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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 filed on 9 January 2026 has been entered.
Response to Amendment
The amendment filed on 9 January 2026 has been entered. Claim(s) 1, 3-4, 7-13, 15 and 17-20 remain pending in this application. Claim(s) 2, 5-6, 14 and 16 have been cancelled.
The amendment to the claims has overcome the claim objections and §112(d) rejections set forth in the office action mailed 13 November 2025.
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) 1, 3, 8, 11-13, 15 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sheridan (U.S. Patent No. 7,377,110), hereinafter Sheridan, in view of Edwards (U.S. Pre-grant Publication 2019/0368393), hereinafter Edwards.
Regarding Independent Claim 1, Sheridan discloses an aircraft propulsion system (Column 1, Lines 5-9 – the system is an aircraft gas turbine engine /propulsion system containing the lubrication system) comprising:
a compressor section (Column 1, Lines 5-15 – the gas turbine engine has a compressor section), a combustor (Column 1, Lines 5-15 – the engine has a combustor), and a turbine section (Column 1, Lines 5-15 – the engine has a turbine section) arranged along an axis (Column 1, Lines 5-20 and Column 3, Lines 37-39 – the compressor section, combustor and turbine section are arranged along the shaft, 10, which is along the axis, 14) and defining a core flow path (Column 1, Lines 13-20 – the annular working medium flow path is the core flow path; further ahdictionary.com defines gas turbine as “ An internal-combustion engine consisting essentially of an air compressor, combustion chamber, and turbine wheel that is turned by the expanding products of combustion” and provides a figure showing the basic structure of a gas turbine, provided herein below, with a core flow path defined along a central axis) where a compressed inlet airflow from the compressor section is mixed with fuel in the combustor and ignited to generate an exhaust gas flow that is expanded through the turbine section to drive at least one engine shaft, 10, rotatable about the axis (Column 1, Lines 13-20 and Column 2, Lines 2-3 – the compressed air from the compressor is mixed with fuel for combustion in the combustor to drive the turbine section and the shaft; this is further evidenced by the definition and figure provided by ahdictionary.com provided herein);
at least one bearing system (Figure 1) comprising a bearing member, 12, supporting rotation of the engine shaft, 10, a bearing chamber, 18, defining an enclosed space, 16, around the bearing member to which an oil (Figure 1, “Oil”) is communicated for lubricating the bearing member (Column 3, Lines 46-58 – the oil is the lubricant provided to the bearing member for lubrication);
at least one air seal, 20, that control a leakage flow into the bearing chamber (Column 3, Lines 59-63 – the seals control leaking from the bearing chamber);
an oil scavenge system (Figure 1 – the scavenge oil line connecting the chamber, 16, to the oil pump and the oil pump make up the scavenge system) where oil from the bearing system is gathered and communicated to an oil tank (Figure 1, “Oil Tank”), wherein the oil scavenge system comprises an oil pump (Figure 1, “Oil Pump”) for pumping oil drained from the bearing system (Figure 1 – the oil pump provides the scavenged oil drained from the bearing system to the tank); and
a breather air collection system (Figure 1 – the vent oil/air mixture line deoiler, 26, pump and vent for the air make up the breather air collection system – See annotated figure below for clarification) in communication with the enclosed space of the bearing chamber (Figure 1 – the breather air collection system is connected to the bearing chamber, 16, by the vent oil/air mixture line) through an air passage separate from oil communicated by the oil scavenge system to the oil tank (Figures 1 and 2 – Column 4, Lines 6-9 – the intake, 38, is an air passage that would be connected to the conduit “vent oil/air mixture” which is a separate passage from the conduit that is mark “scavenge oil” to connects directly the bearing chamber, 16, and the pump), wherein the breather air collection system comprises a deoiler (Column 5, Lines 12-27 – the chamber, 94, paddles, 78, surface, 110, bellmouth lip, 64, and teeth, 66, make up a deoiler that removes oil entrained in the air) for removing entrained oil from the airflow through the air passage (Column 5, Lines 12-27 – the chamber, 94, paddles, 78, surface, 110, bellmouth lip, 64, and teeth, 66, make up a deoiler that removes oil entrained in the airflow from the air passage, 38), a breather pump, 54, 56, 58, 60 and 62, in communication with the deoiler (Column 5, Lines 12-63 – the breather pump creates a suction that pulls air through the deoiler and thus is in communication with the deoiler), and an oil capture device (Column 5, Lines 12-36 – the plenum, 92 and collection surface, 98, act as an oil collection chamber, which further removes oil in the air pumped by the compressor and therefore is an oil capture device) receiving an airflow with residual oil exhausted from the deoiler ( Column 4, Lines 46-20 and Column 5, Lines 12-63 – the air breather pump/ compressor pulls the air through the deoiler and provides the air exhausted from the deoiler to the oil capture device that is downstream from the pump), wherein the breather pump is configured to generate a vacuum to provide a negative pressure that draws airflow and residual oil through the deoiler (Column 5, Lines 50-63 – the compressor/breather pump creates a suction through deoiler to draw the air and entrained residual oil through the deoiler) and directs the airflow to the oil capture device is configured to remove an additional amount of oil from the airflow downstream of the deoiler (Column 4, Lines 46-20 and Column 5, Lines 12-63 – the oil capture device removes an additional amount of oil from the airflow that was exhaust from the deoiler and breather pump/compressor and therefore downstream of the deoiler).
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Figure 1 - Figure from ahdictionary.com
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Figure 2 - Annotated Figure from Sheridan
Sheridan does not explicitly disclose the air seal comprises a carbon seal in sealing contact with the rotating engine shaft.
However, Edwards discloses a bearing system (Figure 4) and at least one air seal, 68 and 70, wherein the air seal comprises a carbon seal (Paragraph 0082 – the seal comprises a carbon seal) in sealing contact with a rotating engine shaft (Paragraph 0082 – the carbon seal is in sealing contact with the shaft, 26).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the invention of Sheridan by replacing the seals of Sheridan with the seals comprising a carbon seal in sealing contact with the rotating engine shaft of Edwards because it has been held that a simple substitution of one known element (the seal of Sheridan), for another (the seal comprising a carbon seal of Edwards), to obtain predictable results of providing a seal for the bearing compartment (Edwards - Paragraphs 0082-0083) was an obvious extension of prior art teachings. KSR Int'l Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 550 U.S. 398, 415-421; MPEP 2141 III B.
Regarding Claim 3, Sheridan in view of Edwards disclose the invention as claimed and discussed above. Edwards further discloses the air seals comprise a low airflow seal that comprises a static element contacting a rotating element (Paragraphs 0082-0083 – the air seal comprises a carbon seal that is between the housing and the mounting structure, 70, where the carbon seal and housing make up a static element and the mounting structure is a rotating element attached to the shaft, 26).
Regarding Claim 8, Sheridan in view of Edwards disclose the invention as claimed and discussed above. Sheridan further discloses the capture device comprises an oil separation device for removing an additional amount of oil from the airflow (Column 5, Lines 12-36 – the plenum, 92 and collection surface, 98, act as an oil collection chamber, which further removes oil in the air pumped by the compressor).
Regarding Claim 11, Sheridan in view of Edwards disclose the invention as claimed and discussed above. Sheridan further discloses a gearbox, 28, driven by the turbine section (Figure 2 - Column 1, Lines 13-20 and Column 4, Lines 37-39 – the shaft that is driven by the turbine section drives the gears, 80 and 82, within the gearbox , wherein the gearbox is in communication with the deoiler such that air with entrained oil from the gearbox is communicated to the deoiler (Figures 1 and 2 – Column 5, Lines 12-21 - the deoiler is housed within the gearbox, 28, as shown in Figures 1 and 2 with the scoop, 96, connecting the deoiler and the volume of the gearbox, therefore air with entrained oil from the gearbox is in communication with the deoiler).
Sheridan in view of Edwards, as discussed so far, do not disclose the gearbox coupled to a fan.
However, Edwards teaches an engine gearbox, 30, that is coupled to a fan, 23.
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the invention of Sheridan in view of Edwards by making the engine gearbox coupled to a fan, as taught by Edwards, in order to provide additional propulsion force (Edwards – Paragraph 0004).
Regarding Claim 12, Sheridan in view of Edwards disclose the invention as claimed and discussed above. Sheridan further discloses the breather air collection system is in communication with at least one engine component in addition to the bearing system (Figure 1 – the breather air collection system is in communication with the turbo machinery pressurized buffer air system, 30, since the buffer air system provides the pressurized air that flows into the bearing chamber and then into the breather air collection system).
Regarding Independent Claim 13, Sheridan discloses a lubrication system for an aircraft turbine engine(Figure 1 - Column 1, Lines 5-9 – the system is an aircraft gas turbine engine /propulsion system containing the lubrication system) comprising:
a bearing chamber, 18, defining an enclosed space, 16, around a bearing member, 12, to which oil (Figure 1, “Oil”) is communicated for lubricating the bearing member (Column 3, Lines 46-58 – the oil is the lubricant provided to the bearing member for lubrication);
at least one air seal, 20, that control a leakage flow into the bearing chamber (Column 3, Lines 59-63 – the seals control leaking from the bearing chamber), wherein the air seal is provided around a rotating engine shaft, 10;
an oil scavenge system (Figure 1 – the scavenge oil line connecting the chamber, 16, to the oil pump and the oil pump make up the scavenge system) where oil from the bearing system is gathered and communicated to an oil tank (Figure 1, “Oil Tank”), wherein the oil scavenge system comprises an oil pump (Figure 1, “Oil Pump”) for pumping oil drained from the bearing system (Figure 1 – the oil pump provides the scavenged oil drained from the bearing system to the tank); and
a breather air collection system (Figure 1 – the vent oil/air mixture line deoiler, 26, pump and vent for the air make up the breather air collection system – See annotated figure below for clarification) in communication with the enclosed space of the bearing chamber (Figure 1 – the breather air collection system is connected to the bearing chamber, 16, by the vent oil/air mixture line) through an air passage separate from oil communicated by the oil scavenge system to the oil tank (Figures 1 and 2 – Column 4, Lines 6-9 – the intake, 38, is an air passage that would be connected to the conduit “vent oil/air mixture” which is a separate passage from the conduit that is mark “scavenge oil” to connects directly the bearing chamber, 16, and the pump), wherein the breather air collection system comprises a deoiler (Column 5, Lines 12-27 – the chamber, 94, paddles, 78, surface, 110, bellmouth lip, 64, and teeth, 66, make up a deoiler that removes oil entrained in the air) for removing entrained oil from an airflow through the air passage and exhausted from the bearing chamber (Column 5, Lines 12-27 – the chamber, 94, paddles, 78, surface, 110, bellmouth lip, 64, and teeth, 66, make up a deoiler that removes oil entrained in the air flow from the passage, 38, coming from/exhausted from the bearing chamber, 16), a breather pump, 54, 56, 58, 60 and 62, in communication with the deoiler (Column 5, Lines 12-63 – the breather pump creates a suction that pulls air through the deoiler and thus is in communication with the deoiler), and an oil capture device (Column 5, Lines 12-36 – the plenum, 92 and collection surface, 98, act as an oil collection chamber, which further removes oil in the air pumped by the compressor and therefore is an oil capture device) receiving an airflow with residual oil exhausted from the deoiler ( Column 4, Lines 46-20 and Column 5, Lines 12-63 – the air breather pump/ compressor pulls the air through the deoiler and provides the air exhausted from the deoiler to the oil capture device that is downstream from the pump), wherein the breather pump is configured to generate a vacuum to provide a negative pressure that draws airflow and residual oil through the deoiler (Column 5, Lines 50-63 – the compressor/breather pump creates a suction through deoiler to draw the air and entrained residual oil through the deoiler) and directs the airflow to the oil capture device is configured to remove an additional amount of oil from the airflow downstream of the deoiler (Column 4, Lines 46-20 and Column 5, Lines 12-63 – the oil capture device removes an additional amount of oil from the airflow that was exhaust from the deoiler and breather pump/compressor and therefore downstream of the deoiler).
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Figure 3 - Figure from ahdictionary.com
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Figure 4 - Annotated Figure from Sheridan
Sheridan does not explicitly disclose the air seal comprises a carbon seal in sealing contact with the rotating engine shaft.
However, Edwards discloses a bearing system (Figure 4) and at least one air seal, 68 and 70, wherein the air seal comprises a carbon seal (Paragraph 0082 – the seal comprises a carbon seal) in sealing contact with a rotating engine shaft (Paragraph 0082 – the carbon seal is in sealing contact with the shaft, 26).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the invention of Sheridan by replacing the seals of Sheridan with the seals comprising a carbon seal in sealing contact with the rotating engine shaft of Edwards because it has been held that a simple substitution of one known element (the seal of Sheridan), for another (the seal comprising a carbon seal of Edwards), to obtain predictable results of providing a seal for the bearing compartment (Edwards - Paragraphs 0082-0083) was an obvious extension of prior art teachings. KSR Int'l Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 550 U.S. 398, 415-421; MPEP 2141 III B.
Regarding Claim 15, Sheridan in view of Edwards disclose the invention as claimed and discussed above. Sheridan further discloses the breather air collection system further comprises at least one breather passage (Figure 1 – the conduit/line labeled “vent decontaminated air overboard” is a breather passage of the air collection system) for communicating collected breather air from the bearing chambers through a core flow path (Figure 1 – Column 5, Lines 37-49 - the conduit/line labeled “vent decontaminated air overboard” communicates air from the bearing chamber, 16, to the atmosphere and therefore necessarily must pass through the core flow path that surrounds the bearing chamber to reach the atmosphere).
Regarding Claim 18, Sheridan in view of Edwards disclose the invention as claimed and discussed above. Sheridan further discloses the capture device comprises an oil separation device for removing an additional amount of oil from the airflow exhausted from the bearing chamber (Column 5, Lines 12-36 – the plenum, 92 and collection surface, 98, act as an oil collection chamber/second oil separation device, which further removes oil in the air pumped by the compressor that was removed the bearing chamber).
Claim(s) 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sheridan in view of Edwards as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Beier (U.S. Patent No. 10,895,201), hereinafter Beier.
Regarding Claim 4, Sheridan in view of Edwards disclose the invention as claimed and discussed above. Sheridan further discloses the air passage of the breather air collection system further comprises at least one breather passage (Figure 1 – the conduit/line labeled “vent oil/air mixture” is a breather passage of the air collection system/ air passage) for communicating collected breather air from the bearing chambers to the deoiler (Figures 1 and 2 – the conduit/line labeled “vent oil/air mixture” communicates air from the bearing chamber, 16, to an the deoiler via the intake, 38).
Sheridan in view of Edwards do not explicitly disclose the breather passage communicating through the core flow path.
However, Beier teaches an aircraft propulsion system (Figure 1) with a deoiler, 20, connected to a bearing chamber (Column 1, Lines 16-19 – the deoiler receives compressed air used to seal the bearing chamber) where the deoiler is located outside a core flow path, 5.
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the invention of Sheridan in view of Edwards by locating the deoiler outside the core flow path, as taught by Beier, resulting in the breather passage communicating through the core flow path in order to provide the vent line to the secondary flow channel such that there are no downstream structures to be contaminated by any remaining oil and turbulences caused by downstream structures can be avoided (Beier – Column 3, Lines 49-59).
Claim(s) 7, 9-10, 17 and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sheridan in view of Edwards as applied to claims 1 and 13 above, and further in view of Shimizu (U.S. Pre-grant Publication 2001/0027706), hereinafter Shimizu.
Regarding Claim 7, Sheridan in view of Edwards disclose the invention as claimed and discussed above. Sheridan in view of Edwards do not disclose the capture device comprises a catalytic device for removing an additional amount of oil from an airflow.
However, Shimizu teaches a lubrication system for bearings (Paragraph 0011) with a capture device (Paragraph 0033-0034 – the collecting device/collector is a capture device) that comprises a catalytic device for removing an additional amount of oil from an airflow (Paragraph 0034 – the capture device includes a catalytic filter).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the invention of Sheridan in view of Edwards by making the capture device comprise a catalytic device for removing an additional amount of oil from an airflow, as taught by Shimizu, in order to separate small oil droplets/small particles from the gas/airstream (Shimizu – Paragraph 0034).
Regarding Claim 9, Sheridan in view of Edwards disclose the invention as claimed and discussed above. Sheridan in view of Edwards do not disclose the capture device comprises an electrostatic device for removing an additional amount of oil from the airflow.
However, Shimizu teaches a lubrication system for bearings (Paragraph 0011) with a capture device (Paragraph 0033-0034 – the collecting device/collector is a capture device) that comprises an electrostatic device for removing an additional amount of oil from an airflow (Paragraph 0034 – the capture device includes electrostatic precipitators).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the invention of Sheridan in view of Edwards by making the capture device comprise an electrostatic device for removing an additional amount of oil from an airflow, as taught by Shimizu, in order to separate small oil droplets/small particles from the gas/airstream (Shimizu – Paragraph 0034).
Regarding Claim 10, Sheridan in view of Edwards disclose the invention as claimed and discussed above. Sheridan in view of Edwards do not disclose the capture device comprises a porous or liquid media scrubber for removing an additional amount of oil from the airflow.
However, Shimizu teaches a lubrication system for bearings (Paragraph 0011) with a capture device (Paragraph 0033-0034 – the collecting device/collector is a capture device) that comprises a porous or liquid media scrubber for removing an additional amount of oil from an airflow (Paragraph 0034 – the capture device includes filter/scrubber which would be a porous filter/scrubber).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the invention of Sheridan in view of Edwards by making the capture device comprise a porous media scrubber for removing an additional amount of oil from an airflow, as taught by Shimizu, in order to separate small oil droplets/small particles from the gas/airstream (Shimizu – Paragraph 0034).
Regarding Claim 17, Sheridan in view of Edwards disclose the invention as claimed and discussed above. Sheridan in view of Edwards do not disclose the capture device comprises a catalytic device for removing an additional amount of oil from an air exhausted from the bearing chamber.
However, Shimizu teaches a lubrication system for bearings (Paragraph 0011) with a capture device (Paragraph 0033-0034 – the collecting device/collector is a capture device) that comprises a catalytic device for removing an additional amount of oil from an air exhausted from the bearing chamber (Paragraph 0034 – the capture device includes a catalytic filter).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the invention of Sheridan in view of Edwards by making the capture device comprise a catalytic device for removing an additional amount of oil from an air exhausted from the bearing chamber, as taught by Shimizu, in order to separate small oil droplets/small particles from the gas/airstream (Shimizu – Paragraph 0034).
Regarding Claim 19, Sheridan in view of Edwards disclose the invention as claimed and discussed above. Sheridan in view of Edwards do not disclose the capture device comprises an electrostatic device for removing an additional amount of oil from the air exhausted from the bearing chamber.
However, Shimizu teaches a lubrication system for bearings (Paragraph 0011) with a capture device (Paragraph 0033-0034 – the collecting device/collector is a capture device) that comprises an electrostatic device for removing an additional amount of oil from an air exhausted from the bearing chamber (Paragraph 0034 – the capture device includes electrostatic precipitators).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the invention of Sheridan in view of Edwards by making the capture device comprise an electrostatic device for removing an additional amount of oil from an air exhausted from the bearing chamber, as taught by Shimizu, in order to separate small oil droplets/small particles from the gas/airstream (Shimizu – Paragraph 0034).
Regarding Claim 20, Sheridan in view of Edwards disclose the invention as claimed and discussed above. Sheridan in view of Edwards do not disclose the capture device comprises a porous or liquid media scrubber for removing an additional amount of oil from the air exhausted from the bearing chamber.
However, Shimizu teaches a lubrication system for bearings (Paragraph 0011) with a capture device (Paragraph 0033-0034 – the collecting device/collector is a capture device) that comprises a porous or liquid media scrubber for removing an additional amount of oil from an air exhausted from the bearing chamber (Paragraph 0034 – the capture device includes filter/scrubber which would be a porous filter/scrubber).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the invention of Sheridan in view of Edwards by making the capture device comprise a porous media scrubber for removing an additional amount of oil from an air exhausted from the bearing chamber, as taught by Shimizu, in order to separate small oil droplets/small particles from the gas/airstream (Shimizu – Paragraph 0034).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 9 January 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
In response to Applicant’s argument that Sheridan does not show a breather pump, oil capture device or a vacuum for the airflow vented from the deoiler it is respectfully pointed out that Applicant points to the use of the term “deoiler” in Sheridan as limiting the use of the structure cited in the rejection. Different structures of Sheridan meet the claimed limitations regardless if they are components of what Sheridan overall calls the “deoiler”. This is true even if Sheridan refers to an overall assembly as a “deoiler”. Further since the claims do not provide any additional structural limitations for the deoiler the use of subcomponents of Sheridan’s “deoiler” should not be limited as argued by Applicant. Thus the structure within the “deoiler” of Sheridan that make up the compressor, 54, 56, 58, 60 and 62, meet the limitations of a breather pump. This compressor/breather pump receives air from the chamber, 94, paddles, 78, surface, 110, bellmouth lip, 64, and teeth, 66, that meet the limitation of a deoiler. Further the plenum, 92, and surface, 98, are described in Column 5, Lines 28-36 as a structure that further captures oil remaining in the airflow that is exhausted by the breather pump, therefore they meet the limitation of the oil capture device. Also Column 5, Lines 28-36 and Lines 50-63 describe that the compressor/breather pump creates a suction/vacuum/negative pressure that draws air through the deoiler and then directs the air flow to the oil capture device thereby meeting the limitations of claim. Thus Sheridan in view of Edwards meet the claimed limitations and the rejects are proper.
Conclusion
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/KYLE ROBERT THOMAS/Examiner, Art Unit 3741