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 .
Status
This Final Office Action is in response to the amendment/request for reconsideration dated 16 December 2025 (hereinafter “Reply”).
Claim(s) 1-44 is/are pending.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement(s) (IDS) submitted on 16 December 2025 and 23 February 2026 was/were filed after the mailing date of the first action on the merits. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the IDS has/have been considered.
Response to Amendment
The objection(s) to claim(s) 2 is/are withdrawn after consideration of the submitted amendment(s).
The rejection of claim(s) 7, 12, 35 under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) is/are withdrawn after consideration of the submitted amendment(s).
The rejection of claim(s) 44 under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) is/are maintained.
The double patenting rejection(s) is/are withdrawn after consideration of the submitted terminal disclaimer.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim(s) 44 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor, or for pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
(A) Regarding Claim 44:
Claim 44 recites the limitation "the ratio c/D" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Therefore, the claim is unclear as to whether or not applicant(s) is/are further limiting a claim limitation or introducing a new claim limitation.
Claim 27 recites fan blades (“c”), a diameter of the fan (“D”), and in a part of the equation for FPF:
c
0.15
D
. However, claim 1 does not recite a “ratio c/D” that is subsequently referenced in claim 44.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim(s) 1, 13, and 27 is/are allowed.
Claim(s) 2-12 is/are allowed due to dependence from claim 1.
Claim(s) 14-26 is/are allowed due to dependence from claim 13.
Claim(s) 26-43 is/are allowed due to dependence from claim 27.
Claim(s) 44 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
A statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter is found at section 34 of the non-final office action dated 2 October 2025.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KAYLA M MCCAFFREY whose telephone number is (571)272-3438. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday (excluding Wednesday) 10AM - 2 PM EST.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor Nathaniel Wiehe can be reached on 571-272-8648. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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KAYLA M. MCCAFFREY
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3745
/Kayla McCaffrey/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3745