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 .
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.
Claims 2-3, 6, 8, and 15-19 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.
The term “substantially” in claims 2-3, 6 and 8 is a relative term which renders the claim indefinite. The term “substantially” is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is unclear what variation in speed is allowed by “a substantially constant speed”.
Claim 15 recites “the output signal … corresponds to a desired frequency of adjusting of one or more of a first blade pitch of a first blade or a second blade pitch”, however in claim 1, the output signal adjusts the pitch of the vane blade. It is unclear how “the output signal” corresponding to a vane pitch changes a pitch of the blades, and whether the output signal of claim 15 is the same as the output signal of claim 1.
Claim 18 recites “wherein changing at least one of the first pitch of the first blade or the second pitch of the second blade of the plurality of rotor blades such that the first pitch is different from the second pitch comprises…”, however there is not antecedent basis for this limitation. Accordingly, it is unclear whether the claim is positively reciting that the first pitch is different from the second pitch.
Claim 19 recites “the first engine operating parameter and the second engine operating parameter include a beat frequency”. Note that the beat frequency corresponds to the frequency difference across different engines (see par. 156 of present application “beat frequency is an interference pattern from two or more engines at different frequencies, perceived as a periodic variation in volume whose rate is the difference between the two or more frequencies from the respective engines”). Accordingly, it is unclear how a beat frequency is an operating parameter for each engine.
Claims 16-18 are indefinite based on their dependence on claim 15.
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, 4-5, 7, 9-14, and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Colavincenzo (US 2018/0050809) in view of Lu (US 2017/0107914) in view of Miller (US 2017/0138370).
Regarding claim 1, Colavincenzo discloses a propulsion system, the propulsion system comprising:
a first engine (16A) comprising:
a first rotor assembly (20) comprising a first plurality of rotor blades, wherein the first plurality of rotor blades comprises a first blade and a second blade;
a first vane assembly (48, par. 95) positioned downstream of the first variable pitch rotor assembly for receiving a first airflow from the first variable pitch rotor assembly, wherein the first variable pitch rotor assembly is positioned forward of the first vane assembly, the first vane assembly comprising a first plurality of vane blades; and
a first core engine (par. 94) comprising a high speed spool (36) and a low speed spool (32), wherein the low speed spool is operably coupled to the first rotor assembly;
a second engine (16B) comprising:
a second rotor assembly (20) comprising a second plurality of rotor blades coupled to a second disk, wherein the second plurality of rotor blades comprises a first blade and a second blade;
a second vane assembly (48) positioned downstream of the second variable pitch rotor assembly for receiving a second airflow from the second rotor assembly, wherein the second variable pitch rotor assembly is positioned forward of the second vane assembly, the second vane assembly comprising a second plurality of vane blades; and
a second core engine (par. 94) comprising a high speed spool (36) and a low speed spool (32), wherein the low speed spool is operably coupled to the second variable pitch rotor assembly; and
one or more controllers configured to execute operations, the operations comprising:
receiving an environmental input signal (72) indicative of an environmental parameter, wherein the environmental parameter is a perceived noise (see Fig. 4A);
generating an output signal (68) based on the environmental parameter, wherein the output signal corresponds to adjusting a first pitch of one or more of the first plurality of vane blades of the first engine or a second pitch of one or more of the second plurality of vane blades (Fig. 4A);
receiving a first input signal (70A) from the first engine indicative of a first engine operating parameter;
receiving a second input (70B) from the second engine indicating a second engine operating parameter;
comparing a difference between the first engine operating parameter (ex. “rotational speed” and/or “rotational phase”) and the second engine operating parameter (ex. “rotational speed” and/or “rotational phase”) to a desired performance parameter, the desired performance parameter including a desired acoustic noise level (ex. 58 dB in Fig. 5B, “lower noise level”; note that vibration measurements 70A, 70B are used to identify beats 76 of Fig. 5B-6, see pars. 118-119); and
changing (via 68) at least one of the first pitch of one or more of the first plurality of vane blades of the first engine or the second pitch of one or more of the second plurality of vane blades of the second engine based on the desired acoustic noise level (Fig. 4B).
Colavincenzo does not disclose:
a first variable pitch rotor assembly, wherein the first variable pitch rotor assembly is an unducted rotor assembly;
a second variable pitch rotor assembly, wherein the second variable pitch rotor assembly is an unducted rotor assembly;
a first plurality of rotor blades coupled to a first disk; and
a second plurality of rotor blades coupled to a second disk.
Lu discloses an engine (1000) with a first variable pitch rotor assembly (1020), wherein the first variable pitch rotor assembly is an unducted rotor assembly (Fig. 1).
Colavincenzo discloses engines with a turbo-fan engine configuration in a specific example (see par. 92 which describes that the invention is not limited to this example engine configuration), however does not disclose an unducted rotor assembly with variable pitch. Lu, which is analogous art, discloses an engine configuration with an unducted rotor assembly with variable pitch which provides a gas turbine architecture with enhanced efficiency, reversing engine thrust, and/or reduced noise. Thus, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed invention in the art to modify the propulsion system of Colavincenzo by providing engines with a variable pitch rotor assembly, wherein the variable pitch rotor assembly is an unducted rotor assembly, as taught by Lu, to enhance efficiency, to reverse engine thrust, and/or to reduce noise.
Furthermore, Miller discloses a variable pitch rotor assembly with a plurality of blades (40) coupled to a disk (42, Figs. 1-2).
The modified propulsion system Colavincenzo comprises a propulsion system with a variable pitch rotor assembly, however it lacks that the plurality of blades are coupled to a disk. Miller, which is analogous, discloses a disk which couples the blades in a spaced apart manner and enables the rotor assembly to rotate together (par. 24), and enables asynchronous blade pitching that ensures that fan blades do not pass through flat pitch at the same time and enables performance related improvements of the operation of the fan (par. 45) including improvements in engine efficiency, fuel consumption, installation, fan operability and stall margin (pars. 58). Thus, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify the propulsion system of Colavincenzo by providing the plurality of blades coupled to a disk, as taught by Miller, to couple the blades in a spaced apart manner and to enable the rotor assembly to rotate together (Miller par. 24), and to ensure that fan blades do not pass through flat pitch at the same time (Miller par. 45) and enables performance related improvements of the operation of the fan including improvements in engine efficiency, fuel consumption, installation, fan operability and stall margin (Miller par. 58).
Regarding claim 4, the modified propulsion system Colavincenzo comprises the first variable pitch rotor assembly is a single unducted rotor assembly positioned forward of the first vane assembly (Lu par. 34, Lu Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 5, the modified propulsion system Colavincenzo comprises operating the low speed spool (Lu “N1”) and the first variable pitch rotor assembly of the first engine to generate a first thrust output (see Lu Fig. 1); determining a desired thrust output (via “thrust schedule”, see par. 44) versus speed of the low speed spool of the first engine (Lu pars. 36, 44, “N1”); and generating an output signal (Lu par. 44) based at least on the determined desired thrust output versus speed of the low speed spool of the first engine (also Lu Fig.7A).
Regarding claim 7, the modified propulsion system of Colavincenzo (as modified by a synchronous blade pitch system of Miller) comprises altering a thrust vector based at least on adjusting the first blade of the first plurality of rotor blades to a desired first blade pitch and adjusting the second blade of the first plurality of rotor blades to a desired second blade pitch different from the desired first blade pitch (see Miller pars. 45-58, Miller Figs. 5-6).
Regarding claim 9, the modified propulsion system of Colavincenzo (as modified by an asynchronous blade pitch system of Miller) comprises the first pitch of the first blade is changed accordingly to a first pitch schedule and the second pitch of the second blade is changed according to a second pitch schedule (Miller Figs. 5-6, pars. 54-58).
Regarding claim 10, the modified propulsion system of Colavincenzo comprises a plurality of first blades are changed according to the first pitch schedule and a plurality of second blades are changed according to the second pitch schedule (Miller Figs. 5-6, pars. 54-58).
Regarding claim 11, the modified propulsion system of Colavincenzo comprises the first pitch schedule and the second pitch schedule rotate the first blade and the second blade through flat pitch at different times (Miller pars. 52, 56).
Regarding claim 12, the modified propulsion system of Colavincenzo comprises the first pitch schedule and the second pitch schedule differ from one another at least where the first blade and the second blade enter flat pitch (Miller pars. 52, 56).
Regarding claim 13, the modified propulsion system of Colavincenzo comprises the first blade (of blade set 134) passes through flat pitch ahead of the second blade (of blade set 136, Miller par. 52).
Regarding claim 14, the modified propulsion system of Colavincenzo comprises a first pitch of the first blade of the first plurality of rotor blades is changed asynchronously with respect to the change to a second pitch of a second blade of the first plurality of rotor blades (Miller pars. 45, 54-58).
Regarding claim 19, as far as it is definite, the modified propulsion system of Colavincenzo comprises the first engine operating parameter and the second engine operating parameter include a beat frequency (Colavincenzo Figs. 5B-6 with “period T”).
Claim(s) 2-3, 6, and 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Colavincenzo (US 2018/0050809) in view of Lu (US 2017/0107914) in view of Miller (US 2017/0138370) as applied to claims 1, 5 and 7 above, and further in view of Murrow (US 2016/0146115).
Regarding claim 2, the modified propulsion system of Colavincenzo comprises articulating one or both of a first blade or a second blade of the first plurality of rotor blades of the first variable pitch rotor assembly (see Lu Fig. 1).
The modified propulsion system of Colavincenzo lacks altering a thrust vector based at least on operating the low speed spool of the first core engine at a substantially constant speed.
Murrow discloses altering thrust vector based on operating the low speed spool at substantially constant speed (“the LP spool is kept at a relatively high speed at part power cruise conditions”, “nearly constant speed”, par. 19; note that the variable rotor assembly of Murrow operates at nearly constant speed over a wide range of operating conditions including “at part power cruise conditions” by articulating the pitch of the blades, also see claims 14-15).
Colavincenzo discloses a propeller with a controller, however is silent about whether the core engine operate with the low speed spool of the first core engine at a substantially constant speed. Murrow, which is also directed to a variable propulsion system, discloses operation at substantially constant speed control which results in improved propulsive efficiency of the engine over a variety of wide operation range (par. 6). Thus, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed invention to further modify the propulsion system of Colavincenzo by altering a thrust vector based at least on operating the low speed spool of the first core engine at a substantially constant speed to achieve improved propulsive efficiency of the engine over a variety of wide operation range (Murrow par. 6).
Regarding claim 3, the modified propulsion system of Colavincenzo comprises altering the thrust vector based at least on operating the low speed spool of the first core engine at a substantially constant speed (Murrow par. 18) based at least on articulating one or both of the first blade or the second blade of the first plurality of rotor blades of the first variable pitch rotor assembly (Lu Fig. 1) relative to a first vane pitch angle of the first vane assembly (since the pitches of the blades are tied to the desired thrust and speed of the rotor and are generally independent of the pitch of the vane assembly).
Regarding claim 6, the modified propulsion system of Colavincenzo comprises articulating one or both of a first blade or a second blade of the first plurality of rotor blades of the first variable pitch rotor assembly relative to a vane pitch angle of the first vane assembly aft of the first variable pitch rotor assembly (see Lu Fig. 1; Colavincenzo Fig. 2).
The modified propulsion system of Colavincenzo lacks altering a thrust vector based at least on operating the low speed spool of the first core engine at a substantially constant speed.
Murrow discloses altering thrust vector based on operating the low speed spool at substantially constant speed (“the LP spool is kept at a relatively high speed at part power cruise conditions”, “nearly constant speed”, par. 19; note that the variable rotor assembly of Murrow operates at nearly constant speed over a wide range of operating conditions including “at part power cruise conditions” by articulating the pitch of the blades, also see claims 14-15).
Colavincenzo discloses a propeller with a controller, however is silent about whether the core engine operate with the low speed spool of the first core engine at a substantially constant speed. Murrow, which is also directed to a variable propulsion system, discloses operation at substantially constant speed control which results in improved propulsive efficiency of the engine over a variety of wide operation range (par. 6). Thus, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed invention to further modify the propulsion system of Colavincenzo by altering a thrust vector based at least on operating the low speed spool of the first core engine at a substantially constant speed to achieve improved propulsive efficiency of the engine over a variety of wide operation range (Murrow par. 6).
Regarding claim 8, the modified propulsion system of Colavincenzo contains all of the claimed elements as set forth in the rejection of claim 7, except operating the low speed spool of the first core engine at a substantially constant speed when altering the thrust vector.
Murrow discloses operating the low speed spool at substantially constant speed when altering the thrust vector (“the LP spool is kept at a relatively high speed at part power cruise conditions”, “nearly constant speed”, par. 19; note that the variable rotor assembly of Murrow operates at nearly constant speed over a wide range of operating conditions including “at part power cruise conditions” by articulating the pitch of the blades, also see claims 14-15).
Colavincenzo discloses a propeller with a controller, however is silent about whether the core engine operate with the low speed spool of the first core engine at a substantially constant speed. Murrow, which is also directed to a variable propulsion system, discloses operation at substantially constant speed control which results in improved propulsive efficiency of the engine over a variety of wide operation range (par. 6). Thus, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed invention to further modify the propulsion system of Colavincenzo by altering a thrust vector based at least on operating the low speed spool of the first core engine at a substantially constant speed to achieve improved propulsive efficiency of the engine over a variety of wide operation range (Murrow par. 6).
Claim(s) 15-17, as far as they are definite, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Colavincenzo (US 2018/0050809) in view of Lu (US 2017/0107914) in view of Miller (US 2017/0138370) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Zhou (US 2015/0110624).
Regarding claim 15, the modified propulsion system of Colavincenzo contains all of the claimed elements as set forth in the rejection of claim 1, except the output signal based on an environmental parameter corresponds to a desired frequency of adjusting of one or more of a first blade pitch of a first blade or a second blade pitch of a second blade of the first plurality of rotor blades.
Zhou discloses generating an output signal (“signals” par. 35) based on an environmental parameter, wherein the environmental parameter is an icing condition (pars. 33, 35), wherein the output signal corresponds to adjusting a first pitch of a blade (pars. 41-42).
Colavincenzo discloses a propeller with a controller responsive to environmental conditions, however does not disclose the output signal with a frequency of adjusting of a blade pitch. Zhou, which is analogous art since it is directed to the problem faced by the inventor of removing ice on a rotor blade by using a pitch actuator, discloses adjusting a pitch of blade responsive to icing to remove ice or foreign matter on the blade efficiently and cost-effectively (par. 4). Thus, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed invention to further modify the propulsion system of Colavincenzo by providing the output signal based on the environmental parameter, wherein the output signal corresponds to adjusting a first pitch of a blade, as taught by Zhou, to remove ice or foreign matter on the blade efficiently and cost-effectively (Zhou par. 4).
Regarding claim 16, the modified propulsion system of Colavincenzo comprises the desired frequency of adjusting corresponds to a resonance frequency of one or more of the first blade or the second blade of the first variable pitch rotor assembly (Zhou pars. 42, 45).
Regarding claim 17, the modified propulsion system of Colavincenzo comprises the environmental parameter is an icing condition (Zhou pars. 33, 35).
Claim(s) 18, as far as it is definite, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Colavincenzo (US 2018/0050809) in view of Lu (US 2017/0107914) in view of Miller (US 2017/0138370) and in view of Zhou (US 2015/0110624) as applied to claim 17 above, and further in view of Baba (US Patent 8,641,376).
Regarding claim 18, the modified propulsion system of Colavincenzo comprises changing at least one of the first pitch of the first blade or the second pitch of the second blade of the first plurality of rotor blades such that the first pitch is different from the second pitch (see Lu par. 37 “independent”, Miller “asynchronous pitch”, Zhou “the blade” pars. 32, 42) comprises intermittently adjusting the first blade pitch and the second blade pitch (Zhou pars. 32, 42 “the pitch system will swing the blade at the cycle frequency”).
The modified propulsion system of Colavincenzo lacks intermittently adjusting between a respective first angle and second angle.
Baba discloses intermittently adjusting between a respective first angle and second angle (Fig. 4 with wave form of ω (pitch velocity) resulting in a pitch angle moving between a first angle and second angle).
Colavincenzo discloses a propeller with a controller responsive to environmental conditions, however does not disclose moving between first angle and second angle. Baba, which is analogous art since it is directed to the problem faced by the inventor of removing ice on a rotor blade by using a pitch actuator, discloses adjusting a pitch of blade between first angle and second angle which generate high pitch angle accelerations to separate the ice from the blades (Baba Col. 7, lines 4-15). Thus, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the claimed invention to further modify the propulsion system of Colavincenzo by intermittently adjusting between a respective first angle and second angle, as taught by Baba, to generate high pitch angle accelerations to separate the ice from the blades (Baba Col. 7, lines 4-15).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Pla (US Patents 5,221,185, 5,789,678) discloses a propulsion system with synchronization.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JESSE M PRAGER whose telephone number is (571)270-1412. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-5 EST.
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/JESSE M PRAGER/Examiner, Art Unit 3745
7/23/2025
/COURTNEY D HEINLE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3745