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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 filed on 10/29/2025 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's remarks filed 9/9/2025 have been fully considered.
Regarding the prior 112(b) rejections, Applicant’s amendments overcome all prior rejections.
Regarding the prior art rejection of claim 1, in paragraph 6 of page 6 through paragraph 1 of page 7 of Applicant’s Remarks, Applicant’s arguments are directed to that the prior art fails to disclose, teach, or suggest the amended limitations of amended claim 1.
Applicant’s arguments are persuasive. Therefore, the pervious prior art rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made as identified below; please see the action below for details of new rejections.
Claim Objections
The following claims are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 17 recites the limitation “an entire extent the blade” which is grammatically incorrect and should be rewritten as -- an entire extent of the blade --.
Claim 18 recites the limitation “an entire extent the blade” which is grammatically incorrect and should be rewritten as -- an entire extent of the blade --.
Appropriate correction is required.
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, 3-7, 17-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 20040037695 A1 (hereinafter Beyer).
Regarding claim 1, Beyer discloses:
A turbomolecular pump bladed disc, comprising:
a central hub (7; Fig 1) configured to be rotated in a direction of rotation (10; Fig 5) about an axis (Fig 1 shows this),
the axis defining an axial direction (Fig 1 shows this);
and one or more blades (6; Fig 1) radially extending from the central hub (Fig 1 shows this);
wherein each of the one or more blades has a cross-section (Fig 3 shows this) that:
tapers to a first point (8; Fig 5) in a first direction (annotated Fig 5a, wherein there is a taper to a first point and the first point exists in a first direction with respect to something),
the first direction being parallel with the axial direction (Figs 1 and 5 show this);
tapers to a second point (9; Fig 5) in a second direction (annotated Fig 5a, wherein there is a taper to a second point and the second point exists in a second direction with respect to something),
the second direction being parallel with the axial direction and opposite to the first direction (Figs 1 and 5 show this);
has a first side (generally at 15 in Fig 5; para 0017) extending from the first point wherein the first side partially faces in the direction of rotation and partially faces in the second direction (Fig 5 shows this, wherein a surface normal of the first side comprises a component in the direction of rotation and a component in the second direction, which is consistent with Applicant’s facing);
has a second side (generally at 16 in Fig 5; para 0017) extending from an end of the first side (interface of 15 and 16; Fig 5) to the second point wherein the second side partially faces in the direction of rotation and partially faces in the second direction (Fig 5 shows this);
has a third side (generally at 14 in Fig 5) extending from the second point and partially facing in a direction opposite the direction of rotation (Fig 5 shows this);
and for each of the one or more blades, the cross-section of that blade is an intersection of that blade with a plane perpendicular to a radial direction in which that blade extends from the central hub (Fig 5 shows this).
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Annotated Fig 5a
Regarding claim 3, Beyer discloses:
for each of the one or more blades the cross-section of that blade is at or proximate to a tip of that blade (Figs 1 and 5 shows this as one having ordinary skill would reasonably understand).
Regarding claim 4, Beyer discloses:
for each of the one or more blades, the cross-section is at one radial position along a length of the blade
and each other radial position along the length of the blade has a respective radial-position cross-section that tapers to a respective radial-position first point in the first direction,
wherein the length of the blade is defined in the radial direction from the central hub (Figs 1 and 5 shows this as one having ordinary skill would reasonably understand).
Regarding claim 5, Beyer discloses:
for each of the one or more blades, the length of the blade comprises an entire extent of the blade in the radial direction (Figs 1 and 5 shows this as one having ordinary skill would reasonably understand).
Regarding claim 6, Beyer discloses:
for each of the one or more blades, the cross-section is at one radial position along a length of the blade
and each other radial position along the length of the blade has a respective radial-position cross-section that tapers to a respective radial-position second point in the second direction,
wherein the length of the blade is defined in the radial direction (Figs 1 and 5 shows this as one having ordinary skill would reasonably understand).
Regarding claim 7, Beyer discloses:
for each of the one or more blades, the length of the blade comprises an entire extent of the blade in the radial direction (Figs 1 and 5 shows this as one having ordinary skill would reasonably understand).
Regarding claim 17, Beyer discloses
for each of the one or more blades, the length of the blade comprises a majority of an entire extent the blade in the radial direction (Figs 1 and 5 shows this as one having ordinary skill would reasonably understand).
Regarding claim 18, Beyer discloses
for each of the one or more blades, the length of the blade comprises a majority of an entire extent the blade in the radial direction (Figs 1 and 5 shows this as one having ordinary skill would reasonably understand).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Art Golik whose telephone number is (571)272-6211. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 8:30-5:00.
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/Art Golik/Examiner, Art Unit 3745
/NATHANIEL E WIEHE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3745