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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 of RCE filed on 02/17/2026 has been entered.
Claims 1, 3, 9-11, 21 and 23-25 are currently being examined.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 1, 3, 9-10, 21 and 23-24 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Morin et al. 20160153361 in view of Tomren 4421455 and Diepenbrock, Jr. et al. 4257998.
Regarding independent claim 1, Morin teaches an apparatus comprising:
a variable bleed valve port (320 Fig. 3 para. 0023) extending radially outward from a main flow path (Fig. 2 shows variable bleed valve port 250 analogous to 320 in assembly of low pressure compressor 200 with 250 extending radially outward from main flow path through low pressure compressor 200) of a gas turbine engine (Fig. 1);
a door (labeled in annotated Fig. 3 which is bleed valve 310) positioned at an exit of the variable bleed valve port (310 is at exit of 320 in Fig. 3 and as shown in Fig. 2 variable bleed valve 230, analogous to door in Fig. 3, is shown at exit of 250) the door including perforations (in Fig. 3 and as described in paras. 0023-0024, aperture 316 in door 310 receives manifold 400 which includes cylinders 420 comprising passages 422, i.e., perforations, located in aperture 316 in axial span 314 of door 310); and
a damper (labeled in annotated Fig. 3) coupled to the door (damper is coupled to door in Fig. 3), the damper including a resonator (500 in Fig. 5) positioned adjacent to the perforations of the door (500 is positioned adjacent 422 in Fig. 3), the resonator defining an internal volume (labeled in annotated Fig. 3) based on a resonant frequency of the variable bleed valve port (para. 0029 describes resonator 500 may alter the resonation properties of variable bleed valve port 320, and may change the frequency of vibrational waves caused by airflow over 320 with door 310 closed).
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Morin is silent regarding the damper including an acoustic liner to absorb acoustic energy, the acoustic liner including at least a first cavity of a first depth and a second cavity of a second depth, wherein the first depth is different from the second depth.
Tomren teaches an acoustic lining for ducts for attenuating noise, i.e., absorbing acoustic energy, generated by the compressor of an engine (col 1 lines 6-11). Tomren teaches an acoustic liner (10 Figs. 1-2) disposed within an axially extending annular recess 62 defined by bell mouth member 60 circumscribing inlet 34 of compressor 40 in Fig. 2 per col 4 lines 21-33, and bellmouth member 60 including 62 is for attenuating noise, i.e., is a damper; per col 4 lines 21-33. The acoustic liner 10 includes at least a first cavity of a first depth and a second cavity of a second depth (as shown in Fig. 1 and as described in col 4 lines 55-68, cells 22, i.e., cavities, of acoustic liner 10 form Helmholtz resonators each having a depth dimension D, such that a first cavity 22 has a first depth D and a second cavity 22 has a second depth D).
The resonator cover 520 shown in Fig. 5 of the damper of Morin includes a recess forming part of the internal volume shown in annotated Fig. 3 of Morin. Modifying the damper of Morin to include an acoustic liner as taught by Tomren has the damper of Morin include the acoustic liner in the recess.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Morin to have the damper including an acoustic liner to absorb acoustic energy, the acoustic liner including at least a first cavity of a first depth and a second cavity of a second depth as taught by Tomren for improved noise attenuation (Tomren col 2 lines 28-31).
Morin in view of Tomren does not explicitly teach the first depth is different from the second depth.
Diepenbrock, Jr. teaches in Fig. 3 an acoustic liner 10 with individual cavities 14 with various depths for attenuating different wave frequencies of sound.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Morin in view of Tomren such that the first depth is different from the second depth as taught by Diepenbrock, Jr. to have the first cavity attenuate a different wave frequency of sound than the second cavity since a jet engine may generate different sound frequencies (Diepenbrock, Jr. col 1 lines 67-68 to col 2 lines 1-5).
Regarding claim 3, Morin in view of Tomren and Diepenbrock, Jr. teaches all that is claimed above and Morin further teaches the resonator includes an interior surface (labeled in annotated Fig 3) radially spaced from the door (as seen in annotated Fig. 3, interior surface shown by dotted line is radially spaced from 310), the interior surface being non-uniform (as shown in annotated Fig. 3 interior surface is non-uniform shown by ridges or steps).
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Regarding independent claim 21, Morin teaches a gas turbine engine (Fig. 1) comprising:
a compressor (low pressure compressor 200 in Fig. 2 para. 0020) including a variable bleed valve port (250 Fig. 2) extending radially outward from a main flow path (250 extends radially outward of main flow path through low pressure compressor 200 in Fig. 2) of the gas turbine engine; and
a variable bleed valve assembly (assembly in Fig. 3) within the variable bleed valve port (variable bleed valve port 320 is analogous to 250 in Fig. 2) including:
a door (labeled in annotated Fig. 3 which is bleed valve 310) positioned at an exit of the variable bleed valve port (310 is at exit of 320 in Fig. 3 and as shown in Fig. 2 variable bleed valve 230, analogous to door in Fig. 3, is shown at exit of 250) the door including perforations (in Fig. 3 and as described in paras. 0023-0024, aperture 316 in door 310 receives manifold 400 which includes cylinders 420 comprising passages 422, i.e., perforations, located in aperture 316 in axial span 314 of door 310); and
a damper (labeled in annotated Fig. 3) coupled to the door (damper is coupled to door in Fig. 3), the damper including a resonator (500 in Fig. 5) positioned adjacent to the perforations of the door (500 is positioned adjacent 422 in Fig. 3), the resonator defining an internal volume (labeled in annotated Fig. 3) based on a resonant frequency of the variable bleed valve port (para. 0029 describes resonator 500 may alter the resonation properties of variable bleed valve port 320, and may change the frequency of vibrational waves caused by airflow over 320 with door 310 closed).
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Morin is silent regarding the damper including an acoustic liner to absorb acoustic energy, the acoustic liner including at least a first cavity of a first depth and a second cavity of a second depth, wherein the first depth is different from the second depth.
Tomren teaches an acoustic lining for ducts for attenuating noise, i.e., absorbing acoustic energy, generated by the compressor of an engine (col 1 lines 6-11). Tomren teaches an acoustic liner (10 Figs. 1-2) disposed within an axially extending annular recess 62 defined by bell mouth member 60 circumscribing inlet 34 of compressor 40 in Fig. 2 per col 4 lines 21-33, and bellmouth member 60 including 62 is for attenuating noise, i.e., is a damper; per col 4 lines 21-33. The acoustic liner 10 including at least a first cavity of a first depth and a second cavity of a second depth (as shown in Fig. 1 and as described in col 4 lines 55-68, cells 22, i.e., cavities, of acoustic liner 10 form Helmholtz resonators each having a depth dimension D, such that a first cavity 22 has a first depth D and a second cavity 22 has a second depth D).
The resonator cover 520 shown in Fig. 5 of the damper of Morin includes a recess forming part of the internal volume shown in annotated Fig. 3 of Morin. Modifying the damper of Morin to include an acoustic liner as taught by Tomren has the damper of Morin include the acoustic liner in the recess.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Morin to have the damper including an acoustic liner to absorb acoustic energy, the acoustic liner including at least a first cavity of a first depth and a second cavity of a second depth as taught by Tomren for improved noise attenuation (Tomren col 2 lines 28-31).
Morin in view of Tomren does not explicitly teach the first depth is different from the second depth.
Diepenbrock, Jr. teaches in Fig. 3 an acoustic liner 10 with individual cavities 14 with various depths for attenuating different wave frequencies of sound.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Morin in view of Tomren such that the first depth is different from the second depth as taught by Diepenbrock, Jr. to have the first cavity attenuate a different wave frequency of sound than the second cavity since a jet engine may generate different sound frequencies (Diepenbrock, Jr. col 1 lines 67-68 to col 2 lines 1-5).
Regarding claims 9 and 23, Morin in view of Tomren and Diepenbrock, Jr. teaches all that is claimed above and teaches the acoustic liner is disposed within a body of the damper (510, 520 of resonator 500 in Fig. 5 of Morin; as discussed above in claims 1 and 21, the acoustic liner is within the recess of 520 such that the acoustic liner is within body 510, 520), the acoustic liner coupled to an outer wall (labeled in annotated Fig. 3 of Morin which is a wall of 520) of the damper.
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Regarding claims 10 and 24, Morin in view of Tomren and Diepenbrock, Jr. teaches all that is claimed above and Tomren teaches the acoustic liner corresponds to a quarter wave panel (col 4 lines 55-68 describes cavities 22 of acoustic liner 10 form Helmholtz resonators whose dimension D is selected to correspond to one-quarter of a wave length of the most objectionable sound emanating from the compressor, i.e., 10 corresponds to a quarter wave panel), where at least one of the first cavity or the second cavity extends to the outer wall (as seen in Fig. 2, 10 is coupled to outer wall of recess 62 of bellmouth 60 and at least the first cavity 22 of first depth D extends to the outer wall as shown in Figs. 1-2).
Claim(s) 11 and 25 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Morin et al. 20160153361 in view of Tomren 4421455 and Diepenbrock, Jr. et al. 4257998 as applied respectively to claims 1 and 21 above, and further in view of Mattia 20160017775.
Regarding claims 11 and 25, Morin in view of Tomren and Diepenbrock, Jr. teaches all that is claimed above but is silent regarding the acoustic liner defines a ridged surface profile.
Mattia teaches an acoustic liner (Fig. 4) similar to the acoustic liner of Tomren. Mattia further teaches in Fig. 13 that each cavity 76 may include an array of protrusions 104, i.e., a ridged surface profile, which are noise attenuating features as described in para. 0065 and each 76 acts as a Helmholtz resonator per para. 0057. Noise attenuating feature(s) may be configured within cavities 76 to increase noise wave reflections and/or propagation length within the cavities 76 and may also be configured within cavities 76 to muffle the noise waves and/or absorb energy from the noise waves per para. 0058.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Morin in view of Tomren and Diepenbrock, Jr. to have the acoustic liner define a ridged surface profile as taught by Mattia to increase noise wave reflections and/or propagation length within the cavities and to muffle the noise waves and/or absorb energy from the noise waves.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1 and 21 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument. Newly cited prior art Diepenbrock, Jr. et al. 4257998 is relied upon in the current 103 rejections of claims 1 and 21 as teaching the new limitations added to claims 1 and 21. Applicant does not argue the dependent claims.
Conclusion
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/A.J.H./ Examiner, Art Unit 3741
/LORNE E MEADE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3741