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 .
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.
Claim(s) 1-5, 7-9, 11-12, and 17-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Zhang (CN115369223; English translation relied upon for reference herein).
Claim 1: Zhang provides a system for surface treating a component ([0006-0010]), comprising: a tool (4) comprising a roller (409, Fig. 2; [0073]), the roller configured to contact a surface of the component (Fig. 8); a manipulator (1; Fig. 1) operatively coupled to the tool (Fig. 1), the manipulator configured to move the tool along the surface of the component such that the roller rolls along the surface of the component (Fig. 1-2, 8), and the manipulator configured to apply a static pressure load against the surface of the component through the roller ([0073]); and a transducer (404) operatively coupled to the tool, the transducer configured to transmit vibrations into material of the component below the surface of the component through the roller ([0073]; Fig. 2).
Claim 2: Zhang provides comprising a controller (12, 14) configured to signal the manipulator to maintain the static pressure load as constant as the roller rolls along the surface of the component, and the controller configured to change a frequency and/or an amplitude of the vibrations as the roller rolls along the surface of the component ([0065;0069;0073-0078]).
Claim 3: Zhang provides a vibration generator (3) electrically coupled to the transducer (404) and remote from the tool ([0073-0076]).
Claim 4: Zhang provides a method of operation, comprising: arranging a tool (4) with a surface of a component (Fig. 1,8), the tool comprising a roller (409) contacting the surface (Fig. 8); performing a rolling operation on the surface using the roller; and performing a vibration operation on the surface through the roller concurrently with the performing of the rolling operation ([0073]).
Claim 5: Zhang provides the performing of the rolling operation and the performing of the vibration operation collectively impart compressive stresses within material of the component adjacent the surface through a vibration-assisted rolling operation ([0073;0145]).
Claim 7: Zhang provides the performing of the rolling operation includes applying a static pressure load against the surface with the roller; and moving the tool to roll the roller along the surface as the static pressure load is applied against the surface ([0073]).
Claim 8: Zhang provides the static pressure load is maintained constant as the tool moves along the surface ([0073;0117;0133]).
Claim 9: Zhang provides the static pressure load is varied as the tool moves along the surface ([0073;0117;0133]; through constant force coordination control, the load can be variable).
Claim 11: Zhang provides the performing of the vibration operation comprises transmitting vibrations into the component through the roller ([0073]).
Claim 12: Zhang provides a frequency of the vibrations is maintained constant as the tool moves along the surface ([0014]; preset frequency).
Claim 17: Zhang provides the component comprises a component of an aircraft ([0139] ‘aero-engine compressor blade’).
Claim 18: Zhang provides the component comprises a component of a turbine engine ([0139] ‘aero-engine compressor blade’).
Claim 19: Zhang provides a method for surface treating a component [0073]), comprising: imparting compressive stresses within material of the component below a surface of the component ([0073]), the imparting of the compressive stresses including applying a static pressure load against the surface of the component with a roller (409; [0073]); rolling the roller along the surface as the static pressure load is applied against the surface of the component; and transmitting vibrations into the material of the component through the roller ([0073]).
Claim(s) 4, 6, 11, 13, and 19-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Gao et al. (US 11,136,635).
Claim 4: Gao et al. provides a method of operation, comprising: arranging a tool (10) with a surface of a component (40, Fig. 1), the tool comprising a roller (26) contacting the surface (Fig. 1); performing a rolling operation on the surface using the roller (Fig. 1); and performing a vibration operation on the surface through the roller concurrently with the performing of the rolling operation (Fig.1; Col. 5 lines 10-63).
Claim 6: Gao et al. provides the performing of the rolling operation comprises deep rolling the surface (Col. 4 lines 5-17).
Claim 11: Gao et al. provides the performing of the vibration operation comprises transmitting vibrations into the component through the roller (Col. 5 lines 10-63).
Claim 13: Gao et al. provides a frequency of the vibrations is varied as the tool moves along the surface (Fig. 2, Col. 4 line 22- Col. 5 line 3; Col. 5 lines 42-44).
Claim 19: Gao et al. provides a method for surface treating a component (Col. 5 line 10-63), comprising: imparting compressive stresses within material of the component below a surface of the component (Fig. 1), the imparting of the compressive stresses including applying a static pressure load against the surface of the component with a roller (26; Fig. 1); rolling the roller along the surface as the static pressure load is applied against the surface of the component; and transmitting vibrations into the material of the component through the roller (Col. 5 lines 10-63).
Claim 20: Gao et al. provides the static pressure load is constant as the roller rolls along the surface; and a frequency of the vibrations is automatically changed as the roller rolls along the surface (Fig. 2, Col. 4 line 22-Col. 5 line 3; Col. 5 lines 42-44).
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.
Claim(s) 10, and 14-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang (CN115369223; English translation relied upon for reference herein) in view of Lim (US2018/134370).
Claims 10, and 15-16: Zhang fails to explicitly disclose the roller contacts a wall of the component forming the surface; and the static pressure load is changed based on a thickness of the wall (claim 10); the surface is a wall surface of a wall of the component; and a thickness of the wall is equal to or less than 0.25 inches (claim 15); or the surface is a wall surface of a wall of the component; and a thickness of the wall is equal to or less than 0.10 inches (claim 16).
However, Lim teaches a deep cold rolling process for applying compressive stresses in surface treatment areas (42) and (44) (Fig. 6). The thickness of the blade is variable along its cord. The applied compressive load is different between the different treated areas in which the thickness is also different (Tables 1-2, Page 4). The thickness of the blade changes ([0062]; Tables 1-2, Page 4).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the method provided by Zhang to include the option to select a static pressure load base on the thickness of the treated area as taught by Lim in order to avoid local deformation of the component.
Claim 14: Based on the teachings disclosed in Lim (Tables 1-2, Page 4; [0062]) it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to provide an amplitude of the vibrations are defined based on a wall thickness and an applied deep rolling pressure of the roller onto the surface because it is common knowledge for the person skilled in the art that thinner sections are more prone to over-deformation. They require lower vibration amplitudes and/or lighter static loads. On the other hand, thicker sections require higher amplitudes to effectively induce plastic deformation and achieve sufficient compressive residual stress.
Conclusion
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/Amanda Kreiling/Examiner, Art Unit 3726 2/4/26
/JASON L VAUGHAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3726