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 . This Office Action is responsive to the Applicant's communication filed on May 3, 2025. In view of this communication, claims 1-13 are now pending in the application.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the “external attachment element” of claim 3 must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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 1-10 and 13 is 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 applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "a rotor shaft" in paragraph two of claim 1. There is redundant antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claims 2-10 and 13 are rejected solely on their dependency to claim 1.
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.
The Examiner points out the limitation of “a forged attachment flange”, “the additively manufactured coolant distribution body”, “a material-bonded manner”, and “a force-fitting manner” in claims 1, 3-5, and 10-11, are considered as a product-by-process limitation. “Even though product-by-process claims are limited by and defined by the process, determination of patentability is based on the product itself. The patentability of a product does not depend on its method of production. If the product in the product-by-process claim is the same as or obvious from a product of the prior art, the claim is unpatentable even though the prior product was made by a different process.” In re Thorpe, 777F, 2d 659, 698, 227 USPQ 964, 966 (Fed. Cir. 1985); see also MPEP 2113
Claim(s) 1-11 and 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated Fröhlich (US 20190207449 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Fröhlich teaches:
A rotor shaft (Fig 7; 3) for an electric motor for an aircraft engine[abstract and 0003], comprising:
a rotor shaft (Fig 7; 3) having a forged attachment flange(Fig 7; 2), wherein the attachment flange is provided for attachment to another shaft to transmit a force and/or a torque(Fig 14 shows the transmission of one shaft to another through gears), includes a first axial end (Fig 7; A1)facing the other shaft, and includes a base plate (Fig 7; 19)on a second axial end opposite the first axial end(Fig 7; A2),
wherein the rotor shaft (Fig 7; 3) has a coolant distribution body (Fig 7; 24) that is additively manufactured at least in some regions[0014], wherein the additively manufactured coolant distribution body (Fig 7; 24) is arranged on the base plate (Fig 7; 19)of the forged attachment flange(Fig 7; 2) in a radially centered manner, and
wherein the rotor shaft (Fig 7; 3) has a rotor device(Fig 7; 5), which radially surrounds the additively manufactured coolant distribution body(Fig 7; 24) and is joined to the base plate (Fig 7; 19)of the forged attachment flange(Fig 7; 2) at least in a force-fitting manner[0007].
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Regarding claim 2, Fröhlich teaches the rotor shaft according to claim 1:
wherein the attachment flange (Fig 7; 2)comprises, on the first axial end(Fig 7; A1), a mount for mounting the other shaft(Fig 14; 55).
Regarding claim 3, Fröhlich teaches the rotor shaft according to claim 1:
wherein the rotor shaft(Fig 7; 3) comprises an external attachment element, which joins the attachment flange (Fig 7; 2)to the other shaft (Fig 14; 55)in a force-fitting and/or form-fitting manner.
Regarding claim 4, Fröhlich teaches the rotor shaft according to claim 1:
wherein the coolant distribution body (Fig 7; 24) that is additively manufactured at least in some regions has coolant channels (Fig 7; 23) are in fluidic connection with channel openings (Fig 7; 35/36) on an outer surface of the coolant distribution body (Fig 7; 24) that is additively manufactured at least in some regions.
Regarding claim 5, Fröhlich teaches the rotor shaft according to claim 1:
wherein the coolant distribution body (Fig 7; 24)that is additively manufactured at least in some regions comprises an axially extending coolant supply (Fig 7; 6.1)element on an end facing away from the attachment flange(Fig 7; 2).
Regarding claim 6, Fröhlich teaches the rotor shaft according to claim 4:
wherein at least some of the coolant channels (Fig 7; 23)are in fluidic connection with a cooling channel (Fig 7; 21)of the attachment flange(Fig 7; 2).
Regarding claim 7, Fröhlich teaches the rotor shaft according to claim 1:
wherein the rotor device (Fig 7; 5)is joined to the attachment flange (Fig 7; 2)through a connection device[0063].
Regarding claim 8, Fröhlich teaches the rotor shaft according to claim 7:
wherein the connection device has first tie rods(Fig 8/9; 31/32), which are anchored in the rotor device(Fig 7; 5) and the attachment flange(Fig 7; 2)[0063].
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Regarding claim 9, Fröhlich teaches the rotor shaft according to claim 1:
wherein the rotor device (Fig 7; 5)comprises a rotor unit(Fig 7; 4), which is arranged axially between two flange plates(Fig 7; 19/20)[0057], wherein the two flange plates are joined to each other by second tie rods(Fig 8/9; 31/32)[0063](The first and second tie are reference by the same articles 31/32 because the first and second tie rod are not both contained in the same line of dependent claims).
Regarding claim 10, Fröhlich teaches the rotor shaft according to claim 1:
wherein the coolant distribution body (Fig 7; 24) is applied additively onto the attachment flange (Fig 7; 2)in a material-bonded manner[0009].
Regarding claim 11, Fröhlich teaches:
An assembly for a rotor shaft(Fig 7; 3), comprising:
a forged attachment flange(Fig 7; 2), wherein the attachment flange (Fig 7; 2) is configured and arranged for attachment to another shaft to transmit a force and/or a torque(Fig 14 shows the transmission of one shaft to another through gears), comprises an axial end (Fig 7; A1) facing the other shaft, and comprises a base plate (Fig 7; 19)on a second axial end (Fig 7; A2)opposite the first axial end(Fig 7; A1),
wherein the rotor shaft(Fig 7; 3) has a coolant distribution body (Fig 7; 24) that is additively manufactured at least in some regions, wherein the additively manufactured coolant distribution body (Fig 7; 24)is arranged on the base plate (Fig 7; 19)of the forged attachment flange (Fig 7; 2)in a radially centered manner.
Regarding claim 13, Fröhlich teaches the rotor shaft according to claim 5:
wherein at least some of the coolant channels (Fig 7; 22)are in fluidic connection with a cooling channel (Fig 7; 21)of the attachment flange(Fig 7; 2).
Claim(s) 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated RETTBERG (US 20170341178 A1).
Regarding claim 12, RETTBERG teaches:
A method for manufacturing an assembly for a rotor shaft [abstract],
wherein, on a forged attachment flange(Fig 1; 1), which comprises a base plate(Fig 1; 2), a coolant distribution body (Fig 1; 9)is applied according to an additive manufacturing method at least in some regions[0048], wherein the additively manufactured coolant distribution body(Fig 1; 9) is arranged on the base plate (Fig 1; 2)of the forged attachment flange (Fig 1; 1)in a radially centered manner(Fig 1; A).
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Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NICHOLAS L SETZER whose telephone number is (571)272-3021. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri, 8am-5pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Oluseye Iwarere can be reached at (571) 270-5112. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/N.L.S./Examiner, Art Unit 2834
/OLUSEYE IWARERE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2834