side and cooling air cavity as taught by Subramanian. Furthermore, the motivation to provide real-time measurement of the structural integrity of gas turbine elements operating at ultra-high temperatures is anticipated by Subramanian (See Subramanian par. 3).
Accordingly, amended claims 1 and 11 are rejected as cited below.
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.
Claims 1, 3-11, and 13-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cui (CN113324669A) further in view of Subramanian (US 20110222582 A1).
Regarding Claim 1: Cui discloses (in at least figures 1-3, the description, and the claims) a thin film sensor assembly comprising:
a component wall having a hole therethrough (fig.’s 1-2: substrate 1, par. [n0043]: reserved hole in 1 through which first compensation wire 5 and second compensation wire 6 are passed), the component wall having a cold side and a hot side (fig. 3 and par. [n0004]: hot junction area 8 of base slope side of substrate 1. It is inherent that the side opposing 8 is cooler i.e. the “cold” side);
a cable positioned in the hole, the cable having a first wire and a second wire (fig.’s 1-2: substrate 1, par.’s [n0038]-[n0039]: first compensation wire 5 and second compensation wire 6 are passed through reserved hole in substrate 1);
a layer of low dielectric material positioned on the hot side of the component wall, with a first length of the first wire positioned on the layer of low dielectric material, and a second length of the second wire positioned on the layer of low dielectric material (fig. 2 and par. [n0039]: “ceramic medium 7 is used as a transition between the substrate 1 and the first compensation wire 6 and the second compensation wire 5 to form a lead-substrate integrated structure.” See also par. [n0007]: “[…] a ceramic dielectric transition is used between the substrate and the first compensation wire and the second compensation wire to form a lead-substrate integrated structure”); and
a first trace of film material in electrical connection with the first length of the first wire positioned on the layer of low dielectric material and a second trace of film material in electrical connection with the second length of the second wire positioned on the layer of low dielectric material; wherein the first and second traces of film material are in electrical communication with a sensor positioned on the layer of low dielectric material (fig. 1 and 3 and par. [n0038]: “As shown in Figure 1, the present invention provides a wear-following thin-film thermocouple temperature sensor, including: a substrate 1, a first compensation wire 6 and a second compensation wire 5 fixed in the substrate 1, and a first thermoelectrode film 2 and a second thermoelectrode film 3 deposited on the substrate 1 in sequence”).
Cui does not explicitly disclose wherein the engine is an aero turbine engine.
Subramanian discloses an analogous art (at least fig. 1 and par.’s 19-21: thin-film thermocouple temperature sensor with a dielectric insulator coating, installed in a gas-turbine engine component) wherein the component wall is a wall of an aero turbine engine component fig. 1 and par. 21: “One example instrumented moving turbine component that would enable collection of real-time temperature data is shown in FIG. 1, wherein a turbine blade 10 of a gas turbine 11 has mounted thereon a thermocouple 12 and conductors 14 leading to circuitry 16, which processes and transmits data derived from the thermocouple 12 to a receiver circuit (not shown) external the turbine 11.”; and wherein the cold side is an internal cooling air cavity side of the aero turbine engine component, and the hot side is an external gas path side of the aero turbine engine component (par. 20: the thermocouple is “[…] deposited on the top surface of the TBC where it may be exposed directly to the hot combustion gas path environment.” It is inherent that the sides opposing that of thermocouple 12 are cooler, i.e. the “cold side” proximal to an internal air cooling cavity as is standard in a turbine engine).
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for the device of Cui, to be included in the wall of an aero turbine engine component, as taught by Subramanian, thereby increasing the film sensor device’s capability and providing “real-time measurement of the structural integrity of critical moving components in modern gas turbines, which operate at ultra-high temperatures” (Subramanian par. 3).
Regarding Claim 3: Cui discloses the thin film sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a high temperature, thin film temperature sensor (par. [n0038]: “As shown in Figure 1, the present invention provides a wear-following thin-film thermocouple temperature sensor […]”).
Regarding Claim 4: Cui discloses the thin film sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a thermocouple or a resistance temperature detector (par. [n0038]: “As shown in Figure 1, the present invention provides a wear-following thin-film thermocouple temperature sensor […]”).
Regarding Claim 5: Cui discloses the thin film sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein the sensor is positioned proximal to the hot side (fig. 3 and par. [n0040]: hot contact area 8 formed of thermal junction overlap of thermoelectrode films 2 and 3. See also par. [n0004]: hot junction area 8 formed on the base slope ).
Regarding Claim 6: Cui discloses the thin film sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein the layer of low dielectric material comprises a ceramic material (fig. 2 and par. [n0039]: “ceramic medium 7 is used as a transition between the substrate 1 and the first compensation wire 6 and the second compensation wire 5 to form a lead-substrate integrated structure.” See also par. [n0007]: “[…] a ceramic dielectric transition is used between the substrate and the first compensation wire and the second compensation wire to form a lead-substrate integrated structure”).
Regarding Claim 7: Cui discloses the thin film sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein the cable comprises a sheathing, the sheathing comprising a metal material (par. [n0039]: lead-substrate integrated structure of first and second compensation wires 5 and 6. Substrate 1, “[…] made of 99% alumina ceramic material”, serves as sheathing).
Regarding Claim 8: Cui discloses the thin film sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein the component wall is a wall of an engine component (par. [n0002]).
Cui does not explicitly disclose wherein the wall is a vane of an aero turbine engine.
Subramanian discloses an analogous art (at least fig. 1 and 8 and par.’s 19-21: thin-film thermocouple temperature sensor with a dielectric insulator coating, installed in a gas-turbine engine component) wherein the component wall is a wall of a vane of an aero turbine engine component (fig.’s 1 and 8 and par. 34: “FIG. 8 is a plan view of an example embodiment of a thermocouple arrangement 48 involving a commonly shared thermocouple leg, which is conducive to advantageous reduction of the number of interface leads needed for acquiring a number of thermal measurements from a grid of thermocouple junctions over a region of interest of a turbine component 49, e.g., a turbine blade, a stationary vane, etc”).
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for the device of Cui, to be included in the wall of an aero turbine engine component, as taught by Subramanian, thereby increasing the film sensor device’s capability and providing “real-time measurement of the structural integrity of critical moving components in modern gas turbines, which operate at ultra-high temperatures” (Subramanian par. 3).
Regarding Claim 9: Cui discloses the thin film sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein the cable is routed and mounted or strain-relieved on the cold side of the component wall (fig. 2 and par.’s [n0004] and [n0044]: wires 5 and 6 are routed through reserve hole and mounted within substrate 1 proximal to “cold side” opposite of slope side comprising hot junction 8) and routed to a terminal connection or system equipment (It is inherent that wires 5 and 6 are routed to terminal connection or equipment to perform temperature measurement as disclosed. See also par. [n0023].).
Regarding Claim 10: Cui discloses the thin film sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein the first and second wires comprise electrically conductive metal materials (par. [n0039]: “The first compensation wire 6 is a NiCr lead wire; the second compensation wire 5 is a NiSi lead wire.”).
Regarding Claim 11: Cui discloses (in at least figures 1-3, the description, and the claims) a method for fabricating a thin film sensor assembly comprising:
providing a component wall having a hole therethrough (fig.’s 1-2: substrate 1, par. [n0043]: reserved hole in 1 through which first compensation wire 5 and second compensation wire 6 are passed), the component wall having a cold side and a hot side (fig. 3 and par. [n0004]: hot junction area 8 of base slope side of substrate 1. It is inherent that the side opposing 8 is cooler i.e. the “cold” side);
positioning a cable in the hole, the cable having a first wire and a second wire (fig.’s 1-2: substrate 1, par.’s [n0038]-[n0039]: first compensation wire 5 and second compensation wire 6 are passed through reserved hole in substrate 1);
positioning a layer of low dielectric material on the hot side of the component wall (fig. 2 and par. [n0039]: “ceramic medium 7 is used as a transition between the substrate 1 and the first compensation wire 6 and the second compensation wire 5 to form a lead-substrate integrated structure.” See also par. [n0007]: “[…] a ceramic dielectric transition is used between the substrate and the first compensation wire and the second compensation wire to form a lead-substrate integrated structure”);
positioning a first length of the first wire on the layer of low dielectric material (fig. 2 and par. [n0039]);
positioning a second length of the second wire on the layer of low dielectric material (fig. 2 and par. [n0039]);
providing a first trace of film material in electrical connection with the first length of the first wire positioned on the layer of low dielectric material (fig. 1 and 3 and par. [n0038]: “As shown in Figure 1, the present invention provides a wear-following thin-film thermocouple temperature sensor, including: a substrate 1, a first compensation wire 6 and a second compensation wire 5 fixed in the substrate 1, and a first thermoelectrode film 2 and a second thermoelectrode film 3 deposited on the substrate 1 in sequence”);
providing a second trace of film material in electrical connection with the second length of the second wire positioned on the layer of low dielectric material (fig. 1 and 3 and par. [n0038]); and
positioning a sensor on the layer of low dielectric material, the first and second traces of film material in electrical communication with the sensor (fig. 1 and 3 and par. [n0038]).
Cui does not explicitly disclose wherein the engine is an aero turbine engine.
Subramanian discloses an analogous art (at least fig. 1 and par.’s 19-21: thin-film thermocouple temperature sensor with a dielectric insulator coating, installed in a gas-turbine engine component) wherein the component wall is a wall of an aero turbine engine component fig. 1 and par. 21: “One example instrumented moving turbine component that would enable collection of real-time temperature data is shown in FIG. 1, wherein a turbine blade 10 of a gas turbine 11 has mounted thereon a thermocouple 12 and conductors 14 leading to circuitry 16, which processes and transmits data derived from the thermocouple 12 to a receiver circuit (not shown) external the turbine 11.”; and wherein the cold side is an internal cooling air cavity side of the aero turbine engine component, and the hot side is an external gas path side of the aero turbine engine component (par. 20: the thermocouple is “[…] deposited on the top surface of the TBC where it may be exposed directly to the hot combustion gas path environment.” It is inherent that the sides opposing that of thermocouple 12 are cooler, i.e. the “cold side” proximal to an internal air cooling cavity as is standard in a turbine engine).
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for the device of Cui, to be included in the wall of an aero turbine engine component, as taught by Subramanian, thereby increasing the film sensor device’s capability and providing “real-time measurement of the structural integrity of critical moving components in modern gas turbines, which operate at ultra-high temperatures” (Subramanian par. 3).
Regarding Claim 13: Cui discloses the method of claim 11, wherein the sensor is a high temperature, thin film temperature sensor (par. [n0038]: “As shown in Figure 1, the present invention provides a wear-following thin-film thermocouple temperature sensor […]”).
Regarding Claim 14: Cui discloses the method of claim 11, wherein the sensor is a thermocouple or a resistance temperature detector (par. [n0038]: “As shown in Figure 1, the present invention provides a wear-following thin-film thermocouple temperature sensor […]”).
Regarding Claim 15: Cui discloses the method of claim 11, further comprising after positioning the first and second lengths of the first and second wires on the layer of low dielectric material, providing and curing additional dielectric material over the first and second lengths of the first and second wires, and then removing a portion of the additional dielectric material over the first and second lengths of the first and second wires (par.’s [n0043]-[n0044]: wires 5 and 6 passed through, and embedded into reserved holes of substrate 1, layer of ceramic dielectric medium 7 poured into reserved holes and sintered to wires, par.’s [n0045]-[n0046]: grinding and polishing of substrate 1 to remove additional material).
Regarding Claim 16: Cui discloses method of claim 11, wherein the layer of low dielectric material comprises a ceramic material (fig. 2 and par. [n0039]: “ceramic medium 7 is used as a transition between the substrate 1 and the first compensation wire 6 and the second compensation wire 5 to form a lead-substrate integrated structure.” See also par. [n0007]: “[…] a ceramic dielectric transition is used between the substrate and the first compensation wire and the second compensation wire to form a lead-substrate integrated structure”).
Regarding Claim 17: Cui discloses the method of claim 11, wherein the cable comprises a sheathing, the sheathing comprising a metal material (par. [n0039]: lead-substrate integrated structure of first and second compensation wires 5 and 6. Substrate 1, “[…] made of 99% alumina ceramic material”, serves as sheathing).
Regarding Claim 18: Cui discloses the thin film sensor assembly of claim 11, wherein the component wall is a wall of an engine component (par. [n0002]).
Cui does not explicitly disclose wherein the wall is a vane of an aero turbine engine.
Subramanian discloses an analogous art (at least fig. 1 and 8 and par.’s 19-21: thin-film thermocouple temperature sensor with a dielectric insulator coating, installed in a gas-turbine engine component) wherein the component wall is a wall of a vane of an aero turbine engine component (fig.’s 1 and 8 and par. 34: “FIG. 8 is a plan view of an example embodiment of a thermocouple arrangement 48 involving a commonly shared thermocouple leg, which is conducive to advantageous reduction of the number of interface leads needed for acquiring a number of thermal measurements from a grid of thermocouple junctions over a region of interest of a turbine component 49, e.g., a turbine blade, a stationary vane, etc”).
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for the device of Cui, to be included in the wall of an aero turbine engine component, as taught by Subramanian, thereby increasing the film sensor device’s capability and providing “real-time measurement of the structural integrity of critical moving components in modern gas turbines, which operate at ultra-high temperatures” (Subramanian par. 3).
Regarding Claim 19: Cui discloses the method of claim 11, wherein the cable is routed and mounted or strain-relieved on the cold side of the component wall (fig. 2 and par.’s [n0004] and [n0044]: wires 5 and 6 are routed through reserve hole and mounted within substrate 1 proximal to “cold side” opposite of slope side comprising hot junction 8) and routed to a terminal connection or system equipment (It is inherent that wires 5 and 6 are routed to terminal connection or equipment to perform temperature measurement as disclosed. See also par. [n0023].).
Regarding Claim 20: Cui discloses the method of claim 11, wherein the first and second wires comprise electrically conductive metal materials (par. [n0039]: “The first compensation wire 6 is a NiCr lead wire; the second compensation wire 5 is a NiSi lead wire.”).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure includes:
Hefner (US 20110027063 A1) discloses the thin film sensor assembly of claims 1-2, 6, 8, and 10 as well as the method according to claims 11-12, 16, 18, and 20.
Baron (CN 103674404 A) discloses the thin film sensor assembly of claims 1-2, 6, 8, and 10 as well as the method according to claims 11-12, 16, 18, and 20. Baron explicitly discloses wherein the cable comprises a sheathing, the sheeting comprising a metal material as recited in claims 7 and 17.
Frederick (US 4595298 A) discloses the thin film sensor assembly of claims 1-5, and 8-10 as well as the method according to claims 11-15, 16, and 18-20. Emphasis is given to Frederick’s explicit disclosure of “providing and curing additional dielectric material over the first and second lengths of the first and second wires, and then removing a portion of the additional dielectric material over the first and second lengths of the first and second wires” as recited in claim 15.
Shibuya (US 20220364937 A1) discloses the thin film sensor assembly of claims 1-2, 6, 8, and 10 as well as the method according to claims 11-12, 16, 18, and 20.
Udrea (CN 117597580 A) discloses the thin film sensor assembly of claims 1-2, 6, 8, and 10 as well as the method according to claims 11-12, 16, 18, and 20.
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/EVAN MANCINI/Examiner, Art Unit 2855
/KRISTINA M DEHERRERA/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2855 4/27/26
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