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 .
Claims 1-2, 4-9, 11-15, and 17-20 are currently pending. Claims 1-2, 4-9, 11-15, and 17-20 are rejected.
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 December 24, 2025 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see Pg. 9-11 of the remarks, filed December 24, 2025, with respect to the rejections of Claims 1-2, 4-9, 11-15, and 17-20 under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) have been fully considered and are persuasive in light of amendments. The rejections of Claims 1-2, 4-9, 11-15, and 17-20 under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) have been withdrawn.
The amendments provided better define the term “platform turn”. However, the way in which the definition is presented introduces new issues detailed in the rejection below.
Applicant’s arguments, see Pg. 12-13 of the remarks, filed with respect to the rejections of Claims 1, 8, and 14 under 35 U.S.C. 103 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The rejections of Claims 1, 8, and 14 under 35 U.S.C. 103 has been withdrawn.
Regarding Claim 1, on Pg. 12-13 of the remarks, Applicant explains the distinction in structure between the combination of Suciu et al. (US 2016/0003260 A1) and Tibbott et al. (US 2016/0032764 A1) with the claimed invention, particularly noting the positioning of the film holes with respect to the platform turn. With the further defining of the platform turn, the arguments now appear sufficiently commensurate with the scope of the claim in a manner where the broadest reasonable interpretation of Suciu-Tibbott no longer applies. The rejection of Claim 1 has been withdrawn.
No additional arguments have been provided with respect to the remaining claims.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on January 13, 2026 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112(b)
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.
Claims 1-2, 4-9, 11-15, and 17-20 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 applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding Claims 1, 8, and 14, Lines 21-24 of Claim 1, Lines 25-28 of Claim 8, and Lines 25-29 of Claim 14 recite “the platform turn defined by the portion of the inner platform located in the space where the gas path turns around the reverse flow C-section of the inner platform (between the inner platform outside diameter wall and the inner platform inside diameter wall)”. There is insufficient antecedent basis for these limitations in the claims, since they have not been previously introduced. It is also unclear what structure the claims refer to. Applicant is reminded that while claims are to be interpreted in light of the disclosure, it is improper to import limitations that are not claimed. This includes specific features of the drawings that are not defined in the claims themselves. For instance, Claim 1 is with respect to a compressor diffuser vane and turbine nozzle vane flow network. This may include any network that has compressor and turbine vanes, of which there are numerous in the art with different arrangements and structures. The claim does not define the network to have all the structure of the one illustrated in the drawings of the application. Thus, when the claim refers to specific features that are only present in the specific network of Applicant’s disclosure, the claim becomes unclear.
Claims 2, 4-7, 9, 11-13, 15, and 17-20 are subsequently rejected for their dependencies upon a previously rejected claim.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-2, 4-9, 11-15, and 17-20, as far as they are definite and understood, would be allowable if rewritten or amended 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.
Regarding Claim 1, Figures 2, 3C of Binek et al. (US 2020/0362724 A1) teach a compressor diffuser vane and turbine nozzle vane flow network with an outer forward surface of a platform turn (see left end of 65 in view of Figure 3C), the platform turn defined by the portion of the inner platform (65) located in the space where the gas path (see arrows in Figure 2 defining gas flow 96) turns around the reverse flow C-section of the inner platform (65); wherein the outer forward surface of the platform turn is downstream of a platform leading edge (right end of 65) of the inner platform.
Binek does not expressly teach at least one suction point formed in a suction side of the compressor diffuser vane; a suction flow passage fluidly coupled to the at least one suction point; a main artery formed within an outer platform, the outer platform in operative communication with the compressor diffuser vane, the main artery formed within the turbine nozzle vane, the turbine nozzle vane in operative communication with the outer platform, the main artery formed within an inner platform, the inner platform in operative communication with the turbine nozzle vane; film hole passages fluidly coupled to the main artery; and at least one film hole formed in the inner platform, the at least one film hole fluidly coupled to the main artery; wherein the at least one film hole is formed in a gas path-facing surface of the inner platform within an outer forward surface of a platform turn as claimed. According to paragraphs [0055-0056] of the instant application filed July 09, 2024, the claimed limitations allow for film holes (136) to be provided with air (132). This provides an insulating protective function from the hot gases flowing toward the turbine section and reduces separation on the inner turbine wall of the turbine exit nozzle inner platform. The art of record does not indicate it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill to modify Binek to obtain the claimed limitations.
Regarding Claims 8 and 14, these claims recite subject matter of sufficiently similar scope to the allowable subject matter of Claim 1. Claims 8 and 14 are allowed for the same reasons as Claim 1.
Claims 2, 4-7, 9, 11-13, 15, and 17-20 subsequently depend upon Claims 1, 8, and 14, respectively.
Conclusion
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/ELTON K WONG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3745