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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 02/20/2026 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, filed 11/25/2025, with respect to 112b rejection of Claim 1 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The 112b rejection of Claim 1 has been overcome.
Applicant's arguments filed 11/25/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Regarding Claim 19, the Applicant’s position is that Sugita (JP 61082075) does not disclose the hanging carrier disposed radially inward from the fixed housing, with respect to the centerline axis, from the fixed housing because the hanging carrier is concentric with the shaft (Page 8 of the Applicant’s Remarks filed on 11/25/2025) and the “spring foil 42, the damper foil 43, and the seal foil 44 are arranged concentric to the shaft and within the mounting plate 50 and the fastening plate 51…Therefore, Sugita also fails to disclose a vibration damper extending from the hanging carrier to the fixed housing” (Page 8-9 of the Applicant’s Remarks filed on 11/25/2025). The Examiner has fully considered the Application’s position; however, respectfully disagrees. Figure 6 of the Applicant’s Original Drawing discloses a hanging carrier 608, the vibration damper 400, spring 614 are concentric with the rotating shaft 31. Similarly, the hanging carrier (50) disposed radially inward, with respect to the centerline axis, from the fixed housing; and a vibration damper (42, 43, 44) extending from the hanging carrier to the fixed housing (Fig. 13).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Sugita (JP 61082075).
In reference to Claim 19
Sugita discloses:
An engine housing for a turbomachine (“For this reason, it applies to general turbo Yoshiki which carries out a high velocity revolution, the turbo compressor which uses especially the fluid of high temperature or low temperature as process fluid, a turbo expansion machine, a turbocharger, a turbo refrigerator, etc., and a merit is large,” Page 4 of English Translation of Sugita), the turbomachine including a rotating shaft (14 shaft) extending along a centerline axis (centerline of shaft 14, Fig. 5, 13), the engine housing comprising:
a fixed housing (53);
a hanging carrier (50) disposed radially inward, with respect to the centerline axis, from the fixed housing; and
a vibration damper (42, 43, 44) extending from the hanging carrier to the fixed housing;
wherein the engine housing is positioned exterior to the rotating shaft (14) in a radial direction relative to the centerline axis; and
wherein the vibration damper reduces motion of the hanging carrier relative to the fixed housing when the engine is in an operational state. (Page 1-6 of English Translation of Sugita; Fig. 1-16).
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Figure 1: Figures 10-13 of Sugita.
In reference to Claim 20
Sugita discloses:
The engine housing of claim 19, wherein the vibration damper is a foil damper (42, 43) disposed circumferentially around the centerline axis. (Page 4-5 of English Translation of Sugita; Fig. 10-16).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-18 are allowed.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AYE SU MON HTAY whose telephone number is (571)270-5958. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 9:00am-3:00pm PST.
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/AYE S HTAY/Examiner, Art Unit 3745
/NATHANIEL E WIEHE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3745
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