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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 02/09/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Regarding independent claim 1 as rejected under 35 USC 102 as anticipated by KLUSMAN, the electromagnetic stator (54) of KLUSMAN is ‘positioned above the foil’ as broadly claimed. The claim language does not preclude that the foil comprises elements 50, 52, and 70 of KLUSMAN (para [0021]: “Ring 70 provides a smooth surface for compliant foil bearing 44 of hybrid bearing 38)”; the entirety of element 54 is positioned above element 70. Even without element 70, element 54 is above the foil parts 50 and 52, entirely as seen in Fig. 3 and partially as seen in Fig. 2. Element 54 is also entirely above the bottom of both 50 and 52. (However, as can be seen in Fig. 2, element 54 is not entirely above the entirety of either element 50 or 52).
Regarding independent claim 1 as rejected under 35 USC 102 as anticipated by HESHMAT, applicant’s argument that HESHMAT does not cure the deficiencies of KLUSMAN is not relevant; this is a separate rejection as anticipated solely by HESHMAT. Similar to applicant’s arguments with respect to KLUSMAN, the stator 52 of HESHMAT is not entirely above the foil 26, but it is ‘positioned above the foil’, as broadly claimed, in the sense that its top coil 54a is entirely above the entirety of the foil.
However, HESHMAT does not disclose the groove now claimed in claim 1.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 1 and 3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by KLUSMAN (US 20110156394).
Regarding claim 1, KLUSMAN discloses a gas bearing (38) for a centrifugal compressor (26), comprising a housing (14) and a motor shaft (66) located within the housing (14) (see Figs. 1-3), wherein the gas bearing (38) comprises:
a bearing housing (48), sleeved on an outer side of the motor shaft (66) and fixed on the housing of the centrifugal compressor (26) (see Figs. 2-3);
an electromagnetic stator (54), fixed in or near the middle of the top of the bearing housing (48), and wound with a coil (56) that can be powered;
an electromagnetic rotor (72), fixed on an outer surface of the motor shaft (66) and arranged circumferentially around the motor shaft (66) (see Fig. 3); and
a foil (50/52/70), located between the bearing housing (48) and the electromagnetic rotor (72) (see Fig. 2), and attached with a friction-resistant coating (40) (see para [0021]),
wherein the top of the bearing housing (48) is provided with a groove (unlabeled; see Fig. 2) for accommodating the electromagnetic stator (54) such that the electromagnetic stator (54) is positioned above the foil (50/52/70).
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Regarding claim 3, KLUSMAN discloses the gas bearing according to claim 2, wherein the groove passes through front and rear end faces of the bearing housing in an axial direction of the motor shaft; or the groove is located in the middle of the top of the bearing housing (48) (see Fig. 2 and 3).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
Claims 1, 4-6, and 8-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over HESHMAT (US 6965181; previously disclosed) in view of KLUSMAN.
Regarding claim 1, HESHMAT discloses a gas bearing (20) for a centrifugal compressor (see col. 2, lines 27-31), comprising a housing (51) and a motor shaft (22) located within the housing (51), wherein the gas bearing (20) comprises:
a bearing housing (24), sleeved on an outer side of the motor shaft (22) and fixed on the housing (51) of the centrifugal compressor;
an electromagnetic stator (52), fixed in or near the middle of the top of the bearing housing (24) (see Fig. 1), and wound with a coil (54) that can be powered;
an electromagnetic rotor (22,55), fixed on an outer surface of the motor shaft (22) and arranged circumferentially around the motor shaft (22) (see Fig. 5); and
a foil (26), located between the bearing housing (24) and the motor shaft (22) (see Fig. 1), and attached with a friction-resistant coating (see col. 3, lines 8-36),
However, HESHMAT does not disclose the top of the bearing housing is provided with a groove for accommodating the electromagnetic stator such that the electromagnetic stator is positioned above the foil.
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KLUSMAN discloses a top of a bearing housing is provided with a groove (unlabeled; see Fig. 2) for accommodating an electromagnetic stator (54) such that the electromagnetic stator (54) is positioned above the foil (50/52/70) (see Fig. 2 and 3).
It 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 to provide the gas bearing housing HESHMAT with the top of the bearing housing is provided with a groove for accommodating the electromagnetic stator such that the electromagnetic stator is positioned above the foil, similar to KLUSMAN.
A person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains would have been motivated to make such modification in order to provide the stator adjacent to the air gap to sense the gap and control the magnetic part of the bearing accordingly, as taught by KLUSMAN (para [0017] and [0022])
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Regarding claim 4, HESHMAT in view of KLUSMAN teaches the gas bearing according to claim 1, HESHMAT teaches the electromagnetic stator (52) is located at an end side of the top of the bearing housing (24)(see Fig. 5).
Regarding claim 5, HESHMAT in view of KLUSMAN teaches the gas bearing according to claim 4, HESHMAT teaches the motor shaft (22) is provided with a sleeve (55), and the electromagnetic rotor (22,55) is fixed on the sleeve in a nested manner.
Regarding claim 6, HESHMAT in view of KLUSMAN teaches the gas bearing according to claim 5, HESHMAT teaches the bearing housing and/or the sleeve (55) are made of steel (see col. 7, lines 18-24).
Regarding claim 8, HESHMAT in view of KLUSMAN teaches the gas bearing according to claim 1, HESHMAT teaches a length of the electromagnetic stator (52) and that of the electromagnetic rotor (specifically, the length of rotor laminations 55) are the same in the axial direction of the motor shaft (22) (see Fig. 5).
Regarding claim 9, HESHMAT in view of KLUSMAN teaches a centrifugal compressor (see col. 2, lines 27-31), HESHMAT teaches the centrifugal compressor is configured with the gas bearing (20) according to claim 1.
Claims 7 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over HESHMAT in view of KLUSMAN and further in view of OZAKI (US 20090127956; previously cited).
Regarding claim 7, HESHMAT in view of KLUSMAN teaches the gas bearing according to claim 1, However, HESHMAT in view of KLUSMAN does not teach the electromagnetic stator and/or the electromagnetic rotor are made of silicon steel sheets.
OZAKI discloses a gas bearing in a motor with an electromagnetic stator 28b made of silicon steel sheets (see para [0085])
It 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 to provide the stator of HESHMAT in view of KLUSMAN made of silicon steel sheets similar to those of OZAKI.
A person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains would have been motivated to make such modification in order to confront the surface of the rotor in order to make the motor operable by means of a magnetic force, as taught by OZAKI (see para [0085]).
Regarding claim 10, HESHMAT in view of KLUSMAN and further in view of OZAKI teaches centrifugal compressor according to claim 9.
However, HESHMAT in view of KLUSMAN does not teach a refrigeration system, wherein the refrigeration system is equipped with the centrifugal compressor according to claim 9.
OZAKI discloses a refrigeration system, wherein the refrigeration system is equipped with the centrifugal compressor utilizing an electromagnetic stator and rotor with a gas bearing, similar to that of HESHMAT (see para [0014])
It 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 to provide the compressor of HESHMAT in view of KLUSMAN in a refrigeration system similar to that described in OZAKI.
A person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains would have been motivated to make such modification in order to produce a refrigeration system that protects the environment at a reduced cost, as taught by OZAKI (see para [0004]).
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.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US-20150362012-A1 ERMILOV discloses and electromagnet disposed above a foil bearing; US-20160312826-A1 Kawashima discloses an electromagnetic bearing 85 positioned above a hydrodynamic bearing.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JUSTIN STEFANON whose telephone number is (703)756-4648. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday and alternate Fridays 8AM - 5PM EDT.
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/JUSTIN STEFANON/ Examiner, Art Unit 2834
/OLUSEYE IWARERE/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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